On this West Virginia Morning, Elizabeth Elswick couldn't find a lot of merchandise to represent her home state of West Virginia while she was growing up. But today, she represents Appalachian culture and sayings through her sticker shop. Folkways Reporter Maddie Miller brings us this story.
O Pioneer, Turtle Travels And Throwing Rocks, Inside Appalachia
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Appalachians are often called mountaineers — but are they also “pioneers?” A new documentary reckons with what it means… to be a pioneer.
In Michigan, an Appalachian mountain man competes in a championship tournament for skipping stones — and we wade into a mountain wetland to search for one of the region’s most elusive creatures.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In This Episode:
O Pioneer Shares A Vision Of Appalachia
A Rock’s Throw Away
In Search Of The Bog Turtle
Trouble Finding Teachers
O Pioneer Shares A Vision Of Appalachia
O Pioneerblends animation and documentary to track the lives of three West Virginians. It explores the question of what it means to be a pioneer — and how those qualities show up in our day-to-day lives.
Producer Bill Lynch recently viewed O Pioneer and then met with filmmakers Jonathan Lacocque and Clara Lehmann.
A Rock’s Throw Away
If you’re standing next to a body of water — like a lake, or river, or even a tiny creek — and there are flat rocks lying there, the impulse to skip them is just about irresistible. Just about anybody can do it. But, some people are really good at it.
Kurt Steiner of Western Pennsylvania is considered one of the best in the world at skipping rocks.
Bog turtles are the tiniest turtle in North America, and among the most endangered. Their habitats are disappearing.
Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd went along with biologists, who are researching how many of these rare turtles still exist.
Trouble Finding Teachers
Across the country, schools are forced to double up on, and sometimes even cancel classes because of teacher shortages. The problem is felt here in Appalachia, too, where vacancies are often filled by substitutes who lack formal teacher training.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz reported on West Virginia’s efforts to keep schools staffed.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Erik Vincent Huey, Frank George, Lobo Loco, Mary Hott and Gerry Milnes.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi 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.
On this West Virginia Morning, Elizabeth Elswick couldn't find a lot of merchandise to represent her home state of West Virginia while she was growing up. But today, she represents Appalachian culture and sayings through her sticker shop. Folkways Reporter Maddie Miller brings us this story.
Appalachia produces less coal than it once did, but that coal is still desired around the world for making steel. The demand is now creating problems for people who live near the terminals where coal is moved from train to ship, to then be carried overseas. Residents of Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, say airborne coal dust from export terminals is getting on their cars, on their houses, in their lungs. Residents have started to take matters into their own hands.
On this West Virginia Morning, federal officials are encouraging more school districts to switch to electric buses. Also, in this show, the appointed watchdog of the state's Foster Care System has resigned and The Allegheny Front interviews WVPB's Curtis Tate.
On this West Virginia Morning, solar is expanding in West Virginia, thanks to shifts in federal and state policies. Curtis Tate spoke recently with Dan Conant, founder and CEO of Solar Holler, about solar growth in the Mountain State. Also, in this show, a patient at Sharpe Hospital has filed a lawsuit against the facility, its CEO and state health officials. Emily Rice has more.