First Fridays on Fourth Street has returned to Steubenville. STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — First Fridays on Fourth Street has returned to Steubenville. The festival brings a lot of foot traffic to the downtown area and attendees were able support local businesses which is a big goal of event. Friday's theme was pirates. There were a lot of activities such as a treasure hunt, a pirate ship and performances for people to enjoy. Marc Barnes, president of the Harmonium Project, said over the years the festival has really helped show the potential of the downtown area. "First Fridays is an awesome time where people from every walk of life, every part of the community, can come down and recogize that we are all one Steubenville, one city and celebrate that.” The next First Friday is June 6 and the theme is the roaring twenties. RANGE OF EMOTIONS — Legendary entertainer and Steubenville native Dean Martin is pictured participating in the Tucson Open, in a photo provided by the Dean Martin Association. -- Contributed STEUBENVILLE — A new event being introduced to the annual Dean Martin Hometown Festival will unite the eponymous entertainer’s love for golf and charitable giving, while making history in his hometown, organizers say. Since 1996, the City of Steubenville has celebrated the life and legacy of Dean Martin, who was born in Steubenville on June 7, 1917. This year’s festival is presented by the Dean Martin Association and a team of collaborators, who hope to revitalize the celebration with a fresh lineup of activities. One such activity is the inaugural Dean Martin Association Charity Golf Scramble, which will take place June 13 at the Steubenville Country Club. Many people know Dean Martin as a singer, actor or TV host, but fewer know of his reputation as a celebrated golfer. The game was an escape for Martin amid the various pressures of showbiz, recalled Dean Martin Association Vice President Cindy Williford. “When we began planning the festival, one thing that I told the team was that I wanted to have a golf outing, and they thought I had flipped my head,” she said. “But it was important to me because it was important to Dean. … We do a lot of celebrating the movies and music and the Rat Pack, but we don’t do enough celebrating what he brought to the game of golf.” Williford said she spoke with officials at the Steubenville Country Club, who quickly jumped on the idea. The scramble is historic, being only the second golf outing named after Dean, Williford said. The other was the Tucson Open in Arizona, which Martin hosted from 1972 to 1975. It’s fitting that the scramble is taking place in his hometown, Williford said, adding that organizers hope to make it an annual tradition. Beginning with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m., the event is a foursome scramble, with entry fees set at $500 for a team and $150 for a single golfer. There are four levels of sponsorship, each with a name that give a nod to Martin’s career: “Ocean’s 11” platinum sponsorship, $3,000; “Everybody Loves Somebody” gold sponsorship, $2,000; “That’s Amore” silver sponsorship, $1,000; and “The Caddy” bronze sponsorship, $500. Every level offers unique display benefits. Sponsorships are also available for the 18 holes, which are named after Martin’s songs, ranging from “Things” to “King of the Road.” Those wishing to be a sponsor or participate in the scramble can contact Williford at (512) 876-7552 or deanmartinassoscramble2025@gmail.com. A drawing will also take place during the event. All proceeds generated by the scramble will benefit the Ohio Valley Health Center, a free clinic in Steubenville that serves medically uninsured or underinsured residents of the Ohio Valley. Charitable giving was a passion for Martin and even motivated his involvement with the Tucson Open, Williford said. That passion pervades the Dean Martin Association, an independent and officially sanctioned non-profit organization that sponsors the Muscular Dystrophy Association and endeavors to publicize Martin’s modest philanthropy in life. “The charity aspect was big for Dean,” Williford said. “We will never know how charitable he was. He did so many things without anyone knowing.” The scramble is just one way organizers are broadening the Dean Martin festival’s appeal. Scheduled for June 12-14, the festival will offer activities for people of all ages: A 5K run/walk, a parade, tribute shows, a meatball eating contest, live music, a 1950s street dance, a car cruise-in, karaoke, trolley rides and historical tours. Another major addition to the festival is a Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis telethon, live at Franciscan Square at 2 p.m. June 14. Starring Joe Scalissi and Matt Maciis, the event will be livestreamed and support the Muscular Dystrophy Association. “There’s new and exciting stuff all over the city for everyone, and we’re really excited about the involvement and participation,” Williford said of the festival. “You won’t be lacking in places to go and things to do.” Today's breaking news and more in your inbox WHEELING — The Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine is a showcase of the entire city of ... WEIRTON - The boil order issued Saturday for Ferguson Avenue, West Street, and the 3100 block of Orchard Street has ... Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Ohio, Inc. | https://www.weirtondailytimes.com | 114 Lee Ave., Weirton, WV 26062 | 304-748-0606 Armstrong Williams takes on the news of the week and asks the questions you want answered. Don’t miss our weekly town hall. Public invited to weigh in on downtown traffic study plansby Skylar Sobansky the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Ohio Department of Transportation are performing a downtown central business district study This stems from the decrease in traffic following the closure of the Market Street Bridge The study is from Adams Street to Logan Street and Third Street to Seventh Street and it's looking at 13 signalized intersections and six unsignalized intersections throughout the downtown area "Twelve out of the 13 signalized intersections are not needed anymore," City Engineer Mike Dolak said “The only one that is still needed is at Seventh and Washington." Dolak said the recommendation is to remove the 12 signalized intersections and replace them with all-way stop signs An overview map was created to show how the intersections would look once the signals are removed Dolak said it's all preliminary engineering and it will have to go to a final engineering phase "There are positives and negatives,” Dolak said “One of the positive things is that it makes it a more of a walkable city which means they’re not warranted and any assistance and help from the state or federal government would not exist and probably to redo one intersection is about $330,000.” There have been a lot of talks relating to adding bike trails in the downtown area which will support Steubenville’s Heritage Trail and the Great American Trail A separate study illustrates a concept plan for a bike trail loop in the downtown area that runs along Washington Street "Washington would get reduced to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane,” Dolak said Not a lot of accidents in the downtown area." the city is looking at sections of Fourth and North streets for a bike trail it shows existing conditions -- existing conditions north of North Street and there are various options that would happen if you would institute a protected bike trail through the area." There will be a committee meeting May 20 at 6:30 p.m The concept plans are on the city's website and Comments/questions concerning the plan may be directed to Dolak at (740) 283-6000 ext or by e-mail at mdolak@cityofsteubenville.us Ohio — Music filled the halls of the First Westminster Presbyterian Church as the Ohio Valley Chorale presented its spring concert "Together We Sing." The event featured arrangements from artists such as Dan Forrest and Keith Hampton and was open to the public free of charge expressed gratitude for the community's support "When I look out and see this many people in the audience it means the world to me as a founder of this group because it means that the community is behind us the community wants the arts in Steubenville and they're willing to come out to make sure that they continue," he said The chorus will begin rehearsals the second Monday in September with their Christmas concert scheduled for early December Trees were scattered across Steubenville on Tuesday evening following the powerful storms that swept through the region Ohio — Trees were scattered across Steubenville on Tuesday evening following the powerful storms that swept through the region First responders moved swiftly to clean up downed trees and debris on different roads including Belleview and Maryland Avenue residents were unable to use the street to access their homes temporarily due to downed trees with live power lines "These people in the parking lot and there is another supplementary parking lot down there they are all waiting to get up on the hill,” Steubenville Assistant Fire Chief Chris Takach said "When you have a neighborhood with one way in and one way out with the dense population Takach added that if you see a powerline on the road He also added that the public should make sure they have battery powered lights a radio as well as making sure you are getting to a safe place during storms a tree fell onto the street blocking traffic in both directions Drivers were using a nearby resident's yard to navigate around the blocked roadway larger vehicles such as buses and tractor trailers were unable to use the alternate route due to limited space and narrow access the former WSTV radio tower was taken down by the winds The tower toppled over and was bent up in several spots It also blocked a portion of Burr Avenue in Mingo Junction for a period The tower has been unoperational for some time and does not have a current impact on our ability to broadcast NEWS9 employees along with the Mingo Junction Fire Department worked to remove the tower safely and reopen the road to traffic INDUSTRY INSIDERS — Faculty and staff from Broadway Dreams shared entertainment industry advice with Steubenville City Schools students From left are founder and President Annette Tanner General Manager Ryan Ratelle and faculty member Warren Egypt Franklin STEUBENVILLE — A former star in the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” tested a group of Steubenville City Schools students’ dance prowess Friday during an educational session to prepare them for a career on stage who played Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the “Hamilton” national tour from 2020 until 2023 taught dance terminology and steps from the musical to an ensemble of Steubenville High School and Harding Middle School students in the SHS auditorium Franklin was one of three individuals to visit SHS from Broadway Dreams a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides youth and young adults with performing arts instruction taught by entertainment professionals Founder and President Annette Tanner and General Manager Ryan Ratelle joined Franklin in a question-and-answer session with students noted that roughly two dozen students who can attend yearly trips to New York City which include drama workshops and musical viewing Broadway Dreams’ visit Friday was a huge benefit since it gave more students that inside look at Broadway than would otherwise get it through the trips “This is nice because we can have more kids experience what we do while we’re in New York,” said Wolodkin who’s head of the SHS Fine Arts Department “We have a pretty strong theater (program) through the schools where those who are maybe thinking of pursuing a career have an opportunity to talk to some people in the field — things that we can’t offer them.” a former star in the “Hamilton” national tour taught Steubenville City Schools students a routine from the hit musical including its iconic pose from the number “My Shot.” -- Christopher Dacanay The Broadway Dreams crew was at Montour High School in Pittsburgh the previous day adding that the last-minute Steubenville stop was facilitated through a connection with Chris Roberts who serves on Broadway Dreams’ board of directors Roberts is the daughter of the late Bob Haskins Julie Battistel is the program’s choreographer attending one of the organization’s weeklong intensive programs last summer Days were long and the content was difficult which challenged participants to learn an entire cabaret routine in only one week The program concluded with a performance in front of Broadway casting directors Prior to Friday’s roughly two-hour session Battistel said her students would benefit from Broadway Dreams’ challenge and the professionals’ insights “It’ll really help them see what it takes to be in the industry from professionals who are doing it,” she said “It’s always good to have that experience where you’re learning from someone who’s actually gone through the business.” Participating were about 30 members of the SHS International Thespian Society Troupe No a similar number of SHS Drama Club members and a portion of Harding’s Drama Club While the Thespians were fresh off their production of “Newsies,” the Harding Drama Club is preparing for its production of “The Wizard of Oz Jr,” which will have 106 performers Franklin put students to work in a constructive leading them through the official audition routine for “Hamilton” — the same one he learned in only 10 minutes It paralleled her experience at the weeklong intensive camp which included acting exercises and rapid dance instruction “It really made me come out of my shell on stage,” she said of the camp but I think it helped me build my stage confidence.” students were introduced to the Broadway Dreams faculty and staff who told of their experiences in show business and provided advice and encouragement Franklin had to step away from the sport following an injury While a student at Cleveland School of the Arts he was dared by a friend to try out for the school musical the feeling I get on stage is better than any touchdown ever,” he told the students “And that just got me super interested in theater.” Franklin studied music and musical theater at Baldwin Wallace University he booked “Hamilton” as a first replacement requiring him to learn the entire musical in a week and a half before debuting in front of 3,000 people adding he was better prepared for the task because of his time as a Broadway Dreams program participant That got me ready to learn probably what is the hardest musical ever in a week and a half.” Now Broadway Dreams’ youngest faculty member Franklin has found a new niche in TV and film sporting roles in the Disney+ series “Grown-ish,” “Diarra from Detroit” and “Aaron Hernandez: American Sports Story.” who recalled Broadway Dreams’ founding 20 years ago with the goal of bringing industry professionals across the country to connect with passionate “We try and make sure to connect those who really want to do this with the right people because networking is what makes the doors open,” she said Broadway Dreams has 13 city partners for hosting its intensive programs as well as a presence in seven different countries Each city program is headed by a different director or choreographer Those who are unable to pay for a program can have the cost covered by the organization 19 of them have Broadway Dreams alumni performers in them “The goal is — now that we’ve been around 20 years — I want all the Dreamers to be coming back and giving back to the next generation Lending his expertise from a Broadway public relations perspective was Rattelle who began his career as an actor but transitioned into the business side of theater upon moving to New York City Rattelle has worked as a publicist for 23 Broadway shows and served as English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s personal publicist for several years including the biopic “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Franklin and Tenner informed students about the joys and difficulties of Broadway advising them about college choices and career paths to support their dreams who earlier had told students never to pass up an opportunity to showcase their talents referenced the disapproval his sports-centered family showed to his passion for theater “Whether you have your brothers’ support or your sisters’ or your parents’ or your best friend’s — your biggest supporter is you,” he said you will at least have one person believing in yourself.” EAST PALESTINE — East Palestine City Schools filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Norfolk Southern on .. WHEELING — New and expectant mothers could take home baby gear and information from local social service agencies .