People

COMIC: Celebrating WSO Founder Eleanor Caldwell

Natalie Kovacs March 23, 2022

In honor of Women’s History Month, today we are celebrating one of Wheeling’s leading ladies in the arts: Eleanor Caldwell....

This Whimsical Musician Gives Us A Glimpse Into Wheeling’s Past

Kate Wietor March 18, 2022

Wheeling has always had a colorful cast of characters: local celebrities, eccentric businesspeople, infamous persons. They become household names and...

History In Their Own Words: Memories from the Black Community

Weelunk Staff March 1, 2022

Special thanks to Valtricia Manns-Stradwick, James “Choo Choo” Webb, and Anthony Williams for inviting us into your homes and sharing...

Local Artist Shares His Work With First In-Person Exhibit

Jessica Broverman February 18, 2022

Vondel Bell, a Wheeling Park High School graduate and standout athlete, has a lot more to him than what meets...

The Eccentric Celebration That Honored a Dead Poet

Kate Wietor January 25, 2022

On a cold January night in 1900, a crowd of revelers gathered at the Hotel Windsor to toast a dead...

Why Wheeling: Tyler and Jack

Rosemary Ketchum December 29, 2021

Originally published April 6, 2021  We’ve all picked up a few hobbies over the past year, and scrolling listings on...

Wheeling Heritage Names New Executive Director

Provided November 16, 2021

Wheeling Heritage announced today that Scott Schenerlein has been named Executive Director of the nonprofit organization. He will assume the...

These Vintage Dance Cards Provide a Glimpse Into Wheeling’s Social Scene in the Late-1800s

Kate Wietor November 5, 2021

What was your 18th birthday like? Maybe it was a mad dash to the convenience store for lottery tickets. Perhaps...

Why Wheeling: Isaiah Alford

Angela Hawk November 2, 2021

Isaiah Alford, artist name “Keez,” has come straight from his day gig at the McClure Hotel with L&L Painting to...

Online Show of Hands Voting Begins Today!

Alex Panas October 25, 2021

Starting today through Oct. 31, four local entrepreneurs are depending on the community to participate in Wheeling Heritage’s Virtual Show...

Old Becomes New: How Two Wheelingites Are Repurposing Through Renovation

Angela Hawk September 29, 2021

Nearly nineteen years ago Susan Haddad began renovations on the 1869 building that would become her iconic Centre Market restaurant,...

A Short History of Wheeling Naturalist George H. Breiding

Natalie Kovacs September 24, 2021

With the leaves changing and students going back to school, it’s the perfect time to reflect and appreciate all of...

Wheeling Symphony Orchestra Welcomes Antoine Clark as Assistant Conductor

Provided September 21, 2021

Wheeling Symphony Orchestra (WSO) announces that Antoine T. Clark has joined the organization as Assistant Conductor. After a competitive national...

How Two Local Artists Are Recycling Wheeling’s History

Angela Hawk September 20, 2021

I’ve followed Wheeling mixed-media artist Robert Villamagna into his newly-constructed backyard shed. Maneuvering around some bikes, he unearths the head...

Why Wheeling: Ally Colina

Rosemary Ketchum September 10, 2021

In today’s market, it may seem harder than ever to buy a home. With soaring prices, stringent loan requirements, and...

Weelunk’s Top 10 Articles Written by Emma Wiley

Weelunk Staff August 25, 2021

If you’re a local history buff, then you’ve probably enjoyed reading at least a few of the stories written by...

The Young Wheeling Doctor Who Captured WWI Through Photography

Emma Wiley August 9, 2021

Dr. Raymond A. Tomassene was only 24 when he departed New York City on the ocean liner, La Touraine, bound...

Finding Home Away from Home in Wheeling

Angela Hawk August 2, 2021

I remember the moment I began thinking seriously about moving to Wheeling. It was two years ago. My husband, Bart,...

How a Warwood Medical Couple Became Internationally Decorated Floriculturists

Emma Wiley July 5, 2021

Over the years, Wheeling has been home to numerous award-winning people in various fields—from singers to actors to artists and...

The Mysteries of Mabel: Journalist, Working Woman, and Mother

Emma Wiley June 28, 2021

Mabel Hull first became a mystery due to a collection of her scrapbooks at the Ohio County Public Library. The...

Wheeling’s Beloved Cobbler Closing Shop But Opening New Opportunity

Rich Wooding June 25, 2021

If you’ve walked down Market Street recently, you may have noticed a new “for sale” sign in one of its...

Wheeling’s Real Life M*A*S*H Couple

Emma Wiley May 17, 2021

While many people have undoubtedly watched the wildly popular 70s sitcom, M*A*S*H, most probably don’t realize that Wheeling has its...

Meet The WV YouTube Creator Who Is Helping Solve Cold Cases

Rich Wooding March 24, 2021

When you’re a West Virginia-based true crime YouTube creator with 60,000+ followers and law enforcement agencies contact you for help…you’re...

Father-Son Duo Creates Podcast to Spread Positivity

Sarah Clark March 12, 2021

“Everything we do is about love. We’re doing it without a pat on the back. Where do we go from...

Martha Leos: 40 Years as a Wheeling Seamstress & Tailor

Wheeling Heritage Media January 27, 2021

Fashion trends come and go, but a perfectly-tailored outfit is always in style. Wheeling seamstress and tailor Martha Leos knows...

