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Powering Ohio’s Future: Why coal still matters and innovation can’t wait

Right now, California faces rotating power outages previously only seen in third world countries. Pretty soon, they’ll be coming to Ohio too – unless we do something about it now. Fortunately, President Donald Trump took a major step earlier this month to address this looming crisis by issuing three executive orders to revive the coal industry—keeping aging coal plants online, accelerating mining leases on federal lands, and rolling back burdensome climate regulations. Coal shouldn’t be treated like a four-letter word in America; we should embrace it. Last year, the rest of ...

Putnam Street Bridge went out in a blaze of glory

After serving Marietta through two world wars, the Depression and countless floods, the Putnam Street Bridge was blown to bits 25 years ago tomorrow. Has it been that long? Yes it has. The crossing of the Muskingum River was a bridge built out of necessity following the great flood of ...

AI has no stake in relaying accurate information to readers

One of my favorite things is to have negative preconceived notions about an event or interaction and be proved spectacularly wrong. I was lucky enough to have that happen to me yet again this past week when I attended an event during which West Virginia University journalism students presented their work to provide insights and news industry advice on the use of artificial intelligence. I expected this group of students to tell a room full of seasoned newspaper people that we were obsolete — that AI was coming for our jobs and we’d better just start clearing off our desks now. I was ...

Remember the Sabbath day

Four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah battled with Elijah on Mount Carmel. Elijah was outnumbered, 850 to one. Knowing the odds were stacked, Elijah allowed the prophets of Baal every advantage. In the contest to call down fire from Heaven, the false prophets chose their animal for sacrifice and went first. Elijah granted them all the time they needed. After they failed to bring fire from Heaven, Elijah even handicapped his own effort by pouring water on his sacrifice and altar and, since the day was waning, kept his prayer brief: “Lord, the God of Abraham, ...

The two lives of Joseph Kelly

Joseph arrived at age 4 in Marietta at Point Harmar in November 1788. Indians kidnapped him in 1791. The family had moved downriver to the stockade at Belleville in Virginia. Joseph was helping his father drive hogs from a lot when Indians appeared. One grabbed him around the waist. Indians intended to kidnap his father, too, but James Kelly was too strong. He overpowered three of the Indians trying to take him. He was shot dead and scalped. They carried a terrified Joseph off through the woods. Among his captors was a white man with a freckled face, red hair, and a big smile - an ...

MOV Climate Corner: DOGE strikes again for Earth Day

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass The first Earth Day in 1970 responded to a world in crisis — rivers catching fire from pollution, smog choking city skies, and wildlife vanishing at alarming rates. That national outcry led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and, a few years later, the Endangered ...