Today we begin our coverage on the 3 County Commission Candidates. The County Commissioner is elected every 6 years. One is elected from each of the three magisterial districts, Grant, Clay and Butler. This election Butler District is on the ballot.

Where are the experts? …..Cutting staff in the County school system is a concern on many levels. The reduction of Police Resource Officers is a concern that touches residents from all backgrounds and impacts students of all ages. Both Sheriff Scott Gittings and Police Chief Charlie Kush have made their opposition to the cuts well…

The salary figures for Superintendent Walt Saunders, Jennifer Marchesi and Erin Harvey were provided to Hometown News by Board President Chris Gillette. We regret that they may not have been correct and apologize to Saunders, Marchesi and Harvey. Gillette is filing an FOIA to get the correct salaries. c

Matt Cole, a speaker at Monday’s Hancock County Board of Education meeting, made an impassioned plea not to reduce the number of PRO officers in the County’s schools while Board member Randy Swartzmiller held up letters from Sheriff Scott Gittings and Weirton Police Chief Charlie Kush pointing out the danger of reducing the coverage. Superintendent…

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – LUCAS, a first of its kind, state-of-the-art mobile lung cancer screening unit, will visit Hancock, Brooke, and Tucker counties offering low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans. A service of WVU Medicine-WVU Hospitals and the WVU Cancer Institute, LUCAS will be at: Hancock County Senior Services in New Cumberland from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 21. For an appointment, call 304-564-3801. Wellsburg Banquet Hall from 8 a.m. to 4…

Monday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. the Hancock County School Board will meet at the JDRIV Center in New Cumberland.  ……..This marks the second meeting the Hancock County Board has had after the State takeover.. Although elected by a vote of the people, local  Board members have been stripped of their power to vote on…

The John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center’s Coordinator of Vocational Services/Special Education Instructor Jeanne Pellegrino was invited by West Virginia Northern Community College (WVNCC) as a K12 Partner to attend Rural Pathways Project Institute 3 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This conference included community colleges from across the United States with over 350 people in attendance.As part…

Debbie J. Beagle of East Liverpool passed away at her home on Sunday, March 22, 2026, following a courageous battle with cancer. She was being lovingly cared for by her husband, Donnie.Born in East Liverpool on July 27, 1954, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Melba Smith Tudor.Debbie devoted her life to…

Amongst many species, males display the more eye-catching exterior. The anole lizard, for instance, goes full fire engine to deter predators, mandrills (a form of primate) display bright colors to signify health, and big boy peacocks could put most rainbows to shame. So why do humans with the Y-chromosome so assiduously avoid sartorial flash ?…

It’s a known fact that it’s imperative to keep the school bus wheels turning for a school to operate. Experienced, CDL licensed school bus drivers are a difficult commodity to come by and districts often take to advertising for them. Recruiting bus drivers to Hancock County just got a whole lot harder given the changes…

We provided a list of all the bills that passed during the 2026 Session. To date 25 have been signed by the Governor SB 1Small Business Growth ActApproved by Governor 2/23/2026Effective from passage – (February 16, 2026)SB 4Relating to crimes against public justiceCompleted legislative actionCompleted Legislation awaiting Governor’s signatureSB 28Allowing members of State Police retirement system…

Readers can scroll down to see the 25 bills signed into law by the Governor. The school funding bill which will provide $800,000.00 in a loan to Hancock County Schools is among those listed. Also provided to readers in a separate article is a list of the bills which passed and now await the Governor’s…

Saturday March 21st, is a benefit turkey shoot and Chinese auction at the Chester-Newell sportsmen club. Proceeds to go for medical expenses and well care of 26 year old Marine/National guard Tyler Rawson, who was severely injured in a Motorcycle accident this past October. Please come out and shoot, eat or donate. The outdoor shoot…

The Alpha Tau chapter (WV) of Alpha Delta Kappa, International Honorary Organization for Women Educators held its March meeting at the Swaney Memorial Library in New Cumberland. Michelle Lewis, President-Elect, called the meeting to order.The Thought for the Day was given by Chaplain Kathy Griffith. Roll call was taken by Secretary Mary Lou Martindill and…

CHESTER LIONS CLUB BREAKFAST WITH THE EASTER BUNNY – The cooks and the bunny are getting ready for the Chester Lions Club’s upcoming annual “Breakfast with the Easter Bunny and Easter Egg Hunt”.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at the Chester Municipal Building from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. In addition to…

I remember as a kid secreting our big unwieldy plug-in radio under my Lost in Space blanket and listening far past my Petticoat Junction bedtime to Pittsburgh Pirate games when they visited the west coast. On one glorious occasion, my victory whoop when Willie Stargell went “downtown” ( the cool thing to call home runs…

……..The dust has settled with the reduction in force in Hancock County. Those employed in the system tell us the number of staff RFD far exceeds those 143 we were originally told. That number is said to be over 200. We shouldn’t be relying on the grapevine for our information. Superintendent Walt Saunders should be…