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Marietta’s gas aggregation

Letters to the Editor

I was doing an annual review of my natural gas bills recently and came across some interesting facts that I suspect very few Marietta residents know. In 2024, the City of Marietta entered into a municipal natural gas aggregation agreement with Eastern Power and Gas that was supposed to provide residents with a fixed price of $3.85 per MCF. Eastern subsequently told the city it could no longer perform under that contract. In March 2025, Marietta City Council approved an amendment that ultimately replaced our fixed-price protection with a variable rate tied to Enbridge's monthly Standard ...

Cracking the Code: Our superpower

Local Columns

One of my concerns on our U.S. Commercial Services Roadshow trip to Turkey earlier this year was language. I do not know any Turkish. In Istanbul and Ankara, the presentations were in English or they had a headset with a translator. In Koceali, our second stop, everything except our afternoon presentations were in Turkish with no translator. I had no idea what they were saying. When the third panel started, I sat next to a young woman who whispered to me, translating what the panelists said. I learned valuable information. At one point, the woman whispered, “He just told companies ...

MOV Climate Corner: Root of all evil

Local Columns

When I hear the assertion that we are in a race with China to build up our artificial intelligence capacity it makes me wonder where this level of concern was when we were handing over the keys to the electric car and the renewable energy that powers it to China. In recent weeks I’ve tuned in to various business news television programs and have found that AI has dominated the business world and in fact is propping up the economy as wealthy investors reap healthy rewards from what some refer to as the AI boom, which is returning record profits on investment. This AI boom requires data ...

Early Marietta: The Dime Savings Society

Local Columns

Working at a bank was a good job for a high school kid in the 1960's. Benefits included earning minimum wage (about $1.25 an hour), no strenuous effort, bankers’ hours 9-2:30, and fascinating people. The lobby looked like the 1800s - pendulum clock, wrought iron teller cages and Ebenezer ...

For states, fun can be serious business

Editorials

Most of us are proud of the state where we live for many reasons (and not so proud for others). But we don't usually tend to think of our home territory as “fun” as compared with other places. California, for example, is ranked the most fun state in WalletHub's “Most Fun States in America (2026).” Florida is second. It's hard not to wonder whether a certain mouse has something to do with that. But it turns out Ohio isn't doing too badly for itself, either. According to the report, the Buckeye State is the 15th most fun state in the country -- 16th for entertainment and ...

Backyard Gardener: Tomato hornworm: Big worm, big appetite

Local Columns

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley Farmers and Gardeners! We are experiencing one of the wettest Augusts in recent memory as rain totals this month are more than 8 inches in many areas of the valley. As the harvest of tomatoes, peppers, green beans, sweet corn and other vegetables continues, please contact the WVU Extension Office with questions on freezing, canning or other garden-related questions. Keep in mind green beans are a low-acid food and must be processed in a pressure canner. The high temperatures of a pressure canner destroy Clostridium botulinum spores, preventing the formation of the ...