Conserving W.Va. History, Joining A Silent Book Club And Celebrating Tourism, This West Virginia Week
Jul 13, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, we spend some time in the Eastern Panhandle and learn about a new Battlefield Park, hear from a Harpers Ferry author and explore the unknown future of the John Brown Wax Museum.
We also travel to Morgantown to experience a Silent Book Club, and then south to Logan County to check out the hopes riding on the inaugural Governor’s School for Tourism.
In other news this week, we learn the latest on the health of the coal industry in West Virginia, check in on a campaign to improve foster care, hear from the state Board of Education meeting and visit an archeological dig in Malden.
Liz McCormick is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Making Natural Dyes From Roadside Plants And Steve Poltz Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 12, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Dede Styles in North Carolina uses common roadside plants to make natural dyes for fabrics. It’s a skill she teaches and part of a mission that’s bigger than just yarn. Folkways Reporter Rebecca Williams brings us this story.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from folk hero and storytelling master Steve Poltz. We listen to his performance of “Can O’ Pop,” backed by the Mountain Stage Band.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas produced today’s show.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Pennsylvania Festival Stars Fireflies And ‘Us & Them’ Explores Mental Health Challenges In W.Va. Jails, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 11, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, every summer, fireflies emerge for a few weeks — sending love signals in the dark. Those fireflies — including synchronous ones — are the stars of a festival at a farm in Forest County, Pennsylvania. As WPSU’s Anne Danahy reports, that farm draws both firefly fans — and researchers — looking to learn more about lightning bugs.
Also, in this show, overcrowding and understaffing have pushed West Virginia’s prisons and jails to what many believe is a crisis point. It’s an issue we’ve delved into on WVPB’s Us & Them. But just last week, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to force the state to spend $330 million to improve prison and jail conditions in West Virginia.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Us & Them Encore: Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars In W.Va.
Jul 10, 2024
Overcrowding and understaffing have pushed West Virginia’s prisons and jails to what many believe is a crisis point.
On this episode of Us & Them, we hear what incarceration is like for someone in a mental health crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people with mental illnesses are caught up in a criminal justice system that was never intended to treat them.
In a recent special session, West Virginia lawmakers earmarked $30 million to address staffing shortages and provide pay raises and retention bonuses to correctional staff. There is also $100 million for deferred facility maintenance. However, a new lawsuit against the state on behalf of West Virginia inmates, demands more than three times that amount is needed.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the Just Trust, the West Virginia Humanities Council, the CRC Foundation and the Daywood Foundation.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
Bishop Mark Brennan and Jeff Allen, director of West Virginia Council of Churches, listen to Beverly Sharp, founder of the REACH Initiative in West Virginia at a West Virginia Council of Churches press conference on the subject of the criminal justice system in West Virginia. Photo Credit: Kyle VassLara Lawson from Milton in Cabell County, W.Va., has her master’s degree in sociology and is passionate about social justice issues. She has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manages that condition. Lawson told Us & Them host Trey Kay about her experience during a manic period of her illness when she was placed in Western Regional Jail and deprived of mental health medication. While Lawson said she was not suicidal - she recalled being put in a suicide watch cell for observation. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingUs & Them host Trey Kay met with investigative reporter Mary Beth Pfeiffer at her home in the Hudson Valley of New York to talk about her book Crazy In America: The Hidden Tragedy of Our Criminalized Mentally Ill. Pfeiffer’s book shows how people suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression and other serious psychological illnesses are regularly incarcerated because medical care is not available. Once behind bars, she reports that people with mental illness are frequently punished for behavior that is psychotic, not criminal. Pfeiffer’s reporting examines a society that incarcerates its weakest and most vulnerable citizens — causing some to emerge sicker and more damaged. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingAshley Omps testified at the West Virginia State Capitol before the Senate Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority. She told this group of powerful strangers about the worst experience in her life — a time when she was incarcerated in Eastern Regional Jail after an intense, traumatic event and said she was denied mental health treatment. Omps said it was uncomfortable to share her personal story, but it made a difference. West Virginia law has changed, because people like Ashley took their stories to the capitol. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Inaugural Year Of Governor’s School For Tourism On This West Virginia Morning
Jul 10, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, imagine packing all the highlights of things to do in West Virginia into one fun-filled trip. That’s what the inaugural Governor’s School for Tourism did recently for several dozen high school students. But as Maria Young reports, there are some high hopes riding on the career choices these students will make in the years ahead.
Also, in this show, we have the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region. Their latest story is all about the final recommendations after the East Palestine, Ohio rail accident.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
A Conversation With Harpers Ferry Author John Michael Cummings On This West Virginia Morning
Jul 09, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, John Michael Cummings is an author in Harpers Ferry. He’s published three novels, two novellas and many short stories. Cummings recently spoke with Bill Lynch about writing and his latest collection of short stories, The Spirit in My Shoes, available from Cornerstone Press.
Also, in this show, several of the state’s county school systems are currently under state control. Chris Schulz has more.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Preserving W.Va. History And How To Read And Socialize In Silence, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 08, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the Eastern Panhandle saw major military activity in the Civil War. But, driving through the region today, you wouldn’t know some of these historic sites exist. One county’s government is partnering with a historic preservation nonprofit to change that. Together, they’re creating a new battlefield park that commemorates local history.
Jack Walker visited the battlefield site to discuss plans for the park, and why preserving West Virginia history matters.
Also, in this show, from movies and TV to live music, there are a lot of options for entertainment in your free time these days. As Chris Schulz reports, one group in Morgantown has found a way to read and socialize in silence.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Handmade Fly Fishing Rods And The World’s Largest Tea Pot, Inside Appalachia
Jul 08, 2024
This week, we visit with a West Virginia man who shows his love for fishing by building exquisite, handmade fly rods. It’s a long process, but he shares his knowledge with others.
We also spill the tea on a classic roadside attraction in Chester, West Virginia.
Andpunk music photographer Chelse Warren takes us into the pit for stories and observations.
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Spilling The Tea On An Appalachian Roadside Attraction
Open Head Takes Photos
Passing On The Craft Of Making Fly Fishing Rods
Lee Orr fly fishing on the Elk River. Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Most athletes welcome technical innovations in sports equipment, but fly fishing is different. Some fishermen prefer the old-fashioned way, with fishing flies and wooden rods made by hand.
Folkways Reporter Zack Harold took us to the Elk River to learn more.
Among The Bees Of The Mountain State
Beekeeping is busy all summer long in West Virginia. Photo Credit: MERCURY Studio/Adobe Stock
Honeybees have been at work since the first days of spring.
In 2022, Folkways Reporter Margaret McCloud Leef brought us a report from a community of West Virginia beekeepers.
Spilling The Tea On An Appalachian Roadside Attraction
The World's Largest Teapot in Chester has been an attraction for generations. Photo Credit: Zander Aloi/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Summer is a good time to take a road trip. Out on the roads of Appalachia, you never know what you’ll see.
Last year, Inside Appalachia’s Zander Aloi took a trip to Chester, West Virginia, to learn the story behind a classic roadside attraction there – a souvenir stand known as the World’s Largest Teapot.
Openhead Takes Photos
Sam Moore during Terror’s set at the Flying Panther Skate Shop in Roanoke, Virginia. Photo Credit: Openhead Takes Photos
Last summer, Mason Adams visited a two-day DIY music festival called The Floor is Gone.
In the middle of it all was photographer Chelse Warren, who goes by Openhead Takes Photos online.
Mason reached out to talk music and more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, John Blissard, Town Mountain and Sean Watkins.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Chris Julin.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
New Online Tool To Check Vaccination Status And How To Protect Seniors From Scams, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 03, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, cases of seniors being scammed by strangers, or even victimized by loved ones and caretakers, are common in West Virginia and the country at large. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia William Ihlenfeld prosecutes these crimes far too often. He spoke with Chris Schulz to raise awareness of these crimes and how to avoid them.
Also, in this show, as the number of COVID-19 cases across the country soars, West Virginians have access to a new tool to check their vaccination status. Emily Rice has more.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Art Exhibit Celebrates Pollinators And Appalachian Writer Talks Book ‘No Son Of Mine,’ This West Virginia Morning
Jul 02, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, writer Jonathan Corcoran grew up in Elkins. While in college, his mother discovered he was gay. She disowned him and told him to never come back to West Virginia. She died in 2020. They never reconciled.
Corcoran, a writing professor at New York University, has written a book, No Son of Mine, which explores grief and his relationship with his mother. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with the author, who began with a reading.
Also, in this show, we have the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region. Their latest story takes us to an art exhibit highlighting our local pollinators.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Chasing Bigfoot And Campus Carry, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 01, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, roughly 20,000 people traveled to Braxton County for an annual Bigfoot Festival hosted in the small town of Sutton. One of them was reporter Briana Heaney, who spoke to festival goers about the annual celebration of cryptids.
Plus, new legislation takes effect today that allows permit holders to carry a firearm on any college campus in West Virginia. Reporter Chris Schulz spoke to some of these schools about how they're preparing for the change.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Roadside Attractions, Pepperoni Rolls And A Bus On A Rock, Inside Appalachia
Jul 01, 2024
This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia.
Also, if you’re hungry for a pepperoni roll in West Virginia, you can find one at just about any gas station. So — how did they get so popular? We’ll hear one theory.
And we check out the backstory of a bus that sits at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers — and the man who put it there.
Hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
A dinosaur-solider creation from Mark Cline's roadside attraction Dino World in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Photo Credit: Pat Jarrett/Virginia Folklife Program
Every summer, Americans hit the road for vacation. The tradition of summer road tripping dates back for as long as there have been automobiles.
On these long drives, people needed breaks. So they’d stop at fruit stands, or fireworks stores, or … bizarre roadside attractions. A lot of those weird old-style attractions have disappeared, but some have managed to hang on.
In 2020, Mason Adams visited artist Mark Cline’s Dinosaur Kingdom II, in Natural Bridge, Virginia.
The Riddle Of The Pepperoni Roll
The story of the West Virginia pepperoni roll is more than its creation, but also how it spread. Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Pepperoni rolls have been enshrined as part of West Virginia history through their connection to coal miners. They're absolutely a favorite and available almost everywhere, but that wasn't always true. How pepperoni rolls became a statewide convenience store staple might have less to do with coal mining and more to do with lunch ladies in Kanawha County.
Folkways Reporter Zack Harold took a bite out of pepperoni roll lore.
The Mystery Of The Bus On The Rock
Anna Sale in 2014. Photo Credit: Amy Pearl
If you listen to the popular podcast Death, Sex and Money, you know Anna Sale. Back in 2005, Anna was a reporter for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. She got curious about an old bus that sits on a rock at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers, just past the town of Gauley Bridge.
So Anna traveled by boat with producer Russ Barbour to meet the man behind the mystery.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sierra Ferrell, Paul McCartney, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Blue Dot Sessions, Yonder Mountain String Band and Hot Rize.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Chris Julin.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
A Capitol Mural Controversy, Chronic Absenteeism And Two Years Post-Roe, This West Virginia Week
Jun 29, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, we mark two years since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected access to abortion nationally. We discuss what women are doing now.
This week also marked the 50-year anniversary of a heated debate over whether the Kanawha County Board of Education should adopt new, multicultural language arts textbooks. Trey Kay, host of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s podcast Us & Them, reflects on the controversy and his journey reporting on it.
Plus, we’ll hear about concerns over an unexpected figure popping up in a mural at the State Capitol, and how lawmakers are addressing chronic absenteeism in West Virginia schools.
Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Ohio Poet Laureate Talks New Book ‘Dirt Songs’ And Alisa Amador Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 28, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Ohio poet laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour has a new collection of poems titled Dirt Songs. In it, she recalls her small-town upbringing in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But also thinks of the people who owned the land where she lives. Bill Lynch spoke with Gunter-Seymour about her new book and what she sees as good in Appalachia.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner Alisa Amador. We listen to her performance of “Slow Down.” It’s the second track on her EP Narratives.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode. Teresa Wills is our host.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Annual Report Deadline For State Businesses Looms And 50 Years Since Textbook Controversy On This West Virginia Morning
Jun 27, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, there’s a deadline looming for business owners across the state. Tens of thousands of them still haven’t filed their annual reports as required by state law. Assistant News Director Maria Young sat down with Secretary of State Mac Warner – who’s hoping all of them get the job done by midnight Sunday night – just, not all at once.
Also, in this show, 50 years ago, June 27, 2024, the Kanawha County Board of Education set off a chapter of the nation’s culture wars as it debated whether to purchase a controversial series of new textbooks. The meeting room was packed, and emotions were hot. Us & Them Host Trey Kay produced an award-winning documentary about the textbook controversy and provides this reflection.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
LISTEN: Alisa Amador Has Our Mountain Stage Song Of The Week
Jun 27, 2024
This week’s encore broadcast of Mountain Stage features the 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest Winner, Alisa Amador. As a bilingual singer and songwriter, Amador commands the audience with her soulful voice and mixture of rock, jazz and alternative folk that is sweetly wrapped with the Latin music she grew up with.
Our Song of the Week, “Slow Down,” is the second track on Alisa Amador’s EP, Narratives. “This song is for anyone who’s feeling stressed,” Amador explains, speaking about those days and moments when you wish you could just slow down time.
This episode begins Friday, June 28 on these public radio stations.
If you are listening overseas or on a smart device, the Mountain Stage podcast is a great way to listen to new and old episodes.
Alisa AmadorDavid Childers & The SerpentsDonna the BuffaloFinale SongBob ByrdDavid Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach
Fifty years ago this month, a fierce controversy erupted over newly adopted school textbooks in Kanawha County, West Virginia.
