podcast Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Fatal Floods, Criminal Charges Against A Delegate And The 2026 National Scouting Jamboree, This West Virginia Week Jul 26, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, torrential rains flood the north-central part of the state – damaging homes, businesses and bridges – and claiming the lives of two people.

A West Virginia delegate who is also a school teacher is facing criminal charges involving a student – and calls for his resignation. And – health officials are working hard to keep the number of cyclosporiasis cases in the state from growing.

West Virginia also welcome more than 10,000 scouts for ten days filled with the kinds of adventures Almost Heaven is known for.

Maria Young 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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

An illustrated three-panel comic. In the first panel, there is a group of people. In the middle, there is an unidentifiable individual. The last panel is an illustration of a flood. — **Appalachia Comics Project And Open Door Cafe, Inside Appalachia** Jul 24, 2026
After a disaster, can comics help set the record straight?

Also, sifting through Hurricane Helene’s debris, one group tries to reunite keepsakes with their owners, including love letters.

And, a cafe in Virginia feeds the hungry and tries to destigmatize homelessness. For its outreach manager, whose brother lived on the streets for years, it’s personal.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Comic Anthology About Hurricane Helene Out Now**

**Recovering Keepsakes After Hurricane Helene**

**Open Door Café Supports, Destigmatizes Unhoused Community**

*100 Days In Appalachia Looks* To Youth For Future Of America

**The Dental Health Gap In W.Va.**

**Bats Save Farmers Billions Of Dollars, But They’re In Danger**

**Designing Dignity Through Care Managers**

Comic Anthology About Hurricane Helene Out Now

The cover of *Islands in the Sky*, the first book from the Appalachia Comics Project.
*Courtesy of the Appalachia Comics Project*

Last year, we reported on the Appalachia Comics Project, which was raising money to produce a graphic novel featuring stories told by Hurricane Helene survivors and illustrated and produced by comics professionals.

Now, nearly two years after the storm, the bookis out. It’s called *Islands in the Sky: A People’s History of Hurricane Helene*. We revisit host Mason Adams' interview with Andrew Aydin, who conceived the project. He’d previously served as an aide to Congressman John Lewis and co-authored the comic trilogy *March* about Lewis’ role in the civil rights movement. That work informed his view on the power of comics as he got to work after Helene.

Recovering Keepsakes After Hurricane Helene

A photo album covered in muck that has yet to be reunited with its owner.
*Photo Credit: Laura Hackett/BPR* *News*

Hurricane Helene left behind millions of cubic yards of debris in western North Carolina. Most of that is trash, but every so often, clean-up crews find something personal: a stuffed animal, a coffee mug or a love letter.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Laura Hackett reports on one group’s efforts to return some of those treasured keepsakes to the people who lost them.

Open Door Café Supports, Destigmatizes Unhoused Community

Jeff Hatfield describes the compost as he shovels it, “See how this right here, that’s real dry. And then all this up through here, all that’s wet.” 
*Photo Credit: Wendy Welch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Appalachians sure love their gardens. And it’s not just homeowners who grow them. At Open Door Café in Wytheville, Virginia, gardening is a way to feed the hungry while breaking down the stigma of homelessness.

Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story about digging into the roots and connecting to more than just the land.

*100 Days In Appalachia* Looks To Youth For Future Of America

This month marked the United States’ 250th anniversary. Around the nation, there was a lot of remembrance of our history. But also consideration about its future. That will ultimately be shaped by younger generations.

WVPB’s Chris Schulz spoke with *100 Days in Appalachia* Director of Video Nick Curran and Editor-in-Chief Jesse Wright about a project to amplify their voices.

The Dental Health Gap In W.Va.

Dr. Malav Shah provides dental care to a Boone County resident during a clinic visit. Shah is among the healthcare providers working to improve access to dental care in southern West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Many Appalachians can’t access affordable dental care. The problem is especially acute in West Virginia. State data shows by third grade, more than half of kids show signs of tooth decay. And more than 10% of older adults have had alltheir teeth extracted.

In the latest episode of *Us & Them,* host Trey Kay visits a mobile dental clinic with public health hygienist Bobbi Muto.

Bats Save Farmers Billions Of Dollars, But They're In Danger

Virginia big-eared bats have been listed as endangered since 1979.
*Photo Credit: Alex Silvis/West Virginia Division of Natural Resources*

A lot of people are afraid of bats, but they’re an important part of the ecosystem and beneficial to our agriculture. But due to climate change and disease, bat populations are declining.

WVPB’s Eric Douglas reports for the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.

Designing Dignity Through Care Managers

Tsuruko Sano, 99, poses with her care manager, Hiroko Kominami at the Jasmine Group Home in the Nishiarai neighborhood of Tokyo.
*Photo Credit: Kiley Koscinski/90.5 WESA*

As baby boomers continue to age, more Gen X and Millennial adults are finding themselves becoming caregivers for their parents. In Pittsburgh, the city’s major health systems are partnering with federal agencies to design a new program aimed at keeping seniors at home for as long as possible.

It’s a strategy Japan has had in place for more than two decades.

In this installment of the "Designing Dignity" series, WESA’s Kiley Koscinski looks at how Japan’s care managers bridge medical and social support.

--

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Mary Hott, Hello June, Paul Loomis and Ron Mullennex.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Irina Zhorov is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Ibby Caputo.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Two hands holding a damaged photo album. The person holding the photo album is standing above a table with other items on top of it. — **Appalachia Comics Project And Open Door Cafe, Inside Appalachia** Jul 24, 2026
After a disaster, can comics help set the record straight?

Also, sifting through Hurricane Helene’s debris, one group tries to reunite keepsakes with their owners, including love letters.

And, a cafe in Virginia feeds the hungry and tries to destigmatize homelessness. For its outreach manager, whose brother lived on the streets for years, it’s personal.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Comic Anthology About Hurricane Helene Out Now**

**Recovering Keepsakes After Hurricane Helene**

**Open Door Café Supports, Destigmatizes Unhoused Community**

*100 Days In Appalachia Looks* To Youth For Future Of America

**The Dental Health Gap In W.Va.**

**Bats Save Farmers Billions Of Dollars, But They’re In Danger**

**Designing Dignity Through Care Managers**

Comic Anthology About Hurricane Helene Out Now

The cover of *Islands in the Sky*, the first book from the Appalachia Comics Project.
*Courtesy of the Appalachia Comics Project*

Last year, we reported on the Appalachia Comics Project, which was raising money to produce a graphic novel featuring stories told by Hurricane Helene survivors and illustrated and produced by comics professionals.

Now, nearly two years after the storm, the bookis out. It’s called *Islands in the Sky: A People’s History of Hurricane Helene*. We revisit host Mason Adams' interview with Andrew Aydin, who conceived the project. He’d previously served as an aide to Congressman John Lewis and co-authored the comic trilogy *March* about Lewis’ role in the civil rights movement. That work informed his view on the power of comics as he got to work after Helene.

Recovering Keepsakes After Hurricane Helene

A photo album covered in muck that has yet to be reunited with its owner.
*Photo Credit: Laura Hackett/BPR* *News*

Hurricane Helene left behind millions of cubic yards of debris in western North Carolina. Most of that is trash, but every so often, clean-up crews find something personal: a stuffed animal, a coffee mug or a love letter.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Laura Hackett reports on one group’s efforts to return some of those treasured keepsakes to the people who lost them.

Open Door Café Supports, Destigmatizes Unhoused Community

Jeff Hatfield describes the compost as he shovels it, “See how this right here, that’s real dry. And then all this up through here, all that’s wet.” 
*Photo Credit: Wendy Welch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Appalachians sure love their gardens. And it’s not just homeowners who grow them. At Open Door Café in Wytheville, Virginia, gardening is a way to feed the hungry while breaking down the stigma of homelessness.

Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story about digging into the roots and connecting to more than just the land.

*100 Days In Appalachia* Looks To Youth For Future Of America

This month marked the United States’ 250th anniversary. Around the nation, there was a lot of remembrance of our history. But also consideration about its future. That will ultimately be shaped by younger generations.

WVPB’s Chris Schulz spoke with *100 Days in Appalachia* Director of Video Nick Curran and Editor-in-Chief Jesse Wright about a project to amplify their voices.

The Dental Health Gap In W.Va.

Dr. Malav Shah provides dental care to a Boone County resident during a clinic visit. Shah is among the healthcare providers working to improve access to dental care in southern West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Many Appalachians can’t access affordable dental care. The problem is especially acute in West Virginia. State data shows by third grade, more than half of kids show signs of tooth decay. And more than 10% of older adults have had alltheir teeth extracted.

In the latest episode of *Us & Them,* host Trey Kay visits a mobile dental clinic with public health hygienist Bobbi Muto.

Bats Save Farmers Billions Of Dollars, But They're In Danger

Virginia big-eared bats have been listed as endangered since 1979.
*Photo Credit: Alex Silvis/West Virginia Division of Natural Resources*

A lot of people are afraid of bats, but they’re an important part of the ecosystem and beneficial to our agriculture. But due to climate change and disease, bat populations are declining.

WVPB’s Eric Douglas reports for the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.

Designing Dignity Through Care Managers

Tsuruko Sano, 99, poses with her care manager, Hiroko Kominami at the Jasmine Group Home in the Nishiarai neighborhood of Tokyo.
*Photo Credit: Kiley Koscinski/90.5 WESA*

As baby boomers continue to age, more Gen X and Millennial adults are finding themselves becoming caregivers for their parents. In Pittsburgh, the city’s major health systems are partnering with federal agencies to design a new program aimed at keeping seniors at home for as long as possible.

It’s a strategy Japan has had in place for more than two decades.

In this installment of the "Designing Dignity" series, WESA’s Kiley Koscinski looks at how Japan’s care managers bridge medical and social support.

--

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Mary Hott, Hello June, Paul Loomis and Ron Mullennex.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Irina Zhorov is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Ibby Caputo.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

How A Café Uses Gardening To Fight The Stigma Of Homelessness, This West Virginia Morning Jul 24, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Open Door Café in Wytheville, Virginia uses gardening as a way to feed the hungry while breaking down the stigma of homelessness. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story about digging into the roots and connecting to more than just the land.

Also, hundreds of first responders and emergency crews are on the ground in the areas of West Virginia hardest hit by Tuesday’s storms.

And, education leaders in West Virginia have taken action following the arrest and charging of a Fayette County teacher for enticing a minor.

Finally, a statewide virtual conference next month will look at ethical issues around addiction 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 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

Two posters on display on a table. — **Us & Them: Who Can Call Morgantown Home?** Jul 23, 2026
Housing is becoming less affordable for many people. As a result, more cities and towns grapple with growing homeless populations. Hundreds of cities across the nation now have laws that prohibit camping on public property to discourage encampments and illegal activity.

On this episode of *Us & Them*, host Trey Kay moderates a community conversation in Morgantown about that city’s approach to housing. Morgantown is one of five West Virginia cities with a public camping ban. Local advocates say there are twice as many homeless people as there are shelter beds available.

This year, lawmakers did not have the votes to pass a statewide camping ban, but some leaders say that’s a better approach than patchwork local measures.

This episode of *Us & Them* is presented with support from the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

A poster for “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions” is displayed at an information table during the community forum at West Virginia University’s Mountainlair. The event brought together local service providers and advocates to discuss homelessness, housing barriers and public policy in Morgantown.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

*Us & Them* host **Trey Kay**, left, moderates “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” a community forum at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair. Joining Kay on the panel, from left, are **the Rev. Zac Morton** of First Presbyterian Church, **Laura Jones** of Milan Puskar Health Right, **Erin Shelton** of Project Rainbow and Rainbow House, and **Mindy Thorne** of Catholic Charities West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

**Ron Allen**, a member of the Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group and one of the organizers of “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” welcomes the audience to the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

**Richard Dennis**, a member of the Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group and one of the organizers of “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” listens to the panel discussion at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

**The Rev. Zac Morton** of First Presbyterian Church speaks during “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” a community forum at West Virginia University, as Laura Jones of Milan Puskar Health Right listens. Morton discussed how local churches collaborate to help people experiencing homelessness and the barriers that can make it difficult for them to secure housing.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“We’re seeing a report card on how well our society is doing at caring for other people, and we’re not getting a very good grade. Instead of dealing with that fundamental problem, a lot of people don’t want to examine it because it requires work, introspection and a recognition that decades of bad policy have brought us here.”

**— The Rev. Zac Morton**

**Laura Jones**, executive director of Milan Puskar Health Right, speaks during a community forum about homelessness in Morgantown. Jones discussed the connections between unstable housing, trauma and health.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“Every single person who is unhoused is unique. There is no one way people behave and no single reason people end up in this situation, other than the fact that we do not have affordable, low-income housing. Once someone becomes unhoused, that experience itself is often traumatic, making it even harder to do everything required to get back into housing.”

**— Laura Jones**

**Erin Shelton**, founder and board president of Project Rainbow and Rainbow House, speaks during a community forum about homelessness in Morgantown. Shelton advocates for low-barrier services for people who are often excluded from traditional programs.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“A lot of the things people see that make them uncomfortable are symptoms of homelessness. If we educate ourselves and meet people, we humanize them. Once you meet people, they are not scary anymore. They are people. They are your neighbors, your community members and your friends.”

**— Erin Shelton**

**Mindy Thorne**, a director with Catholic Charities West Virginia, speaks during a community forum about homelessness in Morgantown. Thorne works with Grace Shelter, a low-barrier shelter at Hazel’s House of Hope that provides emergency housing and individualized case management.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“These policies were made without an understanding of the consequences. There was no plan that said, ‘We are going to put this camping ban in place, and these services will be available instead.’ There was none of that. It was simply, ‘We’re done.’”

**— Mindy Thorne**

**Del. Geno Chiarelli**, R-Monongalia, reviews material during a meeting of the House Public Health Subcommittee at the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston on Feb. 4, 2026. Chiarelli sponsored legislation seeking to prohibit syringe service programs and a separate bill proposing a statewide ban on camping on certain public property.
*Photo Credit: Perry Bennett/WV Legislative Photography*

“I don’t think that more people jailed is necessarily a measure of success. But if vandalism goes down, if syringe litter decreases, if people stop having their homes broken into and their packages stolen, I think those are indicators that the camping ban would be working.”

**— Del. Geno Chiarelli**

**Erin Shelton**, left, and **Mindy Thorne** listen during “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” a community forum at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

*“When elected officials make policy in response to a community’s discomfort and fear of people experiencing homelessness, they are not actually responding. They are reacting.”*

**— Erin Shelton**

*Us & Them* host **Trey Kay** speaks to the audience during “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions” as the Rev. Zac Morton listens at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.

*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

*“Part of the homelessness question is who we are willing to see in our communities, who we turn away from and what kind of community we want to be.”*

**— Trey Kay**

Five people sit on a stage in chair. They are speaking before an audience. Behind them is a projector screen with text. There are several people in the audience with their backs to the camera. — **Us & Them: Who Can Call Morgantown Home?** Jul 23, 2026
Housing is becoming less affordable for many people. As a result, more cities and towns grapple with growing homeless populations. Hundreds of cities across the nation now have laws that prohibit camping on public property to discourage encampments and illegal activity.

On this episode of *Us & Them*, host Trey Kay moderates a community conversation in Morgantown about that city’s approach to housing. Morgantown is one of five West Virginia cities with a public camping ban. Local advocates say there are twice as many homeless people as there are shelter beds available.

This year, lawmakers did not have the votes to pass a statewide camping ban, but some leaders say that’s a better approach than patchwork local measures.

This episode of *Us & Them* is presented with support from the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

A poster for “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions” is displayed at an information table during the community forum at West Virginia University’s Mountainlair. The event brought together local service providers and advocates to discuss homelessness, housing barriers and public policy in Morgantown.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

*Us & Them* host **Trey Kay**, left, moderates “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” a community forum at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair. Joining Kay on the panel, from left, are **the Rev. Zac Morton** of First Presbyterian Church, **Laura Jones** of Milan Puskar Health Right, **Erin Shelton** of Project Rainbow and Rainbow House, and **Mindy Thorne** of Catholic Charities West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

**Ron Allen**, a member of the Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group and one of the organizers of “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” welcomes the audience to the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

**Richard Dennis**, a member of the Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group and one of the organizers of “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” listens to the panel discussion at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

**The Rev. Zac Morton** of First Presbyterian Church speaks during “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” a community forum at West Virginia University, as Laura Jones of Milan Puskar Health Right listens. Morton discussed how local churches collaborate to help people experiencing homelessness and the barriers that can make it difficult for them to secure housing.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“We’re seeing a report card on how well our society is doing at caring for other people, and we’re not getting a very good grade. Instead of dealing with that fundamental problem, a lot of people don’t want to examine it because it requires work, introspection and a recognition that decades of bad policy have brought us here.”

**— The Rev. Zac Morton**

**Laura Jones**, executive director of Milan Puskar Health Right, speaks during a community forum about homelessness in Morgantown. Jones discussed the connections between unstable housing, trauma and health.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“Every single person who is unhoused is unique. There is no one way people behave and no single reason people end up in this situation, other than the fact that we do not have affordable, low-income housing. Once someone becomes unhoused, that experience itself is often traumatic, making it even harder to do everything required to get back into housing.”

**— Laura Jones**

**Erin Shelton**, founder and board president of Project Rainbow and Rainbow House, speaks during a community forum about homelessness in Morgantown. Shelton advocates for low-barrier services for people who are often excluded from traditional programs.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“A lot of the things people see that make them uncomfortable are symptoms of homelessness. If we educate ourselves and meet people, we humanize them. Once you meet people, they are not scary anymore. They are people. They are your neighbors, your community members and your friends.”

**— Erin Shelton**

**Mindy Thorne**, a director with Catholic Charities West Virginia, speaks during a community forum about homelessness in Morgantown. Thorne works with Grace Shelter, a low-barrier shelter at Hazel’s House of Hope that provides emergency housing and individualized case management.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

“These policies were made without an understanding of the consequences. There was no plan that said, ‘We are going to put this camping ban in place, and these services will be available instead.’ There was none of that. It was simply, ‘We’re done.’”

**— Mindy Thorne**

**Del. Geno Chiarelli**, R-Monongalia, reviews material during a meeting of the House Public Health Subcommittee at the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston on Feb. 4, 2026. Chiarelli sponsored legislation seeking to prohibit syringe service programs and a separate bill proposing a statewide ban on camping on certain public property.
*Photo Credit: Perry Bennett/WV Legislative Photography*

“I don’t think that more people jailed is necessarily a measure of success. But if vandalism goes down, if syringe litter decreases, if people stop having their homes broken into and their packages stolen, I think those are indicators that the camping ban would be working.”

**— Del. Geno Chiarelli**

**Erin Shelton**, left, and **Mindy Thorne** listen during “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions,” a community forum at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.
*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

*“When elected officials make policy in response to a community’s discomfort and fear of people experiencing homelessness, they are not actually responding. They are reacting.”*

**— Erin Shelton**

*Us & Them* host **Trey Kay** speaks to the audience during “Unhoused in Morgantown: Barriers and Solutions” as the Rev. Zac Morton listens at the Gluck Theatre in West Virginia University’s Mountainlair.

*Photo Credit: Mountaineer Indivisible Citizens Action Group*

*“Part of the homelessness question is who we are willing to see in our communities, who we turn away from and what kind of community we want to be.”*

**— Trey Kay**

Morgantown’s Housing Approach, This West Virginia Morning Jul 23, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, many people struggle to find affordable housing, and more cities and towns now grapple with growing homeless populations. On the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay moderates a public conversation in Morgantown about that city’s housing approach. Local advocates say there are twice as many homeless people as there are shelter beds. But some elected leaders say there’s a better approach than patchwork local measures.

Also, a state delegate from Fayette County has been charged with enticing a minor. We have the latest.

And, with high winds and heavy rains across much of the state Tuesday, the town of Weston was among the hardest hit.

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

How To Stop Spread Of Spotted Lanternfly, This West Virginia Morning Jul 22, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, there are many insects that threaten West Virginia's agriculture and bother us when we're trying to enjoy time outdoors. But with its distinctive Dalmatian pattern and splash of red, the spotted lanternfly stands out for its ability to threaten dozens of plants, commercial and domestic.

Chris Schulz spoke with WVU Extension entomologist Carlos Quesada to learn more about the insect and how to stop its spread.

Also, late Tuesday night,Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a State of Emergency for all 55 counties. Much of the state was pummeled by heavy storms, torrential rains and high winds. The National Weather Service in Charleston reports the northern and central parts of the state were hardest hit, with between three and five-and-a-half inches of rain in Lewis County, and as much as seven inches of rain reported in Upshur County.

And, regional electric grid operator PJM recently wrapped up its competitive bidding process for power in 2028, and the PSC is looking into rules for the future.

Finally, thousands of scouts are descending on West Virginia for Scouting America’s 2026 National Jamboree.

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

‘Tis The Season For Ticks, This West Virginia Morning Jul 21, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, a look at how the hot, humid weather of summer is a prime season for the sometimes disease-carrying ticks.

Also, severe weather is forecast for today, the Department of Human Services has a new secretary and soon, West Virginia will have a new teacher of the year.

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

Helping Hellbenders Help Water Health, This West Virginia Morning Jul 20, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, an unattractive, slimy, two-foot salamander may hold the key to detecting healthy water ways in West Virginia.

The Eastern Hellbender is now officially known as Kentucky’s first-ever state amphibian. The species was once abundant along the waterways of Appalachia, but it’s struggled to maintain a foothold amid climate change and human activity. For the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom, WKYU's Hope Heffley has more on conservation efforts across the region.

Also a severe and long-lasting gastrointestinal illness is on the rise in West Virginia. The state Department of Health now shows there have been 139 identified cases of cyclosporiasis across the state, up from 69 less than a week ago.

And candidates for the Fifth Family Court Circuit, which covers Mason, Jackson and Wirt Counties, have just about one month to get their applications submitted to replace Judge Constance Thomas, who will retire at the end of August.

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

The Smokey Air And Flock Cameras, This West Virginia Week Jul 18, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, weekend storms may help clear the smokey air, Huntington City Council approves Flock cameras and how Fentanyl may have made its way into the country.

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Finding Solitude In A Bus On A Rock In A River, This West Virginia Morning Jul 17, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, if you’ve ever seen the eye-catching ‘Bus On A Rock’ in the New River and wondered why – and how – it got there, we have some answers for you.

And, West Virginia has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, workforce participation rate in the country. A key goal for West Virginia’s Rural Health Transformation Program plan is to improve health outcomes to get more people back into the workforce.

Also West Virginia’s busiest bridge is getting some needed repairs, and the Public Service Commission of West Virginia has opened an investigation into water pressure standards.

