Hundreds of people filled Civitan Park to enjoy the opening of the annual Belpre Homecoming event, an event that Belpre Homecoming Treasurer Jamie McCormick said he hoped was going to let attendees have “the time of their lives”.

McCormick also said the festival has seemed to grow every year, even just by the sight of attendees at the start of the festival and the inclusion of new events. New events include the return of Snow Biz, hair braiding stations, a slime vendor and a glitter station. McCormick also highlighted a new entertainment act of an LED robot on stilts as well as an updated park layout to hopefully help the flow of foot traffic.

94th Annual Belpre Homecoming – Schedule of Events

Friday (4-11 p.m.)

* 4 p.m. — Antique auto show – Howes Grove Park

* 5 p.m. — Amusements open

* 5 p.m. — Food/marketplace vendors and SOPEC expo tent open

* 5 p.m. — Princess meet and greet

* 5:30 p.m. — Queen City Stunt Circus

* 6:00 p.m. — Strength Warehouse Q&A – Gazebo stage

* 6:45 p.m. — Belpre High School Cheerleaders performance – Gazebo stage

* 7 p.m. — Junior Miss Belpre Pageant – Gazebo stage

* 8 p.m. — Hells Bells (AC/DC tribute) – Healthy Hustle main stage

* 9:30 p.m. — Queen City Stunt Circus

* 10 p.m. — Karaoke night – Gazebo stage

Saturday (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.)

* 9 a.m. — Belpre Mile registration, race starts at 9:40 a.m.

* 10 a.m. — 94th Annual Belpre Homecoming Parade

* 11 a.m. — Cornhole Tourney signup – basketball courts

* Noon — Amusements open

* Noon — Food/marketplace vendors and SOPEC expo tent open

* Noon — Cornhole Tourney starts – basketball courts

* Noon — Puppy pageant registration – Gazebo stage

* 12:30 p.m. — Puppy pageant – Gazebo stage

* 2, 3, 4 p.m. — Belpre historical trolley tour

* 3:30, 5, 8 p.m. — Queen City Stunt Circus

* 3 p.m. — Kiddie pedal pulls registration – Gazebo stage

* 3 p.m. — Scavenger hunt – Gazebo stage

* 3:30, 5, 8 p.m. — Queen City Stunt Circus

* 4 p.m. — Kiddie pedal pulls

* 5 p.m. — Princess meet and greet

* 6 p.m. — Belpre High School Athletic Hall of Fame introduction – Gazebo stage

* 7 p.m. — Teen & Miss Belpre Pageant – Gazebo stage

* 8 p.m. — LED robot

* 8:30 p.m. — Songs of the South (Alabama tribute) – Healthy Hustle main stage

* 9 p.m. — Teen glow dance – Tennis courts

* 10 p.m. — America’s 250th fireworks show

Sunday (10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

* 10:45 a.m. — Church service – Healthy Hustle main stage

* 11:30 a.m. — The Clark Family – Healthy Hustle main stage

* Noon — Amusements open

* Noon — Food/marketplace vendors and SOPEC expo tent open

* 2 p.m. — Taco ’bout Jesus with Mike & Ciera Gribble – Healthy Hustle main stage

* 2, 3, 4 p.m. — Belpre historical trolley tour

* 4 p.m. — Pastor Janet Richards – Healthy Hustle main stage

* 4:30 p.m. — Worship collaboration

Gene Venham, 63, served 31 years in the Army and Army Reserve including almost 12 months in Iraq where he and a group of MPs and engineers set up a compound for Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib Prison at Baghdad.

Venham eventually was assigned to the Joint Personal Effects Depot at Aberdeen, Md., after being flown out of Iraq due to an anthrax exposure. At the depot, the personal effects of soldiers killed and wounded were collected to be returned to their families. At the same time, he assisted in writing the protocol in how the remains were to be escorted to the mortuary at Dover, Del.

