Arts & Culture

Talcott, West Virginia, is the home place of folklore hero John Henry. A project is underway to restore one of the town’s oldest buildings to serve as an information hub about the legend.

Dillion’s Superette, a convenience store, was housed in what was a 1890s general store before it closed its doors two years ago. The owners were very active in the community and donated the old building to the John Henry Historical Society for a promise:  to restore the building back to its 20th century look.

  A merger of two West Virginia-based Boy Scouts of America councils has received the national organization's approval.

The merger combines the Charleston-based Buckskin Council and the Huntington-based Tri-State Area Council. The new council serves about 7,000 scouts in 32 counties in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio.

  West Virginia is sharing part of more than $43 million in federal funds to help states with parks, outdoor recreation and conservation projects.

The U.S. Department of Interior said West Virginia is getting more than $463,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The fund was established by Congress in 1964 to ensure access to outdoor recreation resources and to provide money to federal, state and local governments to purchase land, water and wetlands.

Marshall University will open a new visual arts center in the fall in downtown Huntington.

Since purchasing the 112-year-old building in downtown Huntington for $750,000, the university has issued $9 million in bonds and raised more than $4 million in private money to renovate the facility. The former Anderson-Newcomb Company building that housed a department store of the same name, later becoming the Stone and Thomas building will now house students starting in August.

The Appalachian region has been reported on, documented and studied quite a bit in the past 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson came to the region to declare a ‘war on poverty.’

On Facebook you can find a page for just about any interest. In north central West Virginia, one photographer has created a new Facebook page to share images and short profiles of his fellow citizens.

Inspired by a project in the Big Apple, this page has captured the spirit of the Friendly City and in just one month it has attracted hundreds of followers.

Humans of Fairmont, and the Facebook page after which it’s modeled - Humans of New York - are categorized as Arts and Humanities websites.

Two regular guys take on the job of documenting Appalachia’s culture and history.

A new book explores the meaning behind the name Wheeling.

Looking at Appalachia is still looking for photographs of the region.

And a West Virginia soldier is honored to be a member of the Old Guard.

  West Virginia University is elevating the status of its top diversity official.

The university said Wednesday that David M. Fryson has been promoted to vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. He's been chief diversity officer since 2012.
 

This is part of our continuing series on how the towns of Grafton and Matewan are turning themselves around through a special collaborative project between West Virginia Public Broadcasting, West Virginia Focus magazine and the West Virginia Community Development Hub. 

The National Park Service is offering Ranger-Guided hikes in Summers and Fayette Counties this holiday weekend. All ranger programs are free unless otherwise noted. The NPS suggests hikers wear comfortable walking shoes. Hikers might also consider bringing water, snacks, camera and binoculars Below is a list of this weekend’s featured ranger programs:

In Summers County, interested hikers should meet at the base of Pipestem Resort State Park tramway at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 5, 2014. From there rangers will guide two hikes:

Cole Hand and Alston Spears, two West Virginia junior golfers, will participate alongside professional golfers at this year's Greenbrier Classic, which began Monday.

Hand and Spears were invited to play in the practice rounds and Pro-Am of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup event at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, according to a release from the Governor's office.

Teen band The Elm Street Alleycats of Elkins lost their mentor and bass player Gene Boyer last May, but since, have been working to make the old tunes he taught them better while learning newer, contemporary music of their own.

Also, West Virginia born author Laura Long shares an excerpt from her debut novel "Out of Peel Tree," a collection of stories of family, hope and love set in Appalachia.

One Virginia man spreads the gospel of green.

There are fireflies in Pennsylvania that blink together.

More women are taking on the role of farmer.

A Tennessee writer has fond memories of hunting frogs.

New River Community and Technical College and the state Board of Education are partnering to offer students a pathway to careers in automotive technology.

  The West Virginia University at Parkersburg Board of Governors has named Dr. Marie Foster Gnage president emeritus. Gnage is the sixth president of WVU Parkersburg and the college’s second president, after Dr. Eldon Miller, to receive this designation.

A news release issued Thursday says a resolution was presented to Gnage at the June 2014 board meeting.

The board recognized Gnage’s leadership in many non-profit organizations and local, state and national higher education initiatives.

The name Wheeling is a very old word. While there’s some dispute, it’s most commonly translated from the indigenous Delaware language to mean “Place of the Skull.” That’s the name and subject of a recently published book written by Ohio Valley resident Alan Fitzpatrick.

A West Virginia town is being recognized for its efforts and accomplishments to improve health. Williamson has implemented several programs over the past several years.

A freelance journalist is looking for folks to share stories about the heydays of downtown Princeton in Mercer County. The project launches during an annual street festival meant to “Celebrate Princeton”.

Organizers of the 9th Annual Celebrate Princeton street fair are hoping to mark a turning point for this year’s festival.

After hosting the Mercer County event for years, the Princeton Public Library reached out to volunteers with The Princeton Renaissance Project, which is working to revitalize downtown by restoring a theatre, and hosting events on Mercer Street.

I want to invite you to walk with me through the woods and around the rugged hills of my home.

Our house was situated beside the community water tank, with a rock cliff behind it, and the mountains that rose high above the cliff…well, they were my mountains.  

We made a path around the side of the hill that led us to a garden spot which we tended annually, It was an open plot of ground, with good sun exposure and a natural spring flowed nearby. It was the perfect place for a fresh drink of water.

One day you might be able to buy even more styles of 100 percent West Virginia-made beer. That is, if a current study shows the state is a good place to grow hops. 

Since the craft beer industry has taken off, West Virginia State University decided to study whether local farmers can benefit from the burgeoning beer industry by growing hops for the brewers to use.

West Virginia State extension agent Brad Cochran says the state agriculture department awarded a $23,000 grant for the project, which seem to be popular. He received 70 applications from folks wanting to participate.