For Susan Jack, the 2016 flood in Clendenin, WV, was a time of both physical and personal rebuilding. Jack was ready to leave her hometown before the flood hit. Her job was ending on June 30, and her daughter had just finished her sophomore year at Herbert Hoover High School. The two were planning to move to Dayton, Ohio, where Jack had plans to pursue a new employment opportunity.
According to Brandon Dennison, the CEO of Coalfield Development Corporation, the number one problem West Virginia employers report is finding skilled workers to fill their open positions.
According to the West Virginia Division of Tourism’s annual report, the Mountain State generated $14 in taxes for every $1 spent on advertising in Fiscal Year 2016. As the state continually searches for ways to increase revenue and diversify its struggling economy, organizations such as Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad (DGVR), the Hatfield McCoy Trail System and Racer Productions are providing massive opportunities for statewide economic development and diversification.
Nestled in the southern part of Harrison County, WV, a winding stream runs through a 180-acre piece of land known as Lost Creek Farm. For more than 150 years and six generations, Lost Creek Farm was a full-scale, highly productive vegetable, poultry and cattle farm cared for by the family of Amy Dawson. Today, Dawson and her partner, Mike Costello, are working to reinvigorate the land and restore it to a fully operational farm.
Long lines and chaos are hallmarks of the holiday season starting late on Thanksgiving night with the madness that is Black Friday. Shoppers wait hours outside of box stores to purchase smart TVs and iPads at discounted prices. However, in small towns across West Virginia, the true sentiment of the holiday season is brought to life on Small Business Saturday. Downtowns light up, locals venture out to find thoughtful and heartfelt gifts for loved ones, and small business owners welcome shoppers with open arms.
It’s no secret that the Mountain State hosts breathtaking fall colors, from the burnt oranges of the Northern Panhandle to the brilliant yellows of the Greenbrier Valley, but the variety of ways in which the state’s autumn beauty can be experienced might come as a surprise.