On this West Virginia Morning, the Monongalia County Quick Response Team was launched in 2019 as a collaboration among public health, first responders, and other health care and private partners. As Chris Schulz reports, robust community responses efforts like these have been built to tackle the state’s opioid epidemic head on.
On this West Virginia Morning, the Monongalia County Quick Response Team was launched in 2019 as a collaboration among public health, first responders, and other health care and private partners. As Chris Schulz reports, robust community responses efforts like these have been built to tackle the state’s opioid epidemic head on.
Also, in this show, the roots of the National Football League go back to some gritty, Appalachian coal and steel towns of the early 1900s. As Randy Yohe reports, a small town came together with a legacy that endures today.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
Drug and alcohol abuse has torn West Virginia families apart and separated parents from their children. But a recent family court graduation shows how a community can come together to change that. Ten parents in Nicholas County celebrated a big milestone in their sobriety as they’ve been reunited with their children. Amelia Knisely has the story.
Drug and alcohol abuse has torn West Virginia families apart and separated parents from their children. But a recent family court graduation shows how a community can come together to change that. Ten parents in Nicholas County celebrated a big milestone in their sobriety as they’ve been reunited with their children. Amelia Knisely has the story.
Also, in this show, this week’s archive special of Mountain Stage was recorded in October 2017 at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston. Our Song of the Week comes to us from one of Australia’s preeminent songwriters Paul Kelly. It’s been said that Kelly’s songs, “dig deep into Australia: how it feels, looks, tastes, sounds.” Here’s his performance of “Rising Moon” from his 2017 performance on Mountain Stage.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.
West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Amelia Knisely, Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Curtis Tate, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Jessica Lilly, Liz McCormick, Randy Yohe, and Shepherd Snyder.
Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.
Teresa Wills and Chuck Anziulewicz are our hosts.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
This week on Inside Appalachia, we look back at some of the stories we told in 2022. We took you to the floods in eastern Kentucky, where you met people who witnessed terrible destruction. We also invited you along as we talked to Appalachians who know a little something about resilience, like Dolly Parton. Because you invited us into your homes, we invited you into ours with a special trip to Mason’s hometown — Floyd, Virginia.
This week, we look back at some of the stories we told in 2022. We took you to the floods in eastern Kentucky, where you met people who witnessed terrible destruction. We also invited you along as we talked to Appalachians who know a little something about resilience, like Dolly Parton.
Because you invited us into your homes, we invited you into ours with a special trip to our host Mason Adam’s hometown — Floyd, Virginia.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In January, our host Mason Adams spoke with West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s former education reporter, Liz McCormick, and highlighted the problem of the teacher shortage in West Virginia.
Say Cheese!
Last winter, we also visited Helvetia, a little Swiss village in the hills of West Virginia. That’s close to the Monongahela National Forest. Residents can trace their heritage back to Switzerland, and the town preserves and shares their culture and traditions through famous festivals like Fasnacht, which happens in February, the Saturday before Fat Tuesday.
In Helvetia, you can sample Swiss dishes at the Hutte Restaurant and browse local goods at Swiss Roots, the community store. One of these goods is a homemade cheese called Appalachian Alpine. Its makers are a retired couple whose new hobby has revