Decades-Old Musical Tradition Pays Tribute To Welsh Immigrants, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 18, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, in southern Ohio, there’s a musical tradition that goes back nearly 1,000 years and 4,000 miles. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has this story.
Also, for decades, two West Virginia counties have had extremely limited access to wireless communications that first responders need in emergencies. But a solution could be on the horizon.
And, the state treasurer has helped establish a new scholarship at his alma mater.
West Virginia Morningis a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young is our producer.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
MU Radio News Program Rakes In Prestigious Awards, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 17, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, in August, the student-led team that produces the news for WMUL at Marshall University learned they had won an Edward R. Murrow award for Outstanding Newscast for the second year in a row. One of the big reasons students and staff alike list for the overall success of the program is Chuck Bailey, who is entering his 42nd year on faculty. Over that time, WMUL has won more than 2,700 awards in total.
News Director Eric Douglas, a Marshall journalism alumnus, but not in the radio program, sat down in a classroom studio with Bailey, the student news director Emma Johnson, and the Director of the Marshall School of Journalism and Mass Communications Rob Quicke, to learn more.
Also, state police will soon have more resources to expand DNA testing capacity.
And, Pennsylvania’s Department of Health says a fourth person has died from measles-related complications.
Finally, volunteers were hard at work in the central part of the state Wednesday for the United Way of Central West Virginia's annual Day of Caring.
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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Maria Young produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Exploring Appalachian Lore, History Through Plants, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 16, 2026
Show notes
Also, a new digital system is designed to make background checks for child and adult protective services faster and more efficient.
And, the Trump administration threw another lifeline to coal generation Monday. The federal government will drop limits on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
Finally, state leaders reacted positively to that announcement by the EPA Monday allowing power plants to stop the capture of their carbon dioxide emissions.
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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Maria Young produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Data Center Proposals In Neighboring Pennsylvania, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 15, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, data center proposals are popping up in West Virginia – and in neighboring Pennsylvania, where one small community is juggling seven different potential projects. From The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh, we hear from that community and their concerns.
Also, West Virginia has tried several approaches to addressing a persistent teacher shortage in schools, and one scholarship is showing results.
And, proposed legislation to ensure the safety of children who withdraw from public school was the subject of a hearing before the Joint Legislative Committee on Children and Families.
Finally, the state has seen five major flooding events since February 2025, but FEMA has given very little direct support to return people to their normal lives.
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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Maria Young produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Efforts To Retain Name On Aircraft Carrier For W.Va. Cook, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 14, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, many West Virginians may not remember the name Doris “Dorie” Miller, but he served on the USS West Virginia when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor. Miller was a cook and had never been trained to fight on the warship. But on the morning of Dec. 7, he raced to the deck, manned a machine gun and engaged the enemy, shooting down at least one enemy airplane. He was later awarded the Navy Cross, the first Black man to receive the honor.
The U.S. Navy commissioned a new aircraft carrier, CVN-81, and chose to name it after Miller, but stories have surfaced recently of discussions about renaming it after President Donald Trump. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Scott Womack, the commander of American Legion Post 100 in Monroe, West Virginia, to discuss the group’s recent resolution that the Navy should retain Millier’s name on the ship.
Also, with parts of the state still recovering from severe storms and flooding last month, Gov. Patrick Morrisey has requested a Major Disaster Declaration from President Donald Trump.
And, National Save A Life Day is just 10 days away – but already, there are 900 events and counting scheduled 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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Maria Young produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
West Virginia Hopes For Nuclear Investment And 9/11 Remembered
Sep 12, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Week, the state signs a memorandum of understanding about nuclear energy, the Public Service Commission (PSC) disputes need for a transmission line, and 9/11 is remembered.
Bill Lynch 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, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas and Maria Young.
Encore: Willie Carver Jr. And Marina Waters, Inside Appalachia
Sep 11, 2026
Show notes
In author Willie Carver, Jr.’s new book, he reconsiders a negative childhood experience with a neighborhood girl who might have just been looking for a friend.
