Ohio Valley Digest — Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Jeremy Eikenberry

— 5 min read
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Your daily news brief for the Ohio Valley.

Ohio polls are open today, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. While you're deciding what to do at the kitchen table, two big stories landed Monday that don't get a vote but will shape the next few years here. UPMC — the Pittsburgh hospital giant — agreed to take over Trinity Health System in Steubenville and St. Clairsville. And the price at the pump kept climbing, with Ohio's average now $4.86 a gallon. The first story is about who runs your hospital. The second is about how much it costs to drive to it.

What happened this week

Pittsburgh medicine is coming to the Valley. UPMC and Chicago-based CommonSpirit signed a definitive agreement Monday to transfer Trinity Health System — Trinity West and East in Steubenville, Trinity St. Clairsville, Trinity Twin City, and the clinics — to UPMC. The deal closes this fall pending a regulatory review. It's UPMC's first expansion into Ohio. Steubenville Mayor Ralph Petrella called it exciting; City Manager Mike Johnson said he hopes there are no job reductions. Together with Weirton Medical Center's 2025 move to WVU Medicine, the Valley's two biggest hospital footprints are now run by larger regional academic systems.

Bellaire broke ground on its recreation complex. The $1.67 million project — eight pickleball courts, a hiking trail, a concession stand, an entertainment stage — is being paid for with a $1.47 million federal Abandoned Mine Land grant and $200,000 in state capital from State Sen. Brian Chavez of Marietta. Construction starts June 15. Late former Mayor Ed Marling pushed the original grant application; Councilwoman Janet Richardson and Pastor Bill Marinelli of Faith Fellowship Church carried it across the finish line. The federal program's mineral-resources chief, Benny McCament, said Belmont County's coal-mining history made the eligibility test automatic.

Wheeling is moving on the next round of demolitions. City Council takes up demolition contract #10 tonight — $104,800 to Edgco of Lansing for eight neglected properties on Lind, McColloch, Jacob, S. York, and Vermont. The work is reimbursed by the state's Dilapidated Properties Program. City Manager Robert Herron got the projects ready in time to claim residual statewide DLAP funds before the new $10 million state allocation kicks in. Council also takes second readings on a $518,900 10th Street Parking Garage upgrade and a $680,000 Lower Market House roof.

The Greenbrier file just got bigger. West Virginia's Democratic Party formally asked the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee Monday to investigate Sen. Jim Justice. An amended federal complaint by the Texas-based investor that bought the Greenbrier's $141 million in debt last month says Justice and his lawyers told them at an April 6 settlement meeting that Justice "had influence over or appointed all the state court judges in West Virginia." The complaint also alleges the Justice family diverted Greenbrier revenue to other Justice-owned businesses, including roughly $5 million for a helicopter and a private jet. WV Dem chair Mike Pushkin asked Justice to publicly name any judges he claims to influence. Justice's office issued a statement Monday night calling the questioning "a political point." WV GOP chair Josh Holstein defended Justice.

Tim Rockwell, 59, died. The longtime president of the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival died April 30 in Orlando. He'd led the festival since 2009 after eight years running its parade. The 1964 festival draws about 100,000 people each fall. In lieu of flowers, the family asked for memorial gifts to the Belmont County 4-H or Barnesville Vo-Ag. Funeral pending.

Sherrard Middle School won the WV History Bowl for the fifth straight year — Lauren McGraw, Harmony Goddard, Evan Gatts, and Ruby Hunter, coached by Dan Gatts. And separately, the Marshall County school's Steel Rams steel-drum band heads to Virginia Beach this weekend to be the only WV school competing at the Virginia International Pan Fest.

Caldwell High won the OVAC 2A softball title Saturday in Elm Grove — its fifth in six years, a 6-2 win over River. Senior pitcher Makayla Mumaw struck out 15 over seven innings; she's now 13-1 on the year. Caldwell is 15-3 and headed into the OHSAA tournament.

Donald Ray Pollock — the Ross County novelist who wrote Knockemstiff and The Devil All the Time — visited the writers' group at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution. About 28 incarcerated men meet monthly to talk writing. Pollock's first time inside a prison: "I thought this is worth doing."

Kent State announced layoffs. As many as 45 positions will be cut in May to address an $18 million projected shortfall on next year's $720 million budget. KSU draws students from Columbiana and Mahoning counties.

What might cost you more this week

Gas keeps climbing. Ohio is averaging $4.86 a gallon, West Virginia $4.30, Pennsylvania $4.52. Inside the Valley, Harrison and Carroll OH are highest ($4.87), Marshall WV is lowest ($4.30). The drivers: oil over $100 a barrel because of the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz fight, three Midwest refinery disruptions in the past week (BP Whiting and two Illinois plants), and West Virginia's lack of pipeline access — every gallon comes by truck or barge. Federal tax adds 18.54¢ per gallon, then states stack on top: WV 36¢, OH 38.5¢, PA 58¢. AAA's Lynda Lambert said crude is 50–60% of the pump price.

The Pennsylvania utility regulator just made a ruling worth watching. The PA Public Utility Commission approved an order Monday saying data-center and big-industrial customers should pay for the power-grid upgrades they need themselves — instead of pushing those costs onto residential ratepayers. Ohio and West Virginia advocates will cite this when the next round of data-center proposals lands here.

Names to know this week

Ohio voters: Ferguson vs. Hoagland (96th), Cameron vs. Joyce (95th Democratic), Taylor vs. Carr (OH-2 GOP), Mazzuckelli vs. Wilson (OH-2 Democratic), the Steubenville income-tax renewals, the St. Clairsville/Richland Memorial Park 0.5-mill, Belmont County commissioner three-way and auditor three-way. WV voters: one week to May 12. Hancock animal shelter levy, Hancock sheriff funding, Brooke commission (Wise vs. Himmelrick), WV House 4 (Santorine vs. Ennis), House 6 (Stephens vs. DeWitt), Senate 2 (Dobkin vs. Heaney). And a national name: WV Army Guard Maj. Ryan Reynolds and WV Air Guard Maj. Edwin Stanfield received the Soldier's and Airman's Medals at the Pentagon Monday for their action during the day-before-Thanksgiving 2025 D.C. attack on Guard members on patrol.

This weekend in the Valley

  • Saturday, May 9: Pepperoni Roll Festival, Wheeling Park, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Cook-off at 2, eating contest at 4:30 (winner: free pepperoni rolls for a year). Free admission.
  • Saturday, May 9: Marietta College's 189th commencement — keynote by Megs Schreck Yunn '06.
  • Tuesday–Saturday: 37th annual Rendezvous on the River at Blennerhassett Island State Park — pre-1840 frontier reenactor encampment.
  • Sunday, May 10 (Mother's Day): Belpre Farmers Market opens for its third year, noon–3 p.m., 515 Blennerhassett Avenue.
  • Tuesday–Friday: Salvation Army Cinco de Mayo Canned Goods Food Drive, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Wheeling (140 16th Street) and Moundsville (248 Jefferson Avenue). Peanut butter especially requested.

Got a tip, an obituary, or something we should know about? Reply to this email or reach out to tips@ohiovalleydigest.org — it goes straight to Jeremy.

The Ohio Valley Digest covers Belmont, Jefferson, Harrison, Columbiana, Monroe, Noble, Morgan, Guernsey, and Washington (OH) counties; Marshall, Wetzel, Ohio, Brooke, and Hancock (WV).

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