The fight led to violent protests in the state. Dynamite hit vacant school buildings. Bullets hit empty school buses. And protesting miners forced some coal mines to shut down — because of the new multicultural textbooks.
The classroom material focused on an increasingly global society, introducing students to the languages and ideas of diverse cultures. The material was an affront to many Christian social conservatives who felt the books undermined traditional American values. They saw their religion replaced by another belief system: secular humanism.
Many of those frustrations boiled over in Kanawha County in the summer of 1974.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, CRC Foundation and Daywood Foundation.
This episode was honored with George Foster Peabody, Edward R. Murrow and Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University awards.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
At the pivotal meeting on June 27, 1974, Kanawha County School Board member Alice Moore reviews transcripts as protesters watch through the board office auditorium windows. “I almost think that Kanawha County was a test case. This was happening in different places around the country, but I wonder if they didn’t think they could come into West Virginia… that these were backward, uneducated people. They could come into this little state; they could do whatever they wanted to and nobody was going to question them.” — Alice Moore Photo Credit: Charleston NewspapersBlack power leader Eldridge Cleaver's Soul on Ice was one of the leading sources of controversy. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingA parent expresses her frustration over the adopted books outside of the Kanawha County Board of Education building. Photo Credit: Charleston NewspapersA young girl succinctly summarizes the bottom line of the 1974 Kanawha County textbook protest. Photo Credit: Charleston NewspapersThe Rev. Marvin Horan, shown here at a November 1974 rally, was the most prominent person to serve significant jail time for his role in the protests. He served three years for conspiring to "damage and destroy two schools." Photo Credit: Charleston NewspapersThe American flag was an ever-present symbol at nearly every anti-textbook gathering. The Rev. Avis Hill is shown here speaking outside the school board office. Photo Credit: Charleston NewspapersMiners buck the will of their union leaders and join the textbook boycott. Photo Credit: Charleston NewspapersA line of textbook protesters picket outside Midway Elementary School in Campbells Creek, W.Va. Photo Credit: Charleston Newspapers On Nov. 9, 1974, protesters take to the streets the day after the school board reinstates the books. Photo Credit: Charleston Newspapers Textbook supporters pointed to the apparent contradictions between the violence and the protesters' religious beliefs. Photo Credit: Charleston Newspapers West Virginia State Trooper D. N. Miller's cruiser was shot by a sniper on Nov. 13, 1974 while escorting a school bus. Photo Credit: Charleston Newspapers Klansman Dale Reusch attends a January 1975 anti-textbook rally on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol; the Rev. Marvin Horan is holding the umbrella. Photo Credit: Charleston Newspapers
Gold Star Families In W.Va. And Addressing Chronic Absenteeism On This West Virginia Morning
Jun 26, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia students are struggling to achieve proficiency in basic academic skills like reading and math, according to national test scores in recent years. One possible contributing factor: chronic absenteeism. But as Chris Schulz reports, a new law hopes to address the issue this fall.
Also, in this show, nearly 20,000 active-duty military service members died from 2006 to 2021. That’s not to mention thousands of veterans who died from issues tied to their service. Dubbed “Gold Star families,” the loved ones of service members who die are left with grief that can last a lifetime. But many of these families turn their hardship into an opportunity to help others in need.
West Virginia University (WVU) graduate Emily Zirkelbach spoke with reporter Jack Walker about what she learned from several Gold Star families across West Virginia.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Flood Prevention Along The Ohio And A Conversation With An Expert BASE Jumper, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 25, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, dozens of BASE jumpers leap from the New River Gorge Bridge during Bridge Day each year. High school students Dylan Neil and Nella Fox of the Fayette Institute of Technology got curious about how to become a Bridge Day BASE Jumper. For Inside Appalachia, they talked with expert BASE jumper Marcus Ellison.
Also, in this show, we have the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region. Their latest story explores flood prevention along the Ohio River.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Podcast Examines Past And Present Of Meth In America
Jun 24, 2024
This conversation originally aired in the June 23, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.
The broad strokes of the opioid epidemic are well known.
The widespread availability of Oxycontin and other opioids that could be obtained with a prescription led to an epidemic of substance abuse that took hold across the country. That, in turn, has led to more conversations — about treatment, recovery, and harm reduction.
But, alongside opioids, there’s been another addictive drug that became well-known in the 1990s, and never really went away. Methamphetamine, or meth, is a stimulant that some people made in their homes during the ‘90s and early ‘00s. But the U.S. cracked down on the sale of the drug’s ingredients, so meth labs are no longer quite so ubiquitous.
But meth has evolved, too.
That history is the topic of a new podcast, called Home Cooked. It’s produced by the Daily Yonder, a national news site that covers rural America, and is headquartered in Whitesburg, Kentucky.
The show is hosted and produced by Olivia Weeks, a reporter for the Daily Yonder based in southern Illinois. Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams recently spoke with Weeks about Home Cooked.
Olivia Weeks. Photo Credit: The Daily Yonder
Adams: I remember meth because it exploded into the national consciousness in the early 2000s, just as I was entering the media business, but I've heard a bunch of meth stories recently — both in the news and from friends who are dealing with people on meth. How have methamphetamines changed over the last 20 years?
Weeks: Yeah, so that's sort of the starting point of the podcast. We're all really familiar culturally with these stories from the early 2000s. I grew up in a small town. There was a lot of conversation all the time when I was a little kid about, “Oh, that's a meth lab house. They're cooking meth out in those woods,” — that kind of stuff. That fell off of everybody's radar in the later 2000s and 2010s in some places, and then around 2018, you start seeing this flood of new stories that's like, “Meth is back. And it's not your neighbor's cooking it anymore.” That's a St. Louis Post-Dispatch headline that always sticks in my head, because that's really the formula of this new kind of news article that started coming out in 2017, 2018.
Part of it is a little bit silly, because meth never disappeared in that time period between the early 2000s meth-lab-explosions era and today, but I also see why it got so much media attention starting in the late 2010s. Because a transition really happened where, over the course of the 2010s, this vast free market of drug traffickers and producers in Mexico got really good at making methamphetamine really cheaply, and it's transporting it into the United States. That's in a landscape of meth getting really difficult and pretty expensive to produce here domestically, that imported meth really just took over the whole national methamphetamine economy. Instead of being this sort of weird drug that people would make in their barns, and it's very locally specific, and the recipes get passed from person to person, like it has this kind of folk culture around it in the early 2000s.
Then it really transitions into a more traditional drug that's being trafficked along pretty traditional drug supply chains, kind of the way that cocaine is, or one of those other less mythologized drugs, or differently mythologized drugs from different eras.
Adams: Methamphetamine is associated with rural areas, and even with Appalachia, to some degree. Is that just pure myth?
Weeks: There are two questions there. One is meth’s association with rural, and one is meth’s association with Appalachia. I think the answers are pretty different. There is some real factual basis for methamphetamine’s outsized popularity in rural places, especially in the '90s and early 2000s. Back then, meth was largely produced domestically by groups of people in the kitchen, or in the barn or whatever. When you're producing meth in the U.S., you really want some wide open space to do that, because it's a process that smells pretty bad, [and] you don't want your neighbors watching you. Also, there's this sort of association with the countryside because anhydrous ammonia, which is a farm fertilizer, is obviously much more common in agricultural places, sparser places. So people were able to steal anhydrous ammonia from farmers more easily if they lived in the country. Also, they probably had easier access to the farm supply store. So there was this real kind of rural association.
Also, the usage rates were higher for many, many years, and still I think probably are slightly higher, in rural places as compared to the rest of the U.S. now. The rural association makes sense especially in the Midwest. That's where that sort of mom-and-pop-lab problem of the early 2000s was really concentrated. It makes sense that meth picked up that rural association; it makes progressively less sense as time goes on, especially today. It might still be true that meth is more common in rural places, but it's really a problem in all of our major cities, too.
Now, when it comes to Appalachia, it's interesting. I think that places on the East Coast or eastern United States always had a smaller meth problem than in the Midwest and the West. That's for some complicated supply chain reasons. The problem was always kind of slower to take off. Now, that's not to say that there was no meth in these places, certainly, all throughout small towns. In Appalachia, there definitely was meth in the heyday. People could get the recipe online. There was no stopping people from making it, but it didn't quite take off in the way that it took off in the Midwest.
Adams: What accounts for that connection to Appalachia then? Is it people linking rural America and Appalachia, and lumping them together when there's really distinct differences in this case?
Weeks: Yeah, I think that's part of it. There was this very popular and widely known campaign that started in Portland, Oregon, against methamphetamine that was called the Faces of Meth campaign. It was this sheriff taking pictures of people who had been arrested on meth related charges, who were looking pretty rough. He would basically put up a photo of them early in their meth use, [during] their first arrest, and then a photo of them later on in their lives when drug use or whatever lifestyle choices had taken their toll.
A lot of people don't need me to explain it to them; the images just come to mind. There's been really good analysis of the Faces of Meth campaign that hit on hillbilly stereotypes like toothlessness. It's really nasty stuff, and I don't even really want to talk about it, because I don't think this connection actually makes any sense. But I think that those images, especially to urban people, read as, “Oh, those are hillbillies,” — even though the photos are of people from Portland, Oregon. I think those images are honestly responsible for a lot of the connection to the countryside. And I think Appalachia automatically gets lumped in with that, and it automatically hits on a hillbilly, hill people stereotype.
Adams: The podcast covers the 50-year history of meth. Where is methamphetamine in 2024? What do you think the future holds?
Weeks: We're in a pretty scary place right now. Methamphetamine and fentanyl are both produced in really high quantities in Mexico, and those supply chains have sort of merged in some way. Some people call them twin epidemics. A lot of people have started using the term “synthetic drug crisis” because you can't really talk about methamphetamine without talking about fentanyl, or vice versa. Overdose deaths are the highest they've ever been, both for fentanyl alone, both for methamphetamine alone, and for fentanyl and meth combined. Concomitant use of those drugs is really, really common.
Now, addiction has always been one of the dangers of methamphetamine. Also in the early 2000s, meth lab explosions and the interactions with toxic chemicals, that kind of thing. Those were major risks because of methamphetamine-use back in the day. Those aren't really risks anymore. The risk today is fentanyl contamination. That's a big problem. It's a scary situation. At the same time, there's been in recent decades a general turn against mass incarceration as a solution simply because it hasn't worked and because a lot of people have been really negatively affected by that system. Right now with really high levels of homelessness and addiction and overdose, there might be a backlash against that sort of positive turn against mass incarceration. That's kind of scary to me.
In general, people are more open-minded to strategies like harm reduction, more open-minded, trying to be more compassionate to people who use drugs. I think that's positive. I think part of that is the opioid epidemic — that sort of stereotypical narrative of the blue collar man who got hurt at work, and then got addicted to opioids by no fault of his own, and then wound up using heroin, and on and on. That narrative that took hold of the public imagination did some good for people who use drugs, because it showed one possible way in which a person who was really easy to empathize with could wind up addicted to drugs.
I think people are more open to harm reduction, clean needles, fentanyl, test strips, that kind of thing. So that's positive, but overwhelmingly, it's a really scary, scary drug market right now. I think I would tell people that you'd be surprised where you can find a harm reduction organization to get involved with. Even if you live in a small town or a rural place, it's very possible that there's someone out there doing the work, trying to keep people alive, even while they're in the throes of addiction. Look out for that and look out for ways to get involved.
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Home Cooked is now available wherever you get your podcasts.
Recovery from addiction is possible. For help, please call the free and confidential treatment referral hotline (1-800-662-HELP) or visit findtreatment.gov.
A Conversation On Documentary ‘King Coal’ And W.Va. Town Advocates For End To Gun Violence, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 24, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, each year, tens of thousands of Americans die from firearm injuries. In 2022, that figure included more than 300 West Virginians. Nationally, U.S. residents are split on a solution. But residents of a town in Brooke County are advocating for an end to gun violence through political organizing, public art and prayer.
Jack Walker spoke with three Bethany residents about their annual demonstration, and the changes they’re pushing for in the Mountain State.
Also, in this show, film director Elaine McMillion Sheldon's latest documentary is called King Coal. The imaginative film focuses on central Appalachia, how coal mining has influenced its culture and how that may be changing. Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams spoke with Sheldon and co-producer Molly Born about the film.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
The Healing Power Of Old-Time Music And A History Of Meth, Inside Appalachia
Jun 24, 2024
This week, old-time music jams aren’t just fun, they’re good for your mental health.
Also, the opioid epidemic has changed how we talk about addiction in Appalachia. But it’s not America’s only drug crisis.
And, every year, hundreds of people parachute off the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge Bridge for Bridge Day, but not just anyone can do it.
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
(Left to right) Hilarie Burhans (banjo), Mark Burhans (fiddle), Mark “Pokey” Hellenberg (mandolin banjo), Steve Owens (banjo), Julie Elman (bass) and Caitlin Kraus (guitar) are playing old-time music on a Monday night at the Burhans home in Athens, Ohio. Hilarie is a sought after claw hammer banjo instructor, and she and Mark also own and operate a local Mediterranean restaurant in Athens named Salaam. Photo Credit: Liz Pahl/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Human beings have used music to do everything from soothe children to sleep or to fire up crowds during football games, but there are other benefits, too.
Folkways Reporter Liz Pahl explored them during an old-time jam session in Athens, Ohio.
The Other Drug Epidemic
Olivia Weeks hosts Home Cooked, a podcast that looks at the continuing crisis of methamphetamines. Courtesy Photo
When we talk about addiction, a lot of us think about opioids. But there’s another drug still circulating in communities — methamphetamine, or meth.
The powerful stimulant could be manufactured in people’s homes, but after the US cracked down on the sale of meth making ingredients, the ways people make meth evolved. That history is the topic of a new podcast, called Home Cooked, produced by the Daily Yonder.