Why Wheeling: Lena Slivchenko

Rosemary Ketchum January 19, 2021

Longtime trends have shown that quality community recreation is a driving force for attracting new residents to a city while...

Add This Wheeling Icon To Your Holiday Mailing List

Alex Panas December 16, 2020

The holiday season is about spreading cheer, and one member of the Wheeling community could use some extra kindness this...

Why Wheeling: John and Camille Devlin

Rosemary Ketchum November 11, 2020

According to The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, “the arts and culture sector contributes $1.5 billion to West Virginia’s economy, representing...

Remembering Bill Hogan

Weelunk Staff November 10, 2020

Bill Hogan’s posts on Weelunk mirrored his personality in every word, phrase and sentence. Whether he was recalling life in...

Haunting Tales from a Local Paranormal Investigator

Miranda Tharp October 21, 2020

It’s that time of the year where everyone is watching scary movies, going to haunted houses, and doing all the...

Get to Know Wheeling Heritage’s Show of Hands Contestants

Alex Panas October 9, 2020

The latest round of Show of Hands is set to begin on Oct. 26. The virtual event will showcase four...

Why Wheeling: One Couple Trades Virginia for the Friendly City

Rosemary Ketchum September 25, 2020

Writer’s Note: For years, the state of West Virginia has been in population free fall. People leave our state for...

LIKE NIGHT AND DAY: Financial Planner Makes Order Out of Chaos With Drifting

Cassie Bendel August 31, 2020

Editor’s note: People aren’t always defined by their day jobs. There are plenty who have quite fascinating second jobs or...

Friends, Artists Remember Wheeling Playwright Tom Stobart

Daniel Flatley August 28, 2020

Editor’s note: Two memorials are scheduled for Tom Stobart. The first is at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, via Towngate...

Wheeling Man’s Hobby Proves ‘It’s a Small World’

Taylor Abbott August 19, 2020

The world today is a small one. Just think about it. With a few connecting flights you can literally find...

She Bought the House ‘Because It Felt Like Home’

Betsy Sweeny August 12, 2020

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about home lately. First, because I’m stuck in mine, and mostly, because I...

LIKE NIGHT AND DAY: Funeral Director Finds ‘Pocket’ of Community in Roller Derby

Cassie Bendel July 28, 2020

Editor’s note: People aren’t always defined by their day jobs. There are plenty who have quite fascinating second jobs or...

Reuben Rouse: ‘Raised on Love’

Nora Edinger July 15, 2020

Editor’s note: Weelunk is committed to sharing the city’s diverse stories, including those that combat systemic racism. Today’s post features...

Talking With Elders: ‘The Closest Thing to Time Travel’

Phyllis Sigal July 7, 2020

We can learn a lot from our elders; that’s something we’ve always heard. Wheeling Park High School social studies teacher...

The Road From Small Town to Published Author: Two Marshall County Natives Release Books

Kelly Strautmann June 27, 2020

Author’s note: It was a pleasure to write about two people from my small hometown — a younger schoolmate and...

WEEAsked: Owens Brown, President of the West Virginia NAACP

Ellen Brafford McCroskey June 17, 2020

George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor. These three are the latest to be sacrificed for the inequities of our society....

DOWNTOWN DO-OVER: Connors ‘Cornering’ the Market

Nora Edinger June 15, 2020

Editor’s note: In this occasional series, Weelunk has looked at downtown’s re-development — from the biggest catalysts to block-by-block changes....

Face Masks: Fashion Statement and Sign of the COVID-19 Times

Phyllis Sigal June 12, 2020

The Rolling Stones lips logo, political statements, camouflage, the American flag, designer logos, humorous sayings (“like a good neighbor, stay...

The Inspiration, Wisdom, And Courage Of Ann Thomas

Steve Novotney June 3, 2020

Editor’s note: This week, Weelunk will pause our normally scheduled programming to highlight stories that feature Black narratives. We have...

Corey Kidd Finds Balance During COVID-19 … On a Unicycle

Phyllis Sigal May 27, 2020

Nope, she didn’t want to join the circus as a kid. But, as an adult, Corey Kidd decided to take...

NATIONAL NURSES WEEK: Chante Gonzales, Wheeling Hospital

Kelly Strautmann May 13, 2020

Editor’s note: We owe our nurses everywhere a big thank you and more appreciation than ever for helping us through this...

Polio Survivor Recalls Earlier Pandemic Era

Nora Edinger May 11, 2020

Today, it’s easy enough for Wheeling residents to check the day’s infection and death tallies for COVID-19, the pandemic of...

Lady Gaga’s Foundation Makes Sweet Donation to Wheeling Hospital Staff

Phyllis Sigal May 8, 2020

A delivery of sweets made their way to Wheeling Hospital thanks to Lady Gaga, her mom Cynthia Germanotta and the Born This Way Foundation.

Wheeling’s Women Are Slam Dunks

Stacey Miller Sacco May 4, 2020

Wheeling loves sports. This is evident by the high participation in every Ohio Valley Athletic Conference event. You know it...

HELPERS: Celebrate the Helpers Among Us — Allison Hickey

Kathy Bonenberger April 27, 2020

At Weelunk, we’re all about keeping you connected to your community. Because that looks a little different right now, we’re...