“It’s the only one of its kind in the United States,” he said.

Vanham was then assigned to the team to establish a new $25 million 55,000-square-foot Joint Personal Effects Depot co-located with the Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware in April 2005. He retired in October 2011 while at Dover, but remained for another year as the liaison between the government and military to ensure contractors were meeting terms of their contracts.

“This was a new operation for the country,” he said.

He stayed at the processing depot until his contract ended in October 2012, and he returned home to Marietta where he went to work at the New Wiehl Body Shop, writing estimates and doing body work.

Constantly working with soldiers’ remains and their personal effects over the years eventually took a mental toll, Venham said.

“It begins to bear down on you, dealing with that all the time,” he said. “When I returned home, after being gone for so long, I was lost. I didn’t know what to do.”

Then in 2015 with the help of his son, Cody, and brother, Richard, a veteran who also owned and managed the New Wiehl Body Shop, he started the Operation Give a Veteran a Car program that collected older model vehicles, reconditioned them to safe and reliable working order and gave them to veterans in Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Kentucky until the pandemic in 2020.

“COVID put an end to that,” Venham said.

The group gave about 45 cars to veterans in the five years. The last was a female veteran from Chicago at the Dover Downs Speedway in front of thousands of spectators.

However, with the end of Operation Give a Veteran a Car, Venham intensified his involvement to help local veterans.

He joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5108, where his father was a member for more than 50 years, and the American Legion. He volunteered to mow yards, build wheelchair ramps and did other things to help veterans.

Venham joined the VFW Honor Guard to participate in the military funeral details in the services for veterans. He remains a member of the Honor Guard and with other members of veteran organizations created the Washington County honor guard team that has assisted in all the military funerals in the county.

Besides creating a community watch group with his son in Lawrence Township in 2021, Venham was a member of the Reno Volunteer Fire Department where he was a squad captain and assistant chief, serving in the department for about 12 years, before he did the watch group.

He also was the president of the Washington County EMS Association for four years at the same time and started the first and only EMS competition team of local EMTs from volunteers of departments to compete in Ohio.

In June 2023, Venham became commander of the AMVETS Post 1788 in Marietta and helped revive and reconstitute the organization. Venham helped recruit eight new members, four of whom became life members. He was re-elected commander in 2024 and continued efforts to recruit members, participated in numerous Americanism projects and community events and helped veterans in distress in Washington County.

Also in 2023, Venham became commander of the Ronnie W. Davis Memorial VFW Post 5108 in Marietta. The more-than-400-member post created a three-member panel, on which Venham served, to identify internal issues and make changes to ensure the post’s survivability.

He was commander of the post until November 2024 when he left to become commander of the Pioneer City Chapter 52 Disabled American Veterans, a post he still holds.

Venham has served the community, country and veterans for more than 50 years. Some veterans need help, but don’t ask, and others need help, but can’t find it, he said.

“There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” Venham said.

Much has changed over the years in how veterans are helped, he said.

Families have become central in helping veterans and most events now are family-centered and oriented, such as picnics, parades, organizational events and other health and welfare programs, he said. Most veterans today have been away from their families for long periods of time and on multiple deployments, Venham said.

It’s vital to get more younger veterans involved, Venham said.

“It’s a different ball game for the veterans this time,” he said.

Venham retired as a first sergeant. During his service, he received a Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (4th award), Army Achievement Medal (5th award), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal (3rd award), Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (4th award), War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M device and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 30-year device Gold.

His wife, Sandra, and children Cody, Alisha Venham Edwards and Tessa Venham Winstanley are involved.

“They are the rock of my motivation to continue servicing veterans,” Venham said.

Venham received the Washington County Veterans Medal in November 2011. He was honored in a proclamation from the Ohio House of Representatives in November 2021.

He was among 23 veterans in October 2021 to be inducted into the Washington County Veterans Hall of Fame.