Mason Adams spoke with the show’s host and producer, Olivia Weeks.
No Son Of Mine
West Virginia native Jonathan Corcoran's memoir No Son Of Mine is about coming out and coming to grips with loss. Photo Credit: Sam Klugman
West Virginia writer Jonathan Corcoran hid his sexuality growing up, but then in college, his mother discovered he was gay. She disowned him and then died during the pandemic before they could reconcile.
Corcoran, now a university professor in New York, wrote a book exploring grief and his relationship with his mother.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with the author.
Breaking Down Base Jumping At Bridge Day
The New River Gorge Bridge. Photo Credit: E-WV
It’s a few months off, but thrill seekers are already planning for Bridge Day at the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, West Virginia.
High school students Dylan Neil and Nella Fox of the Fayette Institute of Technology got curious about how to become a Bridge Day BASE Jumper and talked with BASE Jumper Marcus Ellison.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Noam Pikelny, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Sierra Ferrell and John Blissard.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Mallory Noe-Payne.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
An Operational Mountain Valley Pipeline, New Director Speaks On Opioid Settlement And A Review Of The State’s Safety Nets, This West Virginia Week
Jun 22, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, we hear from residents living near the now operational Mountain Valley Pipeline.
We also have the latest on the systemic issues that failed to prevent the death of a 14-year-old girl, and we hear from the man who will oversee the distribution of millions in opioid funds across the state.
We also get an update from a politician recovering after an animal attack, and the sounds of some of this week’s celebrations.
Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Celebrating Juneteenth And A Conversation With WVPB’s First Eastern Panhandle Reporter, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 21, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Wednesday was the federal holiday Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Briana Heaney talked to West Virginians as they hit the streets to celebrate the nation’s, and the state’s, newest holiday.
Also, in this show, Cecelia Mason spent 23 years as a reporter for West Virginia Public Radio, even helping establish the Eastern Panhandle Bureau in Shepherdstown. She moved onto a role with Shepherd University’s Office of Communications in 2014 but said her time in journalism shaped the course of her career and her life.
Mason retired from Shepherd earlier this month. But she returned to campus and sat down with our current Eastern Panhandle Reporter Jack Walker to reflect on her time in public radio and how the industry has changed since she left.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode. Teresa Wills is our host.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
The Power Of Old-Time Music And Drive-By Truckers Have Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 19, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, people have always used music to do everything from soothe children to sleep to revving up the crowd for the big game, but it can do so much more. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Liz Pahl learned about the healing power of old-time music when she visited a weekly jam session at the home of a couple in Athens, Ohio.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from the Drive-By Truckers. We listen to their performance of “The Ballad of Cecil McCobb,” which appears on the group’s 14th studio album Welcome to Club XIII, which was released in 2022.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Plans For The Opioid Settlement And Understanding What Happened To Kyneddi Miller On This West Virginia Morning
Jun 18, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the foundation responsible for divvying up West Virginia's opioid settlement money chose its executive director in March. After taking on the position full-time at the beginning of May, Executive Director Jonathan Board sat down with Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice to discuss his qualifications for the job and plans for the future.
Also, in this show, Kyneddi Miller was found dead in her home in April. A police report said the 14-year-old girl was found in a near skeletal state. Her grandparents and mother have been charged with abuse and neglect. There are conflicting reports about the actions of state agencies involved in the case. Now, officials are pointing fingers at what organizations and policies created the crack that Miller fell through. Briana Heaney has the story.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Latest On Mountain Valley Pipeline And A Talk With Doug Skaff Following Copperhead Bites, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 17, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, some residents living near the Mountain Valley Pipeline have been watching it for several years. Now that the pipeline is carrying natural gas, they say they’ll continue to do so. Curtis Tate has the story from Bent Mountain, Virginia.
Also, in this show, former legislator Doug Skaff in May was taking down signs for his secretary of state campaign when he felt a sharp sensation in his foot. He only realized what happened when he looked down and saw a copperhead. By the time he got away, Skaff was bitten four times by two separate snakes.
One month after the incident, Jack Walker caught up with Skaff about what happened, and the status of his recovery.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Hip Hop In W.Va. And Food Deserts In Knoxville, Inside Appalachia
Jun 17, 2024
This week,hip hop started in New York and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of the history of the music and where it is today.
Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food, but they’re found in more than just rural counties in Appalachia. Food deserts are also in disenfranchised neighborhoods, like in East Knoxville.
And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. During Juneteenth, he’s remembered especially through his poetry.
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Eric Jordan has led a West Virginia hip hop movement. Photo Credit: Vanessa Peña/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Last year, communities celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Over the past half century, hip hop has gone from a marginalized art form to a mainstream powerhouse. It developed in major metropolitan centers like New York, Los Angeles and the dirty South, but took root in Appalachia, too.
Folkways Reporter Vanessa Peña reports on hip hop in West Virginia.
Food Apartheid In Appalachia
Femeika Elliott uses food to heal her neighborhood. Photo Credit: Wendy Welch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Across the country, poor and largely Black neighborhoods were bulldozed and replaced with new highways and civic centers in the 20th century. That concept is known as urban renewal — and it tore communities apart. Now, one woman in Knoxville, Tennessee, is using food to try to heal generations of damage in a city neighborhood.
Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch has more.
Dirt Songs Sing Of Remembrance
Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour's latest book is Dirt Songs. Courtesy Photo
Ohio poet laureateKari Gunter-Seymour often writes about disenfranchisement, racism, poverty and addiction. In her new collection of poems, Dirt Songs, she recalls her small town upbringing and remembers the original owners of the land she now lives on.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Gunter-Seymour about her new book and what she sees as good in Appalachia.
Celebrating A Poet During Juneteenth
Jeanette Wilson holds a portrait of her grandfather, Rev. George Mills Dickerson, standing to the right of his son George Murray Dickerson. Photo Credit: Connie Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Poetry has been an enduring tradition in Jeanette Wilson’s family. They’ve recited the poems of Wilson’s grandfather and her uncle George for nearly 100 years. Now, these poems about African American life in southwestern Virginia are read during the Juneteenth celebration in Tazewell, Virginia — where they reach a wider audience and connect the past to the present.
Folkways Reporter Connie Kitts brought us the story.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Ed Snodderly, Frank Hutchinson, Hazel Dickens, Johnny Statts and Dinosaur Burps.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editors Nicole Musgrave and Jennifer Goren.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Appalachian Hip Hop And Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 14, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Folkways reporter Vanessa Peña explores the history of hip hop in West Virginia and beyond. Plus, Mountain Stage provides our the Song of the Week: “So Much Love” by Southern Avenue.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Pharmaceutical Contamination And Residents React To Pipeline, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 13, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, pharmaceutical products are winding up in West Virginia waterways, contaminating local rivers and wildlife. Chris Schulz spoke with two researchers about the issue and its environmental implications.
Plus, with the Mountain Valley Pipeline approved to begin operations, Curtis Tate spoke with residents who live near the pipeline about some ongoing health and safety concerns.
Also in this show, we share part of an episode of Us & Them that won a Best Podcast award from Virginias AP Broadcasters. Host Trey Kay dives into the state's food support resources connected to a federal program called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Us & Them Encore: SNAP — Do The Hungry Get More Policy Than Nutrition?
Jun 12, 2024
Forty-two million Americans, or about 12 percent of the the population, need help feeding their families.
That help often comes from a federal program called SNAP — which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps. The Mountain State is one of the top recipients of SNAP benefits. Nearly 45 percent of recipients are older adults or families with someone who’s disabled, while nearly 60 percent are families with children.
The nation’s food support program began six decades ago, as a pilot program in McDowell County. Since then, it has reduced poverty and hunger across the nation.
In an award-winning encore episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay talks with three people — a retiree, a mom and a lawmaker who all say that nutritional support has made a difference in their lives.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council and the CRC Foundation.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
Reenie Kittle, 75, from Harding, W.Va., is a widow and retired with a physical disability. She does what she can to get by on a meager fixed income. “How do I live on a fixed income? Very scarcely,” Kittle told Us & Them host Trey Kay as they sat in the living room of her converted double-wide home. “So I have to buy pellets for my wood stoves in the winter months. I have to pay the water bill … all my bills. I don't go out very much ‘cause I can't afford the gas. With my income and my bills of $1,300 a month, I am lucky if I have $200, maybe $250 left over to try to find food. My neighbor sometimes will bring me supper, and that's been a blessing to me. They try to help me food-wise as much as they can. For SNAP, I qualify for $23 a month. It is nothing.They just tell me that they've reviewed my case and that's as much as they can do. They have no extra money to give and that's it.” Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingEach month, Reenie Kittle heads to the grocery store in Elkins, W.Va. with $23 from the federal government’s SNAP program. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — it used to be called “Food Stamps.” Reenie beelines past the produce section … beyond the tower of packaged strawberries, the cold case full of carrots and greens. She’s not here to buy what she wants to eat. She’s here to stretch the money she is allotted to the very last penny. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingRoughly 18 percent of West Virginia residents use SNAP benefits. Nationally, that number is more like 12 percent, which means that 42 million people across America need help getting enough to eat. Seth DiStefano, with the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, lobbies to support programs like SNAP — which became a centerpiece of the social reform programs in President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” initiative. DiStefano says SNAP has its roots in West Virginia. This goes back to when President John F. Kennedy started the original “Food Stamp” program in McDowell County. “It truly is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the history of the United States,” DiStefano says. Photo Credit: West Virginia Center on Budget & PolicyMary Kathryn Molitor, 34, lives in St. Albans, W.Va. with her three daughters and an old dog named Brenda. Mary Kathryn works full-time at a local credit union, making about $13 an hour. When the Us & Them team first spoke with her, she wasn't sure she wanted to talk on the record about her relationship with SNAP saying it was her "dirty little secret." “I don't tell people that I use SNAP benefits because I know what that person looks like and that person doesn't look like me,” Molitor explains while pulling one of her wriggling twin daughters up onto her hip. “That person doesn't have a college education. That person doesn't have a full-time job. That person isn't who I am. I find it embarrassing. I don't want to admit that I need help.” Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingTo supplement her family's food supply, Mary Kathryn Molitor often goes to the Capital Market in Charleston and checks to see if they have wilted vegetable plants that are about to be discarded. She takes them home to plant in her garden. “Those are pumpkins right there. Volunteers. All those tomatoes? Volunteers. Sunflowers? Volunteers,” Molitor says while showing Us & Them host Trey Kay the plants around her home. “After Halloween — I threw my pumpkins into a couple of different areas and they rotted, seeded and they are giants now! They grow on their own. They volunteer! If anybody needs a free pumpkin this year, just come to my house!” Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingDel. Jonathan Pinson represents the 17th District of West Virginia's House of Delegates, on the western border of the state including parts of Mason and Jackson counties. Pinson, a Republican and a Baptist pastor was first elected in 2020. “I cannot say that I have issues with [SNAP] in general,” Pinson told Us & Them host Trey Kay when they met in Point Pleasant, W.Va. “One of the reasons that I can't say that I'm opposed to that is because I think back prior to my adoption … at 15 years old … I go back to Saturday mornings sitting in a line at the armory in Florida, picking up corn flakes and powdered milk and five pound jugs of peanut butter. And I can tell you that there were many, many meals that I wouldn't have had, had my parents not been on food stamps — and at the time, ‘commodities,’ that's what it was called. So I can't say that I'm opposed to the government helping when help is warranted.” Photo Credit: West Virginia Legislature
The CPS Process And A New Plant Powered By Solar On This West Virginia Morning
Jun 12, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, two companies are working side by side to build a new titanium plant in Jackson County, powered by solar. Curtis Tate went to take a look.
Also, in this show, even in ideal circumstances, the removal of a child from their home by Child Protective Services (CPS) is always traumatic. Emily Rice spoke with community advocates about this process and what resources children need to adapt.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
The Role Rural Libraries Play Today, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 11, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, President of the American Library Association, Emily Dubinsky, is on a three-week road trip from New York to the annual Conference in San Diego. Along the way, she will stop at different rural libraries to talk to them about the work they are doing and what they need to continue that work.
Dubinsky took a pit stop in Charleston, to sit down and talk with Briana Heaney about what she has been hearing from rural libraries during this road trip.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Summer Fire Safety Basics On This West Virginia Morning
Jun 10, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, with the summer season in full swing, grills, fireworks and campfires are making a comeback into our lives. Chris Schulz sat down with Mark Lambert, director of the West Virginia University (WVU) Fire Service Extension about some fire safety basics.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Encore: Fur Trapping In W.Va. And A Blue Ribbon Winner, Inside Appalachia
Jun 10, 2024
This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st century.
We also meet a county fair champion who keeps racking up the blue ribbons and has released a cookbook of some of her favorites.
And we hear an update on the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction has begun again, but some people wonder if it’s even needed.
These stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Before coal or timber, the fur trade was one of Appalachia’s first industries.
Fur trapping flourished for centuries, made fortunes and led to wars and was still lucrative into the last few generations.
Now, most West Virginia fur trappers struggle to earn a living, but some have adapted or found new careers using their particular skills. Folkways Reporter Lauren Griffin brought us the story.
Blue Ribbon-Winning Fair Food
There’s nothing quite like the county fair, where you can pet a goat or get motion sick on the tilt-a-whirl.
A staple of county and state fairs are the annual craft competitions, where the hopeful vie for the coveted blue ribbon.
Few people have been as successful as Russell County, Virginia resident Linda Skeens, who has won hundreds of ribbons, become a social media sensation and released a cookbook featuring some of her winning recipes.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with her about winning contests and collecting recipes.