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.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young.

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

Whistleblower Raises Alarm On Fentanyl Trafficking, This West Virginia Morning Jul 16, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the client of a Charleston attorney says the DEA allowed millions of doses of potentially deadly Fentanyl into the United States.

In 2023 and 2024, the Sinaloa Cartel brought millions of doses of fentanyl into the U.S. mostly across the border into New Mexico. Those pills then headed east.

Charleston attorney and member of the House of Delegates, Tristan Leavitt represents federal whistleblowers. His client, DEA Special Agent David Howell, says the agency allowed millions of pills to come into the U.S. as part of an operation to capture cartel leaders at the direction of the New Mexico U.S. Attorney.

News Director Eric Douglas sat down with Leavitt to discuss the case.

Also, a data center development is facing state intervention for failing to prevent flooding of neighboring properties.

And a federal judge in Eastern Kentucky has escalated the penalties he imposed on a coal company owned by U.S. Sen. Jim Justice.

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

Restoring The Oldest Building On The Capitol Complex, This West Virginia Morning Jul 15, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, renovation work is underway on the Holly Grove mansion, the oldest surviving residence on the state capitol complex after several decades of plans.

If you’ve visited the West Virginia Capitol Complex lately – perhaps over the Fourth of July festivities – you may have noticed construction work underway in the old building next to the Governor’s mansion. Maria Young caught up with Robert Kilpatrick with the Department of Administration, to find out more about the project – and plans for the historic building.

Also Huntington City Council approved the implementation of a new surveillance program in the early hours of Tuesday and two groups on opposite ends of the electric power generation debate have come out against a new power plant proposed for northern 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 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

Playing Baseball By Ear, This West Virginia Morning Jul 14, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, it’s hard enough to connect a baseball and bat in mid-air. Imagine doing it when you can’t see.

In beep baseball, blind athletes rely on sound to hit the ball and run to a base. Last month (June), the East Louisville Lions Club hosted the Indianapolis Thunder, an adult beep baseball team, for a demonstration. Emily Chen-Newton with LPM News via the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom has more on the sport where players keep their ears on the ball.

Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting an outbreak of intestinal illness in 31 states – including West Virginia and a weapons manufacturer is coming to the eastern panhandle.

And a proposed advanced recycling facility in eastern Kanawha County is raising concerns for local residents.

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 Rare Appalachian Tree And How Humidity Affects Heat, This West Virginia Morning Jul 13, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, humidity and dewpoint can have a big impact on how we experience summer heat. Every week, in a segment we call Science Behind the Forecast, the Appalachia Mid South Newsroom’s Bill Burton and meteorologist Tawana Andrew break down what we know - and what we don't - about the climate and weather in the region.

And the Allegheny Front based in Pittsburgh, a public radio program that reports on environmental issues, looks at the native, spike-covered hawthorn and how its long, sharp thorns contribute to its vulnerable status.

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 Flood Watch And The Parkersburg Fire, This West Virginia Week Jul 11, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, the state is under a flood watch through Sunday, the fire in Parkersburg is under investigation and a class action against the state’s foster care system will move forward.

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

The Underground Railroad’s Route Through Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning Jul 10, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, not much has been known about Appalachia’s contributions to the Underground Railroad – until now.

Before the Civil War, slaves escaped to the free north through the underground railroad. Cicero Fain is a historian at Marshall University documenting the region’s Black history through his Appalachian Freedom Heritage Initiative. Fain spoke with Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams about documenting dozens of previously unknown underground railroad sites throughout our region.

Also, Secretary of State Kris Warner is maintaining his position to not share voter rolls with the federal government, despite new threats of legal action. In Parkersburg, the remnants of a warehouse fire are finally out and cleanup and investigations begin.

And it promises to be a stormy weekend and as Maria Young reports, a flood watch is in effect for much of the state, through Sunday morning.

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.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. 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

Mobile Dental Care A Lifeline In Rural Communities, This West Virginia Morning Jul 09, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, affordable dental care is a little-talked-about challenge low-income families face in this state, but there is an effort underway to change that.

West Virginia is home to many people who cannot access affordable dental care. State data shows by third grade - more than half of kids show signs of tooth decay. And more than 10 percent of older adults have had all their teeth extracted. From the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay visits a mobile dental clinic with public health hygienist Bobbi Muto.

Also the state Board of Education approves a partial intervention into Harrison County Schools as it grapples with overstaffing and a reluctance to cut positions, an issue many counties are facing after COVID-19 era funding ended.

And a new manufacturing firm is coming to Wood County – and bringing with it millions of dollars in investments and jobs to support data center development.

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

How Appalachia’s Young People See The Next 250 Years, This West Virginia Morning Jul 08, 2026

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

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

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

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A black and white photo of a Black man looking away. — **Encore: Oscar Micheaux, Kathleen Driskell And Soul Food, Inside Appalachia** Jul 03, 2026
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*.

**In This Episode:**

**How Oscar Micheaux Changed Filmmaking From Appalachia**

**Playwright August Wilson's Life And Legacy**

**Angelo’s Old World Italian Sausage**

**Kentucky Poet Laureate Talks Deadly Cryptids**

**Baby Barn Owl That Left His Nest Too Soon**

**Sharing Soul Food**

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.

--

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.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A black and white photo of a man with his foot lifted on a piece of a building. — **Encore: Oscar Micheaux, Kathleen Driskell And Soul Food, Inside Appalachia** Jul 03, 2026
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*.

**In This Episode:**

**How Oscar Micheaux Changed Filmmaking From Appalachia**

**Playwright August Wilson's Life And Legacy**

**Angelo’s Old World Italian Sausage**

**Kentucky Poet Laureate Talks Deadly Cryptids**

**Baby Barn Owl That Left His Nest Too Soon**

**Sharing Soul Food**

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.

--

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.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

*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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A black and white photo of two Black men standing outside a store. — **Kudzu, Farmstands And Bristol’s ‘Black Bottom’ Community, Inside Appalachia** Jun 26, 2026
Some folks are working to preserve the memory of Bristol, Virginia’s Black Bottom, a largely African American community wiped out by urban renewal.

Also, small food producers embrace digital technology for the humble farm stand.

And, kudzu; it’s coming for us.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**The Souls Of Bristol’s Black Bottom**

*Roots* Book Ban Reversed In Knox County, Tennessee

**Roadside Farmstand Gets An Upgrade**

**State Regulators Audit Kentucky Power After 20 Years**

**Volunteers Document Species In The Smoky Mountains**

**Black Bears Are Migrating As Climate Change Threatens Habitat**

**The Vine That Ate The South**

**Herbicide Drones Are Killing Kudzu**

**Herbalism In Appalachia**

The Souls Of Bristol’s Black Bottom

Undated photo of Bristol’s Black Bottom.
*Courtesy of Black in Appalachia/Virginia Humanities*

Urban renewal was a 20^th century movement by local, state and federal governments to revitalize struggling cities. But Black neighborhoods and business districts were often sacrificed. In Bristol, Virginia, Black business owners ran barber shops, groceries and doctor’s offices in Black Bottom, which was leveled to make way for new streets and civic projects.

“The Souls of Bristol’s Black Bottom” is a partnership between Black in Appalachia and Virginia Humanities. The project uses interpretive signs, public art and digital storytelling to remember the community. Organizer and storyteller Tina McDaniel helps lead the project. She says learning about 'Black Bottom was a revelation.'

Host Mason Adams spoke to McDaniel about the project.

*Roots* Book Ban Reversed In Knox County, Tennessee

Alex Haley’s 1976 *Roots* is about the horrors of the slave trade in America and designated an official state book of Tennessee. Knox County recently backtracked its decision to remove the critically acclaimed book from school libraries.
*Photo Credit: Camellia Burris/WPLN*

Knox County, Tennessee officials have reversed their decision to remove the book *Roots* from school libraries. In May, just a couple weeks prior, the book was banned by a school board committee.

Written by Alex Haley, the novel follows generations of a Black family from enslavement in America in the 1700s through changes and upheavals to the second half of the 20^th century. *Roots* won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into an award-winning television miniseries.

It was one of 124 titles that have been removed from library shelves in Knox County. In particular, school board members objected to a depiction of rape of an enslaved woman by a slaveholder. Public outcry to the ban was immediate.

WPLN’s Camellia Burris reports.

Roadside Farmstand Gets An Upgrade

Jessica Camden, owner of Sugarbirds Farm Stand, holds two of the 30 vendors’ products available for sale inside.
*Photo Credit: Wendy Welch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Roadside farmstands with fresh eggs or tomatoes are a common sight in Appalachia. They can be a way for people, especially rural women with kids at home, to support themselves economically. They often work on the honor system; there’s nobody there. Take a carton of berries and leave some cash. But the humble farm stand is changing to keep up with an increasingly cash-free society.

Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch recently visited a stand in Wythe County, Virginia.

State Regulators Audit Kentucky Power After 20 Years

Mary Cromer, deputy director of the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, stands outside of their Whitesburg offices.
*Photo Credit: Andrew Henderson/AMSN*

Power bills have been rising across much of Appalachia. That’s the case in eastern Kentucky, too, and led to state regulators ordering an audit of Kentucky Power for the first time in more than 20 years.

Kentucky Public Radio’s Sylvia Goodman met with a new coalition that hopes the audit could lead to lower bills.

Volunteers Document Species In The Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are the most biodiverse site in the national park system. Every square foot of the park teems with life, much of which park visitors rarely see.
*Photo Credit: Katie Myers/Grist*

For years, citizen scientists have been documenting plants and wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They do work the Park may not have capacity for, tracking changes in the ecosystem and helping us better understand Appalachia’s biodiversity.

BPR and Grist reporter Katie Myers tagged along with a group of volunteers into the Smokies.

Black Bears Are Migrating As Climate Change Threatens Habitat

An adolescent bear scales a tree on May 20, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Caroline Eggers/WPLN*

Black bear encounters are on the rise, and climate change is often a hidden culprit.

WPLN’s Caroline Eggers reports that Tennessee wildlife managers are working to promote peaceful coexistence.

The Vine That Ate The South

Kudzu covers a patch of woods behind an Arby’s in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 8, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Jacqui Sieber/WUOT*

Kudzu is a leafy vine that has spread through the South and Appalachia, draping whole landscapes with its greenery. Some people find it beautiful, at least at first. But, it’s an invasive plant that can swallow entire sections of forests and choke out other plants.

WUOT’s Jacqui Sieber has more on efforts to tackle the “vine that ate the South.”

Herbicide Drones Are Killing Kudzu

An herbicide-spraying drone douses a thicket of kudzu at one of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's study sites last summer. Many sites like this are only accessible on foot or by air due to the vine's thickness and difficult terrain. Officials say drones like this can turn days or weeks of work into an afternoon.
*Photo Credit: Jacob Stewart/Kentucky Fish & Wildlife*

Goats aren’t the only tool to keep kudzu in check. In Kentucky, wildlife officials are testing whether new drone technology could help fight kudzu.

Michael Collins with WKYU has more.

Herbalism In Appalachia

Crystal Wilson adds elderberry flowers to create a fever tincture as her guinea hens fuss around her feet.
*Photo Credit: Heather Duncan/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

In the warm months, a lot of people stock up on roots and herbs to use as medicines. Some, they grow, and others, they find in the woods. Here in Appalachia, those remedies have been a path to wellness and independence for centuries.

Folkways Reporter Heather Duncan has more.

--

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Erik Vincent Huey, Tim Bing, John Blissard, Mary Hott, Paul Loomis, Dinosaur Burps and Blue Dot Sessions

This week, we say goodbye to Kelley Libby. Kelley's been *Inside Appalachia*’s show editor since 2020 and was also a lead editor for the Folkways project. As much as anyone, Kelley has helped shape *Inside Appalachia* into the show that it is. Kelley, we can’t thank you enough. Good luck with your next adventure!

And, introducing Irina Zhorov, who will take over as show editor. We’re glad to have her.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editors Jennifer Goren and Molly Born.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A book sitting on a bookshelf. The title on the cover of the book is "Roots" by Alex Haley. — **Kudzu, Farmstands And Bristol’s ‘Black Bottom’ Community, Inside Appalachia** Jun 26, 2026
Some folks are working to preserve the memory of Bristol, Virginia’s Black Bottom, a largely African American community wiped out by urban renewal.

Also, small food producers embrace digital technology for the humble farm stand.

And, kudzu; it’s coming for us.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**The Souls Of Bristol’s Black Bottom**

*Roots* Book Ban Reversed In Knox County, Tennessee

**Roadside Farmstand Gets An Upgrade**

**State Regulators Audit Kentucky Power After 20 Years**

**Volunteers Document Species In The Smoky Mountains**

**Black Bears Are Migrating As Climate Change Threatens Habitat**

**The Vine That Ate The South**

**Herbicide Drones Are Killing Kudzu**

**Herbalism In Appalachia**

The Souls Of Bristol’s Black Bottom

Undated photo of Bristol’s Black Bottom.
*Courtesy of Black in Appalachia/Virginia Humanities*

Urban renewal was a 20^th century movement by local, state and federal governments to revitalize struggling cities. But Black neighborhoods and business districts were often sacrificed. In Bristol, Virginia, Black business owners ran barber shops, groceries and doctor’s offices in Black Bottom, which was leveled to make way for new streets and civic projects.

“The Souls of Bristol’s Black Bottom” is a partnership between Black in Appalachia and Virginia Humanities. The project uses interpretive signs, public art and digital storytelling to remember the community. Organizer and storyteller Tina McDaniel helps lead the project. She says learning about 'Black Bottom was a revelation.'

Host Mason Adams spoke to McDaniel about the project.

*Roots* Book Ban Reversed In Knox County, Tennessee

Alex Haley’s 1976 *Roots* is about the horrors of the slave trade in America and designated an official state book of Tennessee. Knox County recently backtracked its decision to remove the critically acclaimed book from school libraries.
*Photo Credit: Camellia Burris/WPLN*

Knox County, Tennessee officials have reversed their decision to remove the book *Roots* from school libraries. In May, just a couple weeks prior, the book was banned by a school board committee.

Written by Alex Haley, the novel follows generations of a Black family from enslavement in America in the 1700s through changes and upheavals to the second half of the 20^th century. *Roots* won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted into an award-winning television miniseries.

It was one of 124 titles that have been removed from library shelves in Knox County. In particular, school board members objected to a depiction of rape of an enslaved woman by a slaveholder. Public outcry to the ban was immediate.

WPLN’s Camellia Burris reports.

Roadside Farmstand Gets An Upgrade

Jessica Camden, owner of Sugarbirds Farm Stand, holds two of the 30 vendors’ products available for sale inside.
*Photo Credit: Wendy Welch/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Roadside farmstands with fresh eggs or tomatoes are a common sight in Appalachia. They can be a way for people, especially rural women with kids at home, to support themselves economically. They often work on the honor system; there’s nobody there. Take a carton of berries and leave some cash. But the humble farm stand is changing to keep up with an increasingly cash-free society.

Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch recently visited a stand in Wythe County, Virginia.

State Regulators Audit Kentucky Power After 20 Years

Mary Cromer, deputy director of the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, stands outside of their Whitesburg offices.
*Photo Credit: Andrew Henderson/AMSN*

Power bills have been rising across much of Appalachia. That’s the case in eastern Kentucky, too, and led to state regulators ordering an audit of Kentucky Power for the first time in more than 20 years.

Kentucky Public Radio’s Sylvia Goodman met with a new coalition that hopes the audit could lead to lower bills.

Volunteers Document Species In The Smoky Mountains

The Great Smoky Mountains are the most biodiverse site in the national park system. Every square foot of the park teems with life, much of which park visitors rarely see.
*Photo Credit: Katie Myers/Grist*

For years, citizen scientists have been documenting plants and wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They do work the Park may not have capacity for, tracking changes in the ecosystem and helping us better understand Appalachia’s biodiversity.

BPR and Grist reporter Katie Myers tagged along with a group of volunteers into the Smokies.

Black Bears Are Migrating As Climate Change Threatens Habitat

An adolescent bear scales a tree on May 20, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Caroline Eggers/WPLN*

Black bear encounters are on the rise, and climate change is often a hidden culprit.

WPLN’s Caroline Eggers reports that Tennessee wildlife managers are working to promote peaceful coexistence.

The Vine That Ate The South

Kudzu covers a patch of woods behind an Arby’s in Knoxville, Tennessee on May 8, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Jacqui Sieber/WUOT*

Kudzu is a leafy vine that has spread through the South and Appalachia, draping whole landscapes with its greenery. Some people find it beautiful, at least at first. But, it’s an invasive plant that can swallow entire sections of forests and choke out other plants.

WUOT’s Jacqui Sieber has more on efforts to tackle the “vine that ate the South.”

Herbicide Drones Are Killing Kudzu

An herbicide-spraying drone douses a thicket of kudzu at one of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife's study sites last summer. Many sites like this are only accessible on foot or by air due to the vine's thickness and difficult terrain. Officials say drones like this can turn days or weeks of work into an afternoon.
*Photo Credit: Jacob Stewart/Kentucky Fish & Wildlife*

Goats aren’t the only tool to keep kudzu in check. In Kentucky, wildlife officials are testing whether new drone technology could help fight kudzu.

Michael Collins with WKYU has more.

Herbalism In Appalachia

Crystal Wilson adds elderberry flowers to create a fever tincture as her guinea hens fuss around her feet.
*Photo Credit: Heather Duncan/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

In the warm months, a lot of people stock up on roots and herbs to use as medicines. Some, they grow, and others, they find in the woods. Here in Appalachia, those remedies have been a path to wellness and independence for centuries.

Folkways Reporter Heather Duncan has more.

--

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Erik Vincent Huey, Tim Bing, John Blissard, Mary Hott, Paul Loomis, Dinosaur Burps and Blue Dot Sessions

This week, we say goodbye to Kelley Libby. Kelley's been *Inside Appalachia*’s show editor since 2020 and was also a lead editor for the Folkways project. As much as anyone, Kelley has helped shape *Inside Appalachia* into the show that it is. Kelley, we can’t thank you enough. Good luck with your next adventure!

And, introducing Irina Zhorov, who will take over as show editor. We’re glad to have her.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editors Jennifer Goren and Molly Born.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Remembering ‘Black Bottom’ In Bristol, Va., This West Virginia Morning Jun 26, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, urban renewal in the last century was supposed to revitalize struggling cities, but it often sacrificed Black neighborhoods and business districts, like Black Bottom in Bristol, Virginia. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with organizer Tina McDaniel about “The Souls of Bristol’s Black Bottom,” a project in Bristol that remembers the community through interpretive signs, public art and digital storytelling. McDaniel says learning about Black Bottom was a revelation.

Also, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia (PSC) has scheduled a public comment hearing for construction of a gas-electric generation plant in Monongalia County and three solar energy projects.

And, as West Virginia prepares to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, construction is underway on the Capitol grounds, where the world’s largest transportable Ferris wheel is going up.

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.

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

Federal Cuts To Medicaid Endanger Addiction Treatment, This West Virginia Morning Jun 25, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, federal cuts and changes to state law focused on Medicaid programs could undermine West Virginia’s drug addiction and treatment system for 50,000 residents. In the latest encore episode of Us & Them, which was recently honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, host Trey Kay learns how Medicaid supports recovery organizations and what that work looks like.

Also a new data center is announced in Wheeling, changes to Medicaid benefit requirements and flooding in Boone 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 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 professional photograph of a Black man in a suit and tie. He wears glasses. — **Us & Them Encore: Black West Virginians With Substance Use Disorder Face Unique Challenges** Jun 25, 2026
This year, West Virginia lawmakers made significant changes to drug and alcohol treatment programs funded by Medicaid, which many people use. The new legislation ties Medicaid payments to patient outcomes rather than the number of patients served.

The Mountain State has the nation's highest overdose rates, and overdose death rates among Black residents exceed those of any other group. In this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay learns how Medicaid funding supports organizations working in recovery and what that work looks like on the ground.

This episode of *Us & Them*, recently honored with a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is presented with support from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

**Reverend James Patterson** has led the Partnership of African American Churches (PAAC) for the past two decades as its founder and president/CEO. PAAC is a nonprofit, collaborative, faith-based community development corporation based in Charleston, WV, that also provides health care.
*Photo Credit: PAAC*

"Every time we had discussions, I was doing focus group research. We started talking about kids, the challenges they face, and other issues in our communities. Everybody kept saying, 'the real problem is them drugs' — that’s exactly how they said it. So, we decided to do something about it. We began by implementing prevention programs and training community health workers, and then we trained them in peer support as recovery coaches."

— **Rev. James Patterson**, founder and president/CEO of the Partnership of African American Churches.

Many Black West Virginians have had uncomfortable experiences when visiting the doctor — experiences that can discourage people of color from seeking medical care, mental health treatment or help for drug addiction. **Dr. Wendy Lewis**, clinical director for the Partnership of African American Churches and a researcher of this phenomenon, explains the impact of these encounters.
*Photo Credit: PAAC*

"Every day, people face subtle but constant annoyances because of their color — especially Black people. They are insulted, invalidated and sometimes physically, verbally and mentally assaulted just for being Black. I see this as a double malady that people must overcome daily, particularly when they’re also dealing with addiction and racism. The stress they endure is something others rarely experience.

We are a licensed behavioral health center that provides treatment for substance use disorder. We offer a residential treatment facility, medication-assisted treatment and multiple sober living facilities."

— **Dr. Wendy Lewis**, clinical director for the Partnership of African American Churches, Charleston, WV

**Kevin Watkins** received training as a peer support coach from the Partnership of African American Churches. A native of Charleston’s Westside — a community with a high concentration of Black residents — Watkins describes the area as "the valley of the shadow of death" because many people he knew died too young. Watkins struggled with substance use disorder, starting with alcohol at a young age and later turning to marijuana, pills and, eventually, speed, which he injected.
*Photo Credit: PAAC*

"I had a teacher who was trying to help me, to show me the right way. I was one of those kids with ADD—I could never sit still—so I spent most of my time in the office. I don't think he understood the full extent of my problem, or he wouldn’t have paddled me as he did. I knew I had issues when I tried to break into his house.

Looking back, I wonder why I did it all. Part of it was the divorce—my dad was never around, having started another family—so I never had the support system other kids had. I felt like I fell through the cracks in Orchard Manor. Sometimes I’d wake up in the old county jail, not even knowing why I was there, beat up and bleeding. I knew I had a serious situation on my hands."