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Ohio | https://www.heraldstaronline.com | 401 Herald Square Franciscan University’s Steubenville Conferences have provided Catholics and sincere seekers a vibrant Eucharist-centered experience of life in the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ we’re overwhelmed by the Lord’s generosity and the ways he continues to reach people through our conferences,” said Brian Kissinger executive director of Conferences at Franciscan University “From the individual encounters and conversion moments that take place during these events to the families and apostolates impacted by the men and women who attend we’re in awe of how God is at work rebuilding the Church through the Steubenville Conferences.” Kissinger said that in addition to long-time favorite conferences for adults and teens this summer’s schedule will introduce Glory: Women’s Gathering This unique conference will bring women together June 6-June 8 at Franciscan University to encounter the glory of God and experience a place of belonging Steubenville Conferences have partnered with Abiding Together podcast co-host Heather Khym and Life Restoration Ministries to offer this special conference to women Speakers will include Khym; Michelle Benzinger Abiding Together podcast co-host; Debbie Herbeck founder and executive director of Pine Hills Girls’ Camp; Sarah Kaczmarek director of Pastoral Ministry at Encounter Ministries; Father Tim Hepburn of St Worship music will be led by GMA Dove Award nominated artist and songwriter Sarah Kroger Quaglia “I’m so excited to host the Glory women’s conference at Franciscan this summer and welcome women of all generations to encounter God’s presence and refocus our lives on Jesus,” Khym said Steubenville Conferences will also host five other adult conferences this summer at Franciscan University all of which will feature acclaimed Catholic speakers professor of biblical theology at Franciscan University; Father Dave Pivonka professor of Scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit; Deacon Bob Rice Franciscan University catechetics professor; Karlo Broussard author and staff apologist for Catholic Answers; Dr theology professor at Franciscan University; Father John Riccardo assistant professor of theology at Franciscan University; Kimberly Hahn author and podcast host; Katie Prejean McGrady host of The Katie McGrady Show on Sirius XM; and many others Steubenville Conferences will sponsor 19 summer conferences for teens in dioceses throughout the United States and Canada This summer’s Youth Conferences will include four events at Franciscan University and the return of Steubenville Youth Conferences to San Diego “As someone who attended our youth conferences as a teen and served as a Steubenville Youth Conferences host I’ve seen the fruit and the evidence of what God can do through these weekends,” Kissinger said “We’re privileged to have front row seats to witness young people experiencing conversion through encountering Jesus in the context of a joyful community.” For more information on the Steubenville Conferences or to register, visit SteubenvilleConferences.com joins forces with Katie McGrady on the Hallow app to guide… Franciscan University hosts landmark summer of conferences and launches new “Glory” women’s conference Global theologians to engage issues of creation Franciscan University of Steubenville is no ordinary university and a Franciscan education is no ordinary education it’s an education as rigorous and demanding as it is faithful—an education that challenges you intellectually Vince Marant looks over a letter sent to him by a Kent State University student and Steubenville native during his time in the Vietnam War STEUBENVILLE — Vince Marant is waiting he has been wondering … questioning if the day will ever come That is why he is turning to the Ohio Valley in the hope that someone from the Steubenville area will perhaps be able to put an end to a story that began long ago man is pleading with the public for any contact information they may have regarding a former Steubenville woman by the name of Claudia Lynn Henry Nor is it a branch in his family tree who is being sought This is someone whom he has never been able to forget for the past 56 years But first … we have to start at the beginning Marant was serving as a Marine in the Vietnam War he was handed a letter addressed from someone in the United States Her name was Claudia Lynn Henry and she was a student attending Kent State University in Kent Upon opening the piece of mail dated March 10 Marant began carefully reading the words penned on the sheets of paper I really don’t know quite how to begin I’ve never sat down and tried to write a letter to someone I don’t know before.” She provided her name noted she was a junior at Kent and relayed she was a childhood education major “I saw your name along with several other Marines’ names,” she continued posted at the dorm desk for about three days I picked you to write to simply because I like your name Since I don’t know anything about you I’ll just write about a little of everything and anything.” She said she knew he was from Louisiana from that posting on the bulletin board put up for students to write to soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War She claimed she didn’t know much about geography Henry wrote about the outbreak going on at the college during that time She relayed how the art students decided to set fire to a wooden ROTC building that had been converted to an art building at 1:30 a.m going home to Steubenville for spring break and wanting to go to Florida but being “too broke.” She discussed the weather and described what she looked like She mentioned anything from an Alfred Hitchcock thriller to a Julie Andrews musical were the films she liked She loved sports of all kinds and noted she had a brother who was a junior playing football for Steubenville Big Red She told Marant music was a huge part of who she was and included her favorites were the 5th Dimension She ended the letter with a poem about the ocean She ended almost every letter she sent to the Vietnam soldier with a poem Marant wrote back to Henry following that initial first letter the two were corresponding a couple of times a month for several months during 1969 his wife of 40 years had lost her “courageous but futile battle with the scourge of cancer” and it was time to clean out the family’s storage facility the top tray containing war photos and mementos he found at the bottom his uniform adorned with ribbons and medals he located what he was looking for … a packet of letters yellowed with age and tied together with a green boot lace “Why I held on to these letters all these years only God knows for they were written by a person I have never met,” Marant explained fun and upbeat and were written to me at a time I so desperately needed all of the above.” The letters continued from May through September Lynn wrote to her newfound friend about her family’s plan to go to Florida for two weeks and how she was looking forward to trying her hand at surfing as she was excited because of her love for the ocean “After we get home from our vacation I’ll be working for the rest of the summer,” she wrote “For the past two summers and again this summer I’ll be working at Beneficial Finance Co It’s really enjoyable because the people in the office are really great.” She closed that letter with “I hope this letter achieved its original purpose of cheering up your day,” followed by another poem Henry wrote of the following day being the Fourth of July Her family would be visiting an area lake and she hoped to learn how to ski don’t think I’m forgetting what is going on on the other side of the world on July 4 and what you’re doing,” she added in the letter “Tomorrow — all day — has been designated as a ‘Think of Vince All Day’ day maybe I’ll feel a little more of the spirit that should prevail when I watch the fireworks’ display tomorrow evening.” another letter found its way to Marant dated July 19 the astronauts will be stepping down on the moon’s surface Aldrin will never be able to explain his feeling when he first steps on the moon I guess it is supposed to take place around 10 p.m Monday morning; but since everything was going so smoothly they decided to move the time for getting out onto the moon by about four hours I’d never know whether I was seeing the moon or Mars.” The final letter Marant received from Henry was dated Sept and I think it’s time to turn out the lights take care … and I’m thinking of you.” Sitting inside that storage facility in Tustin combing through that stack of letters tied together with the green boot lace then noticed the letters scattered about the footlocker She retrieved one and asked who Lynn Henry was for he was “struck momentarily” upon hearing and absorbing that name It was the first time in half a century he heard those two words said out loud She noticed all of the letters were from Henry “You think it’s possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met?” Marant asked his daughter She sat down next to him wanting to know more He briefly described how their letter-writing relationship began to which she questioned if they had ever discussed meeting in person “What happened?” she asked her father His reply: “A president’s promise and lost luggage.” He recalled how Richard Nixon promised in his campaign speech that if elected those serving in Vietnam spoke about going home every day for months and he was serving a six-month extension in a country he had been in for more than a year He tried blocking it out of his mind by just doing his job a sargeant pulled him aside telling him to pack his gear to go home Marant dismissed it as another rumor until a commanding officer told him they were leaving “We were told we had 48 hours to pack,” Marant told his daughter 48 hours for close to 1,000 men to pack and leave we quickly packed our gear as we were told and loaded it onto trucks to be taken to the air strip for our long trip home Marant and the others were taken to Okinawa because of concerns things would flare up again in Vietnam and they would be close enough to respond Their gear did not make the trip and was sent elsewhere … perhaps back to the United States He remembered part of her home address in Steubenville how he was now somewhere else in the world and could not receive mail from his last address “I never heard back,” Marant said her mentioning she was moving to an apartment during her senior year so he had hope that the letter would be forwarded to where she had moved Another letter was sent to her home address — at least what he could remember of it He was hoping the post office would match the name to the correct address “I was pretty sure she was still writing and hoping her letters would be forwarded she must have thought something terrible happened to me or I had lost interest It could be things changed in her life.” He tried sending a few more letters to her while stationed at the Marine Corps base in Parris Island “Did you try other ways to contact her?” Marant’s daughter asked him found a pay phone booth off base and spent hours trying to reach her special operators and folks hanging up on me.” His daughter thought it strange and wondered why it was so difficult to locate her social media was not invented and no Internet existed Marant had learned his best friend from high school had been killed in an auto accident while he was overseas he became close with that friend’s sister he finally received those items which he had packed back in Vietnam It had been more than two years since they had communicated “We began this lovely letter writing relationship that was so very important to me at that time in my life,” Marant stated I’ve tried locating her with little to no results I would want to share my story with her family.” He stated due to his limited resources and health issues Newspaper staff searched records and the Internet along with phone numbers and email addresses the numbers were either disconnected or now belonging to somebody else and included the names of her grown children Henry did fulfill her college dream of becoming involved in childhood education as she worked in the Tallmadge School District prior to her and her husband moving to California It is unknown if she still has any family living in the Steubenville area or any friends whom she attended school with residing locally can contact Marant through email at jmara10349@aol.com It is not known if she truly understands just how much she helped change the mindset of a soldier who needed to hear those pieces of home to simply survive the war “She suddenly appeared in my life and unknowingly saw me through the carnage I was experiencing with her wit just as smoothly as she had entered my life it just occurred to me … perhaps she moved on because her task was completed,” he concluded She provided a comfort zone when all around me was violence until that moment arrives when this Vietnam veteran can actually say the words “thank you” to the girl who got him through one of his life’s most difficult times | https://www.theintelligencer.net | 1500 Main Street America's Education News Source Sign up for our free newsletter and start your day with in-depth reporting on the latest topics in education Support The 74’s year-end campaign with a tax-exempt donation and invest in our future Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter A version of this essay originally appeared on Robert Pondiscio’s Substack Ohio — a gritty steel town-turned-reading powerhouse thanks to a 25-year commitment to Success for All whole-school reform model Nancy Madden and Bob Slavin began developing as reading researchers at Johns Hopkins in the 1970s I binge-listened to them twice on a long drive this week.  “Steubenville had no need to pursue the latest trend to even know what the latest trend was,” she reports wrote a charter school application after he and his partner Joel Greenblatt persuaded and paid for a Queens public school to implement SFA to great effect Steubenville was looking for a new reading program “Most people familiar with the reading research seemed to agree at the time that there were probably only two reading programs that had been tested and proven with scientific research,” Hanford reports: Success for All and Direct Instruction.  