Cruising With Vintage Vehicles
For over 50 years, in Roanoke, Virginia, on any given Friday night, you can see modified cars and trucks with neon lights, spinning rims and streamlined spoilers strutting from north to south and back again. And often — you’ll see old-timey antique cars out there among them.
Host Mason Adams reported this story in 2020, about a family of mechanics who have spent years developing the skills to get those vintage cars just right.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline Saga Continues
We’ve reported on the Mountain Valley Pipeline for years. Completion of the pipeline has been held up because a federal court keeps throwing out its permits. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled to allow work to resume again. But some energy analysts question whether the pipeline is even needed.
WVPB's Curtis Tate spoke with Suzanne Mattei of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
Extended Family Pitching In To Care For Dementia Patients
Spouses or adult children typically care for people with dementia, but more and more extended family members are taking on that role. CareEx is a project at the Center for Gerontology at Virginia Tech that studies extended family caregivers in central Appalachia.
WVPB’s Eric Douglas spoke with project coordinator Brandy McCann about their work.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Sturgill Simpson, Ron Mullennex, Mary Hott and Noam Pikelny.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Black Pride, Summer At The Gorge, Silica Dust And Opioid Money, This West Virginia Week
Jun 08, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, we’ll look at Black LGBTQ Pride in West Virginia. We’ll also hear how a federal agency regulates the nation’s pipelines and we’ll talk to a national park ranger about summer activities at the New River Gorge.
We’ll also discuss new rules to prevent black lung disease, a new role for the state’s solicitor general and how the state’s opioid settlement money will be spent.
Curtis Tate is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Conversation With W.Va. Black Pride Foundation And Stephane Wrembel Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 07, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Pride Month is underway, and the West Virginia Black Pride Foundation is carving out a space specifically for Black LGBTQ community members. Jack Walker spoke with founder and Executive Director Kasha Snyder-McDonald to discuss her organization’s vision for a better West Virginia for Black LGBTQ residents.
Also, in this show, 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller was found dead in her Boone County home in April. A police report said she was found in a near skeletal state, her grandparents and mother have been charged with abuse and neglect. Recently, there have been conflicting reports about the actions of state agencies involved in the case and calls for accountability. Briana Heaney has an update on the story.
And, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Stephane Wrembel. We listen to her performance of "Bistro Fada.” He’s joined by Josh Kaye, Ari Folman-Cohen and Nick Anderson. This Django-influenced tune is heard on his fifth album Origins, which became the theme song for Woody Allen’s 2011 Oscar-winning film, Midnight in Paris.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Herbicide Contamination And Oil Well Wastewater, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 06, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, reporter Chris Schulz spoke with a master gardener from Monongalia County about difficulties with his crops — and two plant scientists who say it's likely the result of herbicide contamination.
Also in this show, Pittsburgh-based public radio program The Allegheny Front dives into challenges with oil well wastewater being dumped onto local roads.
Plus, Briana Heaney reports that a new study found calls to poison control centers now more often lead to hospitalizations and deaths.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Changes To The FAFSA On This West Virginia Morning
Jun 05, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, is meant to help students access funds to pursue higher education. But as Chris Schulz reports, recent changes to the federal form have left students and schools scrambling for answers.
Also, in this show, a new federal silica dust rule is about to take effect. Monday, a panel of Black Lung experts expressed hope for the future of young miners — if they’re educated about their rights. Emily Rice has more.
A U.S. Senate committee approved West Virginia’s solicitor general Tuesday to serve as a federal energy regulator. Curtis Tate has the story.
And, new funding for Preston County aims to improve and expand local water access. Jack Walker reports.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Young Voter Turnout And Summer Fun At New River Gorge, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 04, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, summer has nearly arrived here in West Virginia. The mountains have filled in and rounded out with lush green trees. The air is getting warmer and the days are longer. Briana Heaney sat down with National Park Ranger Eve West to talk about ways to enjoy the nation’s newest National Park at the New River Gorge.
Also, in this show, we have a special report from graduate students Meaghan Downey and Anastasia Mason of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism based in Washington, DC. Voter turnout in West Virginia, and across the country, is low. It’s even worse among young voters who say they are disconnected and not interested.
Just before the May 14 Primary Election, Downey and Mason came to West Virginia to report on the state’s low voter turnout and the impact it has on young voters. They spoke with students at West Virginia University and BridgeValley Community and Technical College.
This story is part of a larger project they are working on about how young peoples’ disillusionment with political institutions is a threat to democracy.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Regulating The Mountain Valley Pipeline And High School Student Takes Up Band Director Role, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 03, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the Mountain Valley Pipeline is under scrutiny from federal regulators after it failed a pressure test in Virginia last month. Curtis Tate spoke with Cynthia Quarterman, the former head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration from 2009 to 2014, about the federal agency’s role in regulating 3 million miles of pipeline.
Also, in this show, just before the start of the fall semester last year, the band director at Midland Trail High School left for another job. With no one else to take over, senior Carol Nottingham stepped in. We bring you this story from student reporter Kelsie Carte.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Stickers And The Trouble With Indian Creek, Inside Appalachia
Jun 03, 2024
This week, we meet a West Virginia artist who designs stickers, t-shirts, patches and pins. She draws on classic Appalachian phrases her family has used for years. They’re not all radio-friendly.
Also, people who live near Indian Creek in southern West Virginia say something is wrong with the water. Tests show contamination from a nearby mine. Now people and animals are getting sick.
And, lots of schools are seeing teacher shortages. But what happens when the band director quits?
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Elizabeth Elswick has turned a love of design and Appalachian pop culture into a popular line of clothes and stickers. Photo Credit: Maddie Miller/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Stickers have been a regular part of American pop culture for generations. Over the last several years, they’d become more local.
Folkways Reporter Maddy Miller visited with a West Virginia favorite, the Hippie’s Daughter, to talk about some of her best designs and most memorable phrases.
Jayne Anne Phillips Talks Night Watch
West Virginia author Jayne Anne Phillips is this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize for literature. Courtesy Photo
This year’s Pulitzer Prize for literature went to West Virginia writer Jayne Anne Phillips, for her novel Night Watch.
Set years after the end of the American Civil War, the book takes readers to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, a mental hospital in the town of Weston, West Virginia.
Last fall, Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Phillips about Night Watch and growing up near the asylum.
Trouble At Indian Creek
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection workers collect water samples from Indian Creek, which dirty mine water flows into in Wyoming County. Photo Credit: Erin Beck
Residents of Wyoming County, West Virginia, say there’s something wrong with the water in a local creek. Residents says it’s making them sick and killing fish.
Reporter Erin Beck has been following the story. Mason Adams spoke with Beck about what she’s learned.
Leader Of The Band
Just before the start of the fall semester the band director for Midland Trail High School left for another job. With no one else to take over, a high school senior stepped up.
Kelsie Carte, a student at the Fayette Institute of Technology reported.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sierra Ferrell, Amethyst Kiah, John Blissard, John Inghram, Sean Watkins and Little Sparrow.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our Executive Producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our Audio Mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Manchin Drops Democratic Party And Patient Sues Hospital For Abuse, This West Virginia Week
Jun 01, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, longtime Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin has officially changed political affiliations, registering as an independent on Friday.
We’ll look into his decision, plus the sudden departure of the watchdog for West Virginia’s foster care system and a lawsuit filed against a state hospital over allegations of physical abuse.
We’ll also discuss efforts to preserve historic Black churches from Harpers Ferry to Charleston, and the rise of solar energy across the Mountain State.
Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.
Sticker Shop Celebrates W.Va. And Nick Lowe, Los Straitjackets Have Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
May 31, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Elizabeth Elswick couldn't find a lot of merchandise to represent her home state of West Virginia while she was growing up. But today, she represents Appalachian culture and sayings through her sticker shop. Folkways Reporter Maddie Miller brings us this story.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets. We listen to their 2019 performance of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" - a song from their EP, Love Starvation/Trombone.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Tersea Wills is our host. Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
How The Fight Against Coal Dust Connects Coastal Virginia To Appalachia
May 30, 2024
This conversation originally aired in the May 26, 2024 episode of Inside Appalachia.
Appalachia produces less coal than it once did, but that coal is still desired around the world for making steel.
The demand is now creating problems for people who live near the terminals where coal is moved from train to ship, to then be carried overseas. Residents of Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, say airborne coal dust from export terminals is getting on their cars, on their houses, in their lungs. Residents have started to take matters into their own hands.
A new podcast called Crosswinds links that fight to communities in West Virginia. It’s produced by an environmental justice research project at the University of Virginia called the Repair Lab.
Mason Adams spoke with Crosswinds producer Adrian Wood, as well as Lathaniel Kirts, a pastor and activist in one of the affected communities.
The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.
Adams: The podcast that you all are working on, looks at a problem affecting communities in Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, but then zooms back out to trace this issue to its roots in Appalachia. Lathaniel, you live in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Can you share how you became aware of this coal dust issue?
Kirts: In the Hampton Roads area, there are two different distinct communities that we’re focusing on. One being Norfolk, and the other being Newport News. I am from Norfolk, Virginia — a native of the area. I grew up there. I applied for a job with a coalition called New Virginia Majority. They were focusing on environmental justice. This was back in 2017, and it was about the coal dust issue that was happening in the Lambert’s Point area of Norfolk. so I began working with them building their social media campaign, and helping to spread awareness to try to find something meaningful to change about the coal dust issue.
At that moment, they were focusing on covering the coal. Now, I have recently moved to Newport News, and I realized the same thing that was happening in Norfolk was [also] happening in Newport News as well. So that's when I started this project with a dear friend of mine, who I was raised with in Norfolk [named] Malcolm Jones. He and I are both practitioners-in-residence with the University of Virginia's Repair Lab. The Repair Lab’s goal is to help focus on environmental justice in predominately African-American communities, and try to build a coalition around these individuals who do meaningful changes around the work of environmental justice — namely in this area, coal dust.
Lathaniel Kirts and Malcolm Jones of the Repair Lab. Photo Credit: Crosswinds
Adams: Can you describe these neighborhoods, a little bit in Newport News in Norfolk, that are near these coal terminals? Who are the folks that are being affected by this?
Kirts: Two distinctly different communities, [with] some very similar traits. I love them both. Norfolk is of course the biggest military hub in the world. The world's largest naval base is in Norfolk. It has a diverse population. In Norfolk, when you get to Lambert’s Point community, it is a predominantly Black community, which also has a hub of college students from Old Dominion University there as well. So you’ve got a lot of young people coming in from all over the commonwealth and all over the nation to this place.
Then you have Newport News, which is right across the water. Where the coal terminal sits is a predominantly Black community as well. A lot of poverty as well in the area, a lot of systemic issues are there. I am also a pastor in this community. So this is something that is near and dear to my heart, because I want to see the people — who I pastor, who I work alongside, who I live alongside — to be able to thrive and have a meaningful life, to be able to breathe fresh and clean air.
Adams: These communities are dealing with issues involving coal dust blowing off of the ships and trains into their communities. What are the folks there doing to try to address this problem?
Kirts: There've been petitions signed. Yard signs have been put up that say, “Coal dust kills.” They are going out and they're protesting. They've been doing it for years with protests at the former Norfolk Southern headquarters in Norfolk (they have since moved on to Atlanta). They've written letters. They've contacted their legislators on a national, state and local level. They have gone to city council meetings. They have recorded oral histories through the University of Virginia. We've had so many different things that they've been doing because, once again, this is affecting their community. What we want to do is to make more people aware, and hopefully come up with some type of meaningful legislation that can stop the spread of coal dust in our area.
Coal yards at Norfolk Southern’s pier at Lambert’s Point, Norfolk, Virginia. Photo Credit: Crosswinds
Adams: Adrian, how did you get involved with this community effort?
Wood: I first met Lathaniel through working with the Repair Lab. I’m the full-time multimedia producer for the Repair Lab. Part of what the Repair Lab does is offer resources to our practitioners-in-residence who work with us for a one-year duration residency, and we offer them resources like academic access to libraries or different kinds of academic connections and policy research and also multimedia production around the topic or the issue that they're bringing to us. I work as a resource for our practitioners-in-residence, and support the work that they're doing with environmental justice storytelling that shows the work that's already been done and also tells us about the work that's to come.
Adams: How did the idea for the podcast take off?
Wood: The idea for the podcast came because podcasts can be really versatile forms of media. Also, my expertise is in sound and audio editing, so it was maybe the best use of my talents. With the resources at-hand, it made sense. It worked for what we were trying to do, which is to disseminate the story about coal dust, environmental racism and Hampton Roads to the rest of the nation and even the rest of the world. Podcasts work really well for that, because little segments can be picked up by other media entities, and it's a lot easier to get something broadcast on radio than it is to get something on Netflix. Podcasts also work really well for amplifying and elevating the voices of community members and really allowing them to tell their own stories and speak for themselves around the issues that have been affecting them sometimes for generations.
Adams: So as y'all begin to develop this podcast series, you traced the route of these coal cars back up the railroad tracks and to where the coal was produced, including in West Virginia. So what did you find there?
Wood: I traced the coal that gets shipped out of the Dominion terminal in Newport News back to about a dozen coal mines, all in southern West Virginia. I was shocked but not surprised to find a lot of neglect on behalf of the coal companies around a lot of the towns where coal is being extracted — in terms of failure to reclaim sites that had been extracted and mined, and the ways that those costs had been displaced back onto the backs of residents in those communities in a way that eerily echoed what was happening in Newport News and Norfolk with the costs of environmental remediation being displaced, and people paying for that through their health and with their lives.
In West Virginia in particular, some of the mines and some of the depots where the coal gets moved from the mine onto the train are owned either by CSX, the rail company that ships to Dominion terminal, or to some other coal giants that own Dominion Terminal Associates and parts whose names you're probably familiar with, like Peabody Coal or Arch or Alpha Metallurgical Resources. Those companies all have stakes in Dominion Terminal Associates and not surprisingly they often own the mines that the coal is coming from.
