Meet The Cartoonist Who Keeps 'Snuffy Smith' In The Funny Pages

The hillbilly stereotype is frequently used to shame mountain people, but there are gentler versions, like Snuffy Smith, the long-running comic strip character. Snuffy Smith originally started out as a supporting character in his comic strip, which first launched in 1919 when Billy DeBeck created Barney Google. Artist Fred Lasswell was brought in during the ‘30s to create Snuffy Smith and his friends. And now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

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Arts & Culture WVPB Staff, Apr. 06, 2026

A Conversation With ‘Verity Vox And The Curse Of Foxfire’ Author, This West Virginia Morning

"Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire" is a young adult novel set in Appalachia. Written by West Virginia native Don Martin, the book follows the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. It was an instant New York Times bestseller after it was released last year. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast "Head on Fire."

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Energy & Environment Eric Douglas, Apr. 03, 2026

2 Miners Die In Separate Accidents In 24 Hours In W.Va.

Fatal mine accidents occurred in Marshall and Raleigh counties in the last 24 hours in West Virginia.

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Arts & Culture WVPB Staff, Apr. 03, 2026

The Legacy Of Comic Strip ‘Snuffy Smith,’ This West Virginia Morning

For nearly 100 years, Snuffy Smith has been a staple of newspaper comic pages, though these days, it’s easier to find him online. Snuffy Smith was brought to life by artist Fred Lasswell in the 1930s, but now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke to Rose about drawing the famous hillbilly.

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Energy & Environment Maria Young, Apr. 02, 2026

Energy Company Says It Will Breathe Life Into Coal Country

A company that says it has patented a process to turn coal into environmentally friendly and valuable byproducts broke ground on a new facility in West Virginia on Thursday, April 2, 2026.

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Energy & Environment Chris Schulz, Apr. 02, 2026

Data Center Panel Reignites Debate On Local Control, Input

The discussion aimed to help the public better understand local and statewide impacts of data centers. What became clear throughout the night is that local leaders and community members feel ignored by the development process in place.

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Government Eric Douglas, Apr. 02, 2026

Morrisey Vetoes 12 Bills In Final Hours Before Deadline

The West Virginia Legislature closed its 60-day session at midnight on March 14. Gov. Patrick Morrisey had 15 days, not counting Sundays, to sign, veto or allow the 306 bills the body passed to become law. That deadline passed Wednesday night.

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