Appalachia Matters

Your Social Security Payment Faces 20% Cut, Great Donuts, & AGreat Coffee Place

This week on At The Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Mateo Martinez, founder and owner of Jazzy’s Sweet Spot and Seb’s Donuts in Star City, West Virginia. Mateo and the General discuss his journey from creating homemade donuts as a high school student to building a successful local businesses, the role of social media in growing his brand, and the importance of entrepreneurship in strengthening communities.

This month was West Virginia State Fair month and the folks with the Department  of Agriculture were a little tied up and so instead of asking them for a new Rooted in The Mountain State segment this week, we decided to replay one about Black Dog Coffee in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Social Security payments in America may be reduced by 20% in 2032 if congress does nothing and Tom Susman talks with John Hishta National Senior Vice President for Policy for AARP.

Welcome to Appalachia Matters presented by New River Health. Today’s episode is a special . The full show is a discussion Tom Susman had with Morgan O’Brien CEO of Hope Gas.

Hope is investing significant resources in West Virginia as they update 7,000 miles of natural gas distribution in the state. The company has significantly increased the number West Virginia employees and is adopting a buy West Virginian philosophy for its West Virginia operations. 

Morgan and Tom  talked about a number of issues  pipeline replacement, cost of Natural Gas, and the need for energy fto power data centers that are being built in West Virginia. 

This week on At The Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Joelle Moray, a bestselling author, licensed professional counselor, and nationally recognized advocate for transforming workplace culture. Joelle shares more about her journey and what motivates her perspective on leadership. She and the General also define and discuss the term "hustle culture" and how this culture can present challenges in individual and organizational contexts. 

The 2026 State Fair of West Virginia has started and runs through August 22. In the Rooted in the Mountain State segment provided by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture we will hear from Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt.

In our final segment I have an extended interview with Doctor Semeret Munie from the Marshall School of Medicine and Marshal Health Network, she specializes in weight loss surgery and she will tell us about a new weight loss procedure being performed by the Marshall Health Network.

This week on At The Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Dallas Wolfe, founder of High Ground Brewing in Terra Alta, West Virginia. Dallas is an Army veteran, member of the West Virginia National Guard, and entrepreneur. The General and Dallas share how High Ground Brewing contributes to strengthening community, tourism, and economic development in Preston County. They also explore opportunities for entrepreneurship in West Virginia and discuss the important role local business plays in building united and resilient communities.

The State Fair of West Virginia kicks off on August 13 and the West Virginia Department of Agriculture is a big part of the fair and today we will have a double Rooted in the Mountain State the first part discusses the Country Store and the second the Read Tent. Both are operated by the Ag Department. 

Many of us have had issues with the deer eating our shrubs, floors and trees. One West Virginian James Stanton of Charleston has done something about it, he created a product that repels deer and it is not poisonous. We hear form James. 

One of the funniest people on the earth is Cletus T Judd. If you listen to country music you know him if not google him.He lives near Portsmouth and he entered the West Virginia Golf Open. Michael Susman of affiliate WJEH caught up with him at the tournament.

Many of our listeners were impacted by the July 2026 flood especially in central west Virginia and along the Ohio River North of Parkersburg. This episode is dedicated to providing information for those impacted and those who might want to help. Flood recovery is a long term effort. 

This week on At The Leadership Table, General Hoyer comments on the recent flooding in north-central West Virginia and re-plays a previous interview with David Lumsden, Chair of the Board of Directors for West Virginia VOAD - that's Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

Then the General and Tom Susman sit down to further discuss resources available to those in need and how you might be able to help with long term recovery. 

Flood victims face many challenges and the recovery is not a week or two it can take years, and Tom Susman talks with Brad Story who is CEO of the West Virginia Behavioral Health Providers Association on safety-net mental health resources for flood victims. 

In our final interview we talk with Kent Leonhardt Commissioner of Agriculture about how this flood is impacting agriculture and what steps  impacted farmers take next. If you have garden that’s flooded you will want to listen,  because you probably will have to plow it under. 

