The State Journal

Quick take: CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia will not host a federal Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus after state officials said they are unable to execute the required hosting agreement and fully commit to its requirements. In a Sept. 30 letter to Marla Morales, acting deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, West Virginia Office of Energy Director Nicholas S.

Toyota marks 30 years in West Virginia as Buffalo plant expands BUFFALO, W.Va. — Gov. Patrick Morrisey recently joined Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia employees and community leaders to mark 30 years since the company broke ground on its Buffalo manufacturing facility, proclaiming Sept. 24, 2026, Toyota West Virginia Day. “Thirty years ago, Toyota chose West Virginia. West Virginia delivered. And Toyota kept choosing West Virginia,” Morrisey said.

Pop quiz: How many decisions do you make in a day? Research shows it’s more than 32,000 — whew! Of course, many of these are the same decisions you made yesterday — to stop at the stop sign, for example. Still, there are a number of discretionary decisions you make every day. As a business leader, do you shoot from the hip — or play out every possible scenario? There’s no right or wrong approach. We all do the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time.

A federal interest rate hike announced by Federal Open Market Committee Chairman Kevin Warsh will tamp down on inflation, but average consumers already burdened by higher costs will also struggle against increased borrowing costs. Quick take: MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Last month members of the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve’s governing body, increased interest rates for the first time in more than three years.

Quick take: CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) is urging Medicaid members to prepare for new federal eligibility requirements scheduled to take effect in 2027. Beginning Jan. 1, certain adults ages 19 through 64 enrolled in the Medicaid Adult Expansion Group must complete 80 hours per month of qualifying activities to maintain their coverage, unless they qualify for an exclusion or exception.

Quick take: CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the November general election approaching, West Virginia election officials are working to prepare poll workers, test voting equipment and ensure voters have the information they need before heading to the polls. Secretary of State Kris Warner said preparations for the Nov. 3 election began months ago, including a three-day training session with county clerks and election division staff in August of 2025.

Quick take: CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Rebecca McPhail, who leads the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia (GO-WV) as its president, has held numerous roles throughout the Mountain State, Ohio and Washington, D.C., over a career spanning nearly three decades.

For Beth Casey, the Girl Scouts became an important part of her childhood, providing opportunities to travel, learn new skills and develop relationships. Quick take: CHARLESTON, W.Va. — For Beth Casey, leadership in the Girl Scouts began long before she became the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council. Casey has been involved with Girl Scouts since second grade and began working professionally for the organization shortly after graduating from college.

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College’s new plastics lab gives students access to specialized molding equipment and industry-focused education designed to prepare workers for plastics manufacturing jobs across the region. Quick take: MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A new training lab at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College is giving students in the Eastern Panhandle access to specialized equipment and hands-on instruction aimed at preparing them for careers in plastics manufacturing.

Quick Take: BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Moon Flower, a women-owned family business based in Buckhannon, has produced hemp-based products for seven years but could face hardship or closure under changes to federal hemp regulations scheduled to take effect in December. Sisters Riley and Macie Queen, who own and operate Moon Flower, started the business after industrial hemp was legalized federally through the 2018 Farm Bill. “We had always wanted to start a business together,” Macie Queen said.