Adams: Are the folks there in West Virginia being affected by blowing coal dust as well?
Wood: Yes, I heard about this from an advocate in Junior Walk, who lives in Eunice, West Virginia, who talked about coal dust settling so thick on records on his record player that the record wouldn't play after just sitting out for 24 hours in his home. Coal dust affects people there like it affects people in Hampton Roads, and it's coal dust coming from the same seam in the same mountain that's being moved from one side of the Appalachians to the ocean, and it’s coal that really should just have been left in the ground.
Activists speak about blowing coal dust from terminals in coastal Virginia. Photo Credit: Crosswinds
Adams: So what connections do you see between these communities in Appalachia and in Newport News and Norfolk?
Kirts: There's historic poverty in both communities. These people are bearing the brunt of the health disparities that are spread because of coal dust. That's one of the main similarities that I see. And then, of course, we're not reaping the benefits monetarily of that being in our communities. The coal is being transported mostly overseas. Two percent stays within the country; the rest is going over to other places. It’s been labored here, it's being pulled here, being dumped into our community. And then once that coal dust spreads into our lungs, and we're sick, we're not going to be helped, we're not going to be provided for, we don't have the adequate health care to be sustained. And then these companies who like to pretend to be benevolent and to be green and friendly, are not who they say they are. They are cancer-causing agents in our community, and they're doing damage.
That is what the similarities I see: that we're all being negatively affected, and seeing none of the benefits of what they're seeing being the manufacturers of coal dust.
Wood: I agree with that. And I would just add that these communities are not being protected by existing regulatory pathways through the EPA or through state environmental departments. The regulations that exist around coal dust right now through the EPA, which recently were strengthened, are still not enough to protect communities in Newport News, Norfolk or West Virginia because of the way those regulations work, which is, averages that are regional and over every 24 hours.
So a regional average may not address a high amount of coal dust concentrated in one place when the rest of the region is not being affected by that dust. Similarly, a 24-hour average doesn't address coal dust that's getting blown really hard for 30 minutes and covering your whole porch in black dust, and then the wind doesn't blow for the rest of the day. That may not be enough to affect the 24-hour average. So the way that the regulations are designed are not addressing the health needs and the lifestyle needs of these communities.
And we know that coal dust is more dangerous than other kinds of dust that these regulations are designed to address, because coal dust can contain lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium, among other heavy metals that are known to cause cancer and neurological damage and birth defects.
Adams: What's next for the folks involved in this struggle to tamp down coal dust in these coastal communities?
Kirts: We're looking for a few changes here in our area. One of the things that we're trying to do in order to alleviate coal dust within our communities is an ordinance that will either support a coal dome — to enclose the coal into a dome so that the coal dust will not be blown into our communities — and/or a wooden fence that is going to prevent the wind to blow coal dust into the area, and once again alleviate coal that's being spread into our communities. Anything is better than sitting beside mountains of coal terminals right next door to our playgrounds, where we have our gardens, where we have our worship facilities. These are places that are supposed to be safe places for us to go and to live freely and sit and breathe freely. And that's what we're fighting for and advocating for.
Adrian Wood and Lathaniel Kirts’ new podcast Crosswinds is available now.
Electric School Buses, State Foster Care Ombudsman Resigns And A Conversation On The Mountain Valley Pipeline, This West Virginia Morning
May 30, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, more than 25 million children across the United States ride the school bus each day, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. But these vehicles emit greenhouse gases that can harm both the environment and public health. To address this, federal officials are encouraging schools to switch to electric buses. As Jack Walker reports, new funds aim to help four West Virginia school districts do just that.
Also, in this show, the appointed watchdog of the West Virginia Foster Care System has resigned, effective June 6. Emily Rice has more.
And, we have the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region. Their latest story features an interview on the Mountain Valley Pipeline with our very own Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Solar Growth And Sharpe Hospital Patient Files Lawsuit, This West Virginia Morning
May 29, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, solar is expanding in West Virginia, thanks to shifts in federal and state policies. Curtis Tate spoke recently with Dan Conant, founder and CEO of Solar Holler, about solar growth in the Mountain State.
Also, in this show, a patient at Sharpe Hospital has filed a lawsuit against the facility, its CEO and state health officials. Emily Rice has more.
And, freshwater mussels are like nature’s Brita filters — treating up to 300 gallons of water each month. But their populations are in jeopardy in places like the Ohio River because of poor water quality, and man-made dams. Six years ago, the City of Philadelphia and partners began propagating mussels in a lab to bring them back to the Delaware River Estuary.
WHYY’s Zoe Read reports the hatchery is producing more mussels, thanks to new scientific discoveries.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Preserving Black Churches And Training Child Care Professionals, This West Virginia Morning
May 28, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, we dive into the preservation of historic Black churches across the Mountain State and the nation.
Plus, in the latest installment of our series “Now What? A Series on Parenting,” we’ll hear about efforts to train new child care professionals.
West Virginia is facing a shortage of child care providers, but reporter Chris Schulz spoke with Kerri Carte, assistant director for West Virginia University’s Extension's Family and Community Development, about an apprenticeship program looking to change that.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
The Appalachian Forager And Crosswinds, Inside Appalachia
May 27, 2024
This week, the woman behind the popular TikTok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from wild pawpaws … and jewelry from coyote teeth.
We also talk with the hosts of a new podcast that looks at coal dust exposure beyond the mines, affecting people far downstream from Appalachia.
And, in some places, slavery continued in different forms well after the end of the Civil War. A new marker in Western North Carolina acknowledges that history and commemorates a disaster that killed 19 Black prisoners.
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
The Appalachian Forager brings native know-how to TikTok with a side of silly. Photo Credit: Amanda Page/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Gathering wild foods has long been a way to put food on the table in the Appalachian mountains. In recent years, the practice has gone digital, with online communities devoted to foraging in the wild, springing up like wild mushrooms after a spring rain.
One woman in eastern Kentucky is sharing what she knows (and some humor) with the TikTok generation through an account called “Appalachian Forager.”
Folkways Reporter Amanda Page has the story.
Let’s Talking About Taxidermy
Taxidermist Amy Ritchie is sharing the love of her craft with other enthusiasts. Photo Credit: Margaret McLeod Leef/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
A lot of folks are fascinated by the results of taxidermy. The preservation and mounting of dead animals has been around since at least the middle ages.
In 2023, Folkways Reporter Margaret McLeod Leef visited a modern practitioner in Yadkin County, North Carolina.
Downstream Dangers Of Coal Dust
The Dominion terminal and coal storage facility in Newport News, Virginia, where residents in nearby neighborhoods have complained of blowing coal dust. Photo Credit: Adrian Wood
Appalachia plays an important part in the world economy. The region produces less coal than it used to — but it’s still a hot commodity for steel makers. That demand creates problems for people living near the terminals where coal is moved from train to ship, to then be carried overseas. Residents of Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, say airborne coal dust from export terminals is coating their cars and houses — and getting into their lungs.
A new podcast called Crosswinds links that fight on the coast to communities in West Virginia.
Host Mason Adams spoke with spoke with Crosswinds producer Adrian Wood, and Lathaniel Kirts, a pastor and activist in one of the affected communities.
Remembering The Continuation Of Slavery
No known photographs remain of the convict labor crew that the Cowee 19 worked on, but historians say this crew working on the Western North Carolina Railroad in the late 1800s was similar. Photo Credit: Hunter Library Special Collections, Western Carolina University
North Carolina is unveiling a roadside historical marker that officially acknowledges the 1882 Cowee Tunnel disaster. Nineteen prisoners were drowned when their boat capsized in a river west of Asheville.
The marker also acknowledges a form of de facto slavery, used for decades following the Civil War. We heard from Jay Price at WUNC.
The Last Of The Ramps
Toward the end of the season, ramp leaves begin to shrivel and die off. Photo Credit: Bill Lynch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Ramp season is winding down in central Appalachia, but before the last ramp was picked, Producer Bill Lynch followed a friend out for a late harvest at her secret ramp patch.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell, Bob Thompson, Dinosaur Burps and Tim Bing.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Jennifer Goren.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Lawmakers Return To The Capitol, A Child Neglect Case And Pipeline Safety, This West Virginia Week
May 25, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, lawmakers returned to the capitol for interim committee meetings and a special session of the West Virginia Legislature. We’ll talk about some of the policy decisions lawmakers made.
Plus, we’ll look at updates on the Mountain Valley Pipeline, the latest news for a Charleston postal facility and a case of neglect that led to the death of a Boone County teenager. Finally, we’ll dive into a West Virginia bike race, and we'll learn how funding changes are affecting housing shelters across the Mountain State.
Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.
TikTok Sensation ‘Appalachian Forager’ And Ruthie Foster Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
May 24, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, we learn about an incident at a state-run psychiatric facility, we meet a TikTok sensation who forages in Appalachia and we listen to our Mountain Stage Song of the Week.
The commission that oversees West Virginia’s state-run hospitals questioned state officials but received few answers following the January death of a man held at a state-run psychiatric facility. Emily Rice has more.
Also, in this show, gathering wild foods in Appalachia has been a way to put food on the table for decades, but one woman in eastern Kentucky is introducing foraging to the TikTok generation through an account called “Appalachian Forager.” She shares her knowledge, along with some humor, and her videos have gone viral. Folkways Reporter Amanda Page has the story.
And, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from three-time Grammy winner and Austin, Texas-based vocal powerhouse, Ruthie Foster. We listen to her performance of “Healing Time,” the upbeat title song from her ninth studio album of the same name.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Return Of Vandalia And Latest ‘Us & Them’ Explores Childhood Trauma, This West Virginia Morning
May 23, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Memorial Day weekend brings the return of the Vandalia Gathering at the state capitol. Bill Lynch has more.
Also, in this show, nearly half the children in America under 18 have experienced serious trauma. Those early events can affect our physical and psychological health. In the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay learns how neglect, abuse and violence lead to poor health outcomes. Kay talks with a West Virginia woman and her granddaughter about the traumas they’ve survived.
Hear the rest of the episode on WVPB May 23 at 8 p.m., on Saturday, May 25 at 3 p.m. or on demand here on wvpublic.org.
And, we have the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region. Their latest story explores planting native plants in our own backyards.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Can Early Trauma Last A Lifetime?
May 22, 2024
We continue to learn more about the way childhood trauma can affect our physical and psychological health, and the result is creating a social movement. More than two decades ago, researchers first came up with a way to assess the impact of childhood neglect, abuse and family dysfunction. Nearly half the kids under 18 in the U.S. have had an adverse experience or serious trauma — also known as ACEs, which stands for adverse childhood experiences. Now, advocates are getting traction with “trauma-aware” campaigns and coalitions.
Many institutions are investing in trauma awareness, training and screening. The original study, published in 1998, concluded that early traumas contribute to poor health outcomes later in life. That research got almost no attention when it was first published, however today its findings are considered ground-breaking. But some say using such a rubric to assess a person’s experience won’t work for everyone and may simply label and limit their future potential.
If you are anywhere else in the world and would like to know more about ACEs, reach out to PACEs Connection.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and CRC Foundation.
This program is made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 through the West Virginia Humanities Council. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
Kathy Szafran, a licensed professional counselor in West Virginia for 30 years, works primarily with high-risk foster care children who have lived through significant trauma. “Kids need to know that someone loves them. They need to have hope. Something as simple as hope that it's going to be okay, is critical. Imagine a life without it. Imagine if that child didn't have grandma who rescued her. What if she stayed in the foster care system and was bounced around, and had no one to connect to? We have a lot of children in the system like that.” — Kathy Szafran Photo Credit: Charleston Gazette-MailPediatrician Dr. Nadine Burke Harris — the former Surgeon General of California — gave an influential TED Talk nearly a decade ago on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. In that presentation, she described the link between the body, brain and toxic stress. “Imagine you’re walking in the forest and you see a bear. Immediately, your hypothalamus sends a signal to your pituitary, which sends a signal to your adrenal gland, that says, 'Release stress hormones! Adrenaline! Cortisol!' And so your heart starts to pound. Your pupils dilate, your airways open up. And you are ready to either fight that bear or run from the bear. And that is wonderful if you’re in a forest, and there’s a bear. But the problem is what happens when the bear comes home every night and this system is activated over and over and over again?” — Dr. Nadine Burke Harris Photo Credit: Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
(Click here to view Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’ TED Talk: “How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime.”)
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is sworn in by California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the state’s first surgeon general. Photo Credit: Nadine Burke HarrisCarey Sipp, the southeastern regional community facilitator for ACEs Connection, is author of The TurnAround Mom, about breaking cycles of addiction and abuse. “It's clear, it's there. A child whose brain is steeped in cortisol and adrenaline is going to have structural and functional changes that are going to predispose that child to having those health issues. At the same time, though, if we can buffer with more positive childhood experiences, we may be able to turn that around. That's the hope. And that's the proof. We've got proof – you can turn this around.” — Carey Sipp Photo Credit: Whitney Jones/Jean Exum PhotographyMany advocates, including Nadine Burke Harris, want to see ACE screenings become commonplace at schools, in the doctor's office and in other settings across the country. Screening for adversity may seem like a good idea — after all, we screen for developmental disabilities and smoking and drug use, which can lead to early interventions. But, education scholar Alex Winninghoff questions the value of widespread screening. She believes it’s inappropriate, maybe even damaging to screen individuals with regard to childhood adversity. “So if we're thinking about the use, for instance of an ACE score, in relation to health care as a potential data point for assigning risks by insurance companies … if we think about the ways that the ACE score could be interpreted by professionals, including educators, social workers, police… We can see that number, as a kind of reductive, summative representation of someone's previous experience, also projects a future story that can be dismal and devastating. So the use of the ACE score as a label to imagine potential risk and to give us information about what that person's likely outcomes are going to be in terms of, you know, education and social functioning and health? There are a number of ways that the interpretation of a score could be deeply problematic and consequential at the system's level.” — Alex Winninghoff Photo Credit: Alex Winninghoff
(Click here to read Winninghoff’s scholarly paper: “The road ahead: Moving beyond ACEs in transformative SEL.”)