— **Kevin Watkins**, peer support coach trained by the Partnership of African American Churches

**Robert Hansen** is retired after nearly 50 years in West Virginia's behavioral health field, including a two-year stint as director of the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy — known as the drug czar.
*Photo Credit: The Charleston Gazette-Mail*

“Residential treatment programs in West Virginia have grown dramatically. Back in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the state had about 150 to 200 treatment beds. Today, there are more than 1,700. Providers are expanding services on the theory that Medicaid funding will continue.

The bulk of Medicaid money comes from the federal government — with Congress and the president’s approval — while West Virginia must supply matching dollars. The Partnership of African American Churches is funded similarly; as they apply for grants from the Bureau of Behavioral Health or the federal government, they have opportunities aligned with their expertise. Otherwise, their core funding is no different from any other addiction treatment provider."

— **Robert Hansen**, former director of West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

A selfie of a Black woman wearing glasses, a necklace and business attire. — **Us & Them Encore: Black West Virginians With Substance Use Disorder Face Unique Challenges** Jun 25, 2026
This year, West Virginia lawmakers made significant changes to drug and alcohol treatment programs funded by Medicaid, which many people use. The new legislation ties Medicaid payments to patient outcomes rather than the number of patients served.

The Mountain State has the nation's highest overdose rates, and overdose death rates among Black residents exceed those of any other group. In this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay learns how Medicaid funding supports organizations working in recovery and what that work looks like on the ground.

This episode of *Us & Them*, recently honored with a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is presented with support from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

**Reverend James Patterson** has led the Partnership of African American Churches (PAAC) for the past two decades as its founder and president/CEO. PAAC is a nonprofit, collaborative, faith-based community development corporation based in Charleston, WV, that also provides health care.
*Photo Credit: PAAC*

"Every time we had discussions, I was doing focus group research. We started talking about kids, the challenges they face, and other issues in our communities. Everybody kept saying, 'the real problem is them drugs' — that’s exactly how they said it. So, we decided to do something about it. We began by implementing prevention programs and training community health workers, and then we trained them in peer support as recovery coaches."

— **Rev. James Patterson**, founder and president/CEO of the Partnership of African American Churches.

Many Black West Virginians have had uncomfortable experiences when visiting the doctor — experiences that can discourage people of color from seeking medical care, mental health treatment or help for drug addiction. **Dr. Wendy Lewis**, clinical director for the Partnership of African American Churches and a researcher of this phenomenon, explains the impact of these encounters.
*Photo Credit: PAAC*

"Every day, people face subtle but constant annoyances because of their color — especially Black people. They are insulted, invalidated and sometimes physically, verbally and mentally assaulted just for being Black. I see this as a double malady that people must overcome daily, particularly when they’re also dealing with addiction and racism. The stress they endure is something others rarely experience.

We are a licensed behavioral health center that provides treatment for substance use disorder. We offer a residential treatment facility, medication-assisted treatment and multiple sober living facilities."

— **Dr. Wendy Lewis**, clinical director for the Partnership of African American Churches, Charleston, WV

**Kevin Watkins** received training as a peer support coach from the Partnership of African American Churches. A native of Charleston’s Westside — a community with a high concentration of Black residents — Watkins describes the area as "the valley of the shadow of death" because many people he knew died too young. Watkins struggled with substance use disorder, starting with alcohol at a young age and later turning to marijuana, pills and, eventually, speed, which he injected.
*Photo Credit: PAAC*

"I had a teacher who was trying to help me, to show me the right way. I was one of those kids with ADD—I could never sit still—so I spent most of my time in the office. I don't think he understood the full extent of my problem, or he wouldn’t have paddled me as he did. I knew I had issues when I tried to break into his house.

Looking back, I wonder why I did it all. Part of it was the divorce—my dad was never around, having started another family—so I never had the support system other kids had. I felt like I fell through the cracks in Orchard Manor. Sometimes I’d wake up in the old county jail, not even knowing why I was there, beat up and bleeding. I knew I had a serious situation on my hands."

— **Kevin Watkins**, peer support coach trained by the Partnership of African American Churches

**Robert Hansen** is retired after nearly 50 years in West Virginia's behavioral health field, including a two-year stint as director of the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy — known as the drug czar.
*Photo Credit: The Charleston Gazette-Mail*

“Residential treatment programs in West Virginia have grown dramatically. Back in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the state had about 150 to 200 treatment beds. Today, there are more than 1,700. Providers are expanding services on the theory that Medicaid funding will continue.

The bulk of Medicaid money comes from the federal government — with Congress and the president’s approval — while West Virginia must supply matching dollars. The Partnership of African American Churches is funded similarly; as they apply for grants from the Bureau of Behavioral Health or the federal government, they have opportunities aligned with their expertise. Otherwise, their core funding is no different from any other addiction treatment provider."

— **Robert Hansen**, former director of West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy.

Improving Health Care Access In Rural Communities, This West Virginia Morning Jun 24, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, a $1 million initiative through the Rural Health Transformation Program aims to help rural EMS agencies expand access to health care in rural and underserved areas of West Virginia. It focuses on connecting patients with care earlier – before chronic illnesses become acute. Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh talked with Assistant News Director Maria Young to explain how the program is designed to work – and who it will focus on first.

Also, a federal judge has blocked West Virginia’s ban on buying soda with federal benefits.

And, on the 10th anniversary of the devastating and deadly flood that hit West Virginia in 2016, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced West Virginia will receive nearly $4 million for flood mitigation.

Finally, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced charges involving health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes against 455 defendants nationwide – including some 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 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

Caring For The Caregivers Of Aging Adults, This West Virginia Morning Jun 23, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, one in 10 Americans now say they are a caregiver for a parent age 65 and older, according to recent Pew research. Reporters Blake Farmer and Cara Anthony with our partner HealthQ explore why embracing the title of “caregiver” matters—and how recognition and support can make a difference in this phase of life.

Also, some state lawmakers express support for a federal ban on greyhound racing, a new segment of Corridor H opens and details of the America250 Capital City Celebration emerge.

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

Protecting Appalachia’s Flexing Mussels, This West Virginia Morning Jun 22, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, freshwater mussels are scattered throughout waterways in Kentucky and neighboring states like Tennessee and West Virginia, playing a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. For the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom, WKYU’s Hope Heffley has more on why those populations have dwindled over the years.

And Corridor H adds a new segment while the state's Rural Health Transformation initiative focuses on rural emergency medical 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

Community Hospital Concerns, School Choice Vouchers And A Town’s Hidden History, This West Virginia Week Jun 20, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, an heir files suit to keep his community hospital open, disparities in the distribution of school choice vouchers, and a West Virginia lawmaker is among those targeted in White House UFC fight plot.

We also discuss how a simple conversation with his mom led one state senator to uncover his towns hidden history... and, a not-so-cuddly creature is making its way into Appalachia.

Maria Young 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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A white man standing at a microphone. He is outside on a patio. There are people surrounding him. — **Ohio’s Ancient Earthworks And Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia** Jun 19, 2026
Ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw.

Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks.

And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene**

**How To Protect Amphibians Against Climate Change**

**Tornado Destroys Orchid Restoration In Southern Kentucky**

***Traveler's Guide To Ancient Ohio***

**Abandoned Gas Wells In W.Va.**

**Tennessee Town Struggles To Reopen Its Only Hospital**

**The Legacy Of Norman Jordan**

**Rising Temperatures Bring Armadillos To Kentucky**

Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene

John Phillips of Mars Hill, North Carolina performs an Appalachian ballad called “Little Maggie” at the ballad swap at Zadie’s Market in Marshall, North Carolina.
*Photo Credit: Sarah Melotte/Daily Yonder*

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina in 2024, it took lives and upended communities. A community of ballad singers lost a place where they could share their tradition. The storm set them back, but it didn’t stop them. And what might’ve seemed lost could be restored.

From Marshall, North Carolina, Sarah Melotte reports for the *Rural Remix*, a podcast from the Center for Rural Strategies.

How To Protect Amphibians Against Climate Change

Climate change has affected the seasons and made weather less predictable. And severe storms and flooding are causing damage to wildlife habitat. Kylie Frederick is a journalism student at West Virginia University (WVU), and reports that protecting amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, can start at home.

Tornado Destroys Orchid Restoration In Southern Kentucky

Tara Littlefield, a botanist and ecologist with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, has been working to restore this wetland site in Mount Victory.
*Photo Credit: Lily Burris/WEKU*

Researchers have spent nearly 20 years restoring a threatened species of orchid in southern Kentucky. Those efforts were disrupted after a tornado last spring. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WEKU’s Lily Burris went to Mount Victory to learn about the recovery.

*Traveler's Guide To Ancient Ohio*

The cover of "Traveler's Guide to Ancient Ohio" by John E. Hancock.
*Courtesy of Ohio University Press*

Thousands of years ago, Indigenous people created hundreds of earthen monuments in what is now Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Some were burial mounds. Others were curious shapes and designs whose purposes are not entirely understood.

John E. Hancock, a professor of architecture and design at the University of Cincinnati, has spent years studying these earthworks. Recently, he published *Traveler's Guide to Ancient Ohio*. If you want to visit these ancient sites, it’s a good place to start.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Hancock about the book.

Abandoned Gas Wells In W.Va.

Dave McMahon, left, and Ted Boettner look at an abandoned natural gas well near Kanawha State Forest in Kanawha County.
*Photo Credit: Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), there are more than 6,000 abandoned or orphaned natural gas wells in the state. But some advocates say that number is low.

WVPB’s News Director Eric Douglas visited a few.

Tennessee Town Struggles To Reopen Its Only Hospital

Local minister Benji Johnson stands outside of the shuttered Jellico Regional Hospital on Monday, March 30, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Pierce Gentry/WUOT*

As the health care industry cuts unprofitable rural hospitals, small towns across Appalachia are paying the price.

WPLN’s Pierce Gentry takes us to Jellico, Tennessee, where the local government is struggling to reopen its only hospital.

The Legacy Of Norman Jordan

Students participate in a poetry workshop at the 2024 Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy.
*Photo Credit: Traci Phillips/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Affrilachian poet and playwright Norman Jordan was a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement through the 1960s and 1970s. He was also one of the most published poets in the region, anthologized in at least 42 books. He died in 2015 at the age of 77. Along with his writing, Jordan left another legacy: a summer camp for teens to learn music, theater and dance.

Last summer, Folkways reporter Traci Phillips visited the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in Westover, West Virginia.

Rising Temperatures Bring Armadillos To Kentucky

Armadillos are moving farther north to states like Kentucky and the surrounding region.
*Courtesy of Bernheim Forest and Arboretum*

In 2023, we reported on the appearance of armadillos as far north as Virginia. Now, they’re being found in Kentucky, which is seen as another indicator of rising temperatures in the region. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, LPM’s Giselle Rhoden has more on how the species has made its way north from South America.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Hello June, Paul Loomis, Jeff Ellis and John Inghram.

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 Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A woman walking through a wetland. She is facing away. — **Ohio’s Ancient Earthworks And Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia** Jun 19, 2026
Ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw.

Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks.

And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene**

**How To Protect Amphibians Against Climate Change**

**Tornado Destroys Orchid Restoration In Southern Kentucky**

***Traveler's Guide To Ancient Ohio***

**Abandoned Gas Wells In W.Va.**

**Tennessee Town Struggles To Reopen Its Only Hospital**

**The Legacy Of Norman Jordan**

**Rising Temperatures Bring Armadillos To Kentucky**

Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene

John Phillips of Mars Hill, North Carolina performs an Appalachian ballad called “Little Maggie” at the ballad swap at Zadie’s Market in Marshall, North Carolina.
*Photo Credit: Sarah Melotte/Daily Yonder*

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina in 2024, it took lives and upended communities. A community of ballad singers lost a place where they could share their tradition. The storm set them back, but it didn’t stop them. And what might’ve seemed lost could be restored.

From Marshall, North Carolina, Sarah Melotte reports for the *Rural Remix*, a podcast from the Center for Rural Strategies.

How To Protect Amphibians Against Climate Change

Climate change has affected the seasons and made weather less predictable. And severe storms and flooding are causing damage to wildlife habitat. Kylie Frederick is a journalism student at West Virginia University (WVU), and reports that protecting amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, can start at home.

Tornado Destroys Orchid Restoration In Southern Kentucky

Tara Littlefield, a botanist and ecologist with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, has been working to restore this wetland site in Mount Victory.
*Photo Credit: Lily Burris/WEKU*

Researchers have spent nearly 20 years restoring a threatened species of orchid in southern Kentucky. Those efforts were disrupted after a tornado last spring. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WEKU’s Lily Burris went to Mount Victory to learn about the recovery.

*Traveler's Guide To Ancient Ohio*

The cover of "Traveler's Guide to Ancient Ohio" by John E. Hancock.
*Courtesy of Ohio University Press*

Thousands of years ago, Indigenous people created hundreds of earthen monuments in what is now Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Some were burial mounds. Others were curious shapes and designs whose purposes are not entirely understood.

John E. Hancock, a professor of architecture and design at the University of Cincinnati, has spent years studying these earthworks. Recently, he published *Traveler's Guide to Ancient Ohio*. If you want to visit these ancient sites, it’s a good place to start.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Hancock about the book.

Abandoned Gas Wells In W.Va.

Dave McMahon, left, and Ted Boettner look at an abandoned natural gas well near Kanawha State Forest in Kanawha County.
*Photo Credit: Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

According to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), there are more than 6,000 abandoned or orphaned natural gas wells in the state. But some advocates say that number is low.

WVPB’s News Director Eric Douglas visited a few.

Tennessee Town Struggles To Reopen Its Only Hospital

Local minister Benji Johnson stands outside of the shuttered Jellico Regional Hospital on Monday, March 30, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Pierce Gentry/WUOT*

As the health care industry cuts unprofitable rural hospitals, small towns across Appalachia are paying the price.

WPLN’s Pierce Gentry takes us to Jellico, Tennessee, where the local government is struggling to reopen its only hospital.

The Legacy Of Norman Jordan

Students participate in a poetry workshop at the 2024 Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy.
*Photo Credit: Traci Phillips/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Affrilachian poet and playwright Norman Jordan was a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement through the 1960s and 1970s. He was also one of the most published poets in the region, anthologized in at least 42 books. He died in 2015 at the age of 77. Along with his writing, Jordan left another legacy: a summer camp for teens to learn music, theater and dance.

Last summer, Folkways reporter Traci Phillips visited the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in Westover, West Virginia.

Rising Temperatures Bring Armadillos To Kentucky

Armadillos are moving farther north to states like Kentucky and the surrounding region.
*Courtesy of Bernheim Forest and Arboretum*

In 2023, we reported on the appearance of armadillos as far north as Virginia. Now, they’re being found in Kentucky, which is seen as another indicator of rising temperatures in the region. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, LPM’s Giselle Rhoden has more on how the species has made its way north from South America.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Hello June, Paul Loomis, Jeff Ellis and John Inghram.

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 Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A Guidebook For Visiting Ancient Earthworks, This West Virginia Morning Jun 18, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Indigenous people created hundreds of earthen monuments in what is now Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. John E. Hancock, a professor of architecture and design at the University of Cincinnati, spent years studying these earthworks. He published a guidebook for visiting them. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch spoke with Hancock about the book.

Also, a West Virginia lawmaker was on a target list created by the group accused of plotting to attack the UFC fights at the White House Sunday night.

And, a McDowell County resident whose great-grandfather donated the land for what is now the Welch Community Hospital has filed a lawsuit he hopes will keep the hospital open.

Finally, a new national analysis has identified disparities in the distribution of school choice vouchers 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 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

New Book Charts Town’s History Through Its Homes, This West Virginia Morning Jun 17, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, state Sen. Ryan Weld has written a history of Wellsburg through a unique lens -- he focused on 14 homes in the town and the people who lived in them. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Weld to learn more about his project.

Also lawmakers are speaking out against major energy infrastructure projects and a new report identifies three strategies for economic growth 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 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 Forgotten Secret Of Bourbon Aging Rediscovered, This West Virginia Morning Jun 16, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, an Appalachian distillery has rediscovered an old technique for aging their bourbon and whiskey products.

Also, competitive cycling returns to Charleston, state funds to help children affected by the opioid epidemic and lawmakers continue to look at school funding.

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

Climate Change Brings Armadillos To Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning Jun 15, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the nine-banded armadillo has become an indicator of rising temperatures in Kentucky and the surrounding region. For the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom, LPM’s Giselle Rhoden has more on how the species has made its way north from South America.

Also rural emergency medical services have an opportunity to receive Rural Health Transformation funds, and U.S. electricity generation from solar surpassed coal for the first time in May.

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

Abandoned Gas Wells And The Unhoused Rate Declines, This West Virginia Week Jun 13, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, the unhoused population in the state declines, child well-being remains the same, and just how many abandoned gas wells are there?

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Two white women standing in a room in front of a window. The woman on the left is holding a guitar, and the woman on the right is holding a banjo. — **Storytellers, Inside Appalachia** Jun 12, 2026
This week, we’re revisiting a show featuring storytellers out loud in front of audiences. Folks like five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest, Bil Lepp.

Also, musicians Anna & Elizabeth, whose storytelling used something known as a crankie.

And, we’ll head to the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**The Crankie Comes To NC: What It Is And Why People Freak Out When They See One**

**A Triangle Of Skunks**

**Sweet Tea And Red Wine**

The Crankie Comes To NC: What It Is And Why People Freak Out When They See One

Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle combined their talents to form Anna & Elizabeth. Although the duo no longer performs together, they often used crankies to enhance the storytelling in their performances.
*Courtesy*

In 2021, *Inside Appalachia* dedicated an episode to storytellers. And to their inventiveness. For example, have you ever heard of a “Crankie?”

Crankies are cloth and cut-paper scrolls. They’re an old-fashioned way to share images that go along with stories. And you can pair them with music. Think a small, tiny theater, with someone turning a crank to show pictures.

During their multi-year collaboration, musicians Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle used crankies. They would turn them alongside their Appalachian ballad singing. Host Mason Adams saw Anna and Elizabeth perform at the Ferrum Folklife Festival in Virginia and remembers how the crankies let him follow the story, while their harmonies raised goosebumps.

This story was recorded back in 2013, when Anna & Elizabeth were still performing together. It was produced by Laura Candler for WUNC.

A Triangle Of Skunks

Bil Lepp is probably best known as the five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage called him, “a side-splittingly funny man.” Lepp lives in Charleston, West Virginia, and he’s one of our region’s most famous storytellers. Back in 2019, he told a story about summer camp and a family of skunks. He performed the story “Skunks” during a Mountain Stage performance at the West Virginia Culture Center.

Sweet Tea And Red Wine

Michael Reno Harrell is a storyteller from Burke County, North Carolina. His mother’s family, including his aunt Eloise, spent most of their life in Buncombe County, just outside Asheville.
*Courtesy*

Michael Reno Harrell is a professional storyteller from Burke County, North Carolina. When we spoke to Harrell in 2021, we asked him which story he wanted us to play. This was during the social distancing part of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he hadn’t seen some of his family in a while. So, he chose a story about his mom, his sister-in-law and his aunt Eloise. It’s called “Sweet Tea and Red Wine.”

The National Storytelling Festival is October 2-4, 2026, in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Dinosaur Burps, Michael Reno Harrell and Anna and Elizabeth.

This episode was originally produced by Roxy Todd with help from Zander Aloi. Jade Artherhults was associate producer, and Andrea Billups served as executive producer.

These days, 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.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A white man sitting on a stool in front of a microphone. He is resting his arms on a guitar. One hand is against his face. — **Storytellers, Inside Appalachia** Jun 12, 2026
This week, we’re revisiting a show featuring storytellers out loud in front of audiences. Folks like five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest, Bil Lepp.

Also, musicians Anna & Elizabeth, whose storytelling used something known as a crankie.

And, we’ll head to the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**The Crankie Comes To NC: What It Is And Why People Freak Out When They See One**

**A Triangle Of Skunks**

**Sweet Tea And Red Wine**

The Crankie Comes To NC: What It Is And Why People Freak Out When They See One

Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle combined their talents to form Anna & Elizabeth. Although the duo no longer performs together, they often used crankies to enhance the storytelling in their performances.
*Courtesy*

In 2021, *Inside Appalachia* dedicated an episode to storytellers. And to their inventiveness. For example, have you ever heard of a “Crankie?”

Crankies are cloth and cut-paper scrolls. They’re an old-fashioned way to share images that go along with stories. And you can pair them with music. Think a small, tiny theater, with someone turning a crank to show pictures.

During their multi-year collaboration, musicians Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth LaPrelle used crankies. They would turn them alongside their Appalachian ballad singing. Host Mason Adams saw Anna and Elizabeth perform at the Ferrum Folklife Festival in Virginia and remembers how the crankies let him follow the story, while their harmonies raised goosebumps.

This story was recorded back in 2013, when Anna & Elizabeth were still performing together. It was produced by Laura Candler for WUNC.

A Triangle Of Skunks

Bil Lepp is probably best known as the five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage called him, “a side-splittingly funny man.” Lepp lives in Charleston, West Virginia, and he’s one of our region’s most famous storytellers. Back in 2019, he told a story about summer camp and a family of skunks. He performed the story “Skunks” during a Mountain Stage performance at the West Virginia Culture Center.

Sweet Tea And Red Wine

Michael Reno Harrell is a storyteller from Burke County, North Carolina. His mother’s family, including his aunt Eloise, spent most of their life in Buncombe County, just outside Asheville.
*Courtesy*

Michael Reno Harrell is a professional storyteller from Burke County, North Carolina. When we spoke to Harrell in 2021, we asked him which story he wanted us to play. This was during the social distancing part of the COVID-19 pandemic, and he hadn’t seen some of his family in a while. So, he chose a story about his mom, his sister-in-law and his aunt Eloise. It’s called “Sweet Tea and Red Wine.”

The National Storytelling Festival is October 2-4, 2026, in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Dinosaur Burps, Michael Reno Harrell and Anna and Elizabeth.

This episode was originally produced by Roxy Todd with help from Zander Aloi. Jade Artherhults was associate producer, and Andrea Billups served as executive producer.

These days, 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.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A Story From Liars Contest Winner Bil Lepp, This West Virginia Morning Jun 12, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, this week’s Inside Appalachia features storytellers from around the region, including author, television host and five-time West Virginia Liars Contest winner Bil Lepp. Here he is back in 2019, telling a story during a Mountain Stage performance at the West Virginia Culture Center.

Also, state regulators were in Morgantown Wednesday evening to hear from the public about a proposed transmission line project in northern West Virginia.

And, a B-minus report card may not sound like a lot when it comes to maternal mental health, but it is an improvement for West Virgina.

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.

