Good Wednesday. On this day 164 years ago, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was destroyed in a violent storm. According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, in 1854, a "windstorm swept up the Ohio River and destroyed the deck of the bridge and threw the cables off their saddles at the tower tops." A newspaper report from that time declared, "This blow, we admit, was rather a big ten strike, but we'll 'set 'em up again.'" And that they did. The bridge is still available for use by pedestrians and bicyclists today.

Speaking of today, here are some works of journalism that have recently caught my eye (and my ears). Take a look at this:

• Bring on the Bird: The City of Charleston has signed a deal with scooter rental company Bird to bring 150 of their electric scooters to town by next month. The scooters are expected to arrive in time for the city's summer activities, including the Sternwheel Regatta. The idea to bring the rentals to Charleston was the brainchild of city councilman Emmette Pepper. "This provides an opportunity, a different way to get there," Pepper told MetroNews. "It takes some of the parking pressure off, saves a little bit of money and it’s actually pretty fun.” (Carrie Hodousek, WV MetroNews)
• Another Term At 90: Oakvale resident Randolph Honacker is 90 years old. He's been on the Mercer County community's Town Council for nearly 40 years. Now, he's announced that he will run for a seat on the council again next year. “They (fellow town officials) want me to run again, and I will,” Honacker told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph's Charles Boothe. For Honacker, public service is a family affair. His wife Mary formerly served on the Town Council and was Oakvale's mayor for more than 20 years. (Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph)
• Losing Our Religion: More Americans say that religion is not very important to them. A recent Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey found that only 16 percent of Americans surveyed said that religion is an important part of their life. That's down from 20 percent a decade ago. NPR correspondent Jason DeRose examined the PRRI findings and shared them in this report. (Jason DeRose, NPR)
• Border Changes: In the years since Title 42 was first implemented, more migrants from more places have begun arriving at the U.S-Mexico border. Now, migrants from as far away as Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan and China are showing up at the southern border. Most of them were processed under another statute that allows them to seek asylum or other relief in U.S. immigration courts if they fear persecution at home. Reuters took an in-depth look at this relatively recent phenomenon and produced a fantastic graphics-based story. (Ally J. Levine and Mica Rosenberg, Reuters)
• Worldwide Executions: Amnesty International recently released a report saying international executions increased by 53 percent in 2022. Most executions took place in China and Iran, according to data. Al Jazeera created a series of graphics and maps detailing the countries that still have the death penalty. Spoiler: The United States is still on there. And so is Qatar, whose government owns and funds the Al Jazeera news network. (Hanna Duggal and Marium Ali, Al Jazeera)