Learning to Do Better — Lessons on Race Relations From Ron Scott Jr. Ellen Brafford McCroskey June 4, 2020 Editor’s note: This week, Weelunk will pause our normally scheduled programming to highlight stories that feature Black narratives. We have chosen to take this time to amplify those voices that are so often sil...
Being Good Samaritans — A Primer for Wheeling Citizens Ellen Brafford McCroskey February 26, 2020 You’re headed home from work on a brisk winter evening. The light turns red, and you hit the brake, mentally planning where you’ll stop to grab take-out for dinner. While you’re debating between pizza or Chines...
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott’s State of the City Address Glenn Elliott February 25, 2020 Editor's note: Mayor Glenn Elliott presented the State of the City Address today, Feb. 25, 2020, at Wheeling Island Hotel-Racetrack-Casino Showroom before an audience of hundreds. Here are the prepared remarks ...
WEE Think You’re Going to Fall for ‘Suspended Aggravation’ Phyllis Sigal January 26, 2020 He’s back! Allie Bennett never expected to see Gabe Morelli again after he hung her heart out to dry in a high school romance gone, well, sad. Yet, here he is, back in Wheeling after 12 long years. Before she c...
At Show of Hands, Corey Kidd Takes the Cake … and $11,350 Phyllis Sigal January 22, 2020 A record crowd of 600. A sea of friendly faces. The biggest winner’s check ever — $11,350. That all made for an incredible night for Corey Kidd of Bakery 49, winner of tonight’s Show of Hands. But the ici...
Alpha Moose on the Move Phyllis Sigal January 15, 2020 The trickiest part was getting the two huge moose heads out of the door. But long-time Ye Olde Alpha cooks Trevor Kropp and Dan Dokes, who were tasked with the job, succeeded. Getting most of the three do...
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN WHEELING (Part 2): A Survivor’s Story Ellen Brafford McCroskey January 15, 2020 Writer’s note: A few months back, I participated in Reality at a Glance (RAAG), a program sponsored by the YWCA. A walking tour designed to educate the public about what crime looks like in real-time, RAAG open...
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN WHEELING (Part 1): Hidden in Plain Sight Ellen Brafford McCroskey January 13, 2020 Writer’s note: A few months back, I participated in Reality at a Glance (RAAG), a program sponsored by the YWCA. A walking tour designed to educate the public about what crime looks like in real-time, RAAG open...
B.E. Taylor Christmas Star Shines On Betsy Bethel-McFarland December 18, 2019 The first time I talked to B.E. Taylor, I was a young reporter at The Times Leader. I was assigned to preview the upcoming B.E. Taylor Christmas show at The Capitol Theatre in Wheeling by my boss Phyllis Sigal,...
Zieggy Tribe Delivers Smiles to El Paso School Phyllis Sigal October 17, 2019 A big Ziegenfelder smile stretched all the way from Wheeling, West Virginia, to El Paso, Texas, today, when members of the “Zieggy Tribe” shared nearly 1,000 Twin Pops with Tom Lea Elementary. Today’s cool e...
Weelunk Rolls Into Wheeling Heritage Weelunk Staff August 28, 2019 'THIS IS WEELUNK' "It looks like a website, but it's more than that. It represents an attitude, a desire for a new Wheeling, one that trades shrinking and decay for optimism and enthusiasm,” explained one of...
Exley Remembers (sort of) Three Days of Craziness on Max Yasgur’s Farm Fred Connors August 13, 2019 Wheeling resident R. Banford Exley has sporadic memories of a raucous music festival he attended 50 years ago on a New York dairy farm. He hadn’t heard of the Woodstock Music Festival until a friend asked hi...
PETROCHEMICALS AND THE OHIO VALLEY: Part 2 — Health Effects of Cracker Plants Laura Jackson Roberts August 2, 2019 Editor’s note: On July 16, the Ohio County Public Library hosted two experts at its Lunch with Books series. Dr. Matthew Mehalik, Ph.D., and Dr. Ned Ketyer, M.D., spoke to a crowd of over 100 about the env...
PETROCHEMICALS AND THE OHIO VALLEY: Part 1 — Environmental Effects of Cracker Plants Laura Jackson Roberts July 26, 2019 1 Editor's note: On July 16, the Ohio County Public Library hosted two experts at its Lunch with Books series. Dr. Matthew Mehalik, Ph.D., and Dr. Ned Ketyer, M.D., spoke to a crowd of over 100 about the environm...
Bishop Mark E. Brennan Appointed as Ninth Bishop of Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Provided July 23, 2019 Pope Francis has named the Most Rev. Mark E. Brennan, currently Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. Bishop Brennan, 72, was ordained ...
Happy Goat Yoga-Small Business Series Jeremy Morris July 9, 2019 Editor's Note: This video is part of a Weelunk series focused on small businesses that have recently launched in the Friendly City. Thank you to AT&T for sponsoring this series. ...
Sarah’s on Main-Small Business Video Series Corey Knollinger July 9, 2019 Editor's Note: This video is part of a Weelunk series focused on small businesses that have recently launched in the Friendly City. Thank you to AT&T for sponsoring this series. ...
Clientele Art Studio-Small Business Video Series Corey Knollinger July 9, 2019 Editor's Note: This video is part of Weelunk series focused on small businesses that have recently launched in the Friendly City. Thank you to AT&T for sponsoring this series. ...
Harshman’s Poem Celebrates ‘Wheeling at 250’ Marc Harshman July 9, 2019 Editor's note: "Wheeling at 250" was commissioned by the Wheeling 250 committee. The poem, written by Marc Harshman, West Virginia's poet laureate, was premiered at the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra's concert on...
DiOrio’s Journey to Coffee and Contentment Jeremy Morris July 8, 2019 Editor’s note: Wheeling has cultivated a number of men and women who are outstanding in their chosen fields — the arts, science, medicine, etc. Today, Weelunk features David DiOrio, a graduate of The Linsly Sch...
Weelunk Reader From Croatia Wins Haiku Contest Phyllis Sigal July 3, 2019 Never in 250 years, has Goran Gatalica set foot in Wheeling, West Virginia. But this year’s haiku contest winner — who also took second-place honors — learned enough about our city from his Croatian friends,...
Caring for Coley: Mother, Daughter Give Hope to One Another Laura Jackson Roberts July 2, 2019 I’ve been hearing about Lisa and Nicole Goodson from a friend for over a year now. You have to write their story, my friend would say. And here’s my confession: I’ve had this interview on my to-do list for 15 m...
Wheeling Symphony’s Ninth: John Devlin Named Music Director Phyllis Sigal June 27, 2019 From the moment he shook hands with Concertmaster Rachel Stegeman and conducted the first phrase of Brahms, John Devlin felt that the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra “might be my orchestra.” John Devlin That...
Wee Asked Sean Duffy Phyllis Sigal June 24, 2019 WEEasked some simple questions — and your neighbors, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, even some strangers, answered. Get to know them a little bit better with our fun series, “WEEasked.” Look for it a couple...
Industry Check-Up: Hospitals Battling for Turf Nora Edinger June 3, 2019 A spanking-new Buck Rogers façade or a hospital acquisition here. A federal lawsuit alleging doctor kickbacks there. Full-blown for-profit status or intense marketing pretty much everywhere. Sorting out what...
The House in the Photo: A History of Echo Manor Laura Jackson Roberts May 24, 2019 There are many images of Wheeling from its early days, but certain photos just stick with us. One, in particular, generates discussion: a well-known sepia image from the turn of the century. Runners wind their ...
Coyotes: Truth, Myth and What We’re Getting Wrong Laura Jackson Roberts May 13, 2019 “Ithought it was our neighbor’s dog on the loose.” “They are brave. Some nights when they are tracking/killing it is so loud.” “Bethlehem is loaded with them. We got a Great Pyrenees to keep them away.” ...
Tick-Borne Disease: Fact, Fiction and Prevention Laura Jackson Roberts May 3, 2019 The other day I went into the woods to dig up some ramps. I wore socks and long pants as I crouched in the leaf litter. Later, I felt something on my stomach. It was a tick, moving as fast as it could toward my...
Youth Services System Names Schlegel 2019 Good Samaritan Provided April 24, 2019 The question restaurant owner Charlie Schlegel asks himself when anyone calls seeking a charitable donation isn’t “Why should I?” but “Why wouldn’t I?” Giving is second nature to Schlegel, who was raised one...
The Adventures of a First-Time 5K Runner (She Did It for the Kids) Jennifer Kellner-Muscar April 21, 2019 “Sometimes it isn’t about doing it well, it is simply about doing it." — Jennifer Kellner-Muscar Two years ago, at the age of 39, I ran my first 5K. I came in dead last. Here’s how it happened. Je...
New Martinsville Native Shines Light on Coal Miners in ‘Mine 9’ Kelly Strautmann April 19, 2019 Editor's note: "Mine 9" is now available on Netflix. 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 poin...
A History of Disaster: How Piedmont and the Muskingum Watershed Lakes Came to Be Laura Jackson Roberts April 15, 2019 Each weekend in the summers of my childhood, my parents packed me and my brother up and took us to a little brown cabin at the end of a gravel lane. Woods surrounded the house on three sides, woodpeckers called...
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.” ...
DOWNTOWN DO-OVER: The Big Pieces in Place Nora Edinger April 9, 2019 Editor’s note: A national redevelopment award here, a new building there, millions of dollars of renovations still somewhere else. What’s happening in downtown Wheeling can be hard to track, whether your city c...
Poet Laureate’s Latest Book Takes Surprise Twists Phyllis Sigal April 8, 2019 Editor’s note: April is National Poetry Month, inaugurated in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. After you read about West Virginia’s poet laureate, find ways to celebrate poetry’s vital place in our cultur...
Wheeling Heritage (Part 2): What’s on the Drawing Board? Phyllis Sigal March 26, 2019 Editor’s note: Yesterday, it was announced that Wheeling Heritage had won the 2019 Great American Main Street Award. Today, we hear more about the organization’s goals and how it intends to reach them. On th...
Wheeling Heritage (Part 1): A Big Win Today! Phyllis Sigal March 25, 2019 J ust like on a reality television show, Jake Dougherty and Alex Weld knew how the competition ended more than seven months ago — and had to keep it hush-hush. Until today. The exciting news — that Wheeli...
Park Speech and Debate Team Brings Home 40th Win! Provided March 23, 2019 They did it again! Wheeling Park High School’s team won the Overall Sweepstakes Trophy at the 2019 West Virginia Speech and Debate State Tournament — for the 40th year in a row. The tournament took place ...
Wheeling Country Day School: Celebrating 90 Years of Learning Christina Fisanick March 22, 2019 “To empower students to think, to create, and to communicate in a nurturing environment where learning and character are paramount.” — Wheeling County Day School’s mission 1929 was an epic year in Wheeling, We...
AS I SEE IT: The Devastating Diagnosis of Dementia Ellen Brafford McCroskey March 2, 2019 Mom’s dance with the devil named dementia began around 2004. Dementia is a cunning fellow when he first appears — a forgotten word or two, a misplaced set of keys, a question repeated once too often — all these...
All the World’s a Stage to Karla Boos’ Quantum Theatre Laura Lynn Brown February 22, 2019 Long before Karla Boos had any idea of founding a theater company, she got her start as a young actress at various Wheeling venues, including Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre. On Monday, she’ll return to...
The Presidential Allure of the Hotel McLure Christina Fisanick February 18, 2019 When hotel clerk Howard Finley first saw Wheeling’s McLure not long after it re-opened in 1896 following renovations, he exclaimed, “Gee, ain’t she a whopper!” By that point, the donut-shaped structure had witn...
ROBERTS RUMINATES: Things That Go Click in the Night Laura Jackson Roberts February 2, 2019 At 2:30 a.m. the other night, I pulled back the curtains beside my bed to see sheets of rain ponding on the road. I watched for a long time. I listened, and I counted the seconds as the traffic light down the r...
Wheeling Makes History at 12th Night Costume Ball Phyllis Sigal January 7, 2019 Ebenezer Zane posed for a photo with sister Betty, and her son-in-law Ebenezer Martin stopped by to say hello before she went for a brief gunpowder run around Oglebay’s Glessner Auditorium, all while Elvis danc...
Soccer Team Getting a Kick Out of Culture Phyllis Sigal December 28, 2018 “At the end of the day, we’re all the same — humans.” — Diego Gattesco That’s exactly why Diego Gattesco wants to take his son’s soccer team to his hometown of Cordoba, Argentina, in the spring. It’s not just ...
A Fishy Family Feast Is Christmas Eve Tradition Nora Edinger December 21, 2018 Buying salted cod (baccala) from Coleman’s Fish Market is a decades-old tradition for the Cerra family. Debbie Cerra Cresap used to shop for such food with her father. Now, she takes her own adult daughter, Li...
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...
Holy Crepes! Lady Gaga in the House Phyllis Sigal November 27, 2018 “Susan, you can call me Stefani.” That’s Susan Haddad, owner of Later Alligator in Center Wheeling. And, Stefani? Well, that’s Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. Lady Gaga’s invitation to call her "St...
Join the Kindness Revolution and Focus on the Good Stacey Miller Sacco November 21, 2018 A woman watched two brothers run miles in an effort to raise money for a child with cancer. A dentist offered free care to veterans in appreciation of their service. A teacher rewarded a student for his thought...
ROBERTS RUMINATES: A Place for Piles Laura Jackson Roberts November 17, 2018 We tidied up our house the other day. It was in desperate need, and during the miserable exercise — one replete with whining and bickering and arguments about who was absolutely not going to pick up that shoe o...