Also, a southwestern Virginia community rang the alarm after more and more of its children were diagnosed with cancer. A local journalist is trying to unravel the cause.
And, the city of Asheville has a new crusading reporter. He’s a puppet.
You'll hear this story and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
The cover of Tore All to Pieces by Willie Carver Jr. Courtesy of University Press of Kentucky
Kentucky writer and educator Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr. has a new book. It’s a mosaic novel that draws from his upbringing, and his experiences as a gay man in Appalachia. The title is Tore All To Pieces, and it weaves together poetry and short stories into a narrative about people and place.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Carver about the book, and about the joys of bologna gravy.
Healthcare Hollow In Tennessee
The Perry County Community Hospital shuttered in 2020, and sat vacant for years. It reopened under new owners in September 2025. Photo Credit: LaTonya Turner/WPLN News
Hospitals in rural America are closing at an alarming pace, and Tennessee has the highest closure rate.
WPLN in Nashville is looking at the trend, and what's being done to reverse course.
Reporter Catherine Sweeney went to Linden, a Tennessee town that watched its hospital go dark but is now on the path to recovery.
Childhood Cancer Rates Rise In Scott County, Virginia
Andryk Williams is joined by a therapy dog. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Williams
A cancer diagnosis can be devastating. And tragic when it happens to a child.
But when multiple childhood cancer cases appear in a community, folks start asking questions. That’s what’s happening in Scott County, Virginia. Scott County has seen a dramatic rise in childhood cancer diagnoses.
Marina Waters is a reporter who’s been covering the issue. Host Mason Adams spoke with her.
Preserving Little Green Apples
Early transparent green apples from the market ready to be cut up for freezing. Photo Credit: Connie Bailey Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Fruit trees in much of central Appalachia are just coming off their spring bloom. Their fruit won’t be ripe until late summer, early fall, but some varieties of apples show up early. Some folks call them June Apples, June transparent apples or even early transparents. The growing season and flavor of this fruit set it apart. And generations of Appalachians have kept these apple trees alive.
In one of our early Folkways stories, from 2020, reporter Connie Kitts discovered that these early apples were in danger of disappearing.
Air Pollution Can Cause Lung Cancer
For decades, we’ve known smoking can lead to lung cancer. Public health messages usually focus on personal behavior and that the only way to prevent lung cancer is for people to stop smoking. But new research finds a connection between lung cancer and air pollution, particularly in urban areas.
The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant spoke with researchers about reducing cancer rates through environmental policy.
Asheville's New Puppet Correspondent
Little Ginger at the BPR studio on March 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Laura Hackett/BPR
There’s a new “voice for the people” in Asheville. He’s a blue puppet with bright red hair. His name is Little Ginger and you can find him on Instagram. He’s a crusading reporter, taking on potholes and local property taxes.
Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Laura Hackett has more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, Paul Loomis, John Blissard and Hello June.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff 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.
Remembering 9/11, 25 Years Later, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 11, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, 25 years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., a hijacked plane hit one of the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York City, ending for this nation a certain innocence, and the belief that such an attack would never happen on American soil. Maria Young caught up an economics professor from WVU who was on site when the planes hit – and gave an exclusive interview to then-West Virginia Public Broadcasting News Director Beth Vorhees.
Also, West Virginia’s flagship universities will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Friday.
And, a public-private partnership has led to a planned expansion of broadband across rural West Virginia.
Finally, more than 700 people have moved to West Virginia in recent years through the Ascend WV program. Now, the program wants to encourage healthcare professionals to move to rural communities.
West Virginia Morningis a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas and Maria Young.
Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young is our producer.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Us & Them: Stay Or Go — Part 1: The Stayers
Sep 10, 2026
Show notes
While Americans disagree about many things when it comes to politics, elections and domestic and global affairs, most agree that a robust economy is essential for a strong nation. In recent months, nearly all U.S. states have shown economic growth, except West Virginia, and the state is not just losing jobs, it’s losing young people.