Latest On USPS Charleston Processing And Distributing Center, This West Virginia Morning
May 22, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced last week it would postpone delivery network changes that would downsize the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center. But this news hasn’t remedied months-long tensions between local workers and USPS officials. As Jack Walker reports, union representatives are now filing grievance claims for some workers.
Also, in this show, throughout the year, Kentucky sees a transient workforce that calls the Commonwealth home. The seasonal migrant workers participate in a variety of jobs. Stu Johnson of WEKU looks at some of the picture in Fayette County.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Pipeline Safety Concerns And Radioactive Waste, This West Virginia Morning
May 21, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the Mountain Valley Pipeline failed a water pressure test in Virginia earlier this month and the Pipeline Safety Trust is urging federal regulators to take a close look at the failure.
Also, in this show, we hear about radioactive waste in the Marcellus Shale fields, one of the country's largest natural gas producing formations.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Funding Emergency Shelters And National Pro Road Championships Comes To Charleston, This West Virginia Morning
May 20, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia’s mechanism for funding emergency shelters shifted earlier this year to an application-based system. As Chris Schulz reports, that change has proved a boon for some – and a problem for others.
Also, in this show, this last week the National Pro Road Championships came to the streets of Charleston. Events included a time trial along the Kanawha River, a one-mile loop through the downtown streets and a longer course through the hills and flats around the city. The event is a qualifier for the Paris Olympics this summer. Some of the winners will go directly there to compete. A cyclist himself, our on-air host Joseph Zecevic has the story.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
The Grand March And A Year After A Denied Abortion, Inside Appalachia
May 20, 2024
For nearly a century, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival has staged a formal dance. We visit the festival and learn about a manual that’s been passed down for generations.
Also, abortion is illegal in most cases in Tennessee. A photographer spent a year following one mother who was denied an abortion.
And we talk to Marshall University professor and poet Sarah Henning about her latest book, Burn.
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Memories Of Family And Loss With Burn Poet Sarah Henning
The Tradition Of The Grand March
The Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival is the oldest festival in the state of Kentucky, and it happens Memorial Day weekend.
It’s a four-day celebration culminating in “The Grand March,” a traditional dance that has been passed down since the first festival in 1931.
Folkways Reporter Will Warren, a Pineville native, went to the festival over Memorial Day weekend last year and brought us the story.
Indian Creek Water Worries Residents
One of the three places along the creek where water started sprouting out, and with it a white stringy slime. Courtesy of David Stover
Residents of Wyoming County, West Virginia, say their drinking water is making people sick. But it’s unclear exactly why — and who’s responsible for fixing the problem.
State regulators say water from a nearby mining complex is flowing into the creek, but who owns the mine and who is responsible for cleaning up the toxic water?
WVPB’s Briana Heaney reported.
Stacy Kranitz And “A Year After A Denied Abortion”
Photographer Stacy Kranitz documented a family's difficult year, following a denied abortion. Photo Credit: Stacy Kranitz
Tennessee photographer Stacy Kranitz acknowledges the complicated history of people taking pictures of poor Appalachians, often focusing on the harsher, ugly elements that reinforce stereotypes. She actively wrestles with it in her work.
Host Mason Adams spoke with Kranitz about her work documenting the lives of a young family last year called “The Year After a Denied Abortion.”
Memories Of Family And Loss With Burn Poet Sarah Henning
Sara Henning's latest book of poetry is Burn. Courtesy Photo
In her new book Burn, Marshall University professor and poet Sara Henning draws on her complicated family history and rough upbringing to explore young love, loss and the weight of grief.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with her.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sierra Ferrell, Ed Snodderly, Ron Mullenex and Gerry Milnes, Jeff Ellis, Eric Vincent Huey and John Blissard.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our Executive Producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our Audio Mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
The Primary Election, Raw Milk And Child Nutrition, This West Virginia Week
May 18, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, West Virginians went to the polls for primaries to decide some national and local issues. We’ll talk about the results of some of Tuesday’s elections and hear from some voters.
We’ll dive into the soon-to-be legal raw milk trade. West Virginians will be able to purchase raw milk, as long as it is properly labeled. But that might come with a risk.
We’ll also learn about a demonstration at West Virginia University (WVU) calling for the university to disclose investments in and ultimately divest from Israel over the war in Gaza, as well as child nutrition.
Finally, we hear about Gov. Jim Justice's call for a much-anticipated special session of the state legislature this coming Sunday.
Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
A Visit To KY Mountain Laurel Festival And Kim Richey Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
May 17, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival in Pineville, Kentucky has staged a formal dance for nearly a century that has remained the same for generations. Folkways Reporter Will Warren takes us for a visit.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Ohio University alum and Nashville singer-songwriter Kim Richey. We listen to her performance of “A Place Called Home,” which was originally released on her 2002 album Rise.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker and Liz McCormick.
Eric Douglas is our news director and produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
A Look At The Upcoming Gubernatorial Race On This West Virginia Morning
May 16, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the stage is now set for a two man, two party political race for governor of West Virginia. Randy Yohe gives us an initial look at what we can expect from the Republican and the Democratic nominees.
Also, in this show, African Americans played a pivotal role in the development of Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. In honor of those contributions, the park recently offered special programs dedicated to telling the stories of the enslaved African Americans that helped introduce the largest cave system in the world to visitors.
KPRN’s Alana Watson went on one of those tours and learned more about the park’s history of Black guides — a tour that included a member of a celebrated legacy.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Primary Election Recap And A Discussion On Child Nutrition, This West Virginia Morning
May 15, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the results from Tuesday’s primary election came in mostly as expected. Government Reporter Randy Yohe has covered the intense campaigning leading up to the primary and he joins us live in the studio with results and reactions.
Also, in this show, we have the latest installment of our series "Now What? A Series on Parenting." Parents are often left with many questions about how to raise a child. Two of the areas that are most concerning and confusing are feeding and nutrition. Government programs can offer many kinds of support, as Chris Schulz learned when he sat down to speak with WIC Outreach Liaison Sarah Moore.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
W.Va. Primary Election Day Underway And The Risks Of Raw Milk On This West Virginia Morning
May 14, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Tuesday’s primary election may be the most important the state has seen in a while. Voters have endured a gubernatorial media campaign blitz with unprecedented mudslinging – coupled with a dominant charge to see a new but familiar face representing West Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Randy Yohe has our story.
Also, in this show, starting in early June, West Virginians will be able to purchase raw milk, as long as it is properly labeled. As Emily Rice reports, that may come with a risk.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Pipeline Problems, Student Protests And A Voter’s Guide, This West Virginia Morning
May 13, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, a pipeline safety watchdog said federal regulators “should be on notice” about a pressure test failure on the Mountain Valley Pipeline earlier this month.
Plus, students at West Virginia University’s Morgantown campus demonstrated in support of Palestine for the second time in as many weeks. Reporter Chris Schulz covered the protest from downtown Morgantown.
With the May 14 primary election fast approaching, nonprofit newsroom Mountain State Spotlight has created a statewide voter's guide. West Virginia Public Broadcasting's News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Editor-in-Chief Ken Ward about the guide and how to access it.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Encore: The Climbing Climate And Paddle Making, Inside Appalachia
May 13, 2024
This week, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags.
Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia's New River Gorge more inclusive.
And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
The mountains of Appalachia are home to some killer rock climbing, but they’re also accessible for some groups who’ve felt excluded in the past.
Adaptive Sports Reporter Emily Chen-Newton covers athletes with disabilities. She brings us this story, exploring why climbing festivals are making a home in Appalachia.
Removing Racist Language From Rock Climbing
In West Virginia, one of the most popular climbing destinations is the New River Gorge. Advanced rock climbers continue to pioneer new climbing routes there. The first people to climb these new routes are called “first ascensionists.” And they get the privilege of naming the routes. But what happens when dozens of those route names are plainly and clearly offensive?
In 2020 and 2021, Zack Harold followed the story of a climber at the New River Gorge who wanted to make the sport he loved more inclusive for his son.
Crafting A Classic Paddle
Jon Rugh with his wooden paddle at the New River near Blacksburg, VA. Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Appalachia has several huge rivers — the New River, the Youghigheny, the Pigeon — so, it’s no surprise whitewater paddling is popular across the region, but it wasn’t all that long ago that modern paddlers first started exploring these rivers, designing their own gear and even building their own paddles. Some of those DIY paddle makers became master crafters.
Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett followed one.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sturgeon Creek, Anthony Vega, Oakfield, the Delorian, Biba Dupont, Marissa Anderson, Tyler Childers, Jerry Douglas and John Blissard.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting
W.Va.’s Legislative Scorecard And A Look At Compassion Fatigue On This West Virginia Morning
May 09, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the League of Women Voters of West Virginia has released their 2024 Legislative Scorecard. It compiles the votes from all delegates and state senators on 26 bills that became law to give an idea where they stand on issues.
Judy Ball, chair of the League’s Legislative Action Workgroup, spoke with Government Reporter Randy Yohe on the scorecard results.
Also, in this show, many communities see people turning away from homeless shelters to temporary encampments. Nonprofit agencies and government programs struggle to support a vulnerable population with complicated needs.
At a recent AP award’s event, the Virginias AP Broadcasters acknowledged an Us & Them episode focused on homelessness with a second place for Best Podcast. In that episode, host Trey Kay talks with Barbara DiPietro, the director of policy for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. We listen to an excerpt.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Preserving A Historic Black Church And A Conversation With Mike Pushkin On This West Virginia Morning
May 08, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, while Republican candidates dominate the media leading up to next week's primary election, there are also Democrats up and down the ballot running for state offices. Their campaign strategy, however, takes a different path.
Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, spoke with Randy Yohe on the efforts to rebuild the party and restore Democrats to state offices.
Also, in this show, Harpers Ferry is a hot spot for Black history in West Virginia. The town was home to a major abolitionist uprising, a Black civil rights conference and the historically Black Storer College.
But preserving the city’s historic sites requires upkeep. When the town’s residents saw a historic Black Baptist church falling into disrepair, the idea for a new preservation project was born.
Now, the project has received a $100,000 rehabilitation grant. Jack Walker spoke with Lynn Pechuekonis, incoming chair of the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar Historic Town Foundation, about what’s in store for First Zion Baptist Church.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Us & Them Encore: Compassion Fatigue
May 08, 2024
Homelessness has been on the rise since 2016, and the pandemic only exacerbated an acute shortage of resources to help people living on the streets. Many communities are struggling to provide support, even as some homeless people turn away from emergency shelters and remain in outdoor encampments.
In Charleston, West Virginia, the city’s opioid response program also focuses on support for people who are homeless. Tent cities have been a focus at the state legislature as debate continues over how to help people living on the street.
At the same time, some people say they’re more afraid of people living on the street than in the past. Providing sustained care for homeless people continues to elude and divide even well-meaning and determined communities.
Earlier this year, our Us & Them episode called Compassion Fatigue received a second place award from the Virginias AP Broadcasters for Best Podcast.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council and the CRC Foundation.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
Us & Them host Trey Kay met Randy Lantz on the steps of First Presbyterian Church in Charleston on a cold night in January 2023. Lantz, who’s from Georgia, said he’s been homeless since 2016. Lantz said after serving three prison sentences, he found his way “back into the world” after his first incarcerations, but this time, he said, he’s struggling. Photo Credit: Julie BlackwoodRev. William Myers became First Presbyterian Church’s new head minister in August 2021. It wasn’t long before he became aware of the church’s transient guests who slept on the building’s front steps. Rev. Myers allowed them to camp there overnight, but he also wanted to set limits, knowing children in the church’s preschool program used that entrance every morning and afternoon. Myers established ground rules for those sheltering on the steps. But this did not resolve the concerns of some community members in and outside the congregation. In his first days in Charleston, Rev. Myers was quickly immersed in the debate over how best to help people living on the street. (Click here to view Rev. Myer’s sermon about caring for homeless people.) Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingAshley Switzer and her husband have raised five children in West Virginia’s capitol city. Her grandson attends a preschool located near First Presbyterian Church and St. John’s Episcopal Church, which houses Manna Meal, a soup kitchen that’s been serving meals to homeless people for more than four decades. “There was a group of parents from this school right here who actually called for a meeting with the mayor of our town because of instances with homeless or criminal vagrants on school property, near school property, banging on parents’ car doors, children in the back screaming,” she said, standing outside the preschool playground where her grandson plays. “There have been children playing on this actual playground where homeless people will threaten them. My grandson has witnessed someone walking down this very sidewalk with no pants.” Photo Credit: Ashley SwitzerBarbara DiPietro, senior director of policy for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, oversees the group’s federal advocacy and policy analysis. “It's not compassion in our public policies when we consistently choose not to fund housing, not to raise wages, to allow people to not get health care,” DiPietro said. “Homelessness isn't an accident. These are conscious public policy choices.” Photo Credit: National Institute for Medical Respite CareTaryn Wherry, director of the City of Charleston’s CARE program, or Coordinated Addiction Response Effort, said the city’s outreach program focuses on those with substance use disorder as well as people living on the streets. The CARE program began under Charleston’s current mayor, Amy Goodwin. (Click here to hear Mayor Goodwin on meeting the needs of Charleston’s homeless population.) “We take a very hands-on, boots on the ground approach every day,” Wherry said. “We’re in the streets, we're on the [river] banks or in abandoned properties. We're talking to people and meeting them where they're at.” Wherry said CARE staff know firsthand what it is like to be out on the streets, struggling with drug or alcohol addiction. “We have individuals who have lived and learned experience in all fields, people who are in long-term recovery who have been in active addiction,” she said. (Click here to view former Charleston Mayor Danny Jones announcing his order to dismantle a homeless encampment known as “Tent City.”) Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingA peer support worker with Covenant House, Sommer Short works for the nonprofit service organization that partners with Charleston’s CARE team. When Sommer was 21, she was injured in a car accident and prescribed opioids. Over the next five years, she transitioned to heroin use and said she eventually left home and became homeless. Short works to support people who are living without shelter, like she used to live. She said many of the homeless people she meets are living with substance use disorder and feel like “her people.” “Though I may be in a position where I'm three years sober today, I am comfortable going out there and trying to help someone the same way that someone helped me,” she said. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingShort offers food and hygiene bags that she keeps in her trunk to homeless people camping in and around Charleston. “We have a Ziploc bag, which contains the toilet paper and their socks and some ointment. Then we have some baby wipes. And inside, we also have a bottle of water, a hairbrush, a comb, a little travel pack for their toothpaste and a brush, a razor, shaving cream,” she said. Short also has food gift cards and Narcan nasal spray, which can be used to reverse a drug overdose. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingAs Short walked toward a homeless encampment, she passed under a highway overpass where someone had written “HOPE” in yellow spray paint on the concrete wall. “Hold On Pain Ends,” Short said, describing what the word means to her. “You always gotta have hope. Pain ends eventually. But you got to work for it as well.”
Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Jefferson Commission Confusion And Pipeline Problems, This West Virginia Morning
May 07, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, a West Virginia circuit court removed two members of the Jefferson County Commission from office. But as Jack Walker reports, a last-minute party change has cast confusion over which party will name her successor.
Also, the construction of a pipeline in western Pennsylvania and a rupture in the Mountain Valley Pipeline has left environmentalists asking questions.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Attorney General Responsibilities And Ramp Season Is Winding Down, This West Virginia Morning
May 06, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, as chief legal officer for West Virginia’s citizens, state office holders, agencies and boards, the attorney general’s (AG) responsibilities cover the litigation gamut. The four candidates in the upcoming primary races for AG have diverse views on how those responsibilities should be handled – and prioritized. Randy Yohe has our second story on this race.
Also, in this show, ramp season in West Virginia may be winding down, but before the last ramp has been picked, Bill Lynch went out to see what was left.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Filipino Hospitality In Asheville And Famed Thru-Hiker Shares Journey, Inside Appalachia
May 06, 2024
This week, a chef has created a hidden culinary hot spot in Asheville, North Carolina that’s attracting national attention for its eclectic menu and Filipino hospitality.
Also, every thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail begins with a first step. Famed hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis shares hers.
And the holy month of Ramadan ends with a feast. But war and famine in Gaza muted some of this year’s celebrations.
We'll have these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
Chef Silver Iocovozzi brings elevated fare and Filipino hospitality to Neng Jr.'s in Asheville. Photo Credit: Will Crooks
Asheville, North Carolina has an eclectic dining scene and one of its “hidden” gems is Neng Jr.’s. It serves elevated Filipino cuisine in a little restaurant that’s tucked away in an alley on Asheville’s artsy West Side.
Folkways Reporter Margaret McLeod Leef visited and brings us this story.
Tackling The Appalachian Trail With Jennifer Pharr Davis
Jennifer Pharr Davis shares the story of her first steps into the world of trail hiking. Photo Credit: Keith Wright
Few people know the Appalachian Trail (AT) better than Jennifer Pharr Davis — a North Carolina native who’s thru-hiked the AT three times.
In 2008, on her second thru-hike, she set the record for the fastest Appalachian Trail hike by a woman. Three years later, she thru-hiked it again — and set the record for the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail by anyone up to that point.
Last year, Mason Adams spoke to her about some of her hikes — and how they shaped her identity as an Appalachian.
Ramadan In The Mountains
Men serve themselves their iftar meal at the Islamic Center of Morgantown, March 24, 2024. One of the sponsors of the night's iftar, Mohamed Hefeida, can be seen wearing a mask. Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
This year, April 9, marked the end of the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic faith. During Ramadan, observant Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. Their fast is traditionally broken with a feast called an iftar. In Morgantown, West Virginia, the meal was overshadowed this year by the war in Gaza.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz reports.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hotdog, Sean Watkins, John Blissard, Jeff Ellis, Brew Davis and Dinosaur Burps.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our Executive Producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Superfund Sites, Education Emergencies And The Attorney General’s Role, This West Virginia Week
May 04, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for the state’s educational system. We’ll also learn more about a group of organizations asking the state Supreme Court to side with Cabell County and Huntington in their lawsuit against opioid distributors. And we’ll hear about a South Charleston landfill listed as a Superfund site.
We’ll also talk about new investments in energy communities spurred by tax credits and federal programs. We’ll dive into the attorney general’s role in the state and what each candidate brings to the upcoming election. And we’ll learn about a group that works to give prisoners access to books.
Emily Rice is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
Appalachian Filipino Cuisine And Joachim Cooder Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
May 03, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Asheville, North Carolina is home to an eclectic dining scene with hidden gems like Neng Jr.’s, which serves up elevated Filipino cuisine. Tucked away in an alley, it’s a slice of home no matter where you’re from. Folkways Reporter Margaret McLeod Leef has more.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Los Angeles-area musician Joachim Cooder. Cooder plays an electric mbira and sings accompanied by Gabe Noel on bass and Sam Gendel on saxophone. We listen to their performance of “Fuchsia Machu Picchu.”
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Emily Rice produced this episode. Teresa Wills is our host.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Books In Prisons And How The Role Of ‘Dad’ Is Shifting, This West Virginia Morning
May 02, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, being a parent is a 24-hour role, and a lifetime commitment that has historically fallen to women. As men have started to take on more domestic work, what it means to be a father has started to shift.
Also, in this show, across the country, people who are incarcerated have reduced access to libraries, books and educational resources, according to the Appalachian Prison Book Project. For the past 20 years, the West Virginia-based nonprofit has worked to change that. They say that accessing books is a fundamental human right.
Jack Walker reports on the group’s history, and what it takes to get a book into an Appalachian prison.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Attorney General Race And A Conversation With Poet, Professor Sara Henning, This West Virginia Morning
May 01, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, according to state code, the attorney general’s job is to enforce West Virginia’s laws as they relate to – listed in order – consumer protection, unfair trade practices, civil rights and other important areas. As Randy Yohe shows us, the four primary candidates running for attorney general, two Republicans and two Democrats, have diverse views on the overall mission of the office.
Also, in this show, Marshall University professor Sara Henning draws on personal history, taking some of the rough edges and smoothing them into art. Her latest book of poetry, Burn, was released earlier this month. Bill Lynch spoke with Henning about some of her background and what drew her to poetry.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Investing In Mountain State Energy Communities, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 30, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia is seeing a boom in low and no-carbon manufacturing, thanks to tax credits and other federal programs designed to spur investment in energy communities. Curtis Tate spoke recently with Brian Anderson, a senior adviser on energy communities at the U.S. Department of Energy. They spoke at the University of Charleston.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Passover Amid The War In Gaza On This West Virginia Morning
Apr 29, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, the Jewish holiday of Passover is coming to an end. It is a time for celebration and reflection. This year, it has been a bit more difficult, according to Rabbi Victor Urecki from Charleston. He spoke with News Director Eric Douglas to discuss the holiday and the struggle with the war in Gaza.
Also, in this show, student protests in support of Palestine have emerged on college campuses across the country in the past few weeks. As Chris Schulz reports, students at West Virginia University (WVU) joined their voices to the movement Sunday.
And we listen to the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region. Their latest story is about a planned advanced plastics recycling plant along the Susquehanna River.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Award Winning Stories From 2023, Inside Appalachia
Apr 29, 2024
In March, broadcast journalists from Virginia and West Virginia were recognized when the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters met to present awards for notable stories produced in 2023.
Angelo’s Old World Sausage is available in stores in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Zack Harold is the unofficial foodie for Folkways. Last summer, he took us to see how the sausage gets made with Angelo’s Old World Italian Sausage. The recipe originated in the Calabria region of Italy, but it’s made in West Virginia.
Make Way For The Mushroom Hunters
These chanterelles are about to be turned into a tasty treat. They were harvested the day before an unsuccessful mushroom hunt, and turned into a topper for vanilla ice cream. Photo Credit: Wendy Welch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Gathering foods like ramps, sassafras or blackberries from the forest has always been a part of Appalachian culture. In recent years, mushroom hunting has been having a moment.
Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch spent time with mushroom hunters in Virginia and West Virginia and brought us the story.
Winter Wassailing In Asheville
Wassailers sing outside a home in Asheville, North Carolina. Traditionally, wassailers not only sang for their neighbors, but also sang in apple orchards to ensure a good harvest for the coming year. Photo Credit: Rebecca Williams/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Not many folks are thinking about winter holiday traditions this time of year. But back before Christmas, Folkways Reporter Rebecca Williams explored the old English tradition of wassailing in Asheville, North Carolina. A group of friends there got into this old singing tradition as a way to connect to their roots. Williams reported.
Season Of The Witch
H. Byron Ballard at home. Photo Credit: Llewellyn Worldwide
In Appalachia, witchcraft goes way back. Wise women still practice herbology or trace the patterns of the moon. H. Byron Ballard is a practicing witch in Asheville, North Carolina. She’s also the author of several books, including Small Magics: Practical Secrets from an Appalachian Village Witch. Last fall, she spoke with producer Bill Lynch about her way of life – and quizzed Bill on cryptids.
We also want to congratulate WVPB reporters and Inside Appalachia contributors Emily Rice and Breana Heaney, news director Eric Douglas and Us & Them host Trey Kay. Each of them won awards from the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting brought home 12 awards Saturday, March 23, 2024 from the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters Awards Luncheon at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Pictured (left to right) is Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch, Inside Appalachia Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch, Us & Them Host and Producer Trey Kay, Southern West Virginia Reporter Briana Heaney and WVPB News Director Eric Douglas. Photo Credit: Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Christian Lopez, Dave and Tim Bing, John Inghram, Marissa Anderson, Frank George and Hank Williams Jr.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways editors Chris Julin and Nicole Musgrave.
You can send us an email at InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Rivers, Manchin’s Successor, Firing Up A Gas Pipeline And New Power Plant Rules, This West Virginia Week
Apr 27, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, Earth Day was Monday. We’ll hear from a hydrologist about the state’s rivers. We’ll learn more about why two leading candidates for governor are trading accusations in ads over transgender youth. And we’ll visit a community in southern West Virginia affected by contaminated water.
We’ll also talk about what’s next for opponents of new federal power plant rules. We’ll find out who Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has endorsed to be his successor in the Senate. And we’ll learn when a long-delayed controversial natural gas pipeline proposes to begin operating.
Curtis Tate is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
An Experimental Orchard And Larry Groce Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 26, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, an experimental apple orchard in the state is helping to fight pollution, improve food scarcity and some hope even heal veterans. Briana Heaney has the story.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from co-founder, artistic director and former host of Mountain Stage, Larry Groce. Groce is joined by the Mountain Stage House Band in this 1991 performance of “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Funding Medicaid And Navigating The Nation’s Foster Care Crisis, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 25, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, health care services for nearly 30 percent of West Virginia’s population may be difficult to access if lawmakers don’t fully fund the Medicaid program in an expected special session. Emily Rice has more.
Also, in this show, America has a foster care crisis. More than 390,000 children are in foster care nationally. On the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks into the shortage of licensed foster homes. Last year, more than half of all states saw a drop in licensed foster homes, partly because new foster parents don’t stay in the system for long.
A wide range of agencies and nonprofit organizations offer help navigating what can be a complicated system. We listen to an excerpt from the new Us & Them episode called “Our Foster Care Crisis.” Listen to the rest of this episode Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, an encore broadcast on Saturday, April 27 at 3 p.m. or you can listen on your own time here on wvpublic.org.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Voices Of Voters And Wyoming Co. Water Pollution This West Virginia Morning
Apr 24, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, drinking water in Wyoming County is making people sick. But it’s unclear who is responsible for the creek’s pollution, or when residents will have clean water.
Also, with West Virginia primary elections in about three weeks, government reporter Randy Yohe gauges voter concerns and readiness before they head to the polls.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Us & Them: Our Foster Care Crisis
Apr 24, 2024
There’s a foster care crisis in America. Nationally, more than 390,000 children are in foster care. In West Virginia, that’s just over 6,000 children who need a safe place to call home. Last year, more than half of all states saw their number of licensed homes drop, some as high as 60 percent. That challenge comes because new foster parents don’t stay in the system for long.
On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay hears about the shortage of licensed foster homes. Foster care is most often needed because of parental substance use, mental health challenges, poverty and neglect.
While official foster care cases are tracked and overseen by state agencies and nonprofit organizations, there are many informal kinds of so-called kinship care that are not official or included in state data. Some experts say the number of those kinship cases drives the stakes of the challenge much higher.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, CRC Foundation and Daywood Foundation. Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.