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

A black and white photo of a man sitting at a keyboard and looking up toward the camera. — **Us & Them Encore: Daniel Johnston — The Troubled Life And Artistic Genius Of West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame Inductee** Jun 11, 2026
Daniel Johnston, a visual artist and singer-songwriter from West Virginia made his mark in the indie music scene of the1980s. His raw and unpolished style earned him a label as an outsider artist, and a place in the state’s Music Hall of Fame.

Johnston recorded his best-known songs on cassette in his parents’ basement in Hancock County. Songwriters saw past the lo-fi production values and musicians like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain championed his work.

Johnston was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 20s, and as his fame grew, his mental health struggles increased. He died in 2019 at age 58, leaving hundreds of songs and drawings.

In this award-winning episode of *Us & Them,* host Trey Kay talks with family members, musicians and others about Daniel’s life and legacy.

This episode of *Us & Them* is presented with support from the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

**Daniel Johnston** is among the 2025 inductees to the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Johnston burst onto the '80s indie scene with wobbly vocals and homemade cassettes that quickly earned him a devoted following.
*Photo Credit: J McConnico*

*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Charleston, dedicated to documenting and preserving the lasting contributions West Virginians have made to all genres of music. Its mission is to recognize the many influential musicians who have shaped the American musical spectrum — from country, classical and jazz to rock, R&B, gospel and traditional — and eventually establish a permanent facility to house a museum for recordings and memorabilia. For now, the Hall of Fame is headquartered in the Charleston Town Center Mall. Some of the notable inductees are: Bill Withers, Billy Edd Wheeler, George Crumb, Hazel Dickens, Red Sovine, Kathy Mattea, Tim O'Brien, Little Jimmy Dickens, Fred "Sonic" Smith and Barbara Nissman.

*Photo courtesy Bill and Mabel Johnston Slide Collection*

**Daniel Johnston** was born in Sacramento, California, in 1961, the youngest of Mabel and Bill Johnston’s five children. A few years later, the family moved to Bill’s home state of West Virginia, settling near Chester in the northern panhandle—where this photo was taken on Jan. 1, 1969, when Daniel was eight years old.

Family members say that as a kid, all Daniel wanted to do was draw cartoon figures and record songs. He dropped out of college twice, struggled to keep a job and often spent his paycheck on comic books.

His drawings range from simple black-and-white sketches to brightly colored depictions of imaginary beings and superheroes. His songs center on unrequited love, loneliness, the struggle between good and evil, and his battles with mental illness.

When Johnston was in his 20s, he was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. His career was often interrupted by lengthy stays in psychiatric units.

Shelly Reed and Trey Kay standing in front of “The World’s Largest Teapot” in Chester, WV.
*Photo Credit: Amy Eddings*

**Shelly Reed** is Daniel Johnston’s cousin. She grew up in Chester, and still lives there today. Reed says Chester is known for two things: Daniel Johnston and the “World’s Largest Teapot,” a tourist attraction since 1938. Johnston, famous for his music and his visual art, created much of that art while growing up near Chester. But many landmarks of his presence—including his childhood home and murals he painted at the high school—are gone.

“People in town… I don’t know, they even erased his stuff. He drew a picture of a bear and other things at the high school. I’m sure they wish they had it now, because he became so famous. But they colored over it, painted over it. Have you seen his yearbook? He drew a lot of pictures in it. He was always drawing pictures—always… After he died, my daughter and I stayed at their house for two weeks because they were overwhelmed with selling all the things people wanted after he passed away. I was in shock. I thought, ‘I cannot believe people are paying anywhere from $100 to $800.’ It’s just kind of crazy that I’m related to him… You know, he was just a kid from Chester, West Virginia, who liked playing the piano, writing down every thought in his head and drawing every picture that came to mind—and here he is, famous.”

— ***Shelly Reed,*** *Daniel Johnston’s cousin*

**Daniel Johnston** recorded many of his songs on a $59 Sanyo boombox in the basement of his family’s Hancock County home. The early 1980s were an especially creative time for him; he compiled those songs into self-produced cassette albums and gave them to anyone who would listen.
*Courtesy Photo*

Shelly Reed, left, and Trey Kay look at a vinyl record of Daniel Johnston’s “Hi, How Are You” album, which was originally self-produced on cassette.
*Photo Credit: Amy Eddings*

**Daniel Johnston’s** most famous self-produced album was “Hi, How Are You?” It gained worldwide recognition among musicians, including Sonic Youth, Beck, Yo La Tengo, Pearl Jam and Wilco. The lo-fi cassette featured one of Johnston’s most recognizable characters on the cover, a googly-eyed frog-like alien Johnston named Jeremiah the Innocent. The late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain made the frog image iconic when he wore a T-shirt featuring it to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Here, Johnston’s cousin Shelly Reed shows “Us & Them” host Trey Kay a vinyl copy of “Hi, How Are You?” at her home in Chester.

Irwin Chusid
*Photo Credit: Flash Rosenberg*

**Irwin Chusid** is a music historian and journalist who has been a free-form DJ at WFMU in New Jersey for more than 50 years. He frequently featured Daniel Johnston’s music on his shows. Chusid coined the term “outsider artist,” and he considers Johnston’s work to be in that category.

Chusid first discovered lo-fi music when a friend played him “Philosophy of the World,” the 1969 album by the three-sister group The Shaggs. His ensuing fascination with outsider music led him to write “Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music,” which includes Johnston. Chusid said Johnston is in a league of his own.

“[Daniel Johnston] has pop appeal and a huge body of work—songs people can cover or sing. Anyone can listen and hear a hook, a melody, a verse, a chorus, or something unusual in the lyrics. They can hear Daniel’s soul in that music. And that applies to every—can I use this word?—‘great’ outsider musician: They’re expressing their soul.”

— ***Irwin Chusid,*** *music historian and journalist.*

Mabel, Bill and Daniel Johnston.
*Photo courtesy of Hi How Are You Foundation*

Family members describe Daniel as someone who wanted to draw and play music all the time. Daniel’s mother Mabel told filmmaker Jeff Feurzeig in his award-winning 2005 documentary, “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” that “he didn't want to do any of his chores like help mow the lawn or wash the car or any of those things.” She added that she had to “settle that.” Daniel recorded arguments with her on his cassette player and sometimes used them in songs like “Brainwash” and “Mabel’s Grievances.” He also made films spoofing her. Dick Johnston said they were brought up in a Christian home, and his mother objected to some of Daniel’s antics.

"The earliest dispute that arose about what he was doing had more to do with his art than his music, maybe. He was drawing these dead dogs' eyeballs. And you could find these things all over the county for the longest time because he and his friends were putting them everywhere. And mother thought that was distasteful. I've never heard them comment on the songs except to say that they are very good and that they thought that they were a little on the depressing side."

— ***Dick Johnston****, only brother and former manager of Daniel Johnston and the manager of his estate.*

Young Daniel Johnston playing piano at his family's home near Chester, WV. Bill Johnston said everyone got musical training.
*Photo Courtesy of Bill and Mabel Johnston*

Listen to Daniel Johnston’s song “Walking The Cow.”

Watch Daniel Johnston’s perform “I Live My Broken Dreams” in Austin, TX on MTV in 1985.

Daniel Johnston and musician and artist Kathy McCarty in July 1985. When they met, McCarty was living in Austin, TX and fronting the band Glass Eye.
*Photo Credit: Dick Johnston*

In 1983, Dick invited Daniel to spend the summer at his home near Houston, thinking that would help Daniel get on his feet. Dick said Daniel got a job at AstroWorld. But a few months later, Daniel moved in with a sister in San Marcos, south of Austin. Soon after, Daniel disappeared and skipped town with a traveling carnival. Dick said Daniel thought family members were going to put him in a psychiatric hospital because of his bipolar disorder.

Five months later, the carnival stopped in Austin and Daniel chose to stay. He got a job at a McDonald’s and passed out his homemade cassettes to anyone who showed an interest.

He gave a cassette to Austin-based musician and singer-songwriter Kathy McCarty, whose band, Glass Eye, was a favorite in Austin’s growing live music scene. McCarty said she got a lot of cassettes from people seeking to open for them.

“This weird guy came up to me and gave me a cassette tape. He was clearly dying of nervous energy—he could barely bring himself to talk to me. I took his cassette and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll listen to it.’ It was ‘Hi, How Are You?’ I listened to about two songs and thought, ‘My God, this guy’s a genius.’ We didn’t even practice that day; all we did was listen to his tape over and over. I think we scheduled half an hour for him to play six or seven songs. He rushed through three, then ran off stage. He went to the bathroom, climbed out the window and took off.”

— ***Kathy McCarty***, *musician and visual artist*

*Courtesy Photo*

Daniel’s local popularity led to his appearance on an episode of “The Cutting Edge” on the popular music video cable station MTV in the summer of 1985. By that fall, McCarty said Johnston suffered a psychotic episode in which he violently attacked his manager after which he spent time in a psychiatric hospital in Austin. His father, a former WWII pilot, flew to Austin to take Daniel back to West Virginia after another psychotic break. His mental health continued to deteriorate. During a trip to New York City to record his first studio album, “1990,” he assaulted another musician and was briefly hospitalized. Following a recording trip to Maryland, Daniel got into an altercation with a woman in Chester who ended up jumping out of the window of her second-story apartment to escape Daniel after he kicked down the front door. He told a judge he was trying to save the woman from a demon. The judge sent him to a psychiatric hospital in Weston, WV, where he stayed for some time before he was released into the custody of his parents. Daniel would spend a total of five years in mental health institutions over the course of his lifetime.

*“Dave, here I am on MTV holding up my tape, ‘Hi How Are You,’ and they're recording me tonight, I'm on MTV. Remember when we used to watch MTV back home? Look, I'm on MTV, Baby!”*

– ***Daniel Johnston****, speaking on an MTV promo for “The Cutting Edge”*

*Courtesy*

**Kathy McCarty** began working on “Dead Dog’s Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston” after Daniel was hospitalized in Weston. She said she recorded his songs so people could hear the music in a more relatable way. She accomplished that goal: The album was well-received, and one track, “Living Life,” appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 romantic drama “Before Sunrise,” starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

“Oftentimes people used to ask me in interviews, do you think that his mental illness is like, what makes him such a great songwriter? And I'd be like, ‘no, if he had not been mentally ill, it would have been much better.’ His mental illness - it stood in his way.”

— ***Kathy McCarty***

Jeff Tweedy
*Photo Credit: Pitch Perfect PR*

Daniel continued to record, often collaborating with other musicians. His eighteenth and final album was issued in 2012 but his most enduring work was the material from the 1980s, much of it from West Virginia.

His dad, and later, his brother Dick, managed him. They toured with him, booking local artists to accompany him. Daniel eventually stopped playing guitar or piano because of tremors from the medications he took.

In 2017, Daniel announced he would retire from performing. He did a final, five-date tour. Each stop featured a different band influenced by his music.

**Jeff Tweedy**, the frontman of Wilco, and his son backed up Daniel at the Old Vic in Chicago. A video of the concert shows Daniel sitting in a chair, reading his lyrics off a music stand. Both hands grip the microphone to steady his shaking body.

Watch Daniel Johnston perform with Jeff Tweedy and his son at the Old Vic in Chicago in 2017.

Tweedy will induct Daniel Johnston into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and perform at the ceremony. He said it’s a great honor.

If it was up to me he'd be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or he'd be in every state's Hall of Fame. I don't know, I just think that you know I think that there are a lot of good reasons to keep his music alive and keep a focus on the art that he made.— ***Jeff Tweedy****, of the band Wilco*

Daniel continued to record, often collaborating with other musicians. His eighteenth and final album was issued in 2012 but his most enduring work was the material from the 1980s, much of it from West Virginia.

His dad, and later, his brother Dick, managed him. They toured with him, booking local artists to accompany him. Daniel eventually stopped playing guitar or piano because of tremors from the medications he took.

In 2017, Daniel announced he would retire from performing. He did a final, five-date tour. Each stop featured a different band influenced by his music.

**Jeff Tweedy**, the frontman of Wilco, and his son backed up Daniel at the Old Vic in Chicago. A video of the concert shows Daniel sitting in a chair, reading his lyrics off a music stand. Both hands grip the microphone to steady his shaking body.

Watch Daniel Johnston perform with Jeff Tweedy and his son at the Old Vic in Chicago in 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Mu9Utm94M

Tweedy will induct Daniel Johnston into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and perform at the ceremony. He said it’s a great honor.

If it was up to me he'd be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or he'd be in every state's Hall of Fame. I don't know, I just think that you know I think that there are a lot of good reasons to keep his music alive and keep a focus on the art that he made.

— ***Jeff Tweedy****, of the band Wilco*

Daniel Johnston performing with B.E.A.M. Orchestra during a European tour in 2010.
*Courtesy Photo*

**Daniel Johnston** performed outside the U.S. at venues in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. In 2010, he toured Europe with the B.E.A.M. Orchestra, an 11-piece outfit from Holland. Live recordings from that tour are on Daniel’s 2010 album “Beam Me Up!”

Dick Johnston, left, with Daniel Johnston in Austin, TX.
*Photo courtesy of the Hi How Are You Foundation*

Dick Johnston manages Daniel’s estate. He said proceeds from the sales of Daniel’s drawings and other merchandise pay for the upkeep of his voluminous archives and legacy-building projects.Dick said he’d like to develop a cable or television series based on Daniel’s life.

Daniel’s visual art is also in the spotlight. The art publisher Rizzoli will soon release “*Daniel Johnston*,” a 400-page book spanning four decades of Johnston’s work.

Daniel is also remembered through the Hi, How Are You Foundation, a non-profit co-founded by Tom Gimbel, who managed Daniel in the 1990s. The foundation’s “*Hi, How Are You Project*” educates young people worldwide about mental health through community-building events.

For a kid who started out making cassette tapes in his family’s basement, that’s quite a legacy.

“OK, even if you don’t like outsider music, you’re missing something in the human experience if you’re not listening to Daniel Johnston. He’s a deeply philosophical commentator on the world, society, life and our experience, and I think he has valuable things to offer. It’s something that shouldn’t be missed.”

— ***Dick Johnston***

On Sept. 11, 2019, **Daniel Johnston** was found dead in his home in Waller, Texas. He was 58 and died of an apparent heart attack.
*Photo Credit: Peter Juhl*

This mural tribute to Daniel Johnston is in Houston, TX. It was unveiled on Hi, How Are You Day, a celebration of Johnston held every year on his birthday, on Jan. 22, 2020. The mural was created by muralist Anat Ronan and artist Jacob Calle.
*Photo Credit: Jacob Calle*

A photo just outside the doors of the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. — **Us & Them Encore: Daniel Johnston — The Troubled Life And Artistic Genius Of West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame Inductee** Jun 11, 2026
Daniel Johnston, a visual artist and singer-songwriter from West Virginia made his mark in the indie music scene of the1980s. His raw and unpolished style earned him a label as an outsider artist, and a place in the state’s Music Hall of Fame.

Johnston recorded his best-known songs on cassette in his parents’ basement in Hancock County. Songwriters saw past the lo-fi production values and musicians like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain championed his work.

Johnston was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his 20s, and as his fame grew, his mental health struggles increased. He died in 2019 at age 58, leaving hundreds of songs and drawings.

In this award-winning episode of *Us & Them,* host Trey Kay talks with family members, musicians and others about Daniel’s life and legacy.

This episode of *Us & Them* is presented with support from the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

**Daniel Johnston** is among the 2025 inductees to the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Johnston burst onto the '80s indie scene with wobbly vocals and homemade cassettes that quickly earned him a devoted following.
*Photo Credit: J McConnico*

*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

The West Virginia Music Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Charleston, dedicated to documenting and preserving the lasting contributions West Virginians have made to all genres of music. Its mission is to recognize the many influential musicians who have shaped the American musical spectrum — from country, classical and jazz to rock, R&B, gospel and traditional — and eventually establish a permanent facility to house a museum for recordings and memorabilia. For now, the Hall of Fame is headquartered in the Charleston Town Center Mall. Some of the notable inductees are: Bill Withers, Billy Edd Wheeler, George Crumb, Hazel Dickens, Red Sovine, Kathy Mattea, Tim O'Brien, Little Jimmy Dickens, Fred "Sonic" Smith and Barbara Nissman.

*Photo courtesy Bill and Mabel Johnston Slide Collection*

**Daniel Johnston** was born in Sacramento, California, in 1961, the youngest of Mabel and Bill Johnston’s five children. A few years later, the family moved to Bill’s home state of West Virginia, settling near Chester in the northern panhandle—where this photo was taken on Jan. 1, 1969, when Daniel was eight years old.

Family members say that as a kid, all Daniel wanted to do was draw cartoon figures and record songs. He dropped out of college twice, struggled to keep a job and often spent his paycheck on comic books.

His drawings range from simple black-and-white sketches to brightly colored depictions of imaginary beings and superheroes. His songs center on unrequited love, loneliness, the struggle between good and evil, and his battles with mental illness.

When Johnston was in his 20s, he was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features. His career was often interrupted by lengthy stays in psychiatric units.

Shelly Reed and Trey Kay standing in front of “The World’s Largest Teapot” in Chester, WV.
*Photo Credit: Amy Eddings*

**Shelly Reed** is Daniel Johnston’s cousin. She grew up in Chester, and still lives there today. Reed says Chester is known for two things: Daniel Johnston and the “World’s Largest Teapot,” a tourist attraction since 1938. Johnston, famous for his music and his visual art, created much of that art while growing up near Chester. But many landmarks of his presence—including his childhood home and murals he painted at the high school—are gone.

“People in town… I don’t know, they even erased his stuff. He drew a picture of a bear and other things at the high school. I’m sure they wish they had it now, because he became so famous. But they colored over it, painted over it. Have you seen his yearbook? He drew a lot of pictures in it. He was always drawing pictures—always… After he died, my daughter and I stayed at their house for two weeks because they were overwhelmed with selling all the things people wanted after he passed away. I was in shock. I thought, ‘I cannot believe people are paying anywhere from $100 to $800.’ It’s just kind of crazy that I’m related to him… You know, he was just a kid from Chester, West Virginia, who liked playing the piano, writing down every thought in his head and drawing every picture that came to mind—and here he is, famous.”

— ***Shelly Reed,*** *Daniel Johnston’s cousin*

**Daniel Johnston** recorded many of his songs on a $59 Sanyo boombox in the basement of his family’s Hancock County home. The early 1980s were an especially creative time for him; he compiled those songs into self-produced cassette albums and gave them to anyone who would listen.
*Courtesy Photo*

Shelly Reed, left, and Trey Kay look at a vinyl record of Daniel Johnston’s “Hi, How Are You” album, which was originally self-produced on cassette.
*Photo Credit: Amy Eddings*

**Daniel Johnston’s** most famous self-produced album was “Hi, How Are You?” It gained worldwide recognition among musicians, including Sonic Youth, Beck, Yo La Tengo, Pearl Jam and Wilco. The lo-fi cassette featured one of Johnston’s most recognizable characters on the cover, a googly-eyed frog-like alien Johnston named Jeremiah the Innocent. The late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain made the frog image iconic when he wore a T-shirt featuring it to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. Here, Johnston’s cousin Shelly Reed shows “Us & Them” host Trey Kay a vinyl copy of “Hi, How Are You?” at her home in Chester.

Irwin Chusid
*Photo Credit: Flash Rosenberg*

**Irwin Chusid** is a music historian and journalist who has been a free-form DJ at WFMU in New Jersey for more than 50 years. He frequently featured Daniel Johnston’s music on his shows. Chusid coined the term “outsider artist,” and he considers Johnston’s work to be in that category.

Chusid first discovered lo-fi music when a friend played him “Philosophy of the World,” the 1969 album by the three-sister group The Shaggs. His ensuing fascination with outsider music led him to write “Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music,” which includes Johnston. Chusid said Johnston is in a league of his own.

“[Daniel Johnston] has pop appeal and a huge body of work—songs people can cover or sing. Anyone can listen and hear a hook, a melody, a verse, a chorus, or something unusual in the lyrics. They can hear Daniel’s soul in that music. And that applies to every—can I use this word?—‘great’ outsider musician: They’re expressing their soul.”

— ***Irwin Chusid,*** *music historian and journalist.*

Mabel, Bill and Daniel Johnston.
*Photo courtesy of Hi How Are You Foundation*

Family members describe Daniel as someone who wanted to draw and play music all the time. Daniel’s mother Mabel told filmmaker Jeff Feurzeig in his award-winning 2005 documentary, “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” that “he didn't want to do any of his chores like help mow the lawn or wash the car or any of those things.” She added that she had to “settle that.” Daniel recorded arguments with her on his cassette player and sometimes used them in songs like “Brainwash” and “Mabel’s Grievances.” He also made films spoofing her. Dick Johnston said they were brought up in a Christian home, and his mother objected to some of Daniel’s antics.

"The earliest dispute that arose about what he was doing had more to do with his art than his music, maybe. He was drawing these dead dogs' eyeballs. And you could find these things all over the county for the longest time because he and his friends were putting them everywhere. And mother thought that was distasteful. I've never heard them comment on the songs except to say that they are very good and that they thought that they were a little on the depressing side."

— ***Dick Johnston****, only brother and former manager of Daniel Johnston and the manager of his estate.*

Young Daniel Johnston playing piano at his family's home near Chester, WV. Bill Johnston said everyone got musical training.
*Photo Courtesy of Bill and Mabel Johnston*

Listen to Daniel Johnston’s song “Walking The Cow.”

Watch Daniel Johnston’s perform “I Live My Broken Dreams” in Austin, TX on MTV in 1985.

Daniel Johnston and musician and artist Kathy McCarty in July 1985. When they met, McCarty was living in Austin, TX and fronting the band Glass Eye.
*Photo Credit: Dick Johnston*

In 1983, Dick invited Daniel to spend the summer at his home near Houston, thinking that would help Daniel get on his feet. Dick said Daniel got a job at AstroWorld. But a few months later, Daniel moved in with a sister in San Marcos, south of Austin. Soon after, Daniel disappeared and skipped town with a traveling carnival. Dick said Daniel thought family members were going to put him in a psychiatric hospital because of his bipolar disorder.

Five months later, the carnival stopped in Austin and Daniel chose to stay. He got a job at a McDonald’s and passed out his homemade cassettes to anyone who showed an interest.

He gave a cassette to Austin-based musician and singer-songwriter Kathy McCarty, whose band, Glass Eye, was a favorite in Austin’s growing live music scene. McCarty said she got a lot of cassettes from people seeking to open for them.

