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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Energy & Environment

Energy & Environment WVPB Staff, About 7 hours ago

The Connection Between A Mineral And Data Centers, This West Virginia Morning

Fluorspar is a little-known mineral used to make everything from steel, aluminum and gasoline to uranium fuel and batteries. For the Appalachia Mid-South Newsroom, WKMS’ Lily Burris reports the largest known deposit of the critical mineral in the U.S. is in western Kentucky – and its applications in artificial intelligence (AI) could reawaken the region’s mining industry.

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Economy Maria Young, About 24 hours ago

Both Parties Call On Governor To Help Cut Gas Prices

Two different groups, one representing West Virginia Republicans, the other from the Democratic Caucus of the West Virginia House of Delegates, are both calling on Gov. Patrick Morrisey to address skyrocketing gas prices.

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Energy & Environment Eric Douglas, Apr. 07, 2026

Details Released In Miner Fatalities

Two coal miners died in separate underground accidents last Thursday evening and Friday morning. The West Virginia Office of Miner’s Health Safety and Training has released its initial findings.

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Energy & Environment Eric Douglas, Apr. 07, 2026

Electric Bills Increasing, Faster In Southern W.Va.

West Virginian's electric rates have increased less than the national average as a whole, but regional breakdowns show a costly difference.

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Recent Stories

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