This week on At The Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Dr. Nick Studer, an emergency physician, service member, and founding director and archivist of the National Museum of Civil Defense at Randolph Air Force Base in Randolph, Texas. Dr. Studer and the General discuss the role of civil defense in modern America, including defining civil defense and how its tenets can help shape future emergency preparedness and response efforts, including in Appalachia.

In our Rooted in the Mountain State we will play a best of report about the Coopers Farm in Points, WV in Hampshire Co. It is owned and operated by Tim and Becca Cooper and their children. 

Locally sourced food is in great demand in this country. The USDA has documented a significant growth in this area of farming and food production. Also with the recent out break of food borne illness shoppers want to know who produces their food. We will talk with a long time producer, Valley View Farms.

Some seniors are pressed for cash and one option available to them is a loan called reverse mortgages. The home owner takes out a mortgage on their house and its not due until after they die. We talk with Bo Higby who is a loan broker and he will explain what these reverse mortgages are.
Before taking out a reverse mortgage a person should do their research and make sure they understand the consequences if they go do this path.

Sleeping with the Bees, Health Leadership, Inn for Sale, and Avoiding the Parasite 

General Hoyer sits down with Dr. Lisa Costello on At The Leadership Table. Dr. Costello is a pediatrician from West Virginia who cares for children in hospitals across the state. She is a medical leader who advocates in the state and at the national level for healthy Appalachian kids and families. Dr. Costello returns to the program to talk with the General about her leadership journey and to give us all an update on the West Virginia State Medical Association’s leadership program called Physician LEADS. 

In the Rooted in the Mountain State Segment provided by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture we will learn about a Ritchie County Bee House inspired by one in Europe.

In Summers County, there is a former inn that is for sale, it is called Pence Springs. It started as a resort, then became a state women’s prison, an Inn and finally a school. The property is for sale and Dave Sibray who operates WV Explorer provides some history of the site. 

In our final segment, Tom Susman talks with local health leaders about a new food borne illness that is impacting our country and region.  It comes from various vegetables and fruits. 

At the Leadership Table we are going to replay an interview General Hoyer had with Megan Moses she is a partner in the Moses Auto Group and President of the West Virginia Women's Alliance.   

In the Rooted in the Mountain State Segment provided by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, we will learn about the J Q Dickenson Salt Works in Malden, West Virginia. 

In our final segment, we will hear from artisans and vendors who participated in this year's Mountain State Art and Craft Fair . These interviews demonstrate the participants passion for what they create. 

This week on At the Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Danny Twilley, assistant vice president of economic, community, and asset development for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative. The collaborative's Ascend West Virginia program is the main topic as Twilley and the General discuss the importance of inviting remote workers and business owners to move to West Virginia. The pair also highlighted the collaborative's new focus on attracting US military veterans via the Ascend Heroes initiative, which launched in May. 

We will also get to experience a community Farmers Market. These markets are opening across our region and provide a vehicle for local farmers and producers to sell their products.  

Our final discussion is with weatherman Bryan Hughes; he owns a sternwheeler and participates in several regattas along the Kanawha and Ohio regions.  He was at the Sternwheel Regatta  this week in Charleston as an organizer and a participant. but if you missed that regatta, there are several in the months of July and August around our region.  
 

This week on At the Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Logan Pierce, a recent graduate of West Virginia University and former student government leader. They discuss early leadership lessons, Logan’s commitment to advancing food security on college campuses, and the importance of advocating policies that support students and families. Logan also shares his optimism for the next generation of Mountain State leaders and his vision for a stronger future in Appalachia. 

In place of the Rooted in the Mountain State segment from the Department of Agriculture, Tom Susman has an extended interview with W.V. Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt regarding the New World Screw Worm that is impacting livestock near the southern border, and it is now spreading northward. Kent provides information that will help not only farmers but those who own pets and other animals susceptible to the bug.  

In our final segment Tom Susman has a conversation with Ryan Weld who is a WV State Senator, in this interview they discuss Weld’s new book about history, architecture, and houses in Wellsburg WV. This city is in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia and Ryan’s hometown.