This week’s meeting of the Lawrence County Commission paid tribute to a very worthy group.

The South Hills Longbeards chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation were honored with a proclamation, due to their receiving multiple awards from their state organization.

Since their founding, the local NWTF has been instrumental in promoting the outdoors and working with youth in this area.

They have also been efficient in raising funds toward the group’s conservation mission, and, as Commissioner Mike Finley pointed out, their annual donations of turkeys to various local charities and nonprofits goes a long toward making the holidays brighter for many in the county.

We salute the South Hills Longbeards for all that they do for our county and region.

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It was crushing news for many to learn this week of the theft of three statues from the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine outside of Ironton.

Founded and maintained by the local Catholic community since the 1950s, the shrine is a unique, serene attraction in our region and something that should be appreciated by all.

When the news broke, there were many on social media who spoke of what it meant to their families, with generations being involved in its upkeep.

If it was the work of pranksters, we hope they reconsider how much the site is valued by our community and return the statues.

Similarly, we would hope that all dealers in this area be aware and mindful if someone were to try to sell the statues and report them.

We hope the shrine can be restored soon and enjoyed by future generations.

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It was great to see the Lawrence County Science Fair make its full return this week.

After several years as a purely virtual event, students were again able to present their projects in person to judges at Ironton Middle School on Thursday.

This event encourages hands-on learning and a chance for those participating to fully explore the scientific method and experimentation, skills that are not just valuable for those going into scientific fields, but also help to promote critical understanding of how the world works.

We commend the Lawrence County ESC and student service coordinator Gretta Taylor for organizing this year’s event.