we encouraged education journalists to follow Hanford’s lead and cast their gaze on classroom practice — teaching and learning — rather than the policy and politics that tend to dominate education reporting If these new episodes bolster SFA and DI’s reputations and discredit detractors spotlighting evidence over perceptions of rigidity SFA isn’t just a program — it’s a pact insisting that teachers vote to adopt it before it takes root Steubenville conducted a secret ballot in which 100% of the staff agreed to adopt it — proof that the buy-in was real I’ve often rankled my fellow curriculum advocates by saying I’d rather my daughter’s teacher be a Kool-Aid-swilling acolyte of a curriculum and pedagogy I dislike than have my preferred curriculum imposed on her and implemented begrudgingly I expected to write about curriculum and instruction at Success Academy but surprised myself by writing more about school culture: The X factor that makes those schools soar is every adult in a kid’s life singing from the same hymnal Steubenville’s success hinges on that buy-in a lesson too many reform efforts — and too many top-down technocratic reformers — miss or elide That disconnect nearly cost Steubenville its proven program I’ve long put EdReports in the category of “things I choose to love.” If you believe that high-quality instructional materials are critical to student success EdReports helped pushed curriculum to the center of reform conversations But Hanford’s reporting echoes a worry I’ve harbored: Standards alignment isn’t enough EdReports encourages a view of reading that is neutral to agnostic on quality A “standards-based” view of reading means you can teach Dickens or dreck EdReports’ ratings don’t tell me if a program’s texts are worth the time.  but when they lean on flawed tools over hard evidence Steubenville proves schools can defy the odds with evidence, continuity and teacher buy-in — not just phonics. SFA and DI shine — I’ve been hyping DI this month and before — yet state lists and EdReports risk sidelining them for flashier flops Education is cursed with too much innovation and these episodes raise the stakes: We’ve got the evidence Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Robert Pondiscio is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute He is the author of the book “How the Other Half Learns” (Avery We want our stories to be shared as widely as possible — for free Please view The 74's republishing terms. By This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Sign up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox Ohio — Book enthusiasts flocked to the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County today for the annual 25 cent book sale was organized by the Friends of PLSJ group Attendees had the opportunity to purchase books The materials available were either donated or used books from the library's collection Library officials noted the significant impact of the sale on library operations "The book sale is run by the Friends of the Library which is a nonprofit that is parallel to the library Everything from the book sale is going to go back to things like winter reading prizes and it's just things that aren't normally in the library budget," said Sarita Asawa the community outreach coordinator for the PLSJ Nate Freeman of First Christian Church kicked off the National Day of Prayer observance in Steubenville with an invitation to prayer STEUBENVILLE — Nearly 60 area residents stood quietly in Historic Fort Steuben Park Thursday sharing their faith as they prayed for their community during Steubenville’s Day of Prayer observance “We gather today in prayer together and we know that it’s not just the 100 or so people or whatever is here but we’re gathered with people across our nation,” the Rev vice president of Franciscan Life at Franciscan University of Steubenville Commissioner Tony Morelli shared the proclamation they’d issued hours earlier “urging all citizens of this county to recognize the importance of this day,” while Mayor Jerry Barilla talked about the power of prayer to heal the divisions dividing America saying prayer “is the most powerful thing we have on this earth.” Wintersville Community Chapel’s James Justin Scarpone Paul Center and former councilwoman at large led the group in prayer for government; Finley Church’s June Leasure for churches; Ray Saccoccia family; Jefferson County Recorder Scott Renforth for the military and first responders Rupert-Warren also performed the National Anthem “Prayers do help,” Steubenville City Manager Jim Mavromatis said telling those in attendance that in the aftermath of the high winds earlier this week that toppled trees through the city and caused other problems “the most important part was neighbors.” PRAYER — Nearly 60 area residents took part in Steubenville’s National Day of Prayer observance in Historic Fort Steuben Park but to offer what they could to help,” he said “That’s what makes a community we have a great county and great (communities) surrounding us but it’s everybody working together…to make your life better.” A small black bug with white spots will soon be spotted on plants and trees in several areas of West Virginia Patrick Morrisey says he wants West Virginia’s voting laws to be as simple as possible | https://www.weirtondailytimes.com | 114 Lee Ave. OHIO—The fifth annual Truth of Love Conference will tackle some of the most pressing theological issues of our times Cosponsored by Franciscan University of Steubenville and the Veritas Amoris Project the event will be held at Franciscan University July 11-14 The conference will explore theological issues tied to sexual difference and politics through the lens of love seeking understanding professor of theology at Loyola University of Maryland They will speak on the relationship between charity and truth as well as charity and theology The event will also feature several well-known and high level Catholic speakers including Dr associate professor of metaphysics and anthropology at the John Paul II Institute; Dr professor of theology at Franciscan University; Dr professor of moral theology at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary; Dr theology professor and vice president for Academic Affairs at Franciscan University; Dr director of the Symposium on Transforming Culture at Benedictine College; Dr professor of theology and moral ethics at Franciscan University; Father Edmund Waldstein monk of the Cistercian Abbey of Stift Heiligenkreuz in Austria and lecturer in moral theology at the abbey’s theological college; and Dr assistant professor of theology at Franciscan University “Like our PhD in Sacred Theology Program here at Franciscan University this annual conference is becoming  a place inspired by the classical understanding of a theologian where we are steeped in Scripture and Tradition and ultimately prepare ourselves to go out and serve Christ and the Church to teach the teachers of the faith and so carry out the work of evangelization,” said conference organizer Dr associate professor of theology and director of the PhD program in sacred theology at Franciscan University A special dinner to honor Michael Waldstein will also be held on July 13 and additional talks on the Eucharist in the Gospel of John will be presented on the morning of July 14 by Dr Michael Waldstein; Father Michael Scanlan Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at Franciscan University Dr Scott Hahn; and Franciscan University theology professor Dr The conference also welcomes proposals for individual papers For more information and to register, visit https://franciscan.edu/truth-of-love-2025. There’s no more fundamental task for a school than teaching kids to read Poverty is certainly correlated to reading scores and the best evidence suggests money helps boost a range of student outcomes But that doesn’t mean the best school district in the country is the most well-resourced or the one with the fanciest buildings or most prestigious alumni is how schools should be evaluated — there’s perhaps no better district in the country than Steubenville But I wanted to revisit the case of Steubenville after it was spotlighted recently on Emily Hanford’s award-winning “Sold a Story” podcast And if not — if the results are real — what can other districts learn from Steubenville’s success First, it’s quickly apparent that Steubenville is not a flash in the pan. A 2012 Hechinger Report story noted that its success traces back to the early 2000s It’s also incredibly consistent over time. I used the Zelma tool from the Education Data Center to look at its recent results The graph below compares Steubenville’s third-grade reading proficiency rates (in blue) to the statewide average (in gray) Steubenville consistently gets 95% to 99% of its third graders over the proficiency bar and “only” 93% of third graders scored proficient But the district did not suffer much of a drop-off in the wake of the pandemic Steubenville’s results are also remarkably strong across student groups 99% of its low-income students and 92% of its students with disabilities scored proficient in third grade reading How does Steubenville get such remarkable results What can other districts learn from its success It’s not that the district has extra money or more staff. Steubenville spent $10,718 per student last year, which was about $1,500 less than the average Ohio district and well below many other districts in America. It also had slightly more students per teacher than other comparable districts and the same superintendent has been in place for a decade But Hanford found a few things that Steubenville did differently that other schools can learn from offers subsidized preschool beginning at age 3 teachers regularly remind students to speak in complete sentences as language practice for later when those kids will start learning to read and write The district also deploys staff differently than most do And during that reading block — which all students have at the same time — children are grouped with peers performing at the same level But those early adulthood outcomes are at least partly tied to the economic climate in a given community and it’s hard to find fault with anything that the school district itself directly controls Most districts would envy Steubenville’s impressive results.  Chad Aldeman is a regular columnist for The 74. He writes about school finance, state assessments and accountability, and the teacher labor market. He is also the founder of Read Not Guess a program to help parents teach their children to read By The Steubenville Police Department is seeking individuals for the positions of communications officer and patrol officers Ohio — The Steubenville Police Department is seeking individuals for the positions of communications officer and patrol officers OPOTA-certified candidates can apply online or in person Applications for non-OPOTA certified candidates can be found online or at the city's civil service commission Mail applications must be postmarked no later than May 6 All applicants will have to take the civil service test at City Hall in the Pugliese Conference Room physical agility testing will be held the same day at 12:30 p.m the age cap is 35 unless you are OPOTA certified "We have many improvements to the police department cruisers and we just completely renovated the building Applicants must pass both the written examination and OPOTA minimum physical standards test to advance you will then be sent to the state academy which will be paid for by the city The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is introducing a creative twist to its library cards by featuring community-designed artwork Ohio — The Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County is introducing a creative twist to its library cards by featuring community-designed artwork As part of the "Great Library Draw Off," three winning designs have been selected to appear on limited edition library cards After narrowing down the entries to the top 10 the community cast over 700 votes to select the final three designs "We had three different categories of winners There were two kids and also teen/adult," said Sarita Asawa "We’re ordering 1,500 cards total and they’re gonna go all the way across the county—500 of each design So people want a new library card that is two dollars to replace it The new special edition cards will be available starting in June coinciding with the launch of the library's summer reading program Ohio — The Sycamore Youth Center and AIM Women's Center joined forces Thursday to host a free community block party at the green space on the corner of North and Fifth streets The event drew over 450 attendees who enjoyed live music from local artists "A lot of times people who aren’t coming together from different walks of life find a place here at this party to hang out to fellowship with one another," Bobbyjon Bauman executive director of the Sycamore Youth Center "So it’s really a sign of unity is really what this whole thing is all about." "We think it’s really important that the nonprofits in downtown Steubenville collaborate and work together," said Rebekah Cohan Morris executive director of AIM Women's Center so having events where everyone can get together and learn about the different services we offer is really important." who captivated the crowd with his passion for singing I just do it because I just love to do it," Crowe said This event marked the first of three block parties planned for the year with the next one scheduled for the summer Book lovers and bargain hunters are in for a treat this weekend at the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County's main branch Ohio — Book lovers and bargain hunters are in for a treat this weekend at the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County's main branch The event will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m with early access for PLSJ members at 9 a.m "We have hundreds of thousands of books and we have actually about a thousand people who come to grow their collection so we have teachers who like to come and grow their classroom collection or your home collection," Jenn Cesta the library's public relations coordinator "We wanted to make sure these items ended up back in the community in a meaningful way and then also any funds that are raised by the Friends of the Library come back to the library in the form of prizes for winter reading all sorts of things like that," Sarita Asawa organizers will introduce new items throughout the day Asawa noted the crucial role of volunteers including students from Steubenville High School's Rotary Interact Group and the Sycamore Youth Center STEUBENVILLE — Two men are going head-to-head in the primary election balloting for Steubenville’s Fourth Ward Council currently leads First Fridays on Fourth Street runs the Steubenville Grocery Box on North 4th Street completing his first term as Fourth Ward councilman chose not to participate in the 2025 election coverage Council is facing difficult and costly funding decisions to address pressing needs — a new fire station environmentally mandated water and sewer upgrades rehabbing/demolishing dilapidated properties “My priority is the revitalization of downtown Steubenville: getting grants opening up great businesses in downtown Steubenville making beautiful and safe spots for families making Steubenville the festival destination of the Ohio Valley I’ll make sure millions of dollars go directly to rebuilding our beautiful downtown.” “Drugs and the people who deal them; roads that haven’t been paved since Genesis; a dysfunctional city council used by its members for the sake of grandstanding; a fear of doing the obvious good things staring us all in the face (like fixing the sidewalks etc.); the lack of strong leadership and the lack of a clear plan for Steubenville.” “I would set up a Steubenville First Investment Strategy: we’ve got wealth here in Steubenville but it is leaving our city in the form of money spent on parasitical corporations and out-of-town investments I will double the number of festivals and events in my ward I will award Fourth Ward citizens who beautify their ward I’ll work with at least three new businesses to open up shop in the Fourth Ward.” STEUBENVILLE — Two men are going head-to-head in the primary election balloting for Steubenville’s Fourth Ward .. WELLSBURG — A Wellsburg man ordered to serve 16 to 45 years in connection with a sexual assault case was among .. WINTERSVILLE — Indian Creek High School has been designated as one of five sites statewide to host an artificial .. Police have identified the suspect as 21-year-old Javian McIntyre He has been charged with having weapons while under disability in connection with the shooting on Maryland Avenue on Monday Ohio — Police have identified the suspect as 21-year-old Javian McIntyre McIntyre will be arraigned in Steubenville Municipal Court on Wednesday The incident remains under investigation as detectives continue to interview witnesses and gather additional evidence One person is in custody and another injured following a shooting Monday afternoon in the 1400 block of Maryland Street in Steubenville City Manager Jim Mavromatis said the incident resulted from an argument inside the Maryland Market "Two males were in an argument,” Mavromatis said “We don't know what