Dominic Snuffer was 5 when he and his four younger siblings went into the first of their foster care homes. “I was in several foster care situations… I think three or four. It always seemed short and seemed as if we were getting bounced around. The hard part was probably just the beginning, how much I just always try to keep my siblings in check. I felt as if, if they behaved in a way, just like the other situations we might get taken away. It feels like yesterday that I got adopted. It went by fast. The things that make me smile was definitely adoption day. ‘Cause I knew, I finally found a family and I could try and live out the rest of my childhood.” — Dominic Snuffer Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingLarry Cooper is executive vice president of Innovation at The Children's Home Network (CHN) of Tampa Bay, Florida. The agency works with kids in the foster care system and also provides services to prevent and support families from ever entering into the foster care system. Cooper has worked at CHN for more than 20 years, and he’s spent 8 years licensing foster homes while recruiting and training new foster parents. Cooper says some of the challenges bringing in new foster parents comes from an approval process that’s strict for a reason - but can take more than 12 months. A lot of people drop out along the way. “You might fall off because of just life experiences that you may be going through. You might have a change in jobs. You might have an illness in your family. You might have a death in the family. And so I used to see for every 100 parents that I recruited, I might get only four to six families actually get a kid into their home for every hundred that would call me and be interested in becoming a foster parent.” — Larry Cooper Photo Credit: The Children's Home NetworkMarc and Brandi Wilson live in St. Clairsville, Ohio — just across the river from Wheeling, West Virginia. Brandi was a Child Protective Services worker in West Virginia for 20 years. One day back in 2014, her work at the Department of Health and Human Resources and her personal life collided when they became foster parents to a baby related to Marc. “They both took the stand and said that they give up the rights to their child, I just started breaking down. [Brandi] was sitting beside me like this and she looked over at me. She said, ‘What's wrong?’ I said, ‘I can never imagine saying that about my own child.' She was kind of numb to it because she's worked in the field. It was hard to hear somebody say that.” — Marc Wilson “It wasn't until he was sitting next to me in the courtroom that I realized not everybody hears relinquishment. Not everybody hears abuse, neglect. Not everybody hears that - as CPS workers [this is] just everyday language. So once I was with him and realized, OK, this isn't everybody's life. They may have drug issues, domestic violence, gangs coming in and out of their home, but these words are not everyday life for a lot of people.” — Brandi Wilson Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingRachel Kinder supervises The Kinship Navigator Program with Mission West Virginia, a nonprofit that’s been around since 1997. Kinder has been working with the foster care system for more than two decades, and has seen lots of trends. In 2019, there was a record high of 7,200 children in West Virginia’s foster care system. She says, while it's one thing to count the legal cases overseen by the Department of Human Services, there are many informal kinds of kinship care that are not official or included in state data. “I can tell you the number of kids in formal care, so if there are 6,078 kids in foster care in West Virginia, right now 58 percent of those are in kinship relative placements. For kids in informal care, where grandma or an aunt or some type of relative or even what we call fictive* kin has stepped in, it's almost impossible to get numbers on that.” — Rachel Kinder *Fictive care refers to placements where a foster parent knows the child but is not related to them. This could be a teacher, family friend or a neighbor. Photo Credit: Mission West VirginiaThere’s a clear need for foster families across the nation and in West Virginia. Nikki and Louisa Snuffer knew they would consider becoming foster parents when it came time for them to start a family. There’s a lot going on at their Sissonville home. The couple currently has 12 children, ranging from ages 10 months to 20 years old. Plus, they breed French Bulldogs. “It actually was a pretty easy decision, because we were both on the same page almost always with helping people. I've known since probably my early high school years that I did want to do foster care. However, we really wanted no more than maybe three. And the way life and things happen, we got five at one time. I have two brothers who were put in foster care that I never knew and I still don't know. So we made a commitment that when we got into it, that we would never split up families.” — Louisa Snuffer “If they call us for a sibling group, we're not going to say no to them because that was our number one belief. Like, ‘We need to do whatever we can to keep siblings together.’ When we were initially approved, we were approved for four children. So, DHHR told us we could have four children in the house, given the space. And that was kind of our cap. I said, ‘Maybe we'll do three tops,’ you know, that seems like a manageable number. And the very first call we got for placement was a sibling group of five. Of course we said yes. We had to do a few things to get approved for a fifth child. They moved in with us. Things went great.” — Nikki Snuffer Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public BroadcastingNikki Snuffer is holding her granddaughter. Many of the children the Snuffers have cared for, they know through Nikki’s job at Winfield High School. She’s an instructor for the Future Leaders Program, which is the National Guard’s high school curriculum that’s taught by veterans. In the program, students learn leadership and life skills, science, career prep and other subjects. “[For] my kids that have gone to Winfield, I make them go through the [Future Leaders] program. Not because I'm teaching it, but because even if it wasn't me, I'd want them to get these skills. It's the kind of things that are forgotten these days.” — Nikki Snuffer Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Funding Needs For Domestic Violence Shelters On This West Virginia Morning
Apr 23, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, domestic violence prevention advocates lined the State Capitol rotunda in February, seeking a budget increase. They said lawmakers were receptive to the idea. But no increase was passed before this year’s regular legislative session ended. Jack Walker checked in with domestic violence prevention advocates on funding needs as a potential special session approaches.
Also, in this show, Central Appalachia is home to 16 state and federal prisons. Now, federal officials are considering adding a medium security prison in Letcher County. But as the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting’s Jared Bennett tells — the project is also drawing opposition from activists from across the country.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Emily Rice produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Campaign Ads Targeting Transgender Youth And Understanding W.Va.’s Water Resource, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 22, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, as the primary race for governor enters the home stretch, some candidate’s negative attack ads running endlessly on broadcast and social media target a minority group – transgender children. But what is the fallout from these ads for this vulnerable group, and West Virginia children and families in general? Randy Yohe has the story.
Also, in this show, West Virginia has many rivers and creeks all over the state and they are all a bit different. Some are wide and slow moving, some narrow and turbulent. Some flow north and some flow south. On this Earth Day, Briana Heaney sat down with Nicolas Zegre from West Virginia University’s (WVU) Mountain Hydrology Center to talk about one of West Virginia's most abundant resources – water.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
A Tale Of Treenware And A NASCAR Legend, Inside Appalachia
Apr 22, 2024
This week, a pair of former miners found love shoveling coal and shaped a life making wooden spoons. We learn about treenware.
Also, NASCAR Hall of Famer Leonard Wood shares stories, and a bit of advice.
And, group bike rides are a way to socialize and get outside. But here in Appalachia, newcomers are met with steep hills.
Stan and Sue Jennings turned a conversation about a passion into a business. Photo Credit: Zack Gray/Allegheny Treenware
For 30 years, Sue and Stan Jennings have run Allegheny Treenware, a West Virginia company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. And when they weren’t underground, they talked about what else they could be doing.
Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro visited the Jennings.
Hanging Out With NASCAR Legend Leonard Wood
Straight from the source at The Wood Brothers Racing Museum. Photo Credit: Mason Adams/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Stock car racing’s roots run deep in Appalachia. Some of NASCAR's early stars came straight from the lawless moonshine runners of the 1920s and 1930s, but NASCAR’s oldest continuous racing team had nothing to do with moonshine.
Mason Adams visited with Leonard Wood at The Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Virginia for stories and wisdom.
Exploring Morgantown On The Back Of A Bicycle
The ad-hoc Morgantown Social Rides aim to get cyclists onto the streets to explore the city in a new way. Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
With spring, lots of folks are heading out to the woods or the rivers, but one group in Morgantown, West Virginia is taking to the streets – on their bicycles.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz grabbed his helmet and tagged along to explore his city in a new way.
Sovereignty At The Museum Of The Cherokee People
BPR's Lilly Knoepp (left) spoke with Museum of the Cherokee People Director of Education Dakota Brown and Director of Collections Evan Mathis at the Appalachian Studies Conference on Friday March 8, 2024 at Western Carolina University. Photo Credit: BPR
BPR Senior Regional Reporter Lilly Knoepp spoke with Brown as part of a panel at the Appalachian Studies Association conference in March and sent us an excerpt.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by The Dirty River Boys, Charlie McCoy, John Blissard, Sierra Ferrell, and John Inghram.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editors Nicole Musgrave and Mallory Noe Payne.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Legislative Interims, Digital Parenting Demands And Composting, This West Virginia Week
Apr 20, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, legislators started off the week back in Charleston for the first time since the end of the regular session for interim meetings. We learned more about the state’s finances, government auditing and a new approach to maintaining the state’s roads.
Meanwhile, we heard about the state’s rising natural gas production, the new challenges of digital devices for parents, and ahead of Earth Day, we took a look at a major composting operation.
Chris Schulz is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
Appalachian Couple Shares Lifelong Dream And Sam Weber Has Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 19, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, Sue and Stan Jennings for 30 years have run Allegheny Treenware, a company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has more.
Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from Sam Weber. Known for his distinctive style that blends elements of folk, rock and Americana, Weber performed a handful of new works during his second appearance on Mountain Stage. We listen to his performance of “Hey, Hey.”
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Emily Rice and Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Navigating ‘Climate Anxiety’ And Officials Talk IDD Waiver On This West Virginia Morning
Apr 18, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, uncertainty about the future amidst a changing climate has given rise in recent years to a phenomenon known as "climate anxiety." Ahead of Earth Day Monday, Chris Schulz spoke with Amy Parsons-White, sustainability manager for Marshall University, to discuss this mental health issue and potential solutions.
Also, in this show, lawmakers had the opportunity to ask questions of state health leaders about the state’s IDD Waiver program. Emily Rice has more.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Balancing Digital, Online Access For Kids And The State’s First Commercial Composting Facility On This West Virginia Morning
Apr 17, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, digital devices and social media command more and more of our attention these days. Balancing this and creating healthy boundaries for increasingly younger children is becoming a bigger part of being a parent. Chris Schulz takes a look at this issue in the latest installment of, “Now What? A Series On Parenting.”
Also, in this show, Monday is Earth Day, an annual reminder of the growing importance of environmental conservation and sustainability. Recycling is a major component of sustainability – and composting highlights recycling at the organic level. As Randy Yohe discovered, West Virginia’s first commercial composting facility is spinning its wheels.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Chris Schulz produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Naloxone And Natural Gas, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 16, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, harm reduction advocates celebrated the first anniversary of the installation of a Narcan vending machine in Charleston on Monday.
Also, Curtis Tate speaks with Charlie Burd, president of the West Virginia Gas and Oil Association, about the state’s role in supplying the global market of natural gas after a record year of production.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Chair Caning And Keeping Utilities In Good Shape, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 15, 2024
On this West Virginia Morning, you don’t see caned chairs as much as you used to. Cane breaks down with age and there aren’t many people who know how to repair these old chairs. But in Wheeling, there’s a workshop called Seeing Hand, where skilled workers repair old chairs and so much more. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett brings us this story.
Also, in this show, when your power goes out, water bill comes in or your nearby fire hydrant looks ancient, there’s a state organization keeping tabs on all of that and more. Randy Yohe talks with Charlotte Lane, chair of the West Virginia Public Service Commission, on how this regulating entity balances public protection with keeping utilities viable.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.
Eric Douglas produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
The Herbal Magic Of Violets And A Book Ban In Virginia, Inside Appalachia
Apr 15, 2024
Spring wildflowers are in bloom, and some of the most common species play an important role in herbal medicine. This week, we learn about some of the ways people use violets.
What’s your favorite style of egg roll? An acclaimed, out-of-the-way restaurant in Pounding Mill, Virginia bends culinary genres and uses an unexpected ingredient.
And, more and more school boards are pulling books from library shelves. We’ll speak with a reporter in a Virginia county where 57 titles were yanked.
Violets will grow almost anywhere. They are one of the first flowers to grow in Appalachia come spring. Photo Credit: Brandon Tester
Every April, violets bloom across Appalachia, adding purple, white and yellow to the deepening green of the hills. But violets do a lot more than add natural flair. These flowers have long been a key ingredient in herbal remedies.
People use them to fight cancer and the common cold. And they make a pretty tasty snack.
Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story.
Taking A Bite Out Of Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque
Yvonne Thompson owns Cuz's Uptown Barbecue in Pounding Mill, Virginia. A place that mixes cultures, flavors and fun. Photo Credit:Connie Bailey Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
In the South, people love to argue over which barbecue sauce is most authentic — vinegar, tomato or mustard. But Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in Tazewell County, Virginia, is distinguished by something entirely different. For starters, its food is inspired by Asian cuisine and local mountain specialities.
You can find dishes on its menu like Morel mushrooms, cheesy egg rolls, and country ham caprese.
Back in 2022, Folkways Reporter Connie Bailey Kitts and her family stopped in at Cuz’s for supper.
A Book Ban In Rockingham, Virginia
Members of the Rockingham County School Board, which recently voted to remove 57 books from school libraries. Photo Credit: Ashlyn Campbell
Book bans are nothing new. But we’re seeing a new spike in book removals across Appalachia, including in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
Sometimes, debates that lead to book bans happen in state legislatures. But they’re just as likely to play out on the local level, in public schools.
In January, the school board in Rockingham County, Virginia voted to remove 57 books from school libraries, prompting an outcry.
Ashlyn Campbell has been covering the story for the Daily News-Record. Mason Adams spoke with Cambell to learn more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sean Watkins, John Inghram, John Blissard, Amythyst Kiah, Dinosaur Burps, Doc Watson and Frank Hutchinson.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways editors Nicole Musgrave and Mallory Noe-Payne.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
Sawmills, Storm Fund Squabbles And The Solar Eclipse, This West Virginia Week
Apr 13, 2024
On this West Virginia Week, West Virginia residents were united by Monday’s solar eclipse, spreading out across college campuses and community parks to observe the astronomical event.
We’ll dive into these topics, plus changes to a pair of West Virginia sawmills, how Muslim residents celebrated the end of Ramadan, and the much-anticipated return of the American chestnut to Appalachia.
Jack Walker is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.