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Resolution rates on informal complaints to the PSC are 98 percent

The statistic that astounds me yearly at the Public Service Commission of West Virginia is our ability to settle thousands of cases on an informal basis and without resorting to lawyers or litigation of any kind. Our most recent report shows that we received more than nine-thousand-five-hundred informal complaints last year. These types of complaints happen when you have experienced a service interruption, when the service you have is poor, when you can’t get service, or if you have a billing issue that you cannot get resolved. You want to talk with somebody about it. You have ...

Reminded how I omitted something last week

Last week, my column was written a little differently than those you have read these past two years. It wasn’t written how I usually express myself in this little corner of the paper. Yet, it was still something personal about my life. And it was still being able to share some of those little moments which I believe we all have in common. Either way, it was different. Maybe that was a good decision, or maybe it was an awful one. I can never be quite certain. I was explaining to a friend of mine who doesn’t read the paper what my column was about. I told him how the radio ...

Politics ain’t beanbag for the Capito family

There is an old saying that “politics ain’t beanbag,” meaning that the political arena can be a rough and tumble place. On one hand, I can understand West Virginia Democratic leaders jumping on the ill-timed nomination of former GOP candidate for governor and former lawmaker Moore Capito as the next U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. On the other hand, I don’t believe it is deserved. To make a long story short, President Donald Trump released a list of nominees Tuesday for various offices – including Capito for U.S. Attorney for the Southern District ...

Don’t forget the needs for support businesses

Last week, officials in Steubenville brought up the idea of a mobile food market to serve the community. The Trumbull County Mobile Market Truck was among the participants in Juneteenth festivities in the city, and some officials thought a similar approach could help solve at least some of the food insecurity they are seeing in the area. The trucks offers a variety of options, including fresh meats and produce, frozen food, and some canned goods, traveling to different communities where an actual brick-and-mortar grocery store may not be available, or where a large enough percentage ...

Guest column: Collaboration an underrated strategy in business

In an oversaturated marketplace where attention is fragmented and authenticity is under a microscope, brands are looking for more than awareness. They’re looking for resonance. And increasingly, they’re finding it through something simple but strategic—collaboration. Not the buzzword version. The business version. Real brand partnerships are not product giveaways or cute Instagram tie-ins. They’re serious business strategies that combine platforms, perspectives and momentum to create something neither party could achieve alone. The best recent case study? “The White ...

History in the Hills: Independence Day

This weekend, we celebrate Independence Day. This is one of my favorite holidays because, No. 1, it’s in the summer, and No. 2, there are fireworks, and who doesn’t love those? The real reason for the holiday is when we declared independence from England with the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Next year will be the 250th anniversary of that momentous event. Like most historians, I am looking forward to that holiday, especially because it’s such a huge moment in our history. I would imagine that it is similar to how the bicentennial felt 50 years ago. I love to find the ...