Venham was named the Washington County Veteran of the Year in November 2022 and received a certificate of recognition from U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson in November 2022.

He was named a Kentucky Colonel in May 2024. In June, he received a distinguished service medal from the Four Chaplains Legion of Honor.

He also is the liaison with AMVETS Commander Larry Woods for Honor Flight of Columbus. More than 30 veterans have taken the flight and 21 more are scheduled for this fall.

Venham can’t see himself doing anything else.

“I’ve always been someone to be in the foxhole helping others. It’s been very rewarding and very honorable,” he said. “As long as I’m able to walk and talk, I’m going to do this until the day I die.”

Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., provided an update to reporters Thursday morning from Capitol Hill, remaining optimistic that her Senate colleagues can make quick work of their agenda items.

“While it looks like it’s too much and some of (the bills) may fall off, I think the core ones will get done or we’re going to stay here until we get them done,” Capito said.

Capito said the priorities for the Senate Republican majority include passing a continuing resolution, the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nomination of Todd Blanche as attorney general and a separate nominations package.

The latest continuing resolution would fund the federal government through Dec. 11, avoiding another government shutdown in October, one month prior to the November mid-term general election.

“The deadline for funding is Sept. 30, but we want to take the possibility of a shutdown off the table,” Capito said. “It looks like we’ll be able to pass that through before we leave, and we must pass that through before we leave.”

The Senate was set to vote on a package of nominations made by Trump for various federal positions, including judges, ambassadors, cabinet undersecretaries and deputy secretaries, and other federal officials. By Thursday evening, the Senate will have confirmed more than 590 civilian nominees, more than the number confirmed at this point during Trump’s first term for office.

“We are also passing this evening a large nominations package of over 75 nominations which will put us further ahead than we’ve been … in the history of the country on presidential nominations,” Capito said.

The big nomination fight will be for acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to serve as the official attorney general. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche’s nomination in a 12-10 vote Tuesday, but it was unclear Thursday morning whether Blanche had enough support among Senate Republicans to clear a 51-majority vote.

Other votes that could happen before the end of the week include passing a third budget reconciliation package, which includes funding for farm aid, rearmaments to deplete stocks dwindling from the Iran war and elements of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, election reform package.

A standalone SAVE America Act has failed three times in the Senate, not getting to the 60 votes needed for full consideration and not having the full support of the Republican caucus. Trump has demanded the Senate cancel its recess to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, in order to register to vote and put in place a national requirement for voters to show photo IDs in order to vote.

Also, the Senate Democratic minority has communicated to Republican leadership they would be willing to quickly pass the continuing resolution and Blanche nomination if votes on reconciliation and the SAVE America Act can be delayed until after recess.

“We’ll look at reconciliation and the SAVE Act, the parts of the SAVE Act that’s important to a lot of people, particularly the president,” Capito said. “I’m very much in support of it. That one is going to be a steeper hill to climb, so I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get to that.”

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.

From July 1 through Sept. 30, 2026 income-eligible Ohioans can receive assistance in paying their electric bill, purchasing an air conditioner or fan, or making repairs to their central air conditioning unit through the Ohio Department of Development’s Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program.

The Summer Crisis Program assists low-income households that have received a disconnection notice, have already been disconnected, are trying to establish new electric service, require air conditioning or have a household member age 60 or older.

Assistance is also available for households with a member of any age who can provide physician documentation verifying that cooling assistance is needed for a medical condition. Qualifying medical conditions may include lung disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma and other qualifying conditions.

To qualify for assistance, Ohioans must have a gross household income at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for households of up to eight members, or 60% of the State Median Income for households with nine or more members. For a family of four, the annual income must be at or below $57,750.

To apply, clients must schedule an appointment by calling (740) 370-1328.

Applicants must bring copies of the following documents to their appointment:

• Their most recent energy bills.

• A list of all household members and proof of income for the last 30 days and/or the last 12 months for each household member.

• Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members.

• Proof of disability (if applicable).

• Physician documentation stating that cooling assistance is medically necessary for a household member’s health (if there is not a household member age 60 or older).

• Households with no income must provide documentation of their circumstances (such as past-due bills, tax transcripts, letters of support, etc.).

• Additional documentation may be required.

Appointments are required and must be completed in person. Walk-ins will only be accepted for emergency situations, schedule permitting. Applications cannot be processed until all required documentation has been submitted. Air conditioners and fans are available only to eligible households that meet all program requirements and have not received an air conditioner or fan through the Summer Crisis Program within the past three years.

The Washington-Morgan Community Action offices are located at 218 Putnam St. in Marietta, Ohio and 50 W. Third St. in Malta, Ohio. The Marietta office can be reached at (740) 373-3745 and the Malta office can be reached at (740) 962-3827.

The HEAP departments in both Washington and Morgan counties are closed daily from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Wetz said about 10 feet of sanitary sewer pipe collapsed. Crews worked until about 3 a.m. on the repair before returning to the site later in the morning.

When workers excavated the area, they encountered a large amount of water from an unknown source, Wetz said.

“It seems like there might also be a water leak contributing to the sewer pipe collapse,” he said.

Wetz said the city did not initially believe heavy rainfall caused the collapse because water continued entering the area after the rain had passed. Crews were still investigating the source of the water and working on repairs as of Thursday morning.

Lancaster Street is one of the routes providing access to and from Harmar Hill. Wetz said officials hoped to reopen the street by the end of Thursday or Friday morning, depending on the progress of the repairs.

The closure comes as work continues on a separate hillside stabilization project along Maple Street, another route serving Harmar Hill.

Wetz said rocks broke loose from the hillside and struck a nearby house about two weeks ago on Maple. City employees subsequently cleared an area in the woods and installed a guardrail behind the houses to prevent additional falling rocks from reaching a home.

“They put the guardrail up in the woods there behind the houses,” Wetz said.

Geostabilization International, or GSI, is performing the contracted hillside stabilization work. Wetz said workers encountered voids or air pockets while boring horizontally into the hillside.

To address the problem, the contractor planned to drill holes from the street above the work area and fill the voids with a mortar-like mixture. Once the material is in place, workers will continue installing soil nails to stabilize the hillside.

Wetz said city employees removed the rocks that fell from the work area and installed the guardrail, while GSI is completing the stabilization project.

This week I want to talk about deadheading flowers. As we roll into August, many annual and perennial flowers are blooming. This is the perfect time to get out in your flower beds to rejuvenate your plants and extend the season of color with this horticultural practice.

Deadheading is simply the process of pruning faded or dead flowers from plants to promote new growth and re-flowering. It is one of the most effective tools a backyard gardener can use to keep plants blooming longer, healthier, and more vibrantly.

Keep in mind it is important to keep up with deadheading in the garden throughout the growing season for healthier plants and continual blooms. It not only tidies up the appearance of your garden but also redirects the plant’s energy from seed production back into blooming.

The ultimate goal of a plant is to complete its life cycle through successful reproduction, in this case, by seed. If you leave the old flowers in place, the plant thinks its job is done since seeds have formed, so it stops producing new buds. Removing those spent blooms sends a signal to the plant to keep up the flower production.

As blooms fade, pinch or cut off the flower stems below the spent flowers and just above the first set of full, healthy leaves. Always check plants carefully to be sure that no flower buds are hiding amid the faded blooms before you shear off the top of the plant.

The best time to deadhead a flower is when its appearance begins to decline. The frequency of deadheading a particular plant depends on the life span of its blooms. This can range from a day to several weeks, depending on the species. Furthermore, weather greatly affects a flower’s longevity, as torrential rains and unseasonably hot weather can take a toll on blooms.

