Hi, I’m Mike. Been a while. A couple of things happened during my sabbatical. My boss is leaving the newspaper. Mickey Furfari passed away. There’s time for tributes here coming up here soon, but there were good things, too.

Support for the flood victims has been heartwarming. Brad Paisley. Ken Kendrick. Jennifer Garner. Heath Slater. Countless high schools from here and from afar. Marshall University. Random sports equipment companies. Jimbo Fisher and Nick Saban — who’s at SEC media day this morning — will be in Clay County later today, that after calling on high school coaches to do what they can to help.

People are amazing. It’s withing all of us.

Our little mission here more than tripled my initial goal, and while we’re here, how about that? Thanks to all of you who’ve given a little or a lot, and thanks to all of you who’ve spread the word. If I may, I’d like to ask you to keep it going. If you haven’t chipped in, there’s still time. If you can’t or if you have, there’s also still time to spread the word. I’d like to to give this another week and then send the check to the WVSSAC.

As for me, I put on the lab jacket and made a plan for the rapidly approaching season. It’s … it’s going to be different. Removed this, added that and, hopefully, have a plan about going about the newspaper stuff differently, too. I’m tan and refreshed and ready to go, and I’ll be in Dallas Sunday for Big 12 media days. Hopefully my paper doesn’t fold this time!

We’ll pull the cord and get going here in a bit. Good to see you all.