Appalachia Matters is a weekly radio show highlighting life in Appalachia. Each week we have a segment on leadership from retired Major General Jim Hoyer, features highlighting agriculture in our region, health care updates from Tom Susman and our host Bo Higby each week highlights a story of community interest.
The show is produced by Vandalia Media Partners.
City Created by World War 1, Recovering Rare Earth & All Things Lavender
City Created by World War 1, Recovering Rare Earth & All Things Lavender
At The Leadership Table this week, we sit down with Steve Dunmead, CEO of Mission Critical Materials, to explore leadership, innovation, and the future of critical materials in West Virginia. Steve discusses the challenges of the United States’ reliance on foreign sources for rare earth elements and how Mission Critical Materials is working to build a domestic supply by recovering these valuable materials from acid mine drainage. He shares his vision for the future of this technology and the impact he hopes it can have in West Virginia and beyond.
In the Rooted in the Mountain State Segment, we will learn about a lavender farm and producer of all things lavender, this was a previously aired story,
In our final segment, we learn about Nitro, WV the West Virginia city founded as a result of World War 1and how the town remembers those who served in the military. Rich Hively Nitro Historian and City Recorder gives us the background.
20 Oct 2026
Breast Cancer Awareness, Leading Communicators, Corn Maze & Jobs and Hope!
This week At The Leadership Table is Gabriella "Bella" Sergent, a Martinsburg native and graduate student at West Virginia University. Bella currently serves as the Lead Graduate Assistant for WVU's Public Interest Communication Research Laboratory (PIC Lab), where among other efforts, she helps lead a student team in producing General Hoyer’s weekly segment! As an active student leader, young entrepreneur, and storyteller, Bella gives us a glimpse of why strategic storytelling is important for a variety of organizations and businesses.
In our Rooted in the Mountain State segment, we will learn about the Sunny Pointe Farm and their corn maze.
This Month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we will talk with Doctor Mary Legenza who is with Marshall Health Network and serves as Chair of the Department of Oncology. She talks about how women can protect themselves from breast cancer and we will learn about her career.
Substance Use Disorder is still an issue in our region and for those who are successfully managing their addiction, getting back in to the work force can be daunting. When U.S. Senator Jim Justice was Governor, he set up the Jobs and Hope program and we will learn about the initiative in our final segment.
11 Oct 2026
Free Health Clinic, Kendall's Kreations, Devil's Due & Prevent Getting Measles
This week At The Leadership Table is Kendall Drobish, a senior at West Virginia University and Founder of the cake-pop business Kendall's Kreations. Throughout her years at WVU, Kendall has filled her time as an intern at both Hope Gas and the Public Interest Communication Research Lab (PIC LAB), President of the Public Relations Student Society of America, and Student Ambassador for the WVU Canady College of Creative Arts and Media. The General and Kendall discuss her background as a native West Virginian from the northern panhandle, and how she wants to serve the state moving forward.
In the Eastern Panhandle of WV, there is a neat distillery called Devil's Due, we will learn about this operation in this week's Rooted in The Mountain State segment provided by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
Across West Virginia there are at least 10 free and charitable clinics. In most cases a number of the medical providers at these clinics, volunteer their time. The target population served are the uninsured or underinsured, An example of underinsured person would be a person who has a $5,000 deductible and works a minimum wage job and cannot afford to pay for medical care before the deductible is expired.
Without these safety net clinics many individuals would go with out needed medical care. By far the biggest and and most established clinic is West Virginia Health Right of Charleston Each year they have a one day mega clinic called WV Day of Caring. To learn more about WV Health Right and the services they provide as well as the Day of Care I talked with Angie Settle CEO of WV Health Right.
Outside of West Virginia there has been a number of Measles outbreaks. Some of those states do not have the same laws as West Virginia when it comes to mandatory school vaccines. If you are going to travel you will want to listen to our interview with Amy Haskins of the Jackson County set Virginia Health Department.
Who has been a guest on Appalachia Matters
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Shirley White
Stan White
Ryan Smith
West Virginia healer
E Gordon Gee
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
57
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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