“This weird guy came up to me and gave me a cassette tape. He was clearly dying of nervous energy—he could barely bring himself to talk to me. I took his cassette and said, ‘Yeah, I’ll listen to it.’ It was ‘Hi, How Are You?’ I listened to about two songs and thought, ‘My God, this guy’s a genius.’ We didn’t even practice that day; all we did was listen to his tape over and over. I think we scheduled half an hour for him to play six or seven songs. He rushed through three, then ran off stage. He went to the bathroom, climbed out the window and took off.”

— ***Kathy McCarty***, *musician and visual artist*

*Courtesy Photo*

Daniel’s local popularity led to his appearance on an episode of “The Cutting Edge” on the popular music video cable station MTV in the summer of 1985. By that fall, McCarty said Johnston suffered a psychotic episode in which he violently attacked his manager after which he spent time in a psychiatric hospital in Austin. His father, a former WWII pilot, flew to Austin to take Daniel back to West Virginia after another psychotic break. His mental health continued to deteriorate. During a trip to New York City to record his first studio album, “1990,” he assaulted another musician and was briefly hospitalized. Following a recording trip to Maryland, Daniel got into an altercation with a woman in Chester who ended up jumping out of the window of her second-story apartment to escape Daniel after he kicked down the front door. He told a judge he was trying to save the woman from a demon. The judge sent him to a psychiatric hospital in Weston, WV, where he stayed for some time before he was released into the custody of his parents. Daniel would spend a total of five years in mental health institutions over the course of his lifetime.

*“Dave, here I am on MTV holding up my tape, ‘Hi How Are You,’ and they're recording me tonight, I'm on MTV. Remember when we used to watch MTV back home? Look, I'm on MTV, Baby!”*

– ***Daniel Johnston****, speaking on an MTV promo for “The Cutting Edge”*

*Courtesy*

**Kathy McCarty** began working on “Dead Dog’s Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston” after Daniel was hospitalized in Weston. She said she recorded his songs so people could hear the music in a more relatable way. She accomplished that goal: The album was well-received, and one track, “Living Life,” appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 romantic drama “Before Sunrise,” starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

“Oftentimes people used to ask me in interviews, do you think that his mental illness is like, what makes him such a great songwriter? And I'd be like, ‘no, if he had not been mentally ill, it would have been much better.’ His mental illness - it stood in his way.”

— ***Kathy McCarty***

Jeff Tweedy
*Photo Credit: Pitch Perfect PR*

Daniel continued to record, often collaborating with other musicians. His eighteenth and final album was issued in 2012 but his most enduring work was the material from the 1980s, much of it from West Virginia.

His dad, and later, his brother Dick, managed him. They toured with him, booking local artists to accompany him. Daniel eventually stopped playing guitar or piano because of tremors from the medications he took.

In 2017, Daniel announced he would retire from performing. He did a final, five-date tour. Each stop featured a different band influenced by his music.

**Jeff Tweedy**, the frontman of Wilco, and his son backed up Daniel at the Old Vic in Chicago. A video of the concert shows Daniel sitting in a chair, reading his lyrics off a music stand. Both hands grip the microphone to steady his shaking body.

Watch Daniel Johnston perform with Jeff Tweedy and his son at the Old Vic in Chicago in 2017.

Tweedy will induct Daniel Johnston into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and perform at the ceremony. He said it’s a great honor.

If it was up to me he'd be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or he'd be in every state's Hall of Fame. I don't know, I just think that you know I think that there are a lot of good reasons to keep his music alive and keep a focus on the art that he made.— ***Jeff Tweedy****, of the band Wilco*

Daniel continued to record, often collaborating with other musicians. His eighteenth and final album was issued in 2012 but his most enduring work was the material from the 1980s, much of it from West Virginia.

His dad, and later, his brother Dick, managed him. They toured with him, booking local artists to accompany him. Daniel eventually stopped playing guitar or piano because of tremors from the medications he took.

In 2017, Daniel announced he would retire from performing. He did a final, five-date tour. Each stop featured a different band influenced by his music.

**Jeff Tweedy**, the frontman of Wilco, and his son backed up Daniel at the Old Vic in Chicago. A video of the concert shows Daniel sitting in a chair, reading his lyrics off a music stand. Both hands grip the microphone to steady his shaking body.

Watch Daniel Johnston perform with Jeff Tweedy and his son at the Old Vic in Chicago in 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Mu9Utm94M

Tweedy will induct Daniel Johnston into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and perform at the ceremony. He said it’s a great honor.

If it was up to me he'd be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or he'd be in every state's Hall of Fame. I don't know, I just think that you know I think that there are a lot of good reasons to keep his music alive and keep a focus on the art that he made.

— ***Jeff Tweedy****, of the band Wilco*

Daniel Johnston performing with B.E.A.M. Orchestra during a European tour in 2010.
*Courtesy Photo*

**Daniel Johnston** performed outside the U.S. at venues in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. In 2010, he toured Europe with the B.E.A.M. Orchestra, an 11-piece outfit from Holland. Live recordings from that tour are on Daniel’s 2010 album “Beam Me Up!”

Dick Johnston, left, with Daniel Johnston in Austin, TX.
*Photo courtesy of the Hi How Are You Foundation*

Dick Johnston manages Daniel’s estate. He said proceeds from the sales of Daniel’s drawings and other merchandise pay for the upkeep of his voluminous archives and legacy-building projects.Dick said he’d like to develop a cable or television series based on Daniel’s life.

Daniel’s visual art is also in the spotlight. The art publisher Rizzoli will soon release “*Daniel Johnston*,” a 400-page book spanning four decades of Johnston’s work.

Daniel is also remembered through the Hi, How Are You Foundation, a non-profit co-founded by Tom Gimbel, who managed Daniel in the 1990s. The foundation’s “*Hi, How Are You Project*” educates young people worldwide about mental health through community-building events.

For a kid who started out making cassette tapes in his family’s basement, that’s quite a legacy.

“OK, even if you don’t like outsider music, you’re missing something in the human experience if you’re not listening to Daniel Johnston. He’s a deeply philosophical commentator on the world, society, life and our experience, and I think he has valuable things to offer. It’s something that shouldn’t be missed.”

— ***Dick Johnston***

On Sept. 11, 2019, **Daniel Johnston** was found dead in his home in Waller, Texas. He was 58 and died of an apparent heart attack.
*Photo Credit: Peter Juhl*

This mural tribute to Daniel Johnston is in Houston, TX. It was unveiled on Hi, How Are You Day, a celebration of Johnston held every year on his birthday, on Jan. 22, 2020. The mural was created by muralist Anat Ronan and artist Jacob Calle.
*Photo Credit: Jacob Calle*

Remembering Singer-Songwriter Daniel Johnston, This West Virginia Morning Jun 11, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the late singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston grew up in West Virginia and came onto the indie music scene in the 1980s. Last year, Johnston was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and he’s featured in the next episode of Us & Them. In this award-winning show, host Trey Kay learns about Johnston’s legacy which was partly shaped by his challenges with mental illness.

Also, an international nonprofit is launching an initiative to ease West Virginia’s childcare dilemma.

And, Marshall University is trimming some programs as it eyes growth in the coming years.

Finally, the state is sponsoring a poetry contest for the America 250 celebration on the Fourth of July.

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 Discussion On The NextEra Transmission Line Proposal, This West Virginia Morning Jun 10, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia is currently conducting public comment hearings concerning developer NextEra Energy’s application to construct a new 107.5-mile-long transmission line from Pennsylvania through West Virginia to Virginia. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, in Morgantown.

Known as the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link, the line would cross Monongalia, Preston, Mineral and Hampshire counties. Chris Schulz recently spoke with Kaitlin McCormick, senior director of project execution at NextEra, about the need driving the project.

Also, homeless advocates have released new figures that show a drop in the number of unhoused people in West Virginia.

And, the state is looking for information on technology to help monitor patients in rural settings.

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

Dealing With Thousands Of Abandoned Natural Gas Wells, This West Virginia Morning Jun 09, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, there are just over 6,000 abandoned or orphaned natural gas wells in West Virginia, according to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Some estimates suggest that number is low. The surprising thing, though, is where some of them are located. News Director Eric Douglas has this story.

Also, West Virginia is holding steady in a national report on child well-being.

And, the application deadline for the Hope Scholarship Program is just a week away on Monday, June 15. State Treasurer Larry Pack, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, is encouraging more families to apply for the funding.

Finally, a statewide initiative launched Monday aims to help West Virginians prepare for disasters before they strike.

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 Look At An Invasive Vine That’s Taken Over The South, This West Virginia Morning Jun 08, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, throughout the Southern United States, you’ll often find three-pronged leaves with hairy vines swallowing entire sections of forests. It can be a beautiful sight at first glance. But the invasive plant causes persistent ecological problems in the region. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WUOT’s Jacqui Sieber has more on efforts to tackle the ‘vine that ate the south.’

Also, the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) has a new chief operating officer. Gov. Patrick Morrisey has named William "Bill" D'Aiuto to the newly created leadership position.

And, U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey, who oversees the Northern District of West Virginia, has been named to a leadership position on a board that targets major drug trafficking operations across multiple states. Harvey will serve as the vice-chair of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).

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

Trump Invests In Coal And Mountaineer Food Bank Expands, This West Virginia Week Jun 07, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, the Trump administration invests in coal, Medicaid concerns rise in the Mountain State, and Mountaineer Food Bank expands.

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A print of a bear breaking a clarinet. — **Encore: Printmaking Inspired By Appalachian Stories, Inside Appalachia** Jun 05, 2026
Some of the stories on our show inspired college student art — including a vivid image of a bear smashing a clarinet.

Also, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens.

And, COVID-19 exposed the contempt society has for marginalized people. One author says, these folks are anything but passive.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On *Inside Appalachia*

**The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban**

**New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass**

**Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners**

WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On *Inside Appalachia*

Meghan Sterrett “Bearing the thought of being disposable."
*Courtesy of Joseph Lupo*

We occasionally hear from educators who find ways to work *Inside Appalachia* into their classrooms. In December, the show was tagged in an Instagram post by West Virginia University (WVU) art professor Joseph Lupo.

The post showcased four-color reductive relief prints made by WVU students — each one inspired by a story or episode they heard on *Inside Appalachia*.

Host Mason Adams spoke with three of Lupo’s students and asked them to describe their work and its connection to the show. But first, he asked Lupo to explain the assignment he gave his class.

The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban

Saci Suta offers food to Krishna in the devotee kitchen.
*Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

New Vrindaban is a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle. It started in the late 1960s and is home to a few hundred permanent residents — but thousands of pilgrims visit each year. They come to worship in the temple — and to visit the opulent Palace of Gold.

But those main attractions were a pretty small part of Folkways reporter Zack Harold’s trip. He ended up spending much of his time in the kitchen.

New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass

The cover of Sarah Jones' new book *Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass*.
*Photo courtesy of Sarah Jones/Simon & Schuster*

More than one million Americans have died from COVID-19. Some groups of folks died at much higher rates than others. And those deaths tended to follow lines of race, class, age and disability. In other words, conditions that were already making life harder for some people played out during the pandemic, too.

Last year, host Mason Adams spoke with reporter Sarah Jones about her book, *Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass*.

Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners

West Virginia Republican Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito pose with coal miners at a White House event where President Donald Trump signed executive orders to loosen regulations for coal mining.
*Courtesy Office of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.*

The Trump administration has slashed federal jobs and loosened energy production regulations, and delayed a Biden-era rule to protect miners against silica dust, which contributes to black lung disease. Last April, we spoke with Leann Ray, the editor-in-chief of the nonprofit news outlet, *West Virginia Watch*, about an editorial she wrote.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Tim Bing, Frank George, Blue Dot Sessions 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. We had help this week from Folkways editor Chris Julin.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A man with a blue headwrap standing behind a plate of food in front of photos. — **Encore: Printmaking Inspired By Appalachian Stories, Inside Appalachia** Jun 05, 2026
Some of the stories on our show inspired college student art — including a vivid image of a bear smashing a clarinet.

Also, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens.

And, COVID-19 exposed the contempt society has for marginalized people. One author says, these folks are anything but passive.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On *Inside Appalachia*

**The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban**

**New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass**

**Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners**

WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On *Inside Appalachia*

Meghan Sterrett “Bearing the thought of being disposable."
*Courtesy of Joseph Lupo*

We occasionally hear from educators who find ways to work *Inside Appalachia* into their classrooms. In December, the show was tagged in an Instagram post by West Virginia University (WVU) art professor Joseph Lupo.

The post showcased four-color reductive relief prints made by WVU students — each one inspired by a story or episode they heard on *Inside Appalachia*.

Host Mason Adams spoke with three of Lupo’s students and asked them to describe their work and its connection to the show. But first, he asked Lupo to explain the assignment he gave his class.

The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban

Saci Suta offers food to Krishna in the devotee kitchen.
*Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

New Vrindaban is a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle. It started in the late 1960s and is home to a few hundred permanent residents — but thousands of pilgrims visit each year. They come to worship in the temple — and to visit the opulent Palace of Gold.

But those main attractions were a pretty small part of Folkways reporter Zack Harold’s trip. He ended up spending much of his time in the kitchen.

New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass

The cover of Sarah Jones' new book *Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass*.
*Photo courtesy of Sarah Jones/Simon & Schuster*

More than one million Americans have died from COVID-19. Some groups of folks died at much higher rates than others. And those deaths tended to follow lines of race, class, age and disability. In other words, conditions that were already making life harder for some people played out during the pandemic, too.

Last year, host Mason Adams spoke with reporter Sarah Jones about her book, *Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass*.

Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners

West Virginia Republican Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito pose with coal miners at a White House event where President Donald Trump signed executive orders to loosen regulations for coal mining.
*Courtesy Office of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito.*

The Trump administration has slashed federal jobs and loosened energy production regulations, and delayed a Biden-era rule to protect miners against silica dust, which contributes to black lung disease. Last April, we spoke with Leann Ray, the editor-in-chief of the nonprofit news outlet, *West Virginia Watch*, about an editorial she wrote.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Tim Bing, Frank George, Blue Dot Sessions 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. We had help this week from Folkways editor Chris Julin.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20 Years, This West Virginia Morning Jun 05, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The Ohio-based festival over the years has hosted American music icons, like John Prine, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, while also supporting regional artists. Inside Appalachia’s Abby Neff spoke with festival founder Tim Peacock to learn more.

Also, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services this week has released a ruling on pending changes to Medicaid coverage. Opponents say thousands in West Virginia will lose coverage.

And, Google has created a website to provide information on the company’s plans to develop a data center near the Putnam County town of Buffalo.

Finally, low income West Virginia residents can apply soon for energy assistance to get through the summer heat if they are in danger of having their service shut off.

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.

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 Challenges And Benefits Of FMLA, This West Virginia Morning Jun 04, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, if your aging parent needs surgery, you might need to take time away from work to care for them. A federal policy called the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives many employees job-protected leave for caregiving. But it has noteworthy limitations. HealthQ’s Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, as part of the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, spoke with Jocelyn Frye from the National Partnership of Women and Families to learn more.

Also, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released their final report on the mining accident that killed a miner last November.

And, an apprenticeship program in the state’s schools is reporting widespread success in its first few years of operation.

Finally, activists who are concerned about the risks coal mining poses to endangered species in Appalachia notched a courtroom victory last week.

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

Meeting The Food Needs Of The State, This West Virginia Morning Jun 03, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, one in six West Virginians is food insecure. Meaning, 270,000 people in the state regularly don’t know where their next meal will come from. Assistant News Director Maria Young recently toured Mountaineer Food Bank’s greatly expanded, new facility to find out what it takes to meet that need every day – and what it will take in the years to come.

Also, human rights advocates are raising questions about reported immigration enforcement in West Virginia earlier this year.

And, a reminder for anyone who takes a parking spot reserved for Purple Heart recipients. Starting next week, there will be stiff penalties for unauthorized use of those spaces.

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 Look At Baseball’s ‘Miracle Fields,’ This West Virginia Morning Jun 02, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, while baseball fields are run of the mill in most communities, there’s a certain type of diamond that’s less common: it’s called a “Miracle Field.” There are three of these in West Virginia – in Morgantown, Wheeling and Green River. These are accessible baseball facilities that can accommodate players with disabilities. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports that these fields are a growing trend across the country.

Also, Gov. Patrick Morrisey is doubling down on prevention as medicine to improve the state’s health.

And, collections for West Virginia’s General Revenue Fund surpassed $381 million in May. That’s $44 million more than estimated, according to Morrisey’s office.

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

Black Bear Encounters On The Rise, This West Virginia Morning Jun 01, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, black bears now inhabit all 55 counties of West Virginia, and bear encounters are on the rise across Appalachia. Climate change is often a hidden culprit. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WPLN’s Caroline Eggers reports that state wildlife managers are working to promote peaceful coexistence.

Also, Sierra Club West Virginia will debut its finished “Quilting for Community” project Tuesday evening in Morgantown – designed, cut and sewn by community members who may or may not have had any sewing skills when they began. The project will then launch a statewide tour that is expected to lead to similar projects 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 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

The Drought Continues And Amphibians Struggle, This West Virginia Week May 30, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, the springtime drought lingers, beverage distributor workers continue to strike and the state’s amphibians are struggling.

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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week

A trail ends into a residential street. The trail is separated from the street by wooden bollards sunk into the pavement. A sign on the left of the trail reads "Road Crossing Look For Traffic" in red letters on a white background. A small stop sign stands on the right side of the trail. — **Appalachian Monster Game And Nelsonville Music Festival, Inside Appalachia** May 30, 2026
A new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster.

Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20^th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back.

And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so good?

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Monsters Of Appalachia Game Connects Coworkers**

**Rail Trails Connecting Appalachian Cities**

**Pressure On Power Grids**

**Southeast Ohio Residents, Wildlife Experts Warn Against Fracking**

**Flash Flooding In Dante, Virginia**

**Tick Season Could Be All-Year Round**

**Rebuilding After EF4 Tornado Struck Somerset, Kentucky**

**Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary**

**A Passion For Pierogies In Wheeling, W.Va.**

Monsters Of Appalachia Game Connects Coworkers

People in the workplace often have to do team-building exercises. But instead of the stale old icebreakers, a team of university developers are using Appalachian cryptids. Bigfoot, the Flatwoods Monster and Moth-*person* are all part of the game called Monsters of Appalachia. It was developed by the Center for Transformational Play at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Host Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the center.

Rail Trails Connecting Appalachian Cities

Only four gaps remain in all of West Virginia to complete the 238-mile Parkersburg to Pittsburgh Corridor. The terminus of the Marion County rail trail in Fairmont represents one of those gaps.
*Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Across the country, old railroads have been converted into multi-use trails for folks to get out and enjoy nature.

WVPB’s Chris Schulz has more on an ambitious vision to connect communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania by rail trail.

Pressure On Power Grids

An electrical substation sits off Poindexter Road in Louisa County, near Crossroads Community Church. Infrastructure maintenance and upgrades are one of many factors currently driving up electric bills in Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Anjoleigh Schindler/WMRA*

Northern Virginia is home to the biggest concentration of data centers in the world. It’s known as “data center alley.” And now, its power needs are affecting rural places throughout the region. As utility companies expand the power grid to keep up, new substations and transmission lines are being proposed. One project stretches across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Another extends through nine counties in Virginia. It’s drawing pushback from environmentalists and residents.

WMRA’s Anjoleigh Schindler reports.

Southeast Ohio Residents, Wildlife Experts Warn Against Fracking

Driving into the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area.
*Photo Credit: Julie Grant/The Allegheny Front*

An Ohio commission is accepting bids to lease thousands of acres of a remote, state-owned wildlife area for fracking.

The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant visited the area and has more.

Flash Flooding In Dante, Virginia

James Mabry stands on his back porch that overlooks the creek along Saw Mill Hollow Road in Dante. In July 2025, an unexpected and unprecedented amount of rain caused flash flooding requiring evacuations and rescues in this small community. Access was difficult for the emergency crews who partnered amongst counties to respond. A bridge that connected him to the other side of the creek was washed away.
*Photo Credit: Stephanie Klein-Davis/WVTF*

A 2022 scientific paper suggests Appalachia could see nearly twice as many flash floods by the end of the century. Climate change is causing more extreme rainfall, and the town of Dante, Virginia is one of many places where flooding is getting even worse. Dante has had floods throughout its history.

Radio IQ's Katie Burke spoke with an African American family whose ancestors came to work in the mines. They survived a flood last July.

Tick Season Could Be All-Year Round In Louisville

We’re seeing the effects of climate change in other, unexpected ways, too. We have seen a lot of ticks this year, and scientists say they’re likely to become even more prevalent because of climate change.

The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom’s Bill Burton and meteorologist Tawana Andrew regularly discuss the region’s climate and weather. This week, they’re talking ticks.

Rebuilding After EF4 Tornado Struck Somerset, Kentucky

Members of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Somerset cut the ribbon on their rebuilt building on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Curtis Tate/WEKU*

A year ago, an EF-4 tornado struck Somerset, Kentucky, damaging part of the city. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WEKU’s Curtis Tate has more on efforts to rebuild a local church and an electric cooperative’s headquarters.

Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Tyler Childers and his band performing at the Nelsonville Music Festival in 2019.
*Photo Credit: Joel Prince/Nelsonville Music Festival*

This year, the Nelsonville Music Festival in southeast Ohio will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Over the years, the festival has hosted a who’s who of American music icons, like John Prine, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, while also supporting regional artists.

Associate Producer Abby Neff sat down with director and founder Tim Peacock to talk about the festival.

A Passion For Pierogies In Wheeling, W.Va.

Making pierogies by hand is a long-time tradition in a small church in Wheeling, West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Will Warren/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Just about every culture has some version of the dumpling. China has the wonton. Italy, ravioli. And in India and Pakistan, samosas.

Different forms of dumplings have made their way into Appalachia, brought by immigrants who blended their recipes into the region’s cuisine. That includes folks from eastern Europe, who began arriving more than a century ago.

From our archives, Folkways reporter Will Warren went to a weekly pierogi making session in Wheeling, West Virginia, and brought us this story in 2024.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, David Odell and Dave Bing, Hello June 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 Editor Jennifer Goren.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A landscape photo of an electric substation. there are electrical lines coming out of a silver structure. It is outside. — **Appalachian Monster Game And Nelsonville Music Festival, Inside Appalachia** May 30, 2026
A new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster.

Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20^th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back.

And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so good?

