Kelly Strautmann

Building a Stronger Community — One Gnome at a Time

August 17, 2019

There is a place in Wheeling where you can meet new friends and be creative. Where a beautiful resident tortoiseshell cat named Reese will greet you and make you feel welcome. It’s a place where owners Beth ...

Mounds of Learning Opportunities at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex

Kelly Strautmann

June 28, 2019

You pay homage to it every time you say the name of its hometown. It’s one of the largest Adena burials found in the country. It’s been the center of hoaxes, and Charles Dickens even paid it a visit. There is a...

New Shindig Coming to the Valley

Kelly Strautmann

May 17, 2019

Four days of riding and three nights of music. If you are looking for something new to do over Memorial Day weekend, Dean Barath of Ideal Provisions has you covered. Barath will host his first-ever music fes...

New Martinsville Native Shines Light on Coal Miners in ‘Mine 9’

Kelly Strautmann

April 19, 2019

You will find yourself gripping the armrest in the theater as you descend two miles underground into the dark mine. The miners’ point-of-view is your point-of-view, and the only light in the theater is the ligh...

What We Lost at Wheeling Jesuit University

Kelly Strautmann

April 14, 2019

Author’s note: It was impossible for me to write a piece on WJU objectively, so I did a deep dive into my personal experience. I believe the courses of study left at WJU for the upcoming year are no less import...

Shantyboats and Watercolors: Wheeling Native Takes On Kentucky Artist

Kelly Strautmann

April 10, 2019

“Just like Hubbard on one of his many trips down the Ohio River, I came with the water from Wheeling and was mysteriously compelled to stop at this beautiful little part of the world near Madison, Indiana.” ...

More Than Meets the Eye at Oglebay Thanks to National Training Center

Kelly Strautmann

January 31, 2019

A lot of things come to mind when you think of Oglebay — the Festival of Lights, the Good Zoo, Oglebayfest — just to name a few. But there is something else that takes place at Oglebay in the off-season that br...

Art Scene Blossoming in Wheeling

Kelly Strautmann

December 14, 2018

It’s no secret when you live in Wheeling — art is everywhere in this small city. It is evident today, possibly more than ever, that art is a main part of the city’s identity and is here to stay. Driving down...

Can You Spare an Afternoon to Strike Up a Mentorship?

Kelly Strautmann

November 28, 2018

You don’t have to go far in the Ohio Valley to find good people willing to help others. Good things are happening at the St. Clair Lanes in St. Clairsville on Sunday, and you’re invited. The fun afternoon wi...

A Love Letter to the Oglebay Train Room

Kelly Strautmann

September 15, 2018

They say nothing lasts forever, and everything changes. You hear it your whole life. And there are many things you wait with mild to severe anxiety to change — from the small, everyday things to the bigger life...

Author Kelly Strautmann