In this first of two Us & Them episodes, host Trey Kay talks with a number of young adults from the Mountain State about whether they will stay put or move to find their future elsewhere. This episode focuses on those who think they want to stay in West Virginia and are leaning toward building their lives here, even as they wrestle with whether they’ll findthe opportunities they need.
In a state where the death rate exceeds the birth rate and the workforce participation rate is the nation’s lowest, there are efforts to retain population. But some say the state needs to do something else to become more competitive.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation’s Narrative Change Grant.
Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.
Braxton Halstead, 18, and his grandmother, Joey Halstead, stand outside her home in St. Albans, West Virginia, overlooking the Coal River. Joey encouraged Braxton to enroll in Toyota’s 4T workforce development program, where he gained hands-on experience in advanced manufacturing as he considers whether his future will be in West Virginia or elsewhere. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“I’m conflicted…There’s plenty of reasons for me to stay but there’s plenty of reasons for me to go. ... Young people are leaving because we want better opportunities. We want a state that actually will take care of the surrounding towns to make it look better. ... Really, that’s my main thing. Opportunities and jobs. That’s what West Virginia really needs to keep people and make people want to stay.”
— Braxton Halstead
“He had a hard time as a freshman in high school. His grades weren’t very good and he thought he had the grade point average to play baseball and he made the baseball team. But of course, the coach checks GPAs and he was just a little bit short. He didn’t have the grades to play and that crushed him. ... And he’s just excelled so and shown such an interest in it. And it’s really brought him around too, because it’s built confidence for him.”
— Joey Halstead
Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia’s Buffalo plant in Putnam County is home to the company’s 4T workforce development program, which gives high school students hands-on experience in advanced manufacturing. The facility is located in Buffalo, West Virginia. Photo courtesy of the Charleston Area AllianceThe Toyota 4T Academy is a workforce development program that gives high school students hands-on training and exposure to careers in advanced manufacturing. Braxton Halstead participated in the program while considering his options after high school. Courtesy
David Rosier, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, addresses graduates of the Toyota 4T Academy in May 2026 at the company’s manufacturing plant in Buffalo, West Virginia. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“I love telling stories. During the signing event, especially when we first added Putnam County, I met with some students that are in high school that are literally two miles from the plant. And I asked them, ‘Hey, you know, growing up, did you ever think about coming to work at Toyota before this program came along?’ And every single one of them said, ‘Nope, never thought of it.’ But here’s this big plant that’s literally two miles from their high school, but the difference was they didn’t understand what was happening inside the plant. So part of this recruiting process is they get a chance before they even commit to the program to be able to come into the plant and see what we do.”
— David Rosier
Braxton Halstead receives his diploma and shakes hands with David Rosier, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, during the 4T Academy graduation ceremony in May 2026 at Toyota’s plant in Buffalo, West Virginia. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“Before I told you I had no clue what I wanted to do after high school. And this gives me the chance to even, like, I could obviously stay here and continue to do what I’m doing right now. Or I could go out of state and apply to other Toyota plants there and just have a similar opportunity in a better place.”
— Braxton Halstead
Lilly Barickman, 25, is interviewed at West Virginia Public Broadcasting in Charleston, West Virginia. A Wheeling native and Marshall University graduate, Barickman is senior manager of communications and engagement for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce and says she wants to build her career in West Virginia, even as she has watched friends leave after struggling to find work. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“When I was graduating college, trying to find a job [was a challenge]. I always saw like all these people and I was like, why? ... There’s so many people that have these really cool jobs in West Virginia and they do these great things and they’re doing really well for themselves, for their families. But all these other people were leaving because they say there’s nothing. And I’m like, oh, well there has to be. ... And then I tried looking. And it was like nothing.”
— Lilly Barickman
Steve Roberts is president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. In Us & Them’s “Stay or Go” reporting, Roberts contrasts West Virginia’s economic decline with states such as North Carolina that diversified beyond legacy industries and invested in infrastructure, education and new forms of economic growth. Photo courtesy of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce
“North Carolina found itself in a very similar place, probably I’m going to just say roughly in the 1960s. North Carolina still had tobacco wealth and North Carolina had banking wealth. And North Carolina had textile wealth. ... But they looked around and they said it’s not gonna last. ... We’ve got to make investments. And so what did they do? They made investments in air service. They made investment in roads and highways. Importantly, and very importantly, they invested in their schools and in higher education.”
