Breaking News

Opinion

W.Va. lawmakers deserve a failing grade

Editorials

Public school districts across West Virginia know they are facing significant challenges — so much so that they launched the “I Love WV Public Schools” campaign to boost support. Funding woes are a big part of the problem. And certainly, some public school administrators have not been shy about placing part of the blame for that on the ways in which lawmakers have allowed Hope Scholarship money to be spent. At the risk of kicking when a system is down, then, lawmakers should also take note of WalletHub’s “States with the best and worst school systems (2026),” which places ...

Downtown is more than a street — It’s the heart of Marietta

Local Columns

When people hear “Main Street,” they often picture one road lined with shops and restaurants. But in Marietta, we are fortunate to have something even greater: an entire historic downtown that tells our story, fuels our economy, and connects our community.
 Marietta Main Street doesn’t represent just one block or one corridor. It works to strengthen and support all of historic downtown Marietta — every storefront, every side street, every small business, and every gathering space that makes our community unique.
 Downtown is not just a collection of buildings. It is an ...

Fort Frye health clinic important for kids, community

Editorials

Fort Frye Local Schools, with the help of plenty of community partners, is proving once again that is will rise to the occasion when its students and families need more than just reading, writing and arithmetic. Board members have approved allowing Superintendent Stephanie Starcher and Treasurer Kaitlin Huck begin seeking bids for a new school-based health clinic. Appalachian Children’s Coalition, the Marietta Community Foundation, Sisters Foundation and Washington County Commission have all offered money and support; and Coplin Health Systems will operate the clinic with the help of ...

BHRC doing award-winning work on our behalf (editorial for 7/18)

Editorials

We live in a region with one of the heaviest concentrations of EPA-designated brownfields sites in the country. We’re no stranger to the scars left by our industrial and extraction past. The Mid-Ohio Valley is fortunate, then, to have an organization working to help us take advantage of those sites, rather than let them remain spoiled. Buckeye Hills Regional Council has been recognized by the National Association of Development Organizations for its Regional Brownfields Assessment Program. The group uses U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funding to lead a “comprehensive regional ...

WCSWCD: Get rich fast! Soil rich, that is

Local Columns

What happens to your left-over food scraps from the kitchen? Thrown in the trash bin maybe? What about the grass clipping from your yard? Any of the clippings make their way to the street or road, then maybe down the stormdrain? What if these items could help you become rich? Soil rich! The answer? Composting! The compost pile loves all those food scraps, yard waste and more. A compost pile can literally be a pile on the ground or stored in a bin. When the items start to break down, smell can be a factor so keep in mind when determining pile or bin and where it's placed. The compost ...

Thank you

Letters to the Editor

The members of Marietta in Bloom want to publicly thank the following individuals, businesses, and organizations who, in 2026, supported our annual efforts to beautify the City of Marietta: Mr. Russ Thomson and Mr. Larry Ohn, of Thomson's Landscaping, once again sold Lantana, Profusion Zinnias and Bubblegum Pink Petunias, Coleus and other annuals at greatly reduced prices for planting in our gardens. Mr. Jack Haessly, Haessly Hardwoods, provided loads of lovely mulch, free of charge, that were then delivered by the City of Marietta employees to our various planting locations! Mr. ...