Scott Finn

Our podcast "Inside Appalachia" inspired Matthew Shirley to take a trip to our region. This is a pretty cool fact by itself, made even cooler by where Matthew is from: England.

By pure chance, Matthew was staying as an Airbnb guest with our health reporter, Kara Lofton. Imagine her surprise when she found out why he came to West Virginia!

Matthew is a primary school principal in Callington, England. He became fascinated with our region after listening to the “Inside Appalachia” podcast. So he decided to come here to see it for himself.

For a state that's already assumed to be firmly in Donald Trump's camp, West Virginia has received a lot of attention at the Democratic National Convention.

Often in times like these, you hear about the need for a "national conversation about race." But what exactly does this conversation sound like?

This week on The Front Porch, Rick and Laurie talk to David M. Fryson, West Virginia University Vice President and Director of WVU's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, about "the conversation," and why it's important to have one when there isn't a crisis.

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If you think there’s no longer a need for volunteers or donations for flood victims – state Senator Chris Walters wants to set you straight.

Walters represents the flood-damaged communities of Clendenin and Elkview. Shortly after the flood, he helped set up a staging area for volunteers and donations.

Did you know West Virginia has a plan, more than a decade in the making, designed to save lives and prevent damage from floods?

And what if you found out this plan is mostly gathering dust on a shelf?

What role did climate change play in the 2016 West Virginia floods?

Climate scientists say they expect more intense rainstorms, like the one that dumped up to 10 inches on some West Virginia towns.

But Jessica Moore says not so fast. Moore is a senior geologist with the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey. She points to studies showing such extreme rainfall events were more common in our history that you may think. 

Listen to the full discussion on The Front Porch.

The first 1,000 days of a child's life are the most important. Home visitors help parents make them count.

This week, the Front Porch podcast speaks with Michele Baranaskas, coordinator for Partners in Community Outreach. It's a coalition of several programs that send helpers into people's homes.

Garret Matthews says he is not a parachuting journalist who did a drive-by assessment of McDowell County.

Who thought the Morning Edition theme could turn into a passionate Tango? WVPB host and composer Matt Jackfert, that’s who.

Just how much government can West Virginians afford?

That's the issue we're debating on The Front Porch podcast this week.

This week, Rick and Laurie are speaking with state folklorist Emily Hilliard from the West Virginia Humanities Council.

They discuss the definition of folklore, the importance and process of collecting it, and the benefits it can provide to the state.

If you have a tip for Emily, call the West Virginia Folklife Program's Hotline at 1(844)618-3747

The West Virginia Humanities Council website is
http://wvhumanities.org/

This week on The Front Porch, we revisit one of our most popular podcasts - how West Virginia became ground zero for the opioid drug epidemic.

West Virginia has the nation's worst rate of drug overdose deaths. It started with prescription painkillers, and now is increasingly fueled by heroin.

On this week's "The Front Porch," we debate what's causing the epidemic, and what might actually work in curbing it.