Deadheading is easy to do by hand, but here are a few suggestions. Locate the faded bloom and follow the stem down to the first set of healthy leaves or a new bud. For deadheading flowers, lightweight garden snips, small floral bypass pruners or mini floral snips work well, cutting just above the node. Make clean cuts to avoid tearing or damaging the plant.

Get in the habit of evaluating your garden frequently to determine if there are any deadheading needs. Spending a short time in the garden each day will make this task much easier.

Deadheading is a maintenance practice that can be done throughout the growing season and many gardeners find it enjoyable, relaxing and downright therapeutic.

Making a decision about deadheading can be difficult because it is advantageous for some plants and detrimental for others. Many perennials benefit from being deadheaded. These include yarrow (Achillea), false spirea (Astilbe), bellflower (Campanula), tickseed (Coreopsis), larkspur (Delphinium), blanket flower (gaillardia), bee balm (Monarda), evening primrose (Oenothera), and garden phlox (Phlox paniculata). Taller varieties of Sedum, such as Autumn Joy, should be cut back to prevent spindly branches and to promote compact growth.

However, some perennials are great self-seeders and should not be deadheaded. For example, columbine loves to spread and scatter its seedlings to places away from the parent plant. New plants can help fill in areas of your garden or allow you to share plants with other gardeners.

Deadheading is required maintenance for a show stopping garden, and there are a few methods you can use. The first is simply pinching off. If the flower stalks are thin and soft enough, pinch them off between your fingers or with your fingernails. This allows you to deadhead individual blooms on a plant very quickly.

Pinching back also encourages encourage branching and bushier growth, particularly in young or fast-growing plants. Instead of waiting for a flower to fade, you remove the tip of a growing stem, which redirects energy to the side shoots. This results in a fuller plant with more blooming stems later.

This method that works well with many annual flowers such as geraniums, zinnia, salvia, coleus and snapdragons. Pinching should be done when the plant has at least 6 inches of growth and several sets of leaves. Use your fingers or clean snips to remove the top inch of new growth, just above a leaf node.

When deadheading larger annuals or perennial plants with thicker stems such as daylilies and coneflowers, using a hand pruner is recommended so you have nice, clean cuts on the stems. In addition, this prevents plant-tissue injury that could become an entry point for disease.

Many perennials set flowers on stalks over an extended period of time. If there are still unopened buds lower on the stalk, then just remove the dead flower on top. If all blooms on a flower stock have opened, remove the entire stalk at the base of the plant.

When deadheading roses, make your cut right above a stem with five (not three) leaflets to stimulate reblooming. You might want to leave the last set of spent blooms on the plant at the end of the season to allow rose hips to form, as many are very attractive into the fall and winter.

Backyard gardeners should recognize that many perennial plants, such as the peony, only bloom once in a growing season and removing faded blooms will not promote new flowers.

Hollyhocks and foxglove are both biennials, so avoid deadheading these plants to allow them to set seed. If these plants are grown from seed in your garden, you will likely not see blooms until the second season of growth. These seeds will drop in the garden and germinate in the next year.

Some hybrid annuals have been bred to not set seed. This mechanism allows them to continue flowering throughout the growing season. It is not necessary to deadhead continuous bloomers, and you might sometimes hear these plants referred to as “self-cleaning.” Impatiens, vinca and begonia are “self-cleaning” and do not require deadheading.

Late fall can change deadheading practices for many flowering plants. Seed pods can provide food for wildlife to enjoy during the winter months. In addition, some plants have very decorative seed pods and present a beautiful display in the garden during the winter.

Birds enjoy perching on coneflowers and snacking on the seed heads. Plants such as Black-eyed Susan and sunflowers are great for attracting goldfinches with their seeds. This is crucial food for them in the winter.

Deadheading may seem like a simple chore, but it is a powerful tool to help you extend the life and beauty of your summer garden. Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office (304)-424-1960 or e-mail me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Good Luck and until next time, Happy Gardening!

