How Appalachia’s Young People See The Next 250 Years, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 08, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, many people are looking towards the country's future now that the nation's 250th anniversary is behind us. It will ultimately be shaped by young adults that don't always have a place at the table. 100 Days in Appalachia director of video Nick Curran and editor-in-chief Jesse Wright recently sat down with reporter Chris Schulz to discuss a project to capture voices and perspectives about what comes next.
Also, a lawsuit brought by the state of West Virginia against Apple alleging the company’s business practices safeguard child sexual abuse materials will remain in state courts.
And a festival in Shepherdstown is continuing a tradition of developing new American theater.
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.
Eric Douglas 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
Larry Groce On His New Ohio History Musical, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 07, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning a new musical, written right here in our region, takes a look at a small Ohio town, just across the river from West Virginia, that played a significant role in the development of the nation.
The town of Marietta, Ohio played a pivotal role in the future of the United States and Ohio statehood – keeping the state slave free 60 years before the Civil War. But the vote passed by one vote. Singer songwriters Larry Groce and Todd Burge have written a musical that dives into that history. News Director Eric Douglas sat down with Groce to find out more.
Also new fish stocking opportunities may give anglers a reason to get out to their favorite spot, and the warehouse that burned in Parkersburg Sunday had a history of hazardous waste fires.
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.
Eric Douglas 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
Understanding The Significance Of Signal Species, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 06, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom recently wrapped up a month-long series about signal species. These are animals, plants and other organisms that offer us clues about the changing world around us – if you pay close enough attention.
LPM’s Bill Burton sat down with deputy managing editor John Boyle to discuss how the series came together with our partners in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Also, a fire in a Wood County industrial storage facility prompted Gov. Patrick Morrisey Sunday to declare a State of Emergency.
And, the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture was created by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It targeted agricultural projects that addressed land access issues facing underrepresented groups — including veterans, Black farmers and Indigenous farmers.
Finally, three people were killed in last month’s flash flooding in Kentucky. West Virginia just passed the 10-year anniversary of some of the deadliest flooding in the state’s history. As Curtis Tate reports, flash flooding is the top killer among U.S. weather disasters.
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.
Eric Douglas 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
Studying Endangered Bats, A Pioneering Appalachian Filmmaker And The Supreme Court Rules On Local Sports, This West Virginia Week
Jul 04, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Week, bats play a critical role in our ecosystems and agriculture. We’ll hear how their numbers are declining in the face of a changing climate and disease.
Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams also brings us the story of pioneering artist Oscar Micheaux, an African-American filmmaker who lived in Virginia in the 1920s.
In this episode, we also hear about a ruling from the Supreme Court of the United States based on a West Virginia case. We learn about the state’s maternal and fiscal health. And with dangerous heat for the holiday weekend, we hear about how to avoid the dangers of dehydration.
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, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas and Maria Young.
Encore: Oscar Micheaux, Kathleen Driskell And Soul Food, Inside Appalachia
Jul 03, 2026
Show notes
In the 1920s, Oscar Micheaux was an entrepreneur filmmaker in western Virginia. He became a world-renowned director and producer.
Also, Kentucky’s poet laureate lives down the road from what has been called the country’s most lethal cryptid. Attempts to spot it have led to deaths.
And, we talk soul food with Xavier Oglesby, who's passing on generations of kitchen wisdom to his niece.
You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
How Oscar Micheaux Changed Filmmaking From Appalachia
Oscar Micheaux. Courtesy of the New York Public Library
One of America’s pioneering filmmakers had nothing to do with Hollywood but nevertheless left his mark on the emerging industry. Oscar Micheaux was a homesteader, who then turned his attention to making movies in the early 1900s. He was a Black man who made movies for Black audiences at a time when they weren't allowed into mainstream, white-only theaters. And for several pivotal years in the 1920s, he operated out of Roanoke, Virginia.
Host Mason Adams brings us this story.
Playwright August Wilson's Life And Legacy
In a 1968 photo, playwright August Wilson poses amidst the burnt remains of the Hill District's Mainway Market, torched in the riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Courtesy of the Frank F. Hightower Photograph Collection/University of Pittsburgh Press
Acclaimed playwright August Wilson was deeply influenced by his hometown of Pittsburgh. Wilson was the author of 10 plays collectively known as The Pittsburgh Cycle. They include the Pulitzer Prize winning plays Fences and The Piano Lesson. Now there’s a new book about him, titled August Wilson’s American Century, by University of Pittsburgh professor Lawrence Glasco, and it explores that deep influence with his hometown.
WESA’s Bill Driscoll spoke with Glasco.