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Monsters Of Appalachia Game Connects Coworkers**

**Rail Trails Connecting Appalachian Cities**

**Pressure On Power Grids**

**Southeast Ohio Residents, Wildlife Experts Warn Against Fracking**

**Flash Flooding In Dante, Virginia**

**Tick Season Could Be All-Year Round**

**Rebuilding After EF4 Tornado Struck Somerset, Kentucky**

**Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary**

**A Passion For Pierogies In Wheeling, W.Va.**

Monsters Of Appalachia Game Connects Coworkers

People in the workplace often have to do team-building exercises. But instead of the stale old icebreakers, a team of university developers are using Appalachian cryptids. Bigfoot, the Flatwoods Monster and Moth-*person* are all part of the game called Monsters of Appalachia. It was developed by the Center for Transformational Play at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Host Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the center.

Rail Trails Connecting Appalachian Cities

Only four gaps remain in all of West Virginia to complete the 238-mile Parkersburg to Pittsburgh Corridor. The terminus of the Marion County rail trail in Fairmont represents one of those gaps.
*Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Across the country, old railroads have been converted into multi-use trails for folks to get out and enjoy nature.

WVPB’s Chris Schulz has more on an ambitious vision to connect communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania by rail trail.

Pressure On Power Grids

An electrical substation sits off Poindexter Road in Louisa County, near Crossroads Community Church. Infrastructure maintenance and upgrades are one of many factors currently driving up electric bills in Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Anjoleigh Schindler/WMRA*

Northern Virginia is home to the biggest concentration of data centers in the world. It’s known as “data center alley.” And now, its power needs are affecting rural places throughout the region. As utility companies expand the power grid to keep up, new substations and transmission lines are being proposed. One project stretches across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Another extends through nine counties in Virginia. It’s drawing pushback from environmentalists and residents.

WMRA’s Anjoleigh Schindler reports.

Southeast Ohio Residents, Wildlife Experts Warn Against Fracking

Driving into the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area.
*Photo Credit: Julie Grant/The Allegheny Front*

An Ohio commission is accepting bids to lease thousands of acres of a remote, state-owned wildlife area for fracking.

The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant visited the area and has more.

Flash Flooding In Dante, Virginia

James Mabry stands on his back porch that overlooks the creek along Saw Mill Hollow Road in Dante. In July 2025, an unexpected and unprecedented amount of rain caused flash flooding requiring evacuations and rescues in this small community. Access was difficult for the emergency crews who partnered amongst counties to respond. A bridge that connected him to the other side of the creek was washed away.
*Photo Credit: Stephanie Klein-Davis/WVTF*

A 2022 scientific paper suggests Appalachia could see nearly twice as many flash floods by the end of the century. Climate change is causing more extreme rainfall, and the town of Dante, Virginia is one of many places where flooding is getting even worse. Dante has had floods throughout its history.

Radio IQ's Katie Burke spoke with an African American family whose ancestors came to work in the mines. They survived a flood last July.

Tick Season Could Be All-Year Round In Louisville

We’re seeing the effects of climate change in other, unexpected ways, too. We have seen a lot of ticks this year, and scientists say they’re likely to become even more prevalent because of climate change.

The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom’s Bill Burton and meteorologist Tawana Andrew regularly discuss the region’s climate and weather. This week, they’re talking ticks.

Rebuilding After EF4 Tornado Struck Somerset, Kentucky

Members of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Somerset cut the ribbon on their rebuilt building on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
*Photo Credit: Curtis Tate/WEKU*

A year ago, an EF-4 tornado struck Somerset, Kentucky, damaging part of the city. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WEKU’s Curtis Tate has more on efforts to rebuild a local church and an electric cooperative’s headquarters.

Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Tyler Childers and his band performing at the Nelsonville Music Festival in 2019.
*Photo Credit: Joel Prince/Nelsonville Music Festival*

This year, the Nelsonville Music Festival in southeast Ohio will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Over the years, the festival has hosted a who’s who of American music icons, like John Prine, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, while also supporting regional artists.

Associate Producer Abby Neff sat down with director and founder Tim Peacock to talk about the festival.

A Passion For Pierogies In Wheeling, W.Va.

Making pierogies by hand is a long-time tradition in a small church in Wheeling, West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Will Warren/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Just about every culture has some version of the dumpling. China has the wonton. Italy, ravioli. And in India and Pakistan, samosas.

Different forms of dumplings have made their way into Appalachia, brought by immigrants who blended their recipes into the region’s cuisine. That includes folks from eastern Europe, who began arriving more than a century ago.

From our archives, Folkways reporter Will Warren went to a weekly pierogi making session in Wheeling, West Virginia, and brought us this story in 2024.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, David Odell and Dave Bing, Hello June 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 Editor Jennifer Goren.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Team Building With Appalachian Cryptids, This West Virginia Morning May 29, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, monsters in the workplace? Maybe. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is developing a team building game using Appalachian cryptids like Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the university’s Center for Transformational Play, to learn more.

Also, despite the recent soggy weather, most of West Virginia remains under drought conditions.

And, three treatments for cancer patients are available for the first time in southern West Virginia.

Finally, bells will be ringing across the state as part of the America 250 celebration.

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.

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

How A Wide Range Of Agencies Are Tackling The Foster Care Crisis, This West Virginia Morning May 28, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, America’s foster care crisis is serious for nearly 400,000 kids who rely on the system. In the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks into the shortage of licensed foster homes – and the wide range of agencies and nonprofit organizations who offer help navigating what can be a complicated system.

Also, state lawmakers are making it easier for workers to get training on new skills faster.

And, a bitcoin mining company has acquired property in northeastern Kentucky, near Ashland, to build a hyperscale data center. This story was produced as part of the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.

Finally, improved water quality in West Virginia has led to fewer restrictions on sport fish consumption across the state.

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 young man, wearing a gray long sleeved t-shirt, smiles for the camera, while holding a baby wearing a gray shirt with pink polka dots. — **Us & Them Encore: Our Foster Care Crisis** May 28, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of kids rely on America’s foster care system.

West Virginia has the highest rate of foster care placements of any state - four times the national average. Foster care is most often needed because of parental substance use, mental health challenges, poverty and neglect. Six-thousand Mountain State kids are in foster care, but there’s a shortage of licensed foster homes and residential facilities and that’s why nearly 400 kids live in out-of-state institutions.

On this *Us & Them*, an encore episode finds more than half of all states have seen their number of licensed foster homes drop, some by as much as 60 percent because many new foster parents don’t stay in the system for long.

While official foster care cases are tracked and overseen by state agencies, many types of so-called kinship care are not official or included in state data.

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 entered foster care.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“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**

**Larry Cooper** is executive vice president of innovation at The Children’s Home Network (CHN) in Tampa Bay, Florida. The agency works with children in foster care and provides services to help prevent families from entering the system. Cooper has worked at CHN for more than 20 years, including eight years licensing foster homes and recruiting and training foster parents. He says the approval process is strict by design but can take more than a year, and some prospective foster parents drop out along the way.
*Photo courtesy of The Children’s Home Network*

“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**

**Marc and Brandi Wilson** live in St. Clairsville, Ohio, just across the river from Wheeling, West Virginia. Brandi worked as a Child Protective Services worker in West Virginia for 20 years. 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.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“ They both took the stand and said that they give up the rights to their child, I just started breaking down. She [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, okay, 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**

**Rachel Kinder** oversees several family support programs at Mission West Virginia, including kinship care initiatives. She has worked in the foster care system for more than two decades. Kinder says the number of children in West Virginia’s formal foster care system peaked at 7,200 in 2019 and has declined somewhat since, though many informal kinship care arrangements are not reflected in state data.
*Photo Credit: Mission West Virginia*

“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.

**Nikki and Louisa Snuffer** live in Sissonville, West Virginia, and have long considered foster parenting part of building their family. The couple has 12 children ranging in age from 10 months to 20 years old and they also breed French bulldogs.
The Snuffers say their oldest daughter welcomed a baby last fall, making them grandparents for the first time. Their son Dominic attends Marshall University and is on track to graduate soon. The couple has also welcomed another child through a kinship placement. Nikki Snuffer now works with the Mountaineer Challenge Academy, a residential program that helps at-risk teenagers pursue education, structure and career training.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“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 [Department of Health and Human Resources] told us we could have four children in the house, given the space. And that, 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**

**Nikki Snuffer** holds her granddaughter. Many of the children the Snuffers have cared for they first came to know through Nikki Snuffer’s former work at Winfield High School, where she taught in the National Guard–sponsored Future Leaders Program led by veterans. She now works with the Mountaineer Challenge Academy, a residential program that helps at-risk teenagers pursue education, structure and career training.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“[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**

An adult, middle age man with salt and pepper hair smiles for the camera. He wears glasses and a blue polo shirt. — **Us & Them Encore: Our Foster Care Crisis** May 28, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of kids rely on America’s foster care system.

West Virginia has the highest rate of foster care placements of any state - four times the national average. Foster care is most often needed because of parental substance use, mental health challenges, poverty and neglect. Six-thousand Mountain State kids are in foster care, but there’s a shortage of licensed foster homes and residential facilities and that’s why nearly 400 kids live in out-of-state institutions.

On this *Us & Them*, an encore episode finds more than half of all states have seen their number of licensed foster homes drop, some by as much as 60 percent because many new foster parents don’t stay in the system for long.

While official foster care cases are tracked and overseen by state agencies, many types of so-called kinship care are not official or included in state data.

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 entered foster care.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“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**

**Larry Cooper** is executive vice president of innovation at The Children’s Home Network (CHN) in Tampa Bay, Florida. The agency works with children in foster care and provides services to help prevent families from entering the system. Cooper has worked at CHN for more than 20 years, including eight years licensing foster homes and recruiting and training foster parents. He says the approval process is strict by design but can take more than a year, and some prospective foster parents drop out along the way.
*Photo courtesy of The Children’s Home Network*

“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**

**Marc and Brandi Wilson** live in St. Clairsville, Ohio, just across the river from Wheeling, West Virginia. Brandi worked as a Child Protective Services worker in West Virginia for 20 years. 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.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“ They both took the stand and said that they give up the rights to their child, I just started breaking down. She [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, okay, 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**

**Rachel Kinder** oversees several family support programs at Mission West Virginia, including kinship care initiatives. She has worked in the foster care system for more than two decades. Kinder says the number of children in West Virginia’s formal foster care system peaked at 7,200 in 2019 and has declined somewhat since, though many informal kinship care arrangements are not reflected in state data.
*Photo Credit: Mission West Virginia*

“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.

**Nikki and Louisa Snuffer** live in Sissonville, West Virginia, and have long considered foster parenting part of building their family. The couple has 12 children ranging in age from 10 months to 20 years old and they also breed French bulldogs.
The Snuffers say their oldest daughter welcomed a baby last fall, making them grandparents for the first time. Their son Dominic attends Marshall University and is on track to graduate soon. The couple has also welcomed another child through a kinship placement. Nikki Snuffer now works with the Mountaineer Challenge Academy, a residential program that helps at-risk teenagers pursue education, structure and career training.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“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 [Department of Health and Human Resources] told us we could have four children in the house, given the space. And that, 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**

**Nikki Snuffer** holds her granddaughter. Many of the children the Snuffers have cared for they first came to know through Nikki Snuffer’s former work at Winfield High School, where she taught in the National Guard–sponsored Future Leaders Program led by veterans. She now works with the Mountaineer Challenge Academy, a residential program that helps at-risk teenagers pursue education, structure and career training.
*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

“[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**

How A Tornado Affected Threatened Orchids, This West Virginia Morning May 27, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, researchers have spent almost two decades restoring a threatened species of orchid in southern Kentucky. But those efforts were disrupted when an EF-4 tornado swept through the area in May 2025, carving visible lines in the landscape. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WEKU’s Lily Burris went to Mount Victory to learn about the recovery.

Also, area residents in northern and eastern West Virginia can offer their feedback in person next month on a proposed electric transmission line in the region.

And, beverage distributors for southern West Virginia have now been on strike for two weeks and counting.

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

Protecting Frogs And WVU Explores New Cancer Treatment, This West Virginia Morning May 26, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, unpredictable weather is making it harder for amphibians to survive in West Virginia – and elsewhere. Kylie Frederick, a journalism student at West Virginia University (WVU), reports on how efforts to protect frogs and similar creatures start at home.

Also, the West Virginia University Cancer Institute is enrolling pancreatic cancer patients for a promising, first-in-human clinical trial that doctors hope will improve survival rates for a very challenging disease.

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 Primary Recount, An Agency Deficit And Termination Of A Farming Grant, This West Virginia Week May 23, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, after statewide primary elections, at least one race is headed for a recount. Also, independent audits find potential savings at three state agencies – as well as a critical deficit that could affect struggling families.

And, a busy summer is on tap in the capitol city. And, the termination of a federal grant program for first time farmers is leaving some growers – and communities – in a bind.

We also discuss the effects of Hurricane Helene in Appalachia.

Maria Young 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.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A man sitting in a dark room. He is facing away. — **Recovery After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia** May 22, 2026
Hurricane Helene devastated central Appalachia and disrupted the lives of people in recovery.

Also, in West Virginia, fur trapping continues, even in the 21st century.

And, baseball is America’s past-time. One league is making the game more inclusive.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Substance Use Recovery After Hurricane Helene**

**Pittsburgh Researcher Moves To China After Trump Cuts**

**The Tao Of Fly Fishing Rods**

**W.Va. Fur Trade In The 21st Century**

**The Sweet Taste Of Syrup In Virginia And W.Va.**

**The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs**

**Baseball Field In Tennessee Accommodates Players With Disabilities**

Substance Use Recovery After Hurricane Helene

Devon, sitting in his daughter's room in Arden, is in recovery for drug addiction. Helene upended his life, but his network of friends and support group helped him get through it.
*Photo Credit: Jesse Barber/Grist*

It’s been a year-and-a-half since Hurricane Helene ravaged central Appalachia, especially western North Carolina. The storm upended communities, including support for people living with addiction and behavioral health issues.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Katie Myers has been exploring how people are still recovering.

Pittsburgh Researcher Moves To China After Trump Cuts

Natalie and Jason Walsman have been living in Pittsburgh since 2020, but are now selling their home and moving to China.
*Photo Credit: Brynn Kleine/90.5 WESA*

As the Trump administration cuts federal science funding, people in research hubs like Pittsburgh are wondering how or if that shift might reshape their communities.

WESA’s Glynis Board spoke with one researcher and his family about their recent decision to move to China.

The Tao Of Fly Fishing Rods

Lee Orr fly fishing on the Elk River.
*Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Most of the time, athletes welcome technical innovations in sports equipment. Gone are the days when folks ran marathons in Converse sneakers. And you don’t hear basketball players pining for short shorts. But some fly fishermen still prefer to do things the old-fashioned way. In 2023, Folkways reporter Zack Harold took us to the Elk River to meet Lee Orr of the 304 Rod Company.

W.Va. Fur Trade In The 21st Century

Jeremiah Whitlatch has taught his daughters how to trap, and they help out at the auction.
*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

People have long trapped animals for their hides.

In North America, Europeans swapped iron tools, cookware and whiskey for animal skins. The pelts were part of a lucrative business that lasted well into the latter part of the last century. In fact, trapping was one of Appalachia’s first industries.

These days, fur trappers struggle to earn a living. The fashion industry has largely turned away from fur. Still, some trappers in West Virginia have adapted or found new careers using their particular skills. A few years back, Folkways reporter Lauren Griffin brought us this story.

The Sweet Taste Of Syrup In Virginia And W.Va.

Maple Sugar Road in Highland County, Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Highland County, Virginia and its neighboring counties in West Virginia are some of the southernmost areas in the U.S. where you can make maple syrup. Making maple syrup has become tradition in these communities, but producers are experimenting – both out of curiosity and out of necessity. In 2023, Folkways reporter Clara Haizlett visited the Alleghany Highlands.

The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs

Last summer, producer Bill Lynch traveled to Hillbilly Hotdogs in Lesage, West Virginia. It’s a local institution and a tourist attraction. In 2024, the hotdog stand’s signature menu item suddenly became unavailable. But the "Homewrecker" has now returned. Bill went to the hotdog stand to take the homewrecker challenge: eating the three-pound hotdog in less than 12 minutes.

Baseball Field In Tennessee Accommodates Players With Disabilities

Murfreesboro’s Miracle Field has been in operation since 2017.
*Photo Credit: Cynthia Abrams/WPLN New*s

You can find a baseball field in most communities, but some diamonds are rarer than others. Like a “Miracle Field.” A baseball facility that can accommodate players with disabilities. WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports that these fields are a growing trend across the country.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Tim Bing, Tim and Dave Bing, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Dinosaur Burps and John Inghram.

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 Chris Julin, Nicole Musgrave and Jennifer Goren. Special thanks to our guest editors this week, Whitney Henry-Lester and Amy Pedulla.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Two people posing in the middle of the street. — **Recovery After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia** May 22, 2026
Hurricane Helene devastated central Appalachia and disrupted the lives of people in recovery.

Also, in West Virginia, fur trapping continues, even in the 21st century.

And, baseball is America’s past-time. One league is making the game more inclusive.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Substance Use Recovery After Hurricane Helene**

**Pittsburgh Researcher Moves To China After Trump Cuts**

**The Tao Of Fly Fishing Rods**

**W.Va. Fur Trade In The 21st Century**

**The Sweet Taste Of Syrup In Virginia And W.Va.**

**The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs**

**Baseball Field In Tennessee Accommodates Players With Disabilities**

Substance Use Recovery After Hurricane Helene

Devon, sitting in his daughter's room in Arden, is in recovery for drug addiction. Helene upended his life, but his network of friends and support group helped him get through it.
*Photo Credit: Jesse Barber/Grist*

It’s been a year-and-a-half since Hurricane Helene ravaged central Appalachia, especially western North Carolina. The storm upended communities, including support for people living with addiction and behavioral health issues.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Katie Myers has been exploring how people are still recovering.

Pittsburgh Researcher Moves To China After Trump Cuts

Natalie and Jason Walsman have been living in Pittsburgh since 2020, but are now selling their home and moving to China.
*Photo Credit: Brynn Kleine/90.5 WESA*

As the Trump administration cuts federal science funding, people in research hubs like Pittsburgh are wondering how or if that shift might reshape their communities.

WESA’s Glynis Board spoke with one researcher and his family about their recent decision to move to China.

The Tao Of Fly Fishing Rods

Lee Orr fly fishing on the Elk River.
*Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Most of the time, athletes welcome technical innovations in sports equipment. Gone are the days when folks ran marathons in Converse sneakers. And you don’t hear basketball players pining for short shorts. But some fly fishermen still prefer to do things the old-fashioned way. In 2023, Folkways reporter Zack Harold took us to the Elk River to meet Lee Orr of the 304 Rod Company.

W.Va. Fur Trade In The 21st Century

Jeremiah Whitlatch has taught his daughters how to trap, and they help out at the auction.
*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

People have long trapped animals for their hides.

In North America, Europeans swapped iron tools, cookware and whiskey for animal skins. The pelts were part of a lucrative business that lasted well into the latter part of the last century. In fact, trapping was one of Appalachia’s first industries.

These days, fur trappers struggle to earn a living. The fashion industry has largely turned away from fur. Still, some trappers in West Virginia have adapted or found new careers using their particular skills. A few years back, Folkways reporter Lauren Griffin brought us this story.

The Sweet Taste Of Syrup In Virginia And W.Va.

Maple Sugar Road in Highland County, Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Highland County, Virginia and its neighboring counties in West Virginia are some of the southernmost areas in the U.S. where you can make maple syrup. Making maple syrup has become tradition in these communities, but producers are experimenting – both out of curiosity and out of necessity. In 2023, Folkways reporter Clara Haizlett visited the Alleghany Highlands.

The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs

Last summer, producer Bill Lynch traveled to Hillbilly Hotdogs in Lesage, West Virginia. It’s a local institution and a tourist attraction. In 2024, the hotdog stand’s signature menu item suddenly became unavailable. But the "Homewrecker" has now returned. Bill went to the hotdog stand to take the homewrecker challenge: eating the three-pound hotdog in less than 12 minutes.

Baseball Field In Tennessee Accommodates Players With Disabilities

Murfreesboro’s Miracle Field has been in operation since 2017.
*Photo Credit: Cynthia Abrams/WPLN New*s

You can find a baseball field in most communities, but some diamonds are rarer than others. Like a “Miracle Field.” A baseball facility that can accommodate players with disabilities. WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports that these fields are a growing trend across the country.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Tim Bing, Tim and Dave Bing, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Dinosaur Burps and John Inghram.

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 Chris Julin, Nicole Musgrave and Jennifer Goren. Special thanks to our guest editors this week, Whitney Henry-Lester and Amy Pedulla.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

How Hurricane Helene Affected Substance Use Recovery, This West Virginia Morning May 22, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, it’s been a year-and-a-half since Hurricane Helene ravaged central Appalachia. Communities are still recovering, including those who were already in recovery for addiction. Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Katie Myers has more.

Also, at least one of West Virginia’s too-close-to-call primary races will go to a recount.

And, new reporting shows that renewable energy is growing across the country with some surprising states leading the way.

Finally, a 70-acre stretch of land in Upshur County will be transformed into a multi-purpose recreational complex, thanks to multiple grants and a generous gift.

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.

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

Future Of First-Time Farming Program Uncertain, This West Virginia Morning May 21, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, a small federal grant program aimed at increasing first-time farmer’s access to land, training and tools was finding fertile ground in West Virginia. But in March, the Trump administration suddenly terminated it, leaving local partners uncertain about their futures. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Chris Schulz reports.

Also, during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill this week, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., asked if a warfare training center in southern West Virginia could help modernize military training.

And, millions in federal funds will protect West Virginia from exposure to lead in drinking water.

Finally, the unemployment rate in West Virginia has fallen from March levels but remains slightly higher than the national average.

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

Day Of Remembrance Held In Kentucky One Year After Tornado, This West Virginia Morning May 20, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, last weekend was the first anniversary of a tornado that devastated communities in nearby southern Kentucky. A Day of Remembrance event honored those who lost their lives, and reflected on a year of recovery. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Shepherd Snyder has this report.

Also, West Virginia lawmakers are taking a hard look at the sustainability of statewide spending on special education.

And, the beginning of July promises to be an extremely busy time for the City of Charleston, with not one but two major celebrations underway.

Finally, the streets of Charleston will once again be filled with world-class cycling races, set to kick off June 16.

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

Understanding If An Electric Vehicle Is Right For You, This West Virginia Morning May 19, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the price of gas has skyrocketed, but how do you know if you would save money with an electric vehicle? The Allegheny Front, a Pittsburgh-based public radio program that reports on environmental issues in the region, reports on how to find out if you would save money with an electric vehicle.

Also state audits reveal potential savings, the state's gas tax is expected to rise and vets warn about pets accidentally eating cannabis.