Based in Hudson, the band returned to Marietta College for its overnight traditional band camp, marking the sixth year the program has held the event on the college’s campus. Held July 26-30, the private camp served as the band’s preseason training experience.

Unlike a traditional day camp where students arrive in the morning and leave at the end of the day, Hudson’s annual overnight camp at Marietta creates an environment where the band can spend an entire week together as a community, immersed in the daily rhythm of campus life.

“This is the most important week in our band’s development,” Director John Rodesh said. “A lot of schools host band camp on their own campus, but our ability to stay here overnight and use the different facilities allows us to develop the camaraderie, leadership and culture that define our program.”

For the 154 members of the 2026 band, including 56 freshmen, the week represented an important milestone in their development. More than just learning music and marching formations, the camp gave students the chance to develop leadership skills, build relationships and grow together as a team, establishing the chemistry that will carry them through the year.

However, for Rodesh, the camp’s greatest value isn’t measured by the number of songs students learn or how many hours they spend marching. It’s measured by everything that happens in between: the moments that make the week unforgettable.

“I believe the memories students make are what keep them coming back,” Rodesh said. “They can have fun with the evening activities and all the things outside of the music and marching. In my opinion, that’s what going to a college gives us.”

Students rehearsed pregame and halftime shows twice daily on Don Drumm Stadium Field and held full-band rehearsals inside the McDonough Auditorium. They also participated in traditions, including a new-member welcome ceremony and dance at The Gathering Place, as well as an opening-night dodgeball event in the Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center. Evenings provided additional time for students to connect outside of rehearsals.

In addition to rehearsals and activities, students also had opportunities to learn more about Marietta College and what life on a college campus can offer.

The week concluded with a performance on Christy Mall for Marietta College faculty and staff, a tradition that gives the Marietta community a glimpse into the work students accomplish throughout the week. The annual performance has become one of the highlights of the college’s summer conference season, drawing students, faculty, staff and visitors alike. As the band performed crowd favorites including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Free Bird” and “YMCA,” the campus community sang and danced along.

Hudson first brought its annual band camp to Marietta College six years ago after exploring locations closer to home.

“Hudson High School Band Camp is one of my favorite groups that we host each summer. They bring an outstanding group of students, directors and counselors to campus, and it is always a pleasure to work with them,” said Tara Meagle, director of advancement events and conference services at Marietta College. “For many of these students, this may be their first opportunity to spend an extended period on a college campus, and we want them to leave with a positive impression of Marietta College and higher education in general.”

The band camp is one of multiple summer programs through which the college welcomes students, spanning the arts, athletics, STEM and other disciplines.

You know what I love? OK, OK, enough guessing out there! Let me just tell you…

I love a good piece of symbolism. I know what you are thinking, too: What a sophisticated and textured thing to say, Mr. Moore! I told you that you don’t have to call me “Mr. Moore,” but I appreciate the flattery.

In reality, you were probably thinking: What a loser, English-teachery thing to say!

I own that. Heck, I am proud of that! I love my dorky side. Here’s what I love about symbolism: By saying something so simple and easy, you can communicate something so profound and cosmically attainable. By making something humbly relatable, you can guide the listener into depths previously thought inaccessible. Symbolism is a gateway to endless understanding!

For example: a Trojan horse. Ever heard of it? Sure you have. In Homer’s epic, “The Iliad,” Odysseus invents and enacts the ruse that ends the 10-year bloody battle. It was his keen mind, not a warrior’s huge muscles, that opened the gates of Troy. Odysseus’s plan was to use the Greeks’ oldest (and most trusted) custom of gracious hospitality, or “xenia.” When the Greeks appear to have retreated, the Trojans find a gift awaiting them on the beach – a large wooden horse.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times: “When life hands you an enormous lumber equine, you politely redecorate your living room.” Ask my kids – I say it all the time!