Angelo’s Old World Italian Sausage
Sonny (left) and his father Angelo pose in front of the meat case at Angelo’s Market in Powellton Hollow. From father to son to father to son, Angelo's Old World Italian Sausage has been around in the hills of West Virginia for a while. Courtesy of the Argento Family
In 2023, Folkways Reporter Zack Harold took us to Angelo’s Old World Italian Sausage. Angelo’s makes a craft sausage distributed throughout West Virginia, as well in southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. The recipe comes from the Calabria region of Italy, and it’s made in West Virginia.
Kentucky Poet Laureate Talks Deadly Cryptids
Kentucky’s governor appoints a new poet laureate every two years. Last year, Gov. Andy Beshear named award-winning poet, essayist and teacher Kathleen Driskell to the post. Driskell’s poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Rattle and Appalachian Review, among others. She’s authored six poetry collections. Her most recent is Goat-Footed Gods.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Driskell about living next to the dead, and America’s most lethal cryptid.
Baby Barn Owl That Left His Nest Too Soon
The juvenile barn owl was safely kept and transported in a dog crate. Courtesy of the Wildlife Center of Virginia
The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro treats hundreds of injured animals every year, from possums, to eagles, to bear cubs. And even a fledgling barn owl that fell from its nest in a grain silo in Augusta County.
WMRA's Meredith McCool has more.
Sharing Soul Food
Xavier Oglesby cuts onions for a macaroni salad he is cooking inside Manna House Ministries’ kitchen. A pot of boiling water is behind him, cooking the pasta for the dish. Photo Credit: Vanessa Peña/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Soul food like cornbread, extra-cheesy mac-n-cheese and collard greens plays an important role in Black communities across Appalachia. In 2023, Folkways Fellow Vanessa Peña spoke with Xavier Oglesby, a master artist in soul food cooking from Beckley, West Virginia.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by John Blissard, Bennie Moten Kater, Tim Bing, Paul Loomis, John Inghram and Blue Dot Sessions.
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. We had help this week from Folkways Editors Nicole Musgrave and Chris Julin.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
A Look At Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux’s Impact, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 02, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, Inside Appalachia this week discusses the influence and contributions of Oscar Micheaux, an African American filmmaker who lived in Virginia in the 1920s. Mason Adams speaks with Roanoke historian Jordan Bell about Micheaux's life and career.
Also, a private school has been put on probation and another has been permanently disqualified from participating in the Hope Scholarship program.
And, a new West Virginia business partnership is investing millions of dollars in the byproducts of coal mining.
Finally, the state of West Virginia has finished the fiscal year ahead of projections for revenue.
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
The Robotic Future Of Caring For The Elderly, This West Virginia Morning
Jul 01, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia has one of the highest percentages of elderly residents in the nation. As baby boomers grow elderly amidst a workforce crisis of caretakers, WESA's Kiley Koscinski reports that both the U.S. and Japan are considering robots as a potential solution as part of this “Designing Dignity” series.
Also the Supreme Court of the United States rules that West Virginia's law barring transgender women from girls' sports can stand, and hospital consolidations play a considerable role in the closures of labor and delivery services.
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
New Program Aims To Keep Seniors At Home, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 30, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, as baby boomers in West Virginia and nationwide continue to age, more Gen X and Millennial adults are finding themselves as caregivers for their parents. Pittsburgh’s major health systems are designing a new program alongside federal agencies aimed at keeping seniors at home for as long as possible.
It’s a strategy Japan has been exploring for more than two decades.
In this “Designing Dignity” series, WESA’s Kiley Koscinski takes a look at how the country’s care managers bridge medical and social support.
Also, southern West Virginia saw significant flooding last week and Kentucky saw even more over the weekend. But a system to detect rising water isn’t any closer to completion.
And, the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum is creating the largest labor history driving trail in the United States, and community members have a chance to shape how it will look.
Finally, West Virginia’s America250 celebration kicks off in just a few short days. We bring you a snapshot on what to expect.
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
Appalachia’s Declining Bat Population, This West Virginia Morning
Jun 29, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Morning, bats are the subject of myths and legends, often in a negative light. But that goes against the reality of their role in ecosystems, including critical agricultural services for humans. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Eric Douglas reports bat populations have dropped significantly in the face of a changing climate and disease.
Also, Air National Guard Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe over the weekend was awarded the inaugural Freedom 250: Hometown Hero Award. Last November, Wolfe, and his partner U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, were on duty in Washington, D.C., when they were ambushed and shot. Specialist Beckstrom died from her injuries. Wolfe continues to recover.
And, the Supreme Court of the United States is expected to rule on a West Virginia case this week.
Finally, in a Saturday ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of devastating floods, the town of Clendenin received a $450,000 Transportation Alternatives Program grant.
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
A Very Big (Ferris) Wheel And Soda On SNAP, This West Virginia Week
Jun 27, 2026
Show notes
On this West Virginia Week, the world’s largest transportable Ferris wheel arrives in Charleston, the SNAP ban on soda is blocked, and we look at an effort to expand local medical care through EMS.
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.
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