about yet; it's still being investigated he's been taken life flighted up to Pittsburgh for treatments there.” Authorities said the area where the incident occurred has been cleared and there no longer any danger to the public A Steubenville company is spearheading efforts to restore the former Springfield High School with volunteers gathering Monday to assist with the initial cleanup of the site Ohio — A Steubenville company is spearheading efforts to restore the former Springfield High School The focus was on the football and baseball fields with plans to address the interior of the building next "We're looking to get a lot of things knocked out trying to knock things out in there," said Brandon Crawford "There's a lot of stuff that we're going to be donating to schools and there's a lot of stuff we're going to need help organizing and getting together." You can also call Crawford at (740) 381-0149 or Cline at (740) 243-6014 Ohio — Construction is nearing completion for the new Unlimited Wash-Rite Express Car Wash which is set to open on DiGregory Avenue off Sunset Boulevard in mid to late April "Still have a little bit of construction to finish up just poured concrete last week," Wash-Rite Owner Frank Deoring said "The Ohio Valley is a place where my wife’s family grew up and we have lived here for a long time "So it has been something on our radar for quite some time." Wash-Rite offered to pave DiGregory Avenue to the city's standards A voice vote at Tuesday's Steubenville City Council meeting granted them permission to proceed "We just wanna make sure as we put an investment into the community," Deoring said so we don’t want our customers to be pulling out on potholes and puddles for them to drive through so we just think it’s a good investment for the community to get it done." City Engineer Mike Dolak confirmed that a traffic impact study was conducted for the Wash-Rite location There are two candidates vying for the mayoral seat in Steubenville -- Kimberly Hahn and Ralph A Ohio — There are two candidates vying for the mayoral seat in Steubenville -- Kimberly Hahn and Ralph A Hahn and her family moved to Steubenville 35 years ago so her husband could work a Franciscan University She homeschooled her children as well as they went part time to both Big Red and Catholic Central Local government is something familiar to Hahn She held the council-at-large seat for 8 years and said one of the challenges of stepping away was not being able to assist people she said she wants to approach things differently than she did for council she wants to continue the vision of moving the city forward what I really want to do is ask the question why not?” Hahn said I think we could draw businesses to utilize the skills but the kids are going to be learning and are learning right now in the new building new opportunities for taking buildings that have been empty for a long time and repurposing them." Hahn said she wants to understand the priorities of council department heads and the citizens and to work alongside them "With a new position of economic development I would love to represent the city to other entities that are considering possibly moving to our area to have an additional business office here or even bring a new business here to help them understand how can we work hand and glove," she said he is a Steubenville native who has lived all around the country and decided to move back to where he was born and raised He is a strength and conditioning coach and a teacher He has a family and two children who call Steubenville home Petrella has never held a political position his father spent many years on council and helped behind the scenes He said he is running for mayor as he believes this area needs more youth in the office I would be the youngest person in the room by probably 20 years and I really want to encourage hope for our generation to be more proactive "I think that we are kind of letting it go to the wayside of the older generation when we know what we want." bringing more development and continuing to develop downtown Steubenville High School with a brand-new STEM building 3rd Street is also home to the fort when you exit 3rd Street there’s a lot of potential right there and there’s a lot of room for development for restaurants boutiques." Hahn and Petrella said this primary is very important and encourage citizens to vote STORY: Kate Martin | Carmela Guaglianone | Emily Hanford In a country where nearly 40% of fourth graders struggle to read at even a basic level Steubenville has succeeded in teaching virtually all of its students to read well almost every third grader in Steubenville City Schools scored proficient on the state’s reading test one in three third graders in Ohio missed that mark Only three districts out of more than 600 in Ohio did better than Steubenville last year And those impressive results aren’t a fluke between 93% and 100% of the district’s third graders have scored proficient Nationally, the district also stands out, according to data from the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University Steubenville has routinely scored in the top 10% or better of schools nationwide for third grade reading Education journalist Karin Chenoweth visited one of Steubenville’s elementary schools back in 2008 and marveled at the results, which she wrote about in her book “How It’s Being Done: Urgent Lessons from Unexpected Schools.” “It was astonishing to me how amazing that elementary school was,” Chenoweth said in an interview “They had a kid they were so proud of who had been measured with a very low IQ What stood out to Chenoweth was not just the school’s success but that it was happening in a place like Steubenville economic forces have left the city in decline Thousands of steelworkers in the Steubenville area had lost their jobs by the 1990s located across the Ohio River in West Virginia the median household income in the city is less than $42,000 per year Nearly 80% of Steubenville students receive free or reduced lunches and the state of Ohio considers almost every one of Steubenville’s students to be “economically disadvantaged.” kids that are coming from the homeless shelters,” said Jennifer Blackburn an instructional coach at Steubenville’s East Garfield Elementary School Blackburn maintains a closet full of everything from socks to sweatshirts to winter boots for kids who come to school without proper clothing researchers have found that districts serving low-income families almost always have lower test scores than districts in more affluent places Its third grade reading scores surpass those of well-heeled districts all around the nation Places like Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia San Pasqual Union Elementary School District near San Diego and Chesterfield Township School District in New Jersey lag behind Steubenville even though the typical families in those areas earn more than four times as much single motherhood and household income to name a few — Steubenville struggles and teasing out correlation from causation can be difficult But a visit to Steubenville reveals that its elementary schools employ a host of strategies that many others around the country don’t Nearly 80% of Steubenville’s children attend preschool which costs just $100 per month for full-day classes and is free for the poorest families and teachers encourage students to talk in complete sentences which helps them later when they start to learn to read and write fewer than half of children attend a preschool program Steubenville uses attendance contests to motivate students to come to school — and deploys a rapid response team when they don’t A child is considered chronically absent if they miss school 10% of the time or more Steubenville has a much lower percentage of chronically absent students than most school districts in Ohio Steubenville is likely to have only a couple of chronically absent students whereas the average district across the state may have as many as six or seven All the students in Steubenville’s elementary schools have reading class at the same time That allows students to be grouped with others at the same reading level — even if they’re in a different grade Steubenville is able to have so many small reading classes because every teacher leads one Steubenville does something called “cooperative learning,” where kids work in pairs and small groups based on their skill level While this is no substitute for direct instruction from a teacher it provides something really important: time to practice Kids who need extra help get one-on-one tutoring in addition to the daily 90-minute reading class community volunteers and local high school and college students While many schools change reading curricula frequently Steubenville has used the same program for the past 25 years “SFA just fit us,” said Steubenville Superintendent Melinda Young ‘Why do we have success?’ we start with SFA.” The program was developed in the 1980s by two professors at Johns Hopkins University Numerous studies show Success for All can be effective at boosting student achievement only about 800 schools in the United States and Europe use Success for All Around twice that many used it when Steubenville started in 2000 the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville Screenshot from the Diocese of Steubenville’s Facebook page.While the bishop offered a generally healthy picture of the diocese apostolic administrator Bishop Edward Lohse of Kalamazoo did not rule out the prospect of a merger for the Steubenville diocese in the near future and suggested that it might even be a demographic inevitability Share Instead of announcing a decision on the prospect of merging the Steubenville diocese with its neighboring Diocese of Columbus — which has been publicly under consideration for several years — Bishop Lohse asked whether a merger would possibly help “the faith to flourish in southeastern Ohio,” and whether a merger would be in the best interest of the Steubenville diocese sooner rather than decades in the future Lohse noted that Steubenville was established as a missionary diocese in 1944 but had struggled with a lack of resources in its 81 years of existence. He said that a 2018 financial scandal and “dilapidation” at the Holy Name Cathedral in the city of Steubenville had dented confidence in the diocesan authorities. The bishop also argued that economic decline in the Appalachia region, in which the diocese is situated, had bred a distrust of institutions also shared by Catholics. “The prospect of the diocese itself being merged into another is seen by some as one more institution now abandoning them as well,” he wrote. But the bishop also highlighted positive elements in the diocese’s history, citing its missionary spirit, lively centers such as Franciscan University, the loyalty of clergy, and financial reforms. Lohse suggested that the proposed merger with the Columbus diocese was not communicated properly when it was first announced in October 2022 by the then-Steubenville Bishop Jeff Monforton. Since that time the prospect of a merger has been continually met with hostility and criticism from among some sections of local clergy and laity. “Many people believed from the announcement of a proposed merger that it had already been decided, even though in truth no decision had actually been made,” the bishop said. While Lohse’s report appeared to aim for a balance between positive and pragmatic assessments of the diocese’s circumstances, some local priests told The Pillar that they felt Lohse’s report suggested a kind of fatalism over the future of the diocese, weighing demography over the prospect of evangelization — especially as priests in the diocese have long suggested that a new evangelization could be fruitful under the leadership of a proactive bishop. Bishop Jeffrey Monforton preaches. Credit: Diocese of Steubenville.The diocese has experienced more than two years of turmoil since Montforton’s 2022 announcement of the merger proposal at a meeting of priests. Diocesan clergy and laity pushed back, arguing that they had not been consulted, writing to the U.S. bishops’ conference to oppose the prospective merger, and holding rosary rallies outside the Steubenville diocesan chancery. Priests and laity argued that the Diocese of Steubenville has significantly more priests per capita than any other diocese in Ohio, had a higher share of Catholics attending Mass than other Ohio dioceses, had more participation in the global synod on synodality, and had both a stable population and continued prospects for priestly vocations. That advocacy was a partial success. It saw a planned consultative USCCB vote on the issue, which had been scheduled for November 2022, shelved, with the prospective merger at least temporarily on pause. In September 2023, Monforton, who was also facing Vatican-ordered Vos estis lux mundi investigations, received an unusual new appointment, becoming an auxiliary bishop in Detroit, a rare assignment for someone already leading a diocese. The Vatican appointed retired Kalamazoo Bishop Paul Bradley as the diocese’s apostolic administrator. He won praise from local clergy, who said the bishop listened to them, was attentive to their needs, and did not seem to regard an extinctive merger for the diocese as a foregone conclusion. Credit: Diocese of Steubenville.Bradley confirmed to local Catholics that talks of a prospective merger were ongoing Bradley said that he and Columbus’ Bishop Earl Fernandes had begun a series of meetings to talk through the prospect of merging A joint statement emphasized that no decision had been made But while Bradley was not the decision-maker he told Crux that “while there are some who think that the Diocese of Steubenville is not able to survive But in June 2024, the diocese announced that Bradley would be replaced by Lohse after serving just nine months as apostolic administrator Several sources told The Pillar at the time that the move was not Bradley's choice but was triggered by his reservations about a merger with the Columbus diocese — a plan reportedly supported by Cardinal Christoph Pierre Lohse noted that “The more than two years since the announcement of the proposed merger have been hard on both faithful and clergy alike.” Lohse suggested that the “sudden replacement” of Bradley “exacerbated the situation” in the Steubenville diocese Lohse said the diocese was beginning to “rebound” from its financial difficulties “at least modestly” — with priests in the diocese attributing the “rebound” especially to Bradley who won plaudits from clergy during his time at the helm of the diocese Leave a comment Total diocesan net assets and liabilities from $18.2 million in 2023 to $19.8 million in 2024. The priests’ pension fund will receive a significant boost in 2025 from assets stored in a trust. But Lohse said the diocesan cathedral had “deteriorated to the point that the most likely solution is to tear it down.” Holy Name Cathedral, Diocese of Steubenville. Pillar file photo.The Steubenville diocese serves more than 29,000 Catholics, who comprise 6% of the local population. All 13 counties covered by the diocese are predicted to decline over the next 25 years, according to the State of Ohio. “Given that there are presently only around 29,000 Catholics in the diocese, and that in recent decades the Catholic population has been decreasing at a rate more than three times that of the general population, these figures suggest a very problematic road ahead,” Lohse wrote. The diocese currently has 10 seminarians, which Lohse said give it one of the highest ratios of seminarians to Catholics among U.S. dioceses. Although no priestly ordinations are forecast in 2025 or 2027, two are expected in 2026 and 2028 respectively. The Steubenville diocese currently has 33 priests actively assigned to pastoral ministry, excluding Franciscan University, a juridically separate entity. Despite the relatively small number of clergy, the ratio of priests to Catholics — 1 to 997 — is better than in other Ohio dioceses. Lohse set out the resources he believed would be necessary for the Church in southeastern Ohio to thrive, if the diocese remains intact, undergoes a merger, or relies on external sources such as grants. He said that in all three scenarios, the Church would need to revitalize its evangelization efforts, reorganize parishes, cut Masses, and increase the activities of local deans. The bishop suggested that if the diocese was merged with another, it was essential to “take the time to make sure that things are done well.” Lohse added that if no merger took place, the diocese would need to appoint a development director, “strengthen diocesan identity and bonds with the counties farther from Steubenville,” and designate a new cathedral. “If nothing is done and diocesan and parish structures and services remain unchanged, the decreased donor base will eventually lead to deficit spending and financial instability,” Lohse said. The bishop said that two important questions remained to be answered. The first is whether the status quo or a merger is the best way of ensuring the Catholic faith flourishes in southeastern Ohio. The second, he wrote, was whether it would be better to merge the diocese while it was still viable or “when it was no longer viable.” At a March 11 press conference, Lohse stressed that he had written the report in conjunction with the diocesan college of consultors, a body of priests. He said he had wanted to be able to publish the report earlier and apologized for the delay. Asked about discrepancies between his assessment and the more positive assessments offered by Bradley about the diocese’s future, Lohse said that he and Bradley are “on the same page.” That remark drew criticisms from some Steubenville priests, who told The Pillar Tuesday that Bradley had been clear that he believed no merger was necessary. For his part, Lohse also explained that he wasn't aware of any timeline for what would happen next, but said the report would be discussed by the bishops of Ohio and later by the U.S. bishops more widely. ReplyShare6 replies23 more comments...LatestNo posts The bishop temporarily leading the Diocese of Steubenville said Tuesday that the diocese is financially stable, has a relatively high number of priests, but still faces a declining population in years to come. Screenshot from the Diocese of Steubenville\u2019s Facebook page.While the bishop offered a generally healthy picture of the diocese Share Instead of announcing a decision on the prospect of merging the Steubenville diocese with its neighboring Diocese of Columbus \u2014 which has been publicly under consideration for several years \u2014 Bishop Lohse asked whether a merger would possibly help \u201Cthe faith to flourish in southeastern Ohio,\u201D and whether a merger would be in the best interest of the Steubenville diocese sooner rather than decades in the future \u201Cafter the diocese is no longer viable.\u201D Lohse noted that Steubenville was established as a missionary diocese in 1944 but had struggled with a lack of resources in its 81 years of existence. He said that a 2018 financial scandal and \u201Cdilapidation\u201D at the Holy Name Cathedral in the city of Steubenville had dented confidence in the diocesan authorities. \u201CThe prospect of the diocese itself being merged into another is seen by some as one more institution now abandoning them as well,\u201D he wrote. But the bishop also highlighted positive elements in the diocese\u2019s history, citing its missionary spirit, lively centers such as Franciscan University, the loyalty of clergy, and financial reforms. \u201CMany people believed from the announcement of a proposed merger that it had already been decided, even though in truth no decision had actually been made,\u201D the bishop said. While Lohse\u2019s report appeared to aim for a balance between positive and pragmatic assessments of the diocese\u2019s circumstances, some local priests told The Pillar that they felt Lohse\u2019s report suggested a kind of fatalism over the future of the diocese, weighing demography over the prospect of evangelization \u2014 especially as priests in the diocese have long suggested that a new evangelization could be fruitful under the leadership of a proactive bishop. Bishop Jeffrey Monforton preaches. Credit: Diocese of Steubenville.The diocese has experienced more than two years of turmoil since Montforton\u2019s 2022 announcement of the merger proposal at a meeting of priests. Diocesan clergy and laity pushed back, arguing that they had not been consulted, writing to the U.S. bishops\u2019 conference to oppose the prospective merger, and holding rosary rallies outside the Steubenville diocesan chancery. The Vatican appointed retired Kalamazoo Bishop Paul Bradley as the diocese\u2019s apostolic administrator. He won praise from local clergy, who said the bishop listened to them, was attentive to their needs, and did not seem to regard an extinctive merger for the diocese as a foregone conclusion. Bradley said that he and Columbus\u2019 Bishop Earl Fernandes had begun he told Crux that \u201Cwhile there are some who think that the Diocese of Steubenville is not able to survive that is not what I\u2019ve found so far.\u201D But in June 2024, the diocese announced that Bradley would be replaced by Lohse Several sources told The Pillar at the time that the move was not Bradley's choice but was triggered by his reservations about a merger with the Columbus diocese \u2014 a plan reportedly supported by Cardinal Christoph Pierre Lohse noted that \u201CThe more than two years since the announcement of the proposed merger have been hard on both faithful and clergy alike.\u201D Lohse suggested that the \u201Csudden replacement\u201D of Bradley \u201Cexacerbated the situation\u201D in the Steubenville diocese Lohse said the diocese was beginning to \u201Crebound\u201D from its financial difficulties \u201Cat least modestly\u201D \u2014 with priests in the diocese attributing the \u201Crebound\u201D especially to Bradley Leave a comment The priests\u2019 pension fund will receive a significant boost in 2025 from assets stored in a trust. But Lohse said the diocesan cathedral had \u201Cdeteriorated to the point that the most likely solution is to tear it down.\u201D Pillar file photo.The Steubenville diocese serves more than 29,000 Catholics All 13 counties covered by the diocese are predicted to decline over the next 25 years \u201CGiven that there are presently only around 29,000 Catholics in the diocese and that in recent decades the Catholic population has been decreasing at a rate more than three times that of the general population these figures suggest a very problematic road ahead,\u201D Lohse wrote which Lohse said give it one of the highest ratios of seminarians to Catholics among U.S Although no priestly ordinations are forecast in 2025 or 2027 two are expected in 2026 and 2028 respectively The Steubenville diocese currently has 33 priests actively assigned to pastoral ministry Despite the relatively small number of clergy the ratio of priests to Catholics \u2014 1 to 997 \u2014 is better than in other Ohio dioceses Lohse set out the resources he believed would be necessary for the Church in southeastern Ohio to thrive or relies on external sources such as grants the Church would need to revitalize its evangelization efforts and increase the activities of local deans The bishop suggested that if the diocese was merged with another it was essential to \u201Ctake the time to make sure that things are done well.\u201D the diocese would need to appoint a development director \u201Cstrengthen diocesan identity and bonds with the counties farther from Steubenville,\u201D and designate a new cathedral \u201CIf nothing is done and diocesan and parish structures and services remain unchanged the decreased donor base will eventually lead to deficit spending and financial instability,\u201D Lohse said The bishop said that two important questions remained to be answered The first is whether the status quo or a merger is the best way of ensuring the Catholic faith flourishes in southeastern Ohio was whether it would be better to merge the diocese while it was still viable or \u201Cwhen it was no longer viable.\u201D Lohse stressed that he had written the report in conjunction with the diocesan college of consultors He said he had wanted to be able to publish the report earlier and apologized for the delay Asked about discrepancies between his assessment and the more positive assessments offered by Bradley about the diocese\u2019s future Lohse said that he and Bradley are \u201Con the same page.\u201D That remark drew criticisms from some Steubenville priests who told The Pillar Tuesday that Bradley had been clear that he believed no merger was necessary Lohse also explained that he wasn't aware of any timeline for what would happen next but said the report would be discussed by the bishops of Ohio and later by the U.S Subscribe now OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville mourns the passing of Pope Francis The University community is offering prayers for the repose of his soul and staff giving heartfelt tributes to the Vicar of Christ He was the first pope to take the name Francis Pope Francis was also the first pope from the Society of Jesus the first born from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere and the first born or raised outside of Europe since the eighth century had the honor of a private audience with the pope at the Vatican Pope Francis offered a blessing to all the students at Franciscan University who were preparing for final exams at the time “I send you students my greeting and my blessing Please pray for me and I will pray for you May the Lord bless you,” Pope Francis said “Franciscan University joins the church in mourning the passing of Pope Francis a shepherd who tirelessly preached the saving message of Jesus Christ and the joy of the Gospel,” Father Pivonka said “I will always be grateful for the primacy that our Holy Father placed on the kerygma and the saving work of Jesus reminding us that the saving actions of Jesus are for all people.” Many students responded to the news of Pope Francis’ death with prayers and tributes for the late pontiff who is the only pope many students have known “I will always remember Pope Francis most for his great joy Growing up in public schools in a culture of cell phones Pope Francis was always a light in the darkness He reminded me that we do not live in an age of gloom who has conquered the darkness,” said John Paul Quejeda a senior philosophy major from Manassas Park “With my brothers and sisters throughout the world I will always remember with love and devotion our Holy Father a senior theology and catechetics major from Dallas met with Pope Francis in Rome about a year ago Ezquer called that meeting “an undeserved gift from Our Lord” and said it is something she still wonders at to this day “Pope Francis sought the Lord’s will and led his Church in simplicity and humility bearing his crosses with silent faith,” Ezquer said Praise God for the gift of his servant’s guidance of the Church.” a junior theology and classics major from West Palm Beach fondly recalled listening to Pope Francis’ weekly papal audiences with her family and said his exhortations for the faithful to love and serve one another resonated deeply with her “It felt as though my heart was on fire—as if I were on the road to Emmaus alongside the Holy Father,” she said “I will always remember Pope Francis in my prayers as a dear and loving father whose example has greatly shaped my understanding of the Christian call to love one another.” converted to Catholicism during Pope Francis’ pontificate and he credits the late pope with helping him come to know the mercy of God through the tenderness and care of the pope’s words “It is said that each person communicates and reveals an aspect of the Father’s heart that no one else can reveal,” Leonard said “I find that Pope Francis shows forth the merciful love of God in a unique way and this was expressed in his desire to walk along the way of God’s mercy with us.” who joined Father Pivonka during his private audience with the pope in December “Pope Francis’ pontificate proved to be at a theological level at once difficult but my own view of him will be forever colored by the chance to meet him and talk with him his warmth—these wonderful qualities deeply impressed me,” Hildebrand said “I thank God for the opportunity to have met him and pray that the Lord receive him and bring him to perfect union with himself.” said that with his dual experiences of being formed by the Jesuits and working at Franciscan University he was intrigued the pope chose the name Francis He praised the late pope’s ability to reach out to many who had left the Church or tuned it out entirely in today’s modern world “Pope Francis loved his sheep like the Good Shepherd and with his heart for those who may have strayed from the flock he gave us access to an audience that has perhaps long stopped listening to the voice of Peter,” Bolster said “It remains a great privilege for me to prepare the next generation of evangelists and catechists to take advantage of the door Pope Francis has opened for us.” Photos of Father Pivonka and Hildebrand with Pope Francis during a December 2024 private audience with the pope at the Vatican can be found here. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. And may all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, joins forces with Katie McGrady on the Hallow app to guide… Franciscan University hosts landmark summer of conferences and launches new “Glory” women’s conference. Global theologians to engage issues of creation, sexual difference, and culture in a gathering rooted… Franciscan University of Steubenville is no ordinary university, and a Franciscan education is no ordinary education. Rather, it’s an education as rigorous and demanding as it is faithful—an education that challenges you intellectually, forms you professionally, and feeds you spiritually. A two-vehicle crash occurred Tuesday at Sunset Boulevard and John Scott Highway in Steubenville. STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A two-vehicle crash occurred Tuesday at Sunset Boulevard and John Scott Highway in Steubenville. The driver who caused the accident fled on foot and was later located in the 500 block of Buena Vista and taken into custody. The individual that was hit was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extracted. That person was transported by ambulance to Jim Woods Field where they were taken by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital. Steubenville Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins said there have been more than 85 line breaks since the beginning of December. STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — There have been many pictures and posts circulating about Steubenville residents experiencing discolored water. And just two weeks ago, there was a major 12-inch line break on the pumping line for the west end system affecting everywhere west of lower Hollywood Boulevard. Thirteen feet of water lines needed to be replaced. Jenkins said some people are still being affected by it, but for the most part the calls have decreased dramatically. Cold temperatures have not allowed hydrant flushing due to freezing water on the road. If they were able to flush the hydrants, it would allow them to get the dirty water out of the system. "If your water is ever discolored, residents should run the cold water only for up to a minute. If it doesn't clear, wait 15 minutes and try again.” Jenkins also said to avoid using hot water if it's discolored or else it could enter your hot water tank. When that happens, that discolored water can keep showing up, even if it's not actually discolored. "Again, sorry for an inconvenience to our residents in Steubenville if you are still experiencing issues, but please know we are and will continue to work to fix current issues as well as work on projects in the future to improve our water system,” Jenkins said. If you are still experiencing discolored water, Jenkins said to call the filtration plant at (740) 283-6041. Alex Vance, left, and Pam Bolton, attorneys with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, discuss Thursday’s court proceedings with residents of Heritage Place. A lawsuit alleging a building owner failed to maintain his property properly and put the health and safety of tenants at risk by not repairing or replacing failed boilers stalled Thursday because at least two of the named defendants hadn’t been served. Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese continued the case until Feb. 7 after Alex Vance, an attorney with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, reported that, as of Wednesday afternoon, ABC Management was the only entity that had been served. ABC management is responsible for day-to-day operations at the complex. Vance said a post office in Skaneateles, N.Y., had the packet in hand for WG Heritage Place OH, listed as owner of record in Ohio, and Green National, “but (the information) had not yet made it into mailboxes.” The same Skaneateles post office box is listed in updated court documents as the mailing address for WG Heritage Port and Green National. Copies were sent a week ago through certified U.S. mail to all three entities. Bruzzese agreed they couldn’t proceed. “We don’t have a choice,” he said. “We’ll continue this, but in the meantime, the temporary restraining order remains good but with respect to the unserved defendants it’s not good yet. It becomes good when they’re served and will stay good (until our next hearing.) There’s nothing we can do about it.” It became a full-blown crisis in the first week of December, when tenants started reporting they had no heat in their apartments. Residents say they have been without piped-in heat–relying only on small space heaters and ovens — since the first of December, including the sub-zero temperatures recorded locally earlier in the week. The temporary restraining order, which was filed last Friday, gave the defendants five days to restore heat to affected apartments in the Heritage Place affordable housing complex in the 700 block of Market Street and, in the interim or until the crisis was resolved, affected residents were to be temporarily rehoused–either in fully-furnished apartments in Steubenville or in hotels, in which case food costs would be included. The suit, which was filed last week, claims owners Green National and WG Heritage Place OH and their management company, Beechwood-based ABC Management, were made aware as early as October that boilers serving the complex were failing. After the hearing, Legal Aid’s Pam Bolton said they were “very” disappointed. “We were hoping for some additional relief from the court today. Unfortunately, because of procedural hurdles, we weren’t able to move forward. “Hopefully, within the next two to three weeks, we can get those procedural hurdles cleared up and we’ll be able to move forward to get these folks heat and, in the interim, get them in a safe and warm environment.” Heat is out in all 32 units in one Heritage Place building, she said, and about half the tenants in another building with 40 apartments also report they have no heat. Many of the affected tenants are elderly or have health conditions — it’s a list that includes a paraplegic and individuals who are on oxygen, she said. Children are also living in units impacted by the boiler failure. “The one thing we don’t want to happen is for this apartment complex to be shut down, because of all of the problems,” she said. “There is not enough affordable housing in Steubenville, and it is going to have a serious effect on these folks if they lose this housing. We just want to make it safe and stable.” The Tyler County Board of Education voted Monday night to promote Tricia Feldmeier to the role of ... Residents of Beech Bottom on Monday were still contending with a shortage of water following the severe storm which ... Copyright © 2025 Wheeling Newspapers, Inc. | https://www.theintelligencer.net | 1500 Main Street, Wheeling, WV 26003 | 304-233-0100 Steubenville hosts health and wellness fair at Franciscan Squareby Jaime Ely Ohio — Health and wellness took center stage at Franciscan Square this weekend during the Steubenville Health and Wellness Day Fair who provided attendees with insights into their microbiome Participants also had the opportunity to undergo scans to learn more about their bodies Smilor and her team expressed enthusiasm about introducing Ohio Valley residents to a more personalized approach to health "It's all about just you in naturopathy and it's all just about you specifically," said Smilor "Know that your health is worth the smile on your face I've personally seen people benefit from it and that's why we're here—to spread the word and spread health," she said The event took place on Saturday and Sunday at the Best Western in Franciscan Square Steubenville’s new chief building official In his first four days of work city officials say Herron cleared an 85-permit backlog STEUBENVILLE — Steubenville’s newly hired building officer is already whittling away at the permit backlog waiting for him on his first day at work city officials say their new chief building official as of today,” Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon said Monday “He has worked really hard to get the backlog cleared up We have just a few current issues that he is working his way through McManamon said in his first three days on the job Herron was able to work his way through a thick stack of commercial and residential permits that had piled up since the retirement of his predecessor “Because he has multiple certifications we will not need to fill two positions in the building department,” McManamon added “This is really good news for Steubenville as we focus on some cost-containment issues.” Herron says he’s not sure how many permits he processed “I’ve done the best I could to get stuff moving along to not (make) people wait for what they should get easily,” he added noting many of them were for “little turnouts — roofs More complex applications are still being outsourced to a Cleveland-based plan reviewer who “The plan review that was recently completed for Chipotle was approved in seven days,” he said That restaurant will be built in the parking lot of Lowe’s City Manager Jim Mavromatis said some of those bigger plans are voluminous “We have the plan reviewer because a lot of these plans are lengthy and need to be looked at thoroughly,” he said “It’s time consuming — we can’t have our chief building official doing that — some of those run 200 pages or more.” Herron said he’s “starting to see what’s going on here” after spending the last 20-plus years in north Florida and the Florida Keys but my dad was a union fitter and I remembered him working up here once,” he said “Then I saw the ad for an inspector here.” the state granted Herron interim certifications At some point in the next two years he’ll find out what they’d like him to retest in conjunction with the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning .. WHEELING — Vitalant reminds the public that new moms need blood for one in every 83 births STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County Commissioners finalized the long-term deal they’d sought to keep the Social .. Ohio — A house fire early Thursday morning left a multi-family residential property along Euclid Avenue a total loss Steubenville Fire Chief Carlo Capaldi said crews arrived at the scene around 5 a.m "There was heavy fire all throughout the first floor I believe one is being treated just as a precaution," Capaldi said Three of the four units in the building were occupied at the time of the fire a contractor was expected to demolish the structure "It's probably going to have to be torn down just for safety reasons that's what we're working on now There is a contractor on scene just to see what we need to do," Capaldi said The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation OHIO — Franciscan University will host its 77th commencement exercises May 9-10 breaking a record for the largest graduating class in its history for a fifth consecutive year This is the first time Franciscan University is expected to graduate more than 900 students There will be two commencement ceremonies on Saturday All events take place in Finnegan Fieldhouse “I look forward to celebrating this milestone with all the incredible men and women who make up the largest graduating class in Franciscan University’s history I know God will continue to work in each of their lives will work within his Church and his world,” said Father Dave Pivonka “I am confident the education and formation they have received during their time with us at Franciscan has prepared them to be joyful disciples of Jesus Christ and a light to a world that desperately needs it.” Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston He will receive an honorary doctorate in catechetics and evangelization for his leadership of the National Eucharistic Congress and his many years leading catechetics and evangelization efforts for the Church in the United States and throughout the world Bishop Cozzens was installed as the eighth bishop of Crookston in 2021 he serves as the chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis He also serves as chair of the board for NET Ministries He is also a member of Franciscan University’s Episcopal Advisory Board will deliver the commencement address at both ceremonies will receive honorary doctorates in humane letters for their work defending and promoting religious liberty and the dignity of the human person Mary will accept the honorary degrees on behalf of the couple Mary Rice Hasson co-founded and directs the Person and Identity Project at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington an initiative that equips religious institutions and parents to promote the truth about the human person and counter gender ideology She has been a keynote speaker for the Holy See during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women serves as a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Laity and the Australian Parliament on parents’ rights and transgender issues is founder and president emeritus of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty which is best known for its Hobby Lobby victory in the United States Supreme Court he served in the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice Franciscan University’s Class of 2025 comes from Ohio will preside at both ceremonies along with members of the Board of Trustees For more information and for a link to a livestream of all ceremonies, please visit academics.franciscan.edu/commencement/. COMING IN HOT — Sagan Smarella helped Matthew Belardine unload Italian loaves from the oven at Steubenville Bakery STEUBENVILLE — Steubenville Bakery is a staple in the Ohio Valley The modest store on South Street has been supplying devoted residents and businesses with fresh handmade Italian bread and rolls for nearly a century Originally located on South Seventh Street the business was acquired in 1937 by the Tripodi family Louis Tripodi owned and operated the store for 50 years until 2015 when his health issues temporarily halted activity business owners Bill Mitchell and Dean Ferguson arranged with Tripodi to take ownership and re-open the store That kept Steubenville Bakery’s traditions alive for another seven years The Belardine family became Steubenville Bakery’s newest owners in the summer of 2024 But a change of hands won’t spell changes to the store and its long-held heritage the Berlardines are devoted to upholding the store’s original craftsmanship and continually putting out an exceptional product Matthew Belardine grew up in Steubenville and graduated from Steubenville High School in 2006 He’s well acquainted with the food business being the owner of the Italian carry-out restaurant Josephine’s in Mingo Junction The opportunity to take over Steubenville Bakery came through Belardine’s friendship with Ferguson “It was a process trying to figure it out but we’re definitely grateful to have the opportunity,” Matthew Belardine said “The standard that Louis set was second-to-none and that’s why they’ve had so much success down here … This product has been on people’s dinner tables every Sunday since 1937 and we have the opportunity to do that (too).” Belardine admitted he gets a “a little emotional” when considering the years of hard work contributed by the late Louis Tripodi Belardine also is proud to be part of the robust community of food businesses in Steubenville’s South End Those business owners’ tireless efforts are an inspiration one that Belardine hopes to imitate with Steubenville Bakery “All the businesses in town — in particular Naples Spot Bar — these are people that I have a lot of respect for because these are establishments that started in our community that I don’t think they get the credit that all of them deserve sometimes woke up every day to create a product that’s really good We look forward in the future to do exactly what they did.” After the Belardines purchased Steubenville Bakery in July they received mentorship for about four months from Ferguson who helped make the transition “very smooth.” Ferguson continued to instill a family atmosphere in the business while he was owner adding that Ferguson will continue to be a source of advice going forward Steubenville Bakery is run by a small team among which are Belardine and his wife; his father Tim Belardine; Sagan Smarella and Frank Clark The latter has been working at the store for 32 years and is “the heartbeat” of the operation with Clark arriving between midnight at 1 a.m Once the dough comes out of the industrial mixer it’s weighed and rolled by hand into loaves smashed and raised again before being baked into hard rolls Belardine emphasized that every product is handmade with each being touched three or four times before it enters the oven it’s gas-fired and made of brick that “holds the heat for days.” Originally coal-powered the oven is perhaps one of a small few like it still around today estimating that it could hold more than 200 loaves at a time An early morning is no problem for Belardine who called it “the most peaceful time of the day.” He enjoys the bread-making process fraternizing with his coworkers and “giving customers a product that they’ve been getting since 1937.” Bread is shipped to many local restaurants like Naples Spaghetti House Capris Sausage and Meatball and Gina’s Meatball Shop as well as some small delis and convenience stores Some individuals walk into the store to buy Italian loaves hard rolls or any of the various specialty breads they traverse the same side hallway that customers have traversed for years — that’s another tradition Belardine has no intention of changing because “it means a lot to people.” Steubenville Bakery’s bread is good enough to warrant a line with customers waiting in their cars or outside the door just before it opens Sometimes it’s down the block,” said Kathleen Fellows “There’ll be more people coming.” Picking up a loaf for a family get-together Fellows recalled how she’s been getting Steubenville Bakery bread since she was young She and her friends would play in the alleyway nearby they’d munch on a loaf while seated on the curb Her favorite part about Steubenville Bakery bread is the crunchy exterior and soft interior Although other local bakeries have good bread “Nobody has the hard crust like this one.” Belardine said he looks forward to making the store something positive for his two children — Birdie and Mya Belardine — and the people of Steubenville in general The store was originally open six days a week but it decreased to three when it changes hands from the Tripodis Belardine hopes to open the bakery six days a week once again Belardine repeated that he’s grateful for the opportunity to take over what others before him have poured their sweat and tears into “Our main goal is to uphold the tradition that Louis built Dean continued and we’re gonna continue through hard work treating people good and putting a good product on the table.” Franciscan University’s Steubenville Conferences have provided Catholics and .. Ohio — As discussions continue about rebuilding the Market Street Bridge Steubenville city officials are considering the removal of several traffic lights throughout the city A recent safety study of the downtown central business district examined 13 signalized intersections and six non-signalized intersections revealing that only the traffic signal at 7th and Washington is warranted "There's a process of taking those traffic lights out of service," BHJ Metropolitan Planning Commission Executive Director Mike Paprocki said "That would be a flashing light and signs that say traffic signal under study The second part would be how do we change the lane markings There's turning lanes in here—there's right turn lanes Traffic lights are proposed to be removed from intersections at Adams Four-way stop signs will replace the signals at these intersections "What they are warranted for now is an all-way stop control at all of those intersections," City Engineer Mike Dolak said "So what we are doing is we are working with the consultant to develop a concept plan so I can take it to city council and present that plan and get there by in or not there by in—to get their opinion on how we should move forward with that." Dolak is also developing concept plans for a potential bike trail through the city so it will take some time," Dolak said A presentation to the city council is expected soon "Implementation—there’s a process to that too because everything has a cost to it," Dolak said you have to re-stripe roads and install stop signs and there’s a process to that as well because the first thing will probably do is put some of the intersections on an all red flash and the intersection will be under for a while to see how traffic reacts to it." Once the documentation and presentation are complete Dolak plans to present the idea to the city council exhibited a visualization of the Steubenville North Choice Neighborhoods preferred plan during a public unveiling at the Pugliese STEM Academy conference room STEUBENVILLE — Tuesday’s unveiling of the finalized Steubenville North Choice Neighborhoods Plan signaled officials’ shift from planning to implementation in hopes of seeing a grant-funded transformation of the North End Members of the general public congregated in the Pugliese STEM Academy conference room to hear consultants share key takeaways from the plan which was submitted to the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Dec Planners now await HUD’s feedback and will adjust the plan accordingly before applying for up to $50 million in implementation grant funds principal and founder at the urban design firm COLLABO welcomed attendees and gave context for Tuesday’s event — the product of two years’ worth of community analysis and workshopping to develop a vision for the North End’s future COLLABO coordinated planning alongside the Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant co-awardees the city of Steubenville and Jefferson Metropolitan Housing Authority “We’re really at the culmination of one part of this process and the start of another part of the process,” Rosa said the planning effort for the Steubenville North Choice Neighborhood and we are shifting into implementation mode.” the plan roughly covers the area of downtown Steubenville from Washington Street to University Boulevard The plan seeks to replace low-income housing units in JMHA’s John F Kennedy Apartments and Elmer White Family Units with new while also improving three core elements: People begins by identifying the unique heritage belonging to Steubenville and its North End “A Community of Heritage,” recognizes notable buildings people and events in the city’s and neighborhood’s history “A Community of Collaboration” focuses on the many hands involved in forming the plan — a “community-centered plan from the beginning.” Activities included visioning activities youth engagement workshops and pop-up events gathering feedback from residents to shape the plan Efforts benefited from volunteer community ambassadors Daysha Wade COLLABO consulting designer Patrick Brunner addressed the third chapter “A Community of Rejuvenation,” which lays out the proposed housing plan for the redeveloped North End Housing in the finalized plan — the “greatest hits compilation” of three draft concepts as chosen by the community — includes about 450 rental units and 60 homeownership units adding that some of the rental units will be in a renovated JFK building The plan also calls for a new North End Park to be constructed in the Elmer White Family Units footprint surrounded by housing and furnished with a baseball field other recreational amenities Plans also visualize Franklin Avenue connecting to Franciscan Square and redeveloped corridors down Sixth and Fourth streets Actualization of this plan would take place between five and seven years The first phase would see development of open land on the Elmer White property including a mixed-use senior building and townhouses Subsequent phases include development of off-site locations on Sherman Street and at the Gateway Park location development of off-site locations on North Sixth Street rehabilitation of the JFK building and development of remaining Elmer White units “That first phase of housing is going to be really important What’s coming next in 2025 would be the design development and application for what they call low-income housing tax credits for phase one of the housing plan … As this building would get constructed some of the families from the JFK building that are seniors may move out into this new facility — the same with Elmer White in terms of tax credit applications and putting together other funding resources.” Brunner said that multiple catalyst projects were integrated into the plan to “create a better future” for residents Projects for this section include establishing a fresh food grocer filling vacant lots with single-family units and revitalizing the riverfront Each project identifies a timeline and possible lead and supporting partners in the community described the plan’s catalyst projects to aid economic development and residents’ educational outcomes in “A Community of Opportunity.” Projects include improving work-related transportation creating safe walking routes for school students bettering job access for individuals of all abilities and empowering residents for the financial matters Another project — establishing an Eastern Ohio Aspire Program — has already been accomplished through JMHA allowing the program to operate in the JFK building Aspire targets students who left high school early with educational services to prepare them for college or employment A Community of Care identifies catalyst projects for bolstering residents’ health and safety Those projects include improving neighborhood health care services creating an association of North End pastors establishing a multi-generational community center and connecting residents with home management assistance As for the plan’s next moves in A Community of Action Rosa said that JMHA is leading the housing initiative with Columbus-based developer WODA Cooper Companies Inc JMHA is also considering bringing an outside agency to lead the people initiative The city is leading the neighborhood initiative — though its approach may be affected by urban projects director Chris Petrossi’s expected retirement Rosa said that the city will need to vote on what projects it decides to address first Estimated development costs for the plan total $122,935,356 — based on calculations from WODA A full list of estimated sources and uses of funds is also listed in the finalized plan which itself can be viewed at steubenvillechoice.com Rosa noted that the plan’s early action project a community learning and garden near East Garfield Elementary School is on track to begin constriction in the spring or summer of this year Rosa said that the Choice Neighborhood program is “highly competitive,” but its future is not set in stone with the new presidential administration coming in this year HUD has been funded through March by a continuing resolution but Choice Neighborhoods still needs to be funded the 2025 budget Rosa said he remains “cautiously optimistic” that funding will remain online even if the name and program requirements are changed — as they have been in the past like with Choice Neighborhoods’ predecessor planners will make adjustments while continuing to engage with the community based on implementation steps The implementation grant application will arrive in the fall of 2025 I’m grateful,” Rosa stated in conclusion “We are at the end of a part of this process with you all It’s been a really wonderful experience to work with you all on this plan we hope you’re proud of it and we’re really excited to see what comes out of it in 2025 and beyond.” Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr Ben Carson is slated to speak at Franciscan University of Steubenville on March 6 about the need for education reform in America Paul VI Event Center in the new Christ the Teacher Hall Carson will participate in a question-and-answer session with audience members The event will be hosted by the student chapter of the Young America’s Foundation (YAF) at Franciscan University a junior history and political science major from Butler said they invited Carson to campus because of his vast array of experience in the fields of medicine “Our Franciscan University YAF chapter is extremely excited to host Dr We hope both the student body and the public truly enjoys and benefits from his wisdom and experience,” Myron said a 2016 presidential candidate in the Republican primary and a past recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom is also the founder and chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute whose mission is to promote the four founding principles—faith and life—and to pursue common-sense solutions that challenge conventional groupthink which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments The organization has awarded more than 10,000 scholars and more than $8 million in scholarships Carson served as director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center a position he assumed when he was just 33 years old becoming the youngest major division director in the hospital’s history A recording of the talk will be available on the YAFtv YouTube Channel.  The city of Steubenville is under a violation by the Ohio EPA for not having a Class 4 operator at its water department Ohio — The city of Steubenville is under a violation by the Ohio EPA for not having a Class 4 operator at its water department the city was granted a six-month extension to allow Water Superintendent Jim Jenkins - who holds only a Class 3 certification - to fill that role "I obtained that in early 2024,” Jenkins said “The requirement by the Ohio EPA is that I have to hold that certification and gain two years of management experience We are asking the Ohio EPA to allow that to count so I can write my Class 4 earlier." If the EPA does not allow Jenkins to write his Class 4 early he won't be eligible to do so until 2026 The Steubenville plant requires a Class 4 operator because its design flow is six million gallons per day the determining factor between a Class 3 and Class 4 plant is whether it produces more than five million gallons per day we have asked the Ohio EPA to either allow me to write my Class 4 now is the long-term fix for Steubenville." Jenkins added that this violation does not change how things are operating "The quality of water we put out is still under the same quality standard required by the Ohio EPA," Jenkins said Jenkins said the city isn’t facing any fines at this time the city is required to issue a public notice until a Class 4 operator is in place council discussed debris falling from the historic Sinclair Building at the corner of Fourth and Market streets City Manager Jim Mavromatis said a temporary change had to be put in place to the walkway by the building He said pieces of the building are falling off and they do not want anyone walking near that area and getting hit "A notice of violation has been sent to the owners of that building,” Mavromatis said “We had to put a temporary change of a walkway where no one was walking on the sidewalk area for the simple reason if a piece of that facade falls you will have a dead individual And I have a piece in my office to show the owner when I can get them here." He added that the owners need to put something in place that will capture anything that falls Mavromatis said that the building is not the city's responsibility He plans to talk to the owner so they understand the issue NOT FOR SALE — Steubenville letter carrier Kevin Kruise and Sue Hershey rallied in support of the U.S Postal Service at the Jefferson County Courthouse Sunday STEUBENVILLE — Demonstrators at the Jefferson County Courthouse Sunday made it clear they strongly oppose dismantling the U.S The “Rally to Save the USPS” was hosted by the National Association of Letter Carriers Steubenville Branch 164 and Martins Ferry Branch 1061 The rally was held in conjunction with similar demonstrations by NALC branches nationwide amid perceived threats to the USPS under President Donald Trump’s administration customers and other supporters at Sunday afternoon’s rally held signs heard remarks from local labor leaders and marched around downtown Steubenville Rallies come as a response to Trump and his cabinet’s proposals to restructure and potentially privatize the USPS 20 that the president planned to fire the postal service’s governing board and merge the service with the Department of Commerce through executive order president of the NALC Martins Ferry branch noted those reports during Sunday’s rally adding that “the threats against our jobs independent postal service … are real.” CONCERNED CITIZEN — Steubenville resident and U.S Postal Service customer John Quinn demonstrated in support of the agency and his local post office Sunday “While the White House has yet to release an executive order regarding the postal service the 295,000 active and retired member carriers of the National Association of Letter Carriers have a message to deliver: Hands off the postal service.” Kies said any effort to privatize or restructure the USPS — which delivers 376 million pieces of mail and packages to nearly 169 million delivery points nationwide — would be a direct threat to 640,000 postal employees adding that the USPS is the highest veteran hiring agency of any company or business in the country While postal service privatization backers argue it would boost competition and slash government spending opponents raise concerns about delivery prices and reduced service for rural communities which could be overlooked in a purely profit-driven industry Kies said privatization would affect 51.5 million rural households and businesses where private carriers do not deliver — in the absence of USPS letter carriers who are required by law to deliver there six or seven days a week “A lot of these people depend on their checks Christmas cards from their families and loved ones if they would go through to privatized postal service the consequences of that would be devastating.” DEMONSTRATING — Individuals marched by the Steubenville post office during the “Rally to Save the USPS” in Steubenville Sunday Changes would affect the 7.9 million private employees whose jobs in the $1.92 mailing industry depend on the postal service to deliver their products He added that privatization would raise shipping costs and drive inflation higher for businesses and consumers It would take an act of Congress to enact major changes to the USPS making any moves by the president to do so “illegal and unconstitutional.” For 55 years federal law has mandated that the USPS be an independent self-sufficient agency funded by goods and services “Taking an essential service and dismantling it or selling off profitable parts … and making it a for-profit business might be a good deal for a billionaire or two but it would be a bad deal for the American public,” Kies said “Any misguided ideas like privatization will not improve the postal services finances Common sense solutions are what the postal service needs.” president of the Upper Ohio Valley Central Labour Council McVey drew a connection between threats to the postal service and Republican presidents who signed the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act That act required the USPS to prefund 75 years worth of benefits for employees post-retirement in 10 years a move that McVey said was an attempt to bankrupt the service president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Martins Ferry Branch 1061 vice president of the NALC Steubenville Branch 164 shared remarks during the “Rally to Save the USPS” in Steubenville Sunday vice president and former president of the NALC Steubenville branch and an Army veteran Green acknowledged other branch officers in attendance as well as supporters in the crowd representing the United Mine Workers of America International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Service Employees International Union and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations “I’m a 25-year letter carrier right over there at the people’s postal service right around the building,” Green said It’s not anybody’s but ours.” Green said prefunding employees makes sense but the act’s measures meant prefunding employees who were “not even close to being born.” Green called Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “another billionaire who knows nothing about the commerce department” and cast disapproval on Lutnick’s suggestion that the postal service could take over conducting the U.S what the hell are we going to get out of it?” Green asked of Lutnick’s idea but … how about strengthening the postal service instead of continually trying to screw it up — which is what we’ve witnessed for decades now.” Green noted how fellow letter carriers are members of the community and give back through food and toy drives He spoke on the resilience of postal employees who continued to work amid challenges caused by the 9/11 terrorist attacks 2001 anthrax attacks and COVID-19 pandemic “When anyone says (the postal service) should be run by a business — that’s not what it’s about,” Green said … It’s there to help the greater good of our country It’s not there to make a profit…” One of about 70 employees at the Steubenville post office Green encouraged individuals to flood their legislators with calls expressing their opposition to privatization measures People can share information on Facebook from the NALC rallygoers marched two laps around the courthouse block who said “we really love the support that everyone’s come out and given us today.” who’s worked as a letter carrier in Steubenville for the past 13 years Kruise said that the USPS and its preservation means “everything to me.” I want to be able to keep my job and have a retirement Steubenville resident and postal service customer John Quinn attended the rally and held a sign urging individuals to “fight like hell” for the USPS Quinn said keeping the USPS in operation is “just the right thing to do.” “I don’t want to have to travel out of Steubenville to mail a letter or to do anything with the post office,” Quinn said “I don’t want my local post office to be closed I don’t want the people to be out of work.” of Steubenville, passed away on Saturday 2025. He was born on June 22, 1932 in Steubenville to the late Michael and Marion Kerr Lanaghan.  After graduating from Catholic Central High School in 1950 he entered the US Army with the 82nd Airborne during the Korean Conflict. Upon discharge he served with the Steubenville Police Department for over 20 years 2 years with the Jefferson County Sheriff Department and 16 years as a Probation Officer with the Common Pleas Court. He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Church the Polish Athletic Club and Post 33 American Legion. Leo was involved for over 60 years with the Catholic Central Boosters spending 37 with the Chain Crew. He will always be a true Crusader and a fan of the Fighting Irish In 2016 he was awarded with the CCHS Lifetime Service Award and on April 10th he will be honored at the Franciscan Baron Club Award Dinner with the Fr sister Marian (Sissy) Randolph, granddaughter Nikki Linn Busic, Dorothy Lanaghan, mother of his two daughters and his wife of 37 years Richard (Susy) Lanaghan & sons; step-son Jeff Wright. Three Grandchildren; Sammy (Katarina) Busic Sonny (Marlene) Guarino & Natalia Guarino. Three great-grandchildren; Kyran Busic Isabella and Alexandra Guarino. Two sisters; Agnes (Gus) Monezis and Mary Margaret (John) Dongelewicz; sister-in-law Diane Lanaghan. His loving fiance’, Linda Marcino; great-niece Dianna (Punkin) Lanaghan; God-daughter Lynne Bentley Visitation will be held from 2-6 pm on Friday Steubenville. Funeral liturgy with Mass will be celebrated at Blessed Sacrament Church Saturday, April 12 at 10am.  Memorial contributions can be made in Leo’s name to Steubenville Catholic Central Athletics The City of Steubenville is forming a committee to start the search for a new city manager as Jim Mavromatis' contract is up in March 2026 Ohio — The City of Steubenville is forming a committee to start the search for a new city manager as Jim Mavromatis' contract is up in March 2026 a decision was made on who will be on the search committee The committee will consist of Councilman at Large Joel Walker The committee will also consist of two people from the general public Council was asked to have their recommendations for those positions in two weeks "This committee is not picking the city manager,” Walker said “This group of committee people are going to go out and figure out what type of applications we are going to look for.” Those who meet the requirements will go in front of council who will ultimately make the final decision OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville’s 56th Annual Baron Club Awards Dinner will feature Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as keynote speaker The event will be held at Franciscan University’s Finnegan Fieldhouse on Thursday starting with a reception and dinner at 6:00 p.m Stefanski will speak about his journey as a head coach in the NFL and how his Catholic faith has guided him throughout his profession Stefanski was named the 18th full-time head coach in Cleveland Browns history on January 13 He has led the team to two postseason appearances and two 11-win seasons He joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Paul Brown (1951 and 1953) as the only coaches in team history to record multiple seasons with at least 11 regular season wins and has won the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award twice in just five years Stefanski served as team captain his senior year at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 Stefanski and his family launched the Keepers Foundation The foundation focuses on serving underprivileged children in Northeast Ohio The Baron Club honoree this year will be Leo Lanaghan President’s Award for 70 years of dedicated volunteer service to Catholic Central High School’s athletic program Lanaghan served in the United States Army’s 82nd Airborne Division as a Steubenville police officer for 22 years The Kuzma Community Award will be presented to the Tom and Sarah Gentile family for their many years of friendship to the Franciscan University community Tom Gentile is president of the Franciscan University Community Relations Board and a local business leader in the Ohio Valley Tom also serves as a Jefferson County Central Committee member and was previously a Jefferson County Commissioner for 12 years and Sarah serves on the Wintersville Beautification Committee It is my joy to welcome you into our Franciscan University of Steubenville community Franciscan University offers a college education like no other Franciscan University carries on Jesus Christ’s work of teaching and forming disciples our academic endeavor engages your heart and soul as well as your mind forming you intellectually and spiritually in the full truth and light of the Gospel and in the teachings of the Church We take this academically excellent and passionately Catholic approach because we are committed to helping you not only achieve professional success but to become the saint of God he created you to be I invite you to discover for yourself how a Franciscan University education can help you fulfill your unique calling from God—and set the world on fire Administrative Assistant for Franciscan Life Share This episode is sponsored by Norman’s Nursery in Southern California Norman’s Nursery is California’s premier grower of trees Call (805) 398-0011 to plan your dream landscape today, or visit NormansNursery.com JD and Ed consider ongoing chatter about a merger of the Diocese of Steubenville Share This episode is sponsored by Norman\u2019s Nursery in Southern California Norman\u2019s Nursery is California\u2019s premier grower of trees Call (805) 398-0011 to plan your dream landscape today, or visit NormansNursery.com A downtown Steubenville grocery store celebrated its grand opening and ongoing expansions to its space on Dec Although it’s been operating for more than a year the Steubenville Grocery Box held an opening ceremony to definitively establish its brick-and-mortar presence on North Fourth Street attendees could tour the store’s rear portion which is being transformed into a commercial kitchen we haven’t even had our grand opening yet,'” joked Marc Barnes who co-owns the business with Gregory Demary and the two’s respective wives and we had to just say it: ‘We’re here Initiated three years ago as an online-only marketplace the Grocery Box primarily deals in locally sourced meats The store — which still offers online order and pickup — endeavors to offer low-cost options for items that can’t be sourced locally Located in the former McCauslen’s Florists Building at 173 N the Grocery Box accepts Electronic Benefits Transfer payments in an attempt to serve low-income populations “We all got into this venture together because we really love Steubenville and want it to be a place where our kids can walk to the store to get their groceries,” Barnes told ceremony attendees The ceremony featured a blessing from the Rev who sprinkled blessed water and prayed: “Bless all those who will use this building either as buyers or sellers so that by respecting justice and charity they will see themselves as working for the common good and find joy in contributing to the progress of the earthly city.” attendees could take a tour of what’s planned to be the Grocery Box’s commercial kitchen That’s being built thanks to five investors from the Steubenville community who “want to see a grocery store here,” Barnes said “Because of their investment in the Grocery Box we’re able to build a commercial kitchen that’s going to … serve the store by enabling us to make lunch items to make the downtown a place where you can get something healthy to eat.” Barnes continued: “We’re also going to allow members of the community to take part in it as well whether that’s caterers just for their own businesses (or otherwise.) We want to have this commercial kitchen available for use Renovations will include a main prep area where items produced in the kitchen will receive their final packaging Barnes said the area is already functioning in this manner but will do so more as work progresses walk-in refrigerator is being rebuilt to have better insulation The original refrigerator was used to store flowers and required an upgrade to suit food a range with ovens and a hood venting out into rear alley There are “far-flung hopes” of reworking alley space into a serving area There’s much to do to get the space to where it adheres to state law a particular baseboard must be put in place around the entire room and even the lights need a certain degree of brightness “It’s hard for a lot of people to sell what they produce because of the amount of money (that’s required) to have a commercial kitchen if you’re canning something but you’re not doing it in a commercial kitchen this would hopefully solve that problem for people who want to be able to work here to become a kind of member of the commercial kitchen so that they can get that legal approval to sell their items.” Demary said the commercial kitchen will hopefully drive prices down by allowing goods to be made in-house it will empower local producers by giving them a more efficient space to make their goods downtown location would be beneficial for those catering events in the area The process for determining kitchen access has yet to be fleshed out but it may include some form of membership for those who sell their goods in the store Renovations are costing the store around $60,000 noting that work is anticipated to finish in the summer the Grocery Box already has seen a significant portion of work accomplished on its storefront area which was unfinished at the time of purchase Work was made possible through $130,192 in tax credits awarded from the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program Rehabilitation of the historic McCauslen’s building at 171 and 173 N Work will conclude with restoration of the building’s second- and third-floor apartments Demary said the apartment undertaking’s timeline is dependent on funding “Our primary focus so far has been the storefront but as we get back to a more finished state we’ll be able to shift our focus to the residential space If there are any investors who want to support us and we’d love to include them in our ventures and talk to them about how we could structure some sort of investment.” The McCauslen rehabilitation was the first project in Jefferson County and Steubenville to be awarded tax credits through the state’s program historic buildings to drive economic growth nearly $330,000 in tax credits came to Steubenville out of the program for rehabilitation projects at the U.S Post Office and Courthouse and Beerbower Building “It’s real money that’s being brought into the downtown and is going to improve it,” Demary said “We’re very excited about those two other projects.” Several local producers were present during the ceremony to meet consumers and answer questions Demary said the store’s variety of goods has increased during the past year as more farmers and producers have become partners to all of our producers and farmers,” Barnes said a grocery store is really just a way of getting their work into the hands of people we’re a middleman if there ever was one Ohio — Concerns have emerged regarding the condition of the Belleview Park Pool following recent renovations During Tuesday night's Steubenville Council meeting developers revealed unexpected structural problems that could hinder progress on the project "We started to remove the coating that was on the main pool floor and discovered very quickly that the concrete of the main pool floor is in very bad condition It's in a very soft condition," said Vince Oliver RELATED:Council approves bid for Belleview Park pool renovation with new features In addition to the issues with the pool floor developers also identified problems with the pool deck and electrical features surrounding the pool Oliver presented the council with the estimated costs for addressing these issues emphasizing that they must be resolved to proceed with the planned upgrades OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville will host a Night of Joy on Thursday Paul VI Event Center at Christ the Teacher Hall The evening’s event will be shared via livestream and will be open to an in-person audience free of charge Night of Joy will be a unique opportunity to enter more deeply into the joyful season of the Resurrection Night of Joy will include uplifting worship music performed by international country artist and worship leader John Paul Von Arx; a keynote presentation by Catholic author and Franciscan University catechetics professor Deacon Bob Rice; and spiritual reflections and eucharistic adoration with Father Dave Pivonka Night of Joy is a follow up to last year’s successful Night of Hope event held during the Advent season Steubenville Conferences plans to make Night of Hope and Night of Joy yearly events to help participants deepen their faith For more information and to register for free for the Night of Joy livestream, please visit https://steubenvilleconferences.com/night-of-joy/ To attend in person, please register for free here.