Cool Face, Pack Leadership, Carnival Workers, Capito on ACA & Cute Kids

Welcome to Appalachia Matters we have a great show lined up for you today. This week At The Leadership Table, General Hoyer sits down with Larry Pack, Treasurer of the State of West Virginia. Larry was a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, advisor to then Governor Jim Justice and Secretary of Revenue., Larry discusses his history of entrepreneurship, the journey to becoming our state’s Treasurer, and his advice for young leaders in the Mountain State.

The West Virginia Grown program supported by the department of agriculture works to promote the purchase of West Virginia made products. One way they do it is each year at the State Fair of West Virginia they operate a country store and sell WV products. While this year’s fair may be over by the time you hear this report make a mental note to stop in next year. The main take away is to buy locally sourced products if you can help our local economy.

President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is now law , and I talked with US Senator Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia about two related health items, the health transformation fund and a health item that is not in the bill. The issue not dealt with is the health exchange tax subsidies and the current level of subsidies expire on December 31 and without federal intervention 65,000 west Virginians will see a significant increase in premiums, for some it could be a 300% increase.

At fairs and festivals, you see different kinds of exhibits, this past week at a county fair I talked with a face painting artist. Her work is amazing, and she grew up in Point Pleasant but lives in Buckhannon WV. She was at the Mason County Fair, and we will get to meet the artist.

For those who play carnival games have you ever wondered about the folks who operate the games? I talked with two individuals who do, one is a musician who is fulfilling a bucket list item traveling with the carnival, the second is a person who seems his life has been saved from addiction by being part of the traveling carnival.

The final bit is a discussion I had with a brother and sister who were showing animals at the Mason County Fair. They are 110% cute.