Hancock County Schools is facing a financial crisis that did not occur suddenly, nor was it unavoidable. Information revealed in recent public meetings points to years of poor financial management, insufficient oversight, and a troubling lack of transparency. These failures have placed the district, its…
Prior to 1995, there was no legalized gaming in West Virginia aside from purchasing a lottery ticket or betting on a horse or dog race. That all changed in 1995, when two Hancock County Delegates, the late Sam Love (D-1st) and Tamara Pettit (D-1st) sponsored…
We are excited to introduce baby girl Amaria, the first baby born at WVU Medicine Weirton Medical Center in 2026. Amaria arrived this morning (1/2/26) at 12:56 a.m. She is the daughter of Kaylee Yeater and Bryan Barr of Follansbee Just half an hour later, Eli Whitney was born.…
……I’m celebrating my ability to handle all the trappings of Christmas on my very own and that includes taking all those trappings down and putting them away. Some women tell me once they are alone they scale down decorations, some not even putting up a…
by Mark Patterson Something of a scoundrel-albeit a charming one-my dad played the ponies throughout most of his adult life. Please consider that this was long before legalized sports-betting slapped a veneer of legitimacy on the sort of “financial speculation” that sometimes results in dining…
Can it be time for another election cycle? Filing for the 2026 Election is slated to begin January 12 and end January 31. The Primary Election is May 12, 2026 and the General Election is November 3. Often known as the “off-term election”, the election…
There are a lot of challenges ahead for Hancock County in 2026. At this point the most pressing challenge is rectifying the financial crisis in the Hancock County School system. …….Despite the meetings I’ve attended and the research I have done, I’m still baffled by…
From our Hometown News family to your family we wish you a blessed Christmas. The communities and their residents have endured tough times and are facing challenging times to come. Employees of the Hancock County School District went home for the holiday break with no…
……Christmas is all about memories. The magical ones live forever in our hearts. Unfortunately, death, tragedy and sickness observe no holiday and those memories also take up space in our memory bank emerging at unexpected moments. But time often softens the edges of the memories…