The Trojans have no reason to question the gift; the Greeks, after 10 long years on Trojan soil, are now calling a truce. It is a peace-offering. It is a “sorry-for-killing-all-your-young-men” present. The impenetrable gates of Troy are opened as the symbol is wheeled in.

Under the cover of night, Odysseus and his men, who have been hiding in the unassuming offering, sneak out and butcher the sleeping, defenseless and unprepared Trojans. In their homes, in their comfy jammies, the Trojans are annihilated.

Because history is written by the victors, Odysseus is lauded as a hero … but the fact remains: He gained triumph by trickery – he slaughtered helpless humans using their honest hospitality.

Since ancient Greece, the phrase “Trojan horse” has become a symbol for deception and destruction against an unwitting host. A famous modern example of the usage is a “Trojan horse virus” – a virus that disguises itself as safe, preying on the trusting clicks of the unprepared. In true Trojan horse style, it cannot invade on its own; it needs to be welcomed in.

The power of a symbolism is thus: A simple phrase invokes centuries of meaning, rich stories and substance at your disposal. Choose your words carefully … and dear gods, be careful when accepting gifts from strangers!

<<< Now that the Trojan War is finally won, all of the amassed Greek army is beyond desperate to return home to their separate lands. Odysseus (Matt Damon), our hero, longs for Ithaca’s shores and the embrace of his family so long removed … but he does not travel alone. He is graced with many soldiers under his command to have survived the 10-year war, but they are lost and doomed if not aggressively guided. He also carries a dark passenger through the winds and waves: a guilt surpassing expression and without escape. Odysseus’s decisions may have won the war, but they have lost him much that cannot be replaced. As one day turns to 100 and the weeks fade into years, Odysseus’s resolve is washed by shame. The thought of home is paramount, but the remorse is paralyzing. With each man lost to a cruel fate, the trip becomes a depressing reality: Odysseus will never reach his ancestral sand. Not gonna happen! After 10 years, all hope seems lost, but intervention is introduced, and the wind begins to shift toward reunion and retribution… <<< I taught “The Odyssey” for 13 years, so this is not a normal story to me. It is one that I have memorized, internalized, studied, dissected … it is one that has become part of me. When the movie was announced in 2024, I was exceedingly excited! Christopher Nolan writing and directing one of my favorite stories … yes, please! For whatever reason, Hollywood has shied away from this epic masterpiece. I knew it would finally get its due treatment! Flash forward a few years, and it is now a fully-realized vision nearly 3,000 years in the making. As I had hoped, Nolan is the perfect person to truly bring this story to life. His insatiable desire for practical effects is inspiring, innovative and incredible; his refusal to “take the easy way out” makes all the difference. Instead of manufacturing ancient Greece, his team of magicians unearths it. Nolan’s imagination and execution are unlike anything Hollywood has ever seen. To make Nolan’s creative concepts exist takes a huge team of collaborative artists. Special effects supervisor Scott R. Fisher creates some real movie magic. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema seizes every moment and opportunity. Production designer Ruth De Jong is transportive in detail and execution. Supervising location manager Janice Polley found planet Earth’s best kept secrets. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick gave immense thought to the subtle and the bold. Visually, “The Odyssey” was an extraordinary treat! Sonically, the movie was grand. The music by Ludwig Göransson was diverse, decisive and dictated so much of the movie’s epic dignity. The sound design by Craig Henighan was majestic and painstakingly sharp. Matt Damon as Odysseus is an inspired choice! He has the grit, that is apparent, but the soul of Damon has always impressed me, as well. He brings to light the internal struggles, the shame and rejection and defeat and pain and lingering hope, with an ease and earnestness that gives the film its depth. Robert Pattinson was interestingly menacing as Antinous, the lead suitor. Tom Holland was OK as Telemachus, the son in turmoil. Anne Hathaway was a worthy opposite as Penelope, the faithful yet heart-sick wife. John Leguizamo was effective as Eumaeus, the trusted servant. Charlize Theron was wonderful as Calypso, the wishful lover. Jon Bernthal was a pleasant surprise as Menelaus, the mentor-king. Samantha Morton was amazing as Circe, the mighty-yet-misunderstood witch. My favorite part is Nolan’s script. Although it skips some pieces I would have included and simplifies some of Homer’s complexity, Nolan injects this ancient piece with something sorely missing: humanity. Real emotion. Real empathy. Nolan paints a worthy picture of regret. For all the criticism he has received in the past about shallow characterization, I think with “The Odyssey” and “Oppenheimer,” he has silenced those critics. “The Odyssey” can be seen now in theaters. See it on the big screen! REPORT CARD: The Odyssey