The Academy of Careers and Technology, known as ACT, in Beckley, West Virginia, provides career and technical education for high school students and adults preparing for skilled trades and other in-demand careers. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Kevin Bolen, adult education coordinator at the Academy of Careers and Technology in Beckley, West Virginia, is a former union electrician who later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He says career and technical education can give young West Virginians a path to well-paying work while allowing them to stay connected to home. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“That industry [project electrician] is a traveling industry. So you go where the work is, but you always come back home. You're just a traveling worker is what you do. So West Virginia has always been my home. It’s never really changed from that. ... I think most people want to stay in West Virginia if they’re from here and can. ... But I think the majority of people stay close if they can.”
— Kevin Bolen
Isaac Rinehart, 25, leads a Sunday service at Lester Baptist Church in Lester, West Virginia, where his father serves as lead pastor. Rinehart owns and operates an HVAC business in the Beckley area and is a graduate of Appalachian Bible College. He says he hopes to build his life in West Virginia and believes young families are essential to the state’s future. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“We had friends when I was growing up in high school that would always say things like can’t wait to get out of here. They were looking for elsewhere, something probably new, something maybe exciting and following that ‘grass is greener’ trap. ... If you have a mind to do it, you can make something out of anything. You have to have a mind to see it, but then character to stick through. ... There’s challenges everywhere.”
— Isaac Rinehart
John Rinehart, lead pastor of Lester Baptist Church and a faculty member at Appalachian Bible College, is photographed at his home on the college’s campus near Beckley, West Virginia. After spending part of his adult life outside the state, Rinehart returned to southern West Virginia, where he has watched the region adjust to major economic changes tied to coal, mechanization and the loss of jobs. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“The leaders in West Virginia put all their eggs in the coal basket and it turned rotten and they didn't make allowances for what else to be a part of. ... Mechanization really hurt the area too. ... It created higher paying jobs, but it required less people. So again, that was just something else they needed to change gears for, to provide employment for the people that mechanization would force them to have to change.”
— John Rinehart
Brad D. Smith, president of Marshall University and former CEO of Intuit, stands beside a mounted sword he calls Excalibur in the “Roundtable Room” of his office suite at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Drawing on Arthurian legend, Smith uses the symbolism to illustrate his belief that young West Virginians should not simply search elsewhere for opportunity but help create it at home. Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“‘That which you seek cannot be found. It must be made.’ That’s why Excalibur hangs on this wall. Take it from a guy who spent the first 22 years of his life in Kenova, West Virginia, dreaming of a way out, and every day after that dreaming of a way home. I've lived in the greatest places that people ever thought they wanted to live. I've lived in New York, I've lived in Dallas, Texas, I've lived in Atlanta, Georgia, I lived in San Francisco, I lived in San Diego, and you know what? I wanted to come home. Every day, I wanted to come home. ... So why leave? Why not create the greatest thing right here? ... I lost 36 years wandering in the wilderness. Come home.”
‘Us & Them’ Explores The Challenge To Stay Or Go, This West Virginia Morning
Sep 10, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, economic growth in West Virginia ranks close to the bottom in national rankings. It’s not just losing jobs, it’s also losing young people. In the first of two new Us & Them episodes, host Trey Kay talks with several young adults from the Mountain State asking whether they will stay put or find their future elsewhere.
Twenty-five-year-old Lilly Barickman is senior manager of communications and engagement for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. She told Kay it’s a challenge to find opportunities.
Also, community members from across West Virginia have come together to try and affect how data centers are being developed in the state.
And, West Virginia has been selected to host one of four locations for a special program from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Finally, more students across the state now have access to essential medical treatment and behavioral healthcare in their schools.
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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
Maria Young produced this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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