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The hidden cost of leadership inexperience

Columnists

How much impact does leadership inexperience have on your organization? I feel the sleeping giant today in terms of operational excellence is the number of new people. By this, I mean those who are new to the organization as well as those who are new to the role in general. For example, a person might be experienced in leadership but new to the organization. Or, they might be part of the organization, but new to leadership.  In both cases, the lack of experience impacts operations—often in a good way but sometimes in a not-so-good way. Layer in the inexperience on the ...

Retirement

Editorials

How many of us regularly see social media posts and advertorials touting something along the lines of the top hidden gems to retire to in West Virginia? They’re everywhere. And most seem to be aimed at luring non-West Virginians to a few select locations after their retirement. But what if you already live here? What is the retirement landscape like, then? Well, according to WalletHub’s “2026’s Best and Worst States to Retire,” the Mountain State is fourth worst in the nation. There is one almost-bright spot. Our state ranks 18th for affordability and fifth for adjusted ...

Losing control

Columnists

Minneapolis has become a symbol of the trepidation felt by Americans toward Donald Trump; it is quickly becoming on a par with Birmingham in 1963, Chicago in 1968, and Boston in 1774. This will mark a time when the administration lost control of events. The deaths of Renee’ Good and Alex Pretti, could have been avoided with responsible control of ICE. Trump seems baffled that the false claims of Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller have not been readily accepted. Yet all films depict an out-of-control organization that appears to be the problem and not the solution. They even managed to ...

After the Thaw

Editorials

Been stuck in the house for a while? Made one last run at the big box store before the snow, ice and frigid temperatures hit and haven’t spent an extra dime since? One day, we will be through this arctic spell. We’ll need to venture out and do a little shopping. Maybe we’ll just be ready to eat at a restaurant after having gone through everything in the pantry at home. When that time comes, consider spending your money with a smaller, locally owned establishment. Those who have either been forced to close or have seen VERY little traffic because of this weather may be in ...

Tragedy

Editorials

West Virginians got a horrific reminder last week of the depth from which those trying to reform the work of the state Department of Human Services are trying to climb, with news that on Feb. 15, 2025, 11-year-old Miana Moran of Taylor County died in a case that has led to murder charges for her primary custodian. Miana was a sixth grader in virtual schooling through Upshur County Schools, according to a report by WCHS. A criminal complaint filed in Taylor County Magistrate Court said she weighed 43 pounds at her death. According to the WCHS report, Miana was wearing a pull-up diaper ...

Cold War?

Columnists

Since former governor Jim Justice took his oath of office as a U.S. senator last year and former attorney general Patrick Morrisey was sworn in as West Virginia’s 37th governor, there has been somewhat of a cold war between the two officials. I won’t go over the entire history of the cold war, but the most recent incident involves the announcement by the Morrisey administration last week that Arizona-based Frontieras North America finally closed on the purchase of 183 acres in Mason County to move forward with a proposed $850 million investment in the state to construct a new coal ...