Grade: A+

Assessment: As epic as it is earnest.

The West Virginia State Firemen’s Association has been holding its 98th annual conference Thursday through Saturday at the Wood County Resiliency Center. The event is being co-hosted by the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department and the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.

There are around 88 firefighters (and a number of guests) attending the conference from 33 departments across the state, including five who have not been to the annual convention before, said Doug Miracle, president of the West Virginia State Firemen’s Association and member of the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department.

The conference is seeing more people come and more departments represented as there were 27 departments represented at last year’s conference in Charles Town, he said adding there are 427 fire departments across the state.

“We are covering all of our needs and how we are going to fund them,” Miracle said. “We are also looking at the laws that are being pushed on us that we are trying to maneuver through.

“We are trying to get the state legislators to see our point-of-view.”

He said that there are a number of lobbyists employed by paid departments who are trying to influence lawmakers and those points aren’t always good for all departments across the state.

“In this area the volunteer and the paid departments work great together,” Miracle said. “There are places in the state where it is not that way.”

They are working on a number of issues throughout the conference to be able to have something to present to state lawmakers to be able to take action on, he said.

“Funding is a big thing,” Miracle said. “We are working on getting funds and keep them to be able to have a steady stream of money.“

Miracle is hopeful that those attending the conference will get an understanding of what the association does for them as a whole across the state.

The cost of insurance and the cost of equipment is going up.

“It is skyrocketing and keeps going up and our funds aren’t going up as fast as the costs are,” Miracle said. “We have to figure that out. We are working with different companies trying to get help.

“One of our main topics will be fundraising.”

Mike Voshel of the Williamstown Volunteer Fire Department and past president of the Wood County Fire Board, said overall equipment costs have gone up 40 percent.

“This association is what helps these departments get their funding through the state,” he said. “The state doesn’t just hand it to us.”

They work on a lot of issues and have their own people in Charleston pushing for certain laws and legislation to be passed that are important to many fire departments and how they want state lawmakers to understand those needs.

“A lot of volunteer departments don’t realize how much strength the state association has in acquiring those funds,” Voshel said. “We are trying to get the word out to the smaller departments about how important the state association is, for them to be members of and participate in the conventions like this.

“The fire service changes daily on different things we do. This association is able to put everything together and to make it all working smoothly.”

Both men said one of the biggest challenges has been for volunteer departments to recruit members. With all the demands people have these days, it is hard to find people who have the time to be able to serve.

“That is a big issue across the state,” Voshel said of finding the people who can put in the time and serve their community.

Williamstown VFD use to have a roster of around 40 people with people on a waiting list, but now they have 22 people, he said.

The convention is held in a different location every year and it gets different departments statewide involved in hosting the event. Next year, the conference will be in McMechen and it will be held in Canaan Valley in 2028.

“It is a very important organization to be involved in,” Voshel said.

Tonight, the keynote speaker will be Retired Chief Gary Morris who started his career as a volunteer firefighter at 16 in Williamstown in 1964. He had served as a chief in the Seattle, Washington area and as a Deputy Chief in Phoenix, Az.

“You can come up from a small department and it is a possibility that you can become the chief of a large department,” Voshel said.