Runners take your mark: Know race day weather and plan accordingly

August 13, 2026

Saturday is race day. If you are taking part in the News and Sentinel Races you already know that. Regardless of if you are doing the half marathon or the two-mile race you have likely trained for weeks or even months so that you will do as well as you can. You have picked out your favorite shoes, maybe a special hat or running shirt you really like. Have you picked the weather? The weather is something of course that we cannot control. As race organizers, we would have ordered the perfect day if we could. We and you, for that matter, are stuck with whatever nature throws our way. ...

Runners take your mark: Fort Boreman Park will elevate the half marathon

August 12, 2026

When you are standing Saturday on Juliana Street awaiting the start of the News and Sentinel Half Marathon, turn around for a second and take a look at the flag on the top of the hill that is behind you. The flag is part of Fort Boreman Park, a historical part of Parkersburg that you will visit in the next two hours. The race you are about to run will take you through the park between miles six and eight. The park will offer you an ideal view of the downtown area that you will run through in the first miles of the race. Fort Boreman was constructed at the location in 1863 so that ...

COLUMN: How about Coach Deegan?

June 12, 2026

In the world of college baseball, West Virginia earning its first ever College World Series berth has been a huge story of interest in the area. The Mountaineers are set to take on Troy at 2 p.m. today in Omaha, Neb. to begin the double elimination tournament. The final two teams standing will play a best-of-three championship series to determine the national champion. But there’s another college baseball story relevant to the Mid-Ohio Valley that recently occurred in the Division III ranks. Denison University defeated Endicott twice in three games to capture the D3 national ...

COLUMN: What? No program?

May 30, 2026

I, myself, am an avid Mountain State high school wrestling enthusiast. Every year I look forward to acquiring a souvenir program from the state tournament. This year I was informed that there would be no more programs sold at the state tournament. Asking why, I was told that the cost of printing the programs was too expensive, and now you could only visit the WVSSAC website to see a digital state program. Did you know that? I was very disappointed, and you should be disheartened by this change as well. In the past, the state wrestling tournament program cost five dollars, which was ...

COLUMN: Unintentional intentional mark at WHS

April 23, 2026

On one hand, opportunities to set school records in isolated events don’t come around often under the format of the Fenton Relays. Secondly, sometimes school records occur when you least expect it. For example, take the Williamstown foursome of Chase Pickering, Jimmy Erlandson, Gavin ...

COLUMN: The future is now in MLB, and it’s expensive

April 4, 2026

What a day Thursday turned out to be for Konnor Griffin. Just a few hours after the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor leaguer found out he was being promoted to the big leagues, Griffin inked a nine-year, $140 million deal — the largest deal ever signed by a player prior to making their MLB debut. The No. 1 overall prospect in all of baseball according to most experts, Griffin got his first MLB start (and hit) in the Pirates’ home opener Friday against the Orioles. The 19-year-old shortstop is viewed as a can’t-miss, five-tool prospect who has the potential to be a franchise-altering ...