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

Bringing A Nashville Steam Locomotive Back To Life, This West Virginia Morning May 18, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, an historic steam locomotive that occupied Nashville’s Centennial Park for decades will soon hit the rails again. John Boyle of the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom reports on a yearslong restoration effort to save the train.

Also some lawmakers are back in Charleston this week for interim meetings and canvassing starts today for last week's primary election.

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

Judge Copenhaver Dies And The Primary Wraps Up, This West Virginia Week May 16, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, a long-serving judge dies, the primary election wraps up and national hospital week is observed.

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, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Fantasy Music Festival Comes To Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning May 15, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachian music comes in all kinds. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Mason Salomeini, organizer of the electronic music celebration Dungeon Fest in Whitesburg, Kentucky.

Also some of Tuesday's primary races remain too close to call, the state's math scores improve and students have new opportunities in the utilities and energy sector.

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.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Chuck Anziulewicz is our host. 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

Treating Addiction With Psychedelics, This West Virginia Morning May 14, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, psychedelic drugs might find acceptance as a treatment potential for mental health conditions and drug addictions. From the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay checks back with a friend named Dimitri Mugianis who’s been using a psychedelic drug called ibogaine to help people kick addictions.

Also, the governor's endorsements in the primary election get results, beverage distributors go on strike and the production of mining tools goes local.

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

An Election Night Update From The W.Va. Secretary Of State, This West Virginia Morning May 13, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Secretary of State Kris Warner provided an election night update on voter turnout and results from Tuesday’s primary election.

Also Sen. Shelley Moore Capito cruises to the Republican nomination, and election analysis from a West Virginia University professor.

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 Changing Landscape For W.Va. Hospitals, This West Virginia Morning May 11, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Jim Kaufman, president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association, spoke with Maria Young about some of the challenges that lie ahead for hospitals and those who need them in the Mountain State.

And the Primary Election is tomorrow, as well as a look at making America's pastime accessible to all.

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

The Primary Turns Ugly And Ambulance Driver Indicted, This West Virginia Week May 09, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, the primary election in the state turns ugly and racist, an ambulance driver is indicted for the death of a man in Elkview and Democrats call for an investigation of Senator Jim Justice.

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, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

Riding With W.Va.’s Quick Response Teams, This West Virginia Morning May 08, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, substance use disorder and mental health challenges reached a boiling point during the COVID-19 pandemic, so a few localities decided to try something new. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spent time over several months with crisis teams in Huntington and Princeton.

And the state commits to helping children through improvements to foster care and new savings accounts, while local and federal law enforcement focus on seatbelt enforcement.

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.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Chuck Anziulewicz is our host. 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

Fracking Proposals And Possible Impacts, This West Virginia Morning May 07, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, a plan to funnel millions of dollars in oil and gas royalties toward conservation efforts is getting support from an unexpected group. From The Allegheny Front, we learn about fracking proposals in southeastern Ohio – and what West Virginia University (WVU) researchers say could be the impact on wildlife.

Also, West Virginia’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its child welfare system took center stage Wednesday.

And, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday it is creating a new Special Missions Command in Kearneysville, 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 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

Plans To Connect W.Va. To Pittsburgh Via Rail Trail, This West Virginia Morning May 06, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, across the country, old railroads have been converted into multi-use trails for folks to get out and enjoy nature. Chris Schulz has more on an ambitious vision to connect communities in West Virginia to Pittsburgh via rail trail.

Also, a new statewide effort to boost school safety got its first investment this week.

And, the West Virginia Democratic Party is calling for a federal investigation into Sen. Jim Justice and his efforts to maintain control of The Greenbrier Resort.

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

How The War In Iran Is Affecting Shipping, Supply Chains In Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning May 05, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, prices at fuel pumps have surged since the United States went to war with Iran. But the Middle East conflict is also having major impacts on international shipping and supply chains. As Shelby Bloomer with Kentucky-based radio station WKMS reports, those issues are taking a major toll on Appalachian corn farmers. This story was produced by the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom.

Also, ahead of the May 12 primary election, voters in West Virginia’s 8^th senatorial district began receiving a mailer from an out-of-state political action committee that targets one candidate and raises race as an issue.

And, some Catholics are excited by the news of new leadership 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 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 Look At Recent Growth In The Horse Racing Industry, This West Virginia Morning May 04, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, in an effort to attract more horse racing competitors this year to West Virginia, the state Legislature increased the funding cap to $2 million for certain races – and neighboring states are taking similar action. When Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, his owner, trainer and jockey won an estimated $3.1 million winning purse. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Justin Hicks reports much of that growth can be attributed to increased gambling on historical horse racing games.

Also, the source and cause of a small mercury spill in Charleston remains under investigation, but the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the City of Charleston coordinated cleanup efforts throughout the weekend.

And, following an environmental group’s litigation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently put protections in place along nearly 4,000 miles of river in 17 states, including Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, for four species of mussels. Derek Operle with member station WKMS 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 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

The Opioid Settlement And Gas Price Shock, This West Virginia Week May 02, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, an opioid settlement reaches a milestone, gas prices shock Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and we have more information on the recent chemical spill near Nitro.

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, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

The cover of a book with the title, "A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail" by Mills Kelly. There is a photo of nine people posing on the Appalachian trail. — **Mills Kelly, Coalfield Depopulation And Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque, Inside Appalachia** May 01, 2026
Historian Mills Kelly’s love affair with the Appalachian Trail started when he was a boy scout. He was 12.

Also, the region is known for exporting coal, but it’s losing people, too.

And, Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in southwestern Virginia fuses Asian ideas with Appalachian comfort food, like cheesy egg rolls.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail**

**Acupuncture May Ease Alpha-Gal Syndrome**

**Depopulation In Appalachian Coalfields**

**Ambulance Crews In Rural Tennessee Administer Antibiotics On Site**

**A Community Rallies Around Cuz’s Barbeque**

**Environmental Engineer Turned "Water Healer"**

*A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail*

The cover of *A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail* by Mills Kelly.
*Courtesy of Mills Kelly/Arcadia Publishing*

Mills Kelly knows an awful lot about the Appalachian Trail (AT). While he’s never attempted a thru-hike, the lifelong hiker has covered hundreds and hundreds of miles of the trail. He’s also a trail scholar. He shares its history on *The Green Tunnel Podcast*.

He’s also written several books about the trail, including his most recent. It’s called A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail. Producer Bill Lynch recently spoke with Kelly about his life with the AT.

Acupuncture May Ease Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Acupuncturist Jessica Dodds holds up an alpha-gal vial she uses to assess allergy severity.
*Photo Credit: Christine Phelan Kueter/WMRA*

Nobody loves ticks. The bloodsuckers have a reputation for spreading Lyme disease, but that’s not all. They can also infect people with Alpha Gal Syndrome, a red meat allergy.

Symptoms of the allergy range from a rash to crippling gastro-intestinal upset. It has even very rarely led to death. Sometimes the allergy fades over time, but sometimes it doesn’t, and there is no cure.

But as WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports, some are getting relief through acupuncture.

Depopulation In Appalachian Coalfields

In this Oct. 16, 2014 photo, fog hovers over a mountaintop as a cut out of a coal miner stands at a memorial to local miners killed on the job in Cumberland, Kentucky.
*Photo Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman*

The population inAppalachia’s coal-producing counties has declined since the boom of the 1950s. As the coal industry mechanized and shrunk, jobs went away, and young people did, too. Now, a series of population estimates show things might get even worse.

Journalist Jim Branscome grew up in southwestern Virginia and has been following this story. Host Mason Adams spoke with Branscome back in the fall.

Ambulance Crews In Rural Tennessee Administer Antibiotics On Site

Paramedics in Hawkins County have been administering Zosyn, a penicillin antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body, to treat septic patients in ambulances since last year. The program is made possible through a partnership between Hawkins County EMS and Ballad Health, a major hospital operator in the region.
*Photo Credit: Pierce Gentry/WPLN News*

Untreated infections are one of the most frequent causes of death in the United States. Getting lifesaving antibiotics is a challenge in rural areas that don’t have easy access to hospitals.

For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, reporter Pierce Gentry tells us about an effort in Hawkins County Tennessee to find a solution.

A Community Rallies Around Cuz’s Barbeque

Cuz's Uptown Barbeque was selected in 2019 by World Restaurant Awards as one of the top under-the-radar restaurants in the world.
*Photo Credit: Connie Bailey Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Food in Appalachia is a blend of the food from all the other places people came from to get here. In West Virginia, we have pepperoni rolls because about 100 years ago, Italians working in the coal mines wanted an easy lunch.

Different food ideas show up all the time.

At Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in Tazewell County, Virginia, you get local mountain flavors, but with an Asian inspired twist. There are items on the menu like Morel mushrooms, cheesy egg rolls and country ham caprese.

In 2022, Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts and her family stopped in at Cuz’s for dinner and brought us this story.

Environmental Engineer Turned "Water Healer"

Carol Parenzan is an environmental engineer and former riverkeeper who is starting a new chapter as The Water Healer.
*Courtesy Photo*

The Susquehanna River is one of the world’s oldest rivers. It’s also one of its most threatened. The Susquehanna has been named America’s most endangered river multiple times. More than a decade ago, Carol Perenzen became its inaugural riverkeeper. She helped connect people to their river and advocated for its protection. Now Perenzen has a new project.

The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsapple has more.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Eric Vincent Huey, Mary Hott, Hello June and John Inghram.

Mason Adams is our show host. 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 Jennifer Goren and Zander Aloi.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A person holding a vile that reads, "Alpha Gal." — **Mills Kelly, Coalfield Depopulation And Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque, Inside Appalachia** May 01, 2026
Historian Mills Kelly’s love affair with the Appalachian Trail started when he was a boy scout. He was 12.

Also, the region is known for exporting coal, but it’s losing people, too.

And, Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in southwestern Virginia fuses Asian ideas with Appalachian comfort food, like cheesy egg rolls.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail**

**Acupuncture May Ease Alpha-Gal Syndrome**

**Depopulation In Appalachian Coalfields**

**Ambulance Crews In Rural Tennessee Administer Antibiotics On Site**

**A Community Rallies Around Cuz’s Barbeque**

**Environmental Engineer Turned "Water Healer"**

*A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail*

The cover of *A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail* by Mills Kelly.
*Courtesy of Mills Kelly/Arcadia Publishing*

Mills Kelly knows an awful lot about the Appalachian Trail (AT). While he’s never attempted a thru-hike, the lifelong hiker has covered hundreds and hundreds of miles of the trail. He’s also a trail scholar. He shares its history on *The Green Tunnel Podcast*.

He’s also written several books about the trail, including his most recent. It’s called A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail. Producer Bill Lynch recently spoke with Kelly about his life with the AT.

Acupuncture May Ease Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Acupuncturist Jessica Dodds holds up an alpha-gal vial she uses to assess allergy severity.
*Photo Credit: Christine Phelan Kueter/WMRA*

Nobody loves ticks. The bloodsuckers have a reputation for spreading Lyme disease, but that’s not all. They can also infect people with Alpha Gal Syndrome, a red meat allergy.

Symptoms of the allergy range from a rash to crippling gastro-intestinal upset. It has even very rarely led to death. Sometimes the allergy fades over time, but sometimes it doesn’t, and there is no cure.

But as WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports, some are getting relief through acupuncture.

Depopulation In Appalachian Coalfields

In this Oct. 16, 2014 photo, fog hovers over a mountaintop as a cut out of a coal miner stands at a memorial to local miners killed on the job in Cumberland, Kentucky.
*Photo Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman*

The population inAppalachia’s coal-producing counties has declined since the boom of the 1950s. As the coal industry mechanized and shrunk, jobs went away, and young people did, too. Now, a series of population estimates show things might get even worse.

Journalist Jim Branscome grew up in southwestern Virginia and has been following this story. Host Mason Adams spoke with Branscome back in the fall.

Ambulance Crews In Rural Tennessee Administer Antibiotics On Site

Paramedics in Hawkins County have been administering Zosyn, a penicillin antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body, to treat septic patients in ambulances since last year. The program is made possible through a partnership between Hawkins County EMS and Ballad Health, a major hospital operator in the region.
*Photo Credit: Pierce Gentry/WPLN News*

Untreated infections are one of the most frequent causes of death in the United States. Getting lifesaving antibiotics is a challenge in rural areas that don’t have easy access to hospitals.

For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, reporter Pierce Gentry tells us about an effort in Hawkins County Tennessee to find a solution.

A Community Rallies Around Cuz’s Barbeque

Cuz's Uptown Barbeque was selected in 2019 by World Restaurant Awards as one of the top under-the-radar restaurants in the world.
*Photo Credit: Connie Bailey Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Food in Appalachia is a blend of the food from all the other places people came from to get here. In West Virginia, we have pepperoni rolls because about 100 years ago, Italians working in the coal mines wanted an easy lunch.

Different food ideas show up all the time.

At Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in Tazewell County, Virginia, you get local mountain flavors, but with an Asian inspired twist. There are items on the menu like Morel mushrooms, cheesy egg rolls and country ham caprese.

In 2022, Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts and her family stopped in at Cuz’s for dinner and brought us this story.

Environmental Engineer Turned "Water Healer"

Carol Parenzan is an environmental engineer and former riverkeeper who is starting a new chapter as The Water Healer.
*Courtesy Photo*

The Susquehanna River is one of the world’s oldest rivers. It’s also one of its most threatened. The Susquehanna has been named America’s most endangered river multiple times. More than a decade ago, Carol Perenzen became its inaugural riverkeeper. She helped connect people to their river and advocated for its protection. Now Perenzen has a new project.

The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsapple has more.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Eric Vincent Huey, Mary Hott, Hello June and John Inghram.

Mason Adams is our show host. 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 Jennifer Goren and Zander Aloi.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Author Describes How His Love For The Appalachian Trail Began In New Book, This West Virginia Morning May 01, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Mills Kelly is a lifelong hiker and Appalachian Trail scholar. He shares the trail’s history and more on The Green Tunnel Podcast. He’s also written several books, including his most recent, called A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch spoke with Kelly to learn more.

Also, Jefferson County Schools have been placed on lockdown for a second day in a row after threatening calls were made.

And, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Thursday on her weekly press call that she was shocked to see the price for a gallon of regular gas in West Virginia had climbed to more than $4. Capito shares what she said it will take to get those numbers down.

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.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

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

Attorney Discusses Incident Involving W.Va. Man Dragged By Ambulance, This West Virginia Morning Apr 30, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, two weeks ago, on April 16, John Lucas was run over by an ambulance from the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority at 2 a.m. in Elkview. And then he was dragged for nearly two miles. He died from his injuries. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with the family’s attorney, Scott Summers, and brings us this interview.

Also, federal, state and local agencies are working to monitor conditions at the site of a fatal chemical leak near Nitro last week.

And, a new national study shows teacher pay is not keeping up with inflation, and West Virginia is bringing up the rear.

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

Understanding Risks, Prevention Of Tick Bites, This West Virginia Morning Apr 29, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, as temperatures rise and people start heading outside, the chance of contracting a tick-borne illness goes up. Cases of Lyme disease have seen a sharp rise in recent years, so reporter Chris Schulz recently spoke with Dr. Kane Maiers, associate medical director for UPMC GoHealth Urgent Care in West Virginia, to learn more.

Also, potholes across West Virginia are on track for repair by the end of May, according to Gov. Patrick Morrisey. That’s happening as the state steps up safety efforts for workers.

And, the League of Women Voters of West Virginia has published its annual legislative scorecard on 20 bills that became law in the recently completed legislative session.

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

Green Bank Observatory SETI Tours Takes Visitors Behind The Scenes, This West Virginia Morning Apr 28, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the Green Bank Observatory is offering a limited chance to go behind the scenes to check out its Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI). SETI tours are offered to small groups – ages 12 and up – several times a month through October. Maria Young caught up with the Observatory’s news manager, Jill Malusky, to find out more about the tours – and what exactly scientists there are looking for.

Also, a new study is shedding light on the need for more mental health resources for new and expecting mothers.

And, a developing industry is taking off with federal support.

Finally, text messages illegally using the West Virginia State Seal have been reported to the Secretary of State’s office.

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

Understanding And Preventing Chemical Incidents, This West Virginia Morning Apr 27, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, there are still many questions that surround the chemical incident near Institute last week that killed two workers. Chris Schulz spoke with Dr. Christopher Martin, a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine at West Virginia University (WVU), to try and shed some light on what happened.

Also, Mountaineer Food Bank is expanding its warehouse to serve significantly more food insecure West Virginians. The nonprofit cut the ribbon on its new, 864,000 square-foot facility in Gassaway last week. The central location will serve 48 of the state’s 55 counties and is designed to quickly get more food to those in need.

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

The Chemical Spill In Kanawha County And Photographer Perry Bennett, This West Virginia Week Apr 25, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, the air around the site of a chemical leak near Institute is determined safe, the state reaches a settlement with Roblox, and Charleston photographer Perry Bennett represents Team USA in Iceland.

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, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A book cover with the title, "Tore All To Pieces." There is a photo of a young girl with red hair. The author's name is "Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr." — **Willie Carver Jr. And Marina Waters, Inside Appalachia** Apr 24, 2026
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*.

**In This Episode:**

Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel *Tore All To Pieces*

**Health Care Hollow In Tennessee**

**Childhood Cancer Rates Rise In Scott County, Virginia**

**Preserving Little Green Apples**

**Air Pollution Can Cause Lung Cancer**

**Asheville's New Puppet Correspondent**

Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel *Tore All To Pieces*

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.

Health Care 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 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.

------

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.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

A building in the middle a field. — **Willie Carver Jr. And Marina Waters, Inside Appalachia** Apr 24, 2026
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*.

**In This Episode:**

Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel *Tore All To Pieces*

**Health Care Hollow In Tennessee**

**Childhood Cancer Rates Rise In Scott County, Virginia**

**Preserving Little Green Apples**

**Air Pollution Can Cause Lung Cancer**

**Asheville's New Puppet Correspondent**

Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel *Tore All To Pieces*

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.

Health Care 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 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.

------

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.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Weaving Poetry Into Short Stories, This West Virginia Morning Apr 24, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, Kentucky writer Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr’s new book Tore All To Pieces weaves poetry and short stories into a narrative about people and place. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch recently spoke with Carver and brings us this conversation.

Also, state and federal environmental agencies were on site Thursday at the Catalyst Refiners plant following a fatal chemical leak on Wednesday.

And, money from the Rural Health Transformation Program is about to start flowing into 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 and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. 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 graphic for Ken Burns' newest documentary series, "The American Revolution" on PBS. It features a silhouette of a man on a horse during a battle and the words "We The People" seen in the background. — **Us & Them: The Good, The Bad, And The American Revolution** Apr 23, 2026
The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence arrives at a moment when Americans are arguing not just about politics — but about our nation’s history.

As President Donald Trump calls for the removal of what he labels “divisive” history from public institutions, a new documentary from Ken Burns revisits the American Revolution with all of its complexity, contradiction and competing visions of freedom.

In this episode of *Us & Them*, host Trey Kay brings together professors and students at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia along with community members for a public conversation. There’s talk about what the revolution meant then, who it was for, and what it means now — at a time when questions about executive power, citizenship and belonging feel anything but settled.

This episode of *Us & Them* is presented with support from WETA and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

The PBS documentary series *The American Revolution*, produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, premiered Nov. 16, 2025, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the war’s start. The eight-year project traces how 13 British colonies rebelled, won independence and formed a new government that reshaped the continent and inspired democratic movements worldwide.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting hosted a community screening and discussion of *The American Revolution*, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
*Photo courtesy of Marshall University*

*Learn more about the* *Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation*.
*Learn more about* *Marshall University*.

Before the program begins, *Us & Them* host **Trey Kay** welcomes the audience and outlines the evening’s format ahead of a live taping and discussion of *The American Revolution*.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

Members of a five-person panel — two Marshall University professors and three students — gather for a community discussion before an audience in the Encova Auditorium at Marshall University’s Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation in Huntington, West Virginia, ahead of a screening of excerpts from *The American Revolution*.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

**Kevin Barksdale** is a professor of early American history at Marshall University whose research focuses on the Appalachian frontier during the Revolutionary era and on Native American history in the Southeast.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“My experience with students is that students want unvarnished history. They don’t want the Disney version of American history. That’s boring, right? And that’s not the way it works.*

I try to point out that these are people that we’re talking about. They’re flawed humans with different kinds of ambitions and desires and counter-ambitions. And if you think about the past in that kind of way, it allows you to put yourself back there, maybe relate to what’s going on and think about those sorts of things.

I’ve never experienced students coming up to me and saying, ‘Look, I want you to simplify this, romanticize this, and I don’t want any of the most unsavory aspects of it to come about because it hurts my feelings.’ I don’t have that experience. I don’t understand that experience.”

— ***Kevin Barksdale***

*Learn more about* *Kevin Barksdale*.

**George Davis** is a professor of political science at Marshall University whose work focuses on American political development, constitutional law and the evolution of democratic institutions.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“It’s easy sometimes in academia to look at the revolution or the founding and say this was terrible, and ask if there’s hypocrisy there.*

But it’s really important to think about how the ideals that come out of the revolution—the founding, the Declaration of Independence—have been used for multiple social justice issues since then.

Part of the American story is believing in things like liberty and equality and self-determination. And we don’t take a lot of time to really think about what those terms mean. Unless we interrogate our history—what they meant to the colonists, and how they didn’t always live up to them—it forces us to ask what we actually mean when we use those words today. Without telling these stories, we can’t have a sense of what those ideas mean.”

— ***George Davis***

*Learn more about* *George Davis*.

**Adriana Raymore** is a political science student at Marshall University with an interest in public policy, civic engagement and questions of equity in American society. Her academic work focuses on how historical narratives shape contemporary debates about justice, citizenship and belonging.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I feel like watching the documentary definitely changed my perspective on how I would fit into the nation’s origin story.*

*Being a young Black American woman, it’s hard to see where we would fit in. As they mentioned, it was more often about what wealthy white women did.*

*I feel like our part of history goes unnoticed and we’re kind of hidden from that. So we don’t really know what victories we had or what we did during that period of time.”*

— ***Adriana Raymore***

**William Harrison** is a physics major at Marshall University whose academic interests include the intersection of science, public policy and democratic decision-making. He is part of Marshall’s Class of 2029 and brings a perspective shaped by both scientific inquiry and a curiosity about political systems and history.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

“Growing up here in West Virginia, they romanticized the American Revolution very heavily. We focused on what we won—our battles—rather than how we treated the people that helped us along the way.

*I think we need to teach everything—the good, the bad, the ugly—all of it, rather than just the one version, the American hero narrative.”*

— **Benjamin Harrison**

**E. Provost** is a political science student at Marshall University focused on government, history and the role of education in shaping civic understanding. Their work reflects an interest in how historical complexity and competing narratives influence the way people interpret the past and engage with the present.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I think the part that makes me feel the most uncomfortable is when they said that Native Americans probably would have been better off if we had never come here.*

*That’s a really uncomfortable truth to sit with. It’s hard to reconcile it — because here we are on this land, and we’re reaping the benefits of their injustices.*

*I feel like the sanitized version of history that people think they want is unproductive and uninvolving. It creates apathy.*

*This is an experiment — the American experiment — and we have to keep refining what that means.”*

— **E. Provost**

**Lio Frye**, a fourth-year Marshall University student majoring in classics and classical languages, reflects on the enduring philosophical questions raised by the American Revolution and their parallels in ancient civilizations.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“These are all the same questions: What right do I have to speak? What right do I have to think? What right do I have to tell somebody else what to do?*

*I think it’s important that we never stop revisiting those issues—because the tides of history will never stop.”*

— **Lio Frye**

John Maher, vice president for research at Marshall University and executive director of the Marshall University Research Corporation, has a background in chemistry and industry leadership, including more than 20 years at Union Carbide Corp.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

“You created a system that was perhaps the best in the world at creating wealth. Through that period, you went from landed wealth to a tremendous expansion of mercantile wealth, and then industrial wealth through manufacturing and transportation — now into an era of digital wealth.And this system, with all its warts and bubbles and difficulties, has been able to manage that tremendous transition and address issues with the distribution of that wealth.”

— **John Maher**

**Lacey Vinegar**, a Marshall University employee, speaks about the role of higher education in expanding perspectives and fostering open discussion.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I think part of the role of universities and colleges is to expand the worldview of people, because sometimes what we do learn in K-12 is very limited and the perspective is very limited.*

*Part of the role of universities and colleges is allowing people to expand their worldview but then also create a safe space to have these discussions.”*

— **Lacey Vinegar**

**Helen Zublic Fain**, an employee of Cabell County Schools, reflects on the importance of civic dialogue and the responsibility of citizens to engage respectfully across differences.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Now we have a republic, if you can keep it.’*

And to me, that means we have to be bold. We have to not only have these debates within academia, but we also have to have those moments when you are sitting next to somebody who you disagree with—and learn how to respectfully speak to them.

*We have to have the courage to stand up and say something.”*

***— Helen Zublic Fain***

**Mason Skidmore**, a Marshall University biochemistry student, asks about the enduring influence of Revolutionary-era ideas and how they continue to resonate with younger generations.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I don’t know if I could say any specific image, but I think the Revolution—absolutely, the ideas.*

*It wasn’t based off of ancient ideas, it wasn’t based off ancient peoples—it was based on the idea that we’re creating something new for the people.*

*And I think that we should continue that in our democracy.”*

— ***Mason Skidmore***

**Jones McKee**, a student at Huntington Middle School, asks about the role of France and international alliances in the American Revolution.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

**Michael Borsuk**, a Marshall University student, raises questions about perceptions of higher education, media influence and their potential impact on democracy.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

“With the perception that colleges are indoctrinating per se, do you believe that some of that comes from the fact that, and I mean here in West Virginia, that not half our population has a college education?

Do you believe it’s a threat now with social media playing an influence in kids that are 13 years old seeing political content and not understanding how to process it or what they are exactly seeing, and what do you think that means for the future of democracy?”

— **Michael Borsuk**

Outside a large building on a cloudy day. — **Us & Them: The Good, The Bad, And The American Revolution** Apr 23, 2026
The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence arrives at a moment when Americans are arguing not just about politics — but about our nation’s history.

As President Donald Trump calls for the removal of what he labels “divisive” history from public institutions, a new documentary from Ken Burns revisits the American Revolution with all of its complexity, contradiction and competing visions of freedom.

In this episode of *Us & Them*, host Trey Kay brings together professors and students at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia along with community members for a public conversation. There’s talk about what the revolution meant then, who it was for, and what it means now — at a time when questions about executive power, citizenship and belonging feel anything but settled.

This episode of *Us & Them* is presented with support from WETA and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to *Us & Them* on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts.

The PBS documentary series *The American Revolution*, produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, premiered Nov. 16, 2025, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the war’s start. The eight-year project traces how 13 British colonies rebelled, won independence and formed a new government that reshaped the continent and inspired democratic movements worldwide.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting hosted a community screening and discussion of *The American Revolution*, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
*Photo courtesy of Marshall University*

*Learn more about the* *Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation*.
*Learn more about* *Marshall University*.

Before the program begins, *Us & Them* host **Trey Kay** welcomes the audience and outlines the evening’s format ahead of a live taping and discussion of *The American Revolution*.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

Members of a five-person panel — two Marshall University professors and three students — gather for a community discussion before an audience in the Encova Auditorium at Marshall University’s Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation in Huntington, West Virginia, ahead of a screening of excerpts from *The American Revolution*.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

**Kevin Barksdale** is a professor of early American history at Marshall University whose research focuses on the Appalachian frontier during the Revolutionary era and on Native American history in the Southeast.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“My experience with students is that students want unvarnished history. They don’t want the Disney version of American history. That’s boring, right? And that’s not the way it works.*

I try to point out that these are people that we’re talking about. They’re flawed humans with different kinds of ambitions and desires and counter-ambitions. And if you think about the past in that kind of way, it allows you to put yourself back there, maybe relate to what’s going on and think about those sorts of things.

I’ve never experienced students coming up to me and saying, ‘Look, I want you to simplify this, romanticize this, and I don’t want any of the most unsavory aspects of it to come about because it hurts my feelings.’ I don’t have that experience. I don’t understand that experience.”

— ***Kevin Barksdale***

*Learn more about* *Kevin Barksdale*.

**George Davis** is a professor of political science at Marshall University whose work focuses on American political development, constitutional law and the evolution of democratic institutions.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“It’s easy sometimes in academia to look at the revolution or the founding and say this was terrible, and ask if there’s hypocrisy there.*

But it’s really important to think about how the ideals that come out of the revolution—the founding, the Declaration of Independence—have been used for multiple social justice issues since then.

Part of the American story is believing in things like liberty and equality and self-determination. And we don’t take a lot of time to really think about what those terms mean. Unless we interrogate our history—what they meant to the colonists, and how they didn’t always live up to them—it forces us to ask what we actually mean when we use those words today. Without telling these stories, we can’t have a sense of what those ideas mean.”

— ***George Davis***

*Learn more about* *George Davis*.

**Adriana Raymore** is a political science student at Marshall University with an interest in public policy, civic engagement and questions of equity in American society. Her academic work focuses on how historical narratives shape contemporary debates about justice, citizenship and belonging.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I feel like watching the documentary definitely changed my perspective on how I would fit into the nation’s origin story.*

*Being a young Black American woman, it’s hard to see where we would fit in. As they mentioned, it was more often about what wealthy white women did.*

*I feel like our part of history goes unnoticed and we’re kind of hidden from that. So we don’t really know what victories we had or what we did during that period of time.”*

— ***Adriana Raymore***

**William Harrison** is a physics major at Marshall University whose academic interests include the intersection of science, public policy and democratic decision-making. He is part of Marshall’s Class of 2029 and brings a perspective shaped by both scientific inquiry and a curiosity about political systems and history.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

“Growing up here in West Virginia, they romanticized the American Revolution very heavily. We focused on what we won—our battles—rather than how we treated the people that helped us along the way.

*I think we need to teach everything—the good, the bad, the ugly—all of it, rather than just the one version, the American hero narrative.”*

— **Benjamin Harrison**

**E. Provost** is a political science student at Marshall University focused on government, history and the role of education in shaping civic understanding. Their work reflects an interest in how historical complexity and competing narratives influence the way people interpret the past and engage with the present.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I think the part that makes me feel the most uncomfortable is when they said that Native Americans probably would have been better off if we had never come here.*

*That’s a really uncomfortable truth to sit with. It’s hard to reconcile it — because here we are on this land, and we’re reaping the benefits of their injustices.*

*I feel like the sanitized version of history that people think they want is unproductive and uninvolving. It creates apathy.*

*This is an experiment — the American experiment — and we have to keep refining what that means.”*

— **E. Provost**

**Lio Frye**, a fourth-year Marshall University student majoring in classics and classical languages, reflects on the enduring philosophical questions raised by the American Revolution and their parallels in ancient civilizations.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“These are all the same questions: What right do I have to speak? What right do I have to think? What right do I have to tell somebody else what to do?*

*I think it’s important that we never stop revisiting those issues—because the tides of history will never stop.”*

— **Lio Frye**

John Maher, vice president for research at Marshall University and executive director of the Marshall University Research Corporation, has a background in chemistry and industry leadership, including more than 20 years at Union Carbide Corp.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

“You created a system that was perhaps the best in the world at creating wealth. Through that period, you went from landed wealth to a tremendous expansion of mercantile wealth, and then industrial wealth through manufacturing and transportation — now into an era of digital wealth.And this system, with all its warts and bubbles and difficulties, has been able to manage that tremendous transition and address issues with the distribution of that wealth.”

— **John Maher**

**Lacey Vinegar**, a Marshall University employee, speaks about the role of higher education in expanding perspectives and fostering open discussion.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I think part of the role of universities and colleges is to expand the worldview of people, because sometimes what we do learn in K-12 is very limited and the perspective is very limited.*

*Part of the role of universities and colleges is allowing people to expand their worldview but then also create a safe space to have these discussions.”*

— **Lacey Vinegar**

**Helen Zublic Fain**, an employee of Cabell County Schools, reflects on the importance of civic dialogue and the responsibility of citizens to engage respectfully across differences.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Now we have a republic, if you can keep it.’*

And to me, that means we have to be bold. We have to not only have these debates within academia, but we also have to have those moments when you are sitting next to somebody who you disagree with—and learn how to respectfully speak to them.

*We have to have the courage to stand up and say something.”*

***— Helen Zublic Fain***

**Mason Skidmore**, a Marshall University biochemistry student, asks about the enduring influence of Revolutionary-era ideas and how they continue to resonate with younger generations.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

*“I don’t know if I could say any specific image, but I think the Revolution—absolutely, the ideas.*

*It wasn’t based off of ancient ideas, it wasn’t based off ancient peoples—it was based on the idea that we’re creating something new for the people.*

*And I think that we should continue that in our democracy.”*

— ***Mason Skidmore***

**Jones McKee**, a student at Huntington Middle School, asks about the role of France and international alliances in the American Revolution.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

**Michael Borsuk**, a Marshall University student, raises questions about perceptions of higher education, media influence and their potential impact on democracy.
*Photo by Nolan Duncan*

“With the perception that colleges are indoctrinating per se, do you believe that some of that comes from the fact that, and I mean here in West Virginia, that not half our population has a college education?

Do you believe it’s a threat now with social media playing an influence in kids that are 13 years old seeing political content and not understanding how to process it or what they are exactly seeing, and what do you think that means for the future of democracy?”

— **Michael Borsuk**

The State Gets Good Grades For Air Quality, This West Virginia Morning Apr 22, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, the American Lung Association has released its 27th State of the Air report on air pollution and awarded grades for metro areas across the country. West Virginia isn’t perfect but is surprisingly good. No one in the state lives in a county with a failing grade. The Charleston-Huntington metro area got all As.

News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Kevin Stewart, director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association, about the report and what it all means.

Also, West Virginia has reached one of the first settlements in the country with a popular children’s online gaming platform.

And, a West Virginia folklorist has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Finally, the Appalachian Regional Commission is accepting applications for projects to help people in recovery enter – or reenter – the workforce.

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

W.Va. Photographer Talks Photo That Brought Him International Recognition, This West Virginia Morning Apr 21, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, a West Virginia photographer is representing Team USA in the 2026 World Photographic Cup in Iceland this week – and he’s there because of a photo he almost didn’t take. We hear from longtime photographer for the West Virginia Legislature and two-time winner of the Professional Photographers of West Virginia Photographer of the Year award, Perry Bennett.

Also, a federal hearing in three weeks could determine the next step for the historic but struggling Greenbrier Resort.

And, it's time to get your bird feeders out. The hummingbirds are here.

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

The Healing Power Of Water, This West Virginia Morning Apr 20, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, especially in a land-locked state, the idea of caring for our natural waterways may not come easily. The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region, brings us their latest story on the healing power of water.

Also, the search for extra-terrestrial life is on at the Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County.

And, the Spring Gobbler Season has kicked off. After a long, cold winter the annual spring harvest offers a chance to enjoy West Virginia’s great outdoors under sunny skies.

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

High Voltage Lines And Ticks, This West Virginia Week Apr 18, 2026

On this West Virginia Week, a Florida energy company plans to build a high voltage line across four West Virginia counties. Also, the state’s horse racing industry gets a boost, and be sure to watch out for ticks this season.

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, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Learn more about West Virginia Week.

A ground-level view of a coal-fired plant. There are three smokestacks and two cooling towers behind the factory building. — **Coal’s Cost On Energy Prices, Inside Appalachia** Apr 17, 2026
Coal power can be expensive. Utilities run coal-fired power plants harder in the winter and summer when demand is high.

Also, two films made in West Virginia shot to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts. The state wants to encourage even more movies to be made in West Virginia by helping keep production costs down.

And, an Eastern Kentucky pharmacist serves vegan food for the holidays.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia**

**Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition**

**High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry**

**The Modern Mountain Cookbook**

**Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio**

Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia

The Harrison Power Station, a coal-fired power plant in West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Roxy Todd/Radio IQ*

Lawmakers across the country are talking about affordability, especially when it comes to rising power bills. But states are taking different approaches to make that happen. Virginia is pushing for more renewable energy, while West Virginia lawmakers are trying to keep coal plants open.

Host Mason Adams teamed up with Radio IQ reporter Roxy Todd. They talked with economists, politicians and ratepayers to try to learn why tensions between the two Virginias may be driving up costs.

Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition

More states are using cameras to aid police and other law enforcement agencies. In Tennessee, state police are exploring the idea of pairing cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition software. That’s according to public records obtained by the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. But that technology also comes with privacy concerns.

Managing Editor Ryan Van Velzer spoke with reporters Pierce Gentry and Justin Hicks to learn more.

High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry

A large but typical turn-of-the-century home in Mannington, W.Va., was used as the location for a staged yard sale in the popular Netflix film "The Bad Guardian."
*Photo courtesy of Robert Tinnell*

It’s always exciting to recognize parts of Appalachia in movies. Today, more and more films and TV shows shot in Appalachia are turning up on streaming services. In March, two films shot in West Virginia made the Netflix Top Ten list for movies streamed in the U.S. And it’s not just the state’s geography that’s a draw for filmmakers.

WVPB’s Maria Young has more.

The Modern Mountain Cookbook

*The Modern Mountain Cookbook* by Jan A. Brandenburg.
*Courtesy Photo*

When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want comfort food without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table.

Last spring, Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book *The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia.*

Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio

Juniper and Talcon display their finished brain tanned buckskins.
*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Tanning hides for clothes, blankets, shoes – for all kinds of things – goes back millennia. But over the years, some tanning techniques have become less common, like brain tanning.

As it turns out, women in Appalachia are reclaiming the practice. In 2020, Clara Haizlett, a brain tanner herself, brought us this Folkways story.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Dinosaur Burps, Blue Dot Sessions and John Inghram.

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 guest editor Andrea “River” Peterson and Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Photo shows a large, light blue turn-of-the-Century home with a large, wrap-around porch and small tables set up in the yard. People are milling around as a film crew, in the foreground, checks the shot. — **Coal’s Cost On Energy Prices, Inside Appalachia** Apr 17, 2026
Coal power can be expensive. Utilities run coal-fired power plants harder in the winter and summer when demand is high.

Also, two films made in West Virginia shot to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts. The state wants to encourage even more movies to be made in West Virginia by helping keep production costs down.

And, an Eastern Kentucky pharmacist serves vegan food for the holidays.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, *Inside Appalachia*.

**In This Episode:**

**Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia**

**Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition**

**High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry**

**The Modern Mountain Cookbook**

**Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio**

Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia

The Harrison Power Station, a coal-fired power plant in West Virginia.
*Photo Credit: Roxy Todd/Radio IQ*

Lawmakers across the country are talking about affordability, especially when it comes to rising power bills. But states are taking different approaches to make that happen. Virginia is pushing for more renewable energy, while West Virginia lawmakers are trying to keep coal plants open.

Host Mason Adams teamed up with Radio IQ reporter Roxy Todd. They talked with economists, politicians and ratepayers to try to learn why tensions between the two Virginias may be driving up costs.

Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition

More states are using cameras to aid police and other law enforcement agencies. In Tennessee, state police are exploring the idea of pairing cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition software. That’s according to public records obtained by the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. But that technology also comes with privacy concerns.

Managing Editor Ryan Van Velzer spoke with reporters Pierce Gentry and Justin Hicks to learn more.

High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry

A large but typical turn-of-the-century home in Mannington, W.Va., was used as the location for a staged yard sale in the popular Netflix film "The Bad Guardian."
*Photo courtesy of Robert Tinnell*

It’s always exciting to recognize parts of Appalachia in movies. Today, more and more films and TV shows shot in Appalachia are turning up on streaming services. In March, two films shot in West Virginia made the Netflix Top Ten list for movies streamed in the U.S. And it’s not just the state’s geography that’s a draw for filmmakers.

WVPB’s Maria Young has more.

The Modern Mountain Cookbook

*The Modern Mountain Cookbook* by Jan A. Brandenburg.
*Courtesy Photo*

When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want comfort food without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table.

Last spring, Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book *The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia.*

Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio

Juniper and Talcon display their finished brain tanned buckskins.
*Photo Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Tanning hides for clothes, blankets, shoes – for all kinds of things – goes back millennia. But over the years, some tanning techniques have become less common, like brain tanning.

As it turns out, women in Appalachia are reclaiming the practice. In 2020, Clara Haizlett, a brain tanner herself, brought us this Folkways story.

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Dinosaur Burps, Blue Dot Sessions and John Inghram.

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 guest editor Andrea “River” Peterson and Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

*Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.*

Different Approaches To Providing Electric Power, This West Virginia Morning Apr 17, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, lawmakers in both West Virginia and Virginia have been looking at ways to make power bills more affordable, but their approaches are very different. Virginia is pushing for more renewable energy, while West Virginia lawmakers are trying to keep coal plants open.

Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams and Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd spoke with economists, politicians and ratepayers to learn why tensions between the two states may be driving up costs.

Also, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said Thursday she’s in favor of data centers in West Virginia but also admits their limitations.

And, a Florida energy company is planning to build a high-voltage power line in southwest Pennsylvania to feed data centers in northern Virginia. It crosses four West Virginia counties along the way. The Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier reports the company is seeking the right of eminent domain.

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.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. 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

Political Science Professor Analyzes Upcoming Primary Election, This West Virginia Morning Apr 16, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, some unusual things are happening in the leadup to the state's primary elections next month. Leading Republicans are directly challenging other Republicans to try to steer the makeup of the West Virginia Legislature. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Marshall Political Science Professor Marybeth Beller about the context of these unusual moves and how they are shaking up the races -- and political watchers.

Also, middle school students win a national award for their work on water filtration and a month-long sweep by law enforcement nets results.

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

Iranian American Weighs In On War In Iran, This West Virginia Morning Apr 15, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, with the war in Iran now in its second month, many questions remain about the motivations for and the objectives of the conflict.

Ace Parsi’s family left Iran for the U.S. because of the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. He shared his perspective on the situation with reporter Chris Schulz.

Parsi is also running for Congress in West Virginia’s second district.

Also, there are yard signs, candidate forums and ads for candidates out, but if you’re not sure exactly who you can vote for, there is a tool.

And, Thanksgiving is more than seven months away. But starting this weekend turkeys across the state have reason to hide.

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

Saving Rural Hospitals, This West Virginia Morning Apr 14, 2026

On this West Virginia Morning, America’s rural hospitals are closing at an alarming pace. That’s become a concern in many parts of West Virginia. We look at nearby Tennessee, which has the highest hospital closure rate in the nation – but also some shining examples of hope. WPLN’s Health Reporter Catherine Sweeney takes us to Linden – a Tennessee town where the shuttered hospital there has recently reopened.

Also, the public will soon have an opportunity to express their opinion on a proposed electric transmission line project in person.

And, a longtime Charleston priest, activist and central figure in one of West Virginia’s most turbulent cultural conflicts has died. The Rev. Jim Lewis was 90.

Finally, you might say there’s now more horsepower driving a small but important industry 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 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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The Vine That Ate The South

Herbicide Drones Are Killing Kudzu

Herbalism In Appalachia

Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene

How To Protect Amphibians Against Climate Change

Tornado Destroys Orchid Restoration In Southern Kentucky

Traveler's Guide To Ancient Ohio

Abandoned Gas Wells In W.Va.

Tennessee Town Struggles To Reopen Its Only Hospital

The Legacy Of Norman Jordan

Rising Temperatures Bring Armadillos To Kentucky

The Crankie Comes To NC: What It Is And Why People Freak Out When They See One

A Triangle Of Skunks

Sweet Tea And Red Wine

WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On Inside Appalachia

The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban

New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass

Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners

Monsters Of Appalachia Game Connects Coworkers

Rail Trails Connecting Appalachian Cities

Pressure On Power Grids

Southeast Ohio Residents, Wildlife Experts Warn Against Fracking

Flash Flooding In Dante, Virginia

Tick Season Could Be All-Year Round In Louisville

Rebuilding After EF4 Tornado Struck Somerset, Kentucky

Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary

A Passion For Pierogies In Wheeling, W.Va.

Substance Use Recovery After Hurricane Helene

Pittsburgh Researcher Moves To China After Trump Cuts

The Tao Of Fly Fishing Rods

W.Va. Fur Trade In The 21st Century

The Sweet Taste Of Syrup In Virginia And W.Va.

The Homewrecker Returns To Hillbilly Hotdogs

Baseball Field In Tennessee Accommodates Players With Disabilities

A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail

Acupuncture May Ease Alpha-Gal Syndrome

Depopulation In Appalachian Coalfields

Ambulance Crews In Rural Tennessee Administer Antibiotics On Site

A Community Rallies Around Cuz’s Barbeque

Environmental Engineer Turned "Water Healer"

Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel Tore All To Pieces

Health Care Hollow In Tennessee

Childhood Cancer Rates Rise In Scott County, Virginia

Preserving Little Green Apples

Air Pollution Can Cause Lung Cancer

Asheville's New Puppet Correspondent

Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia

Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition

High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry

The Modern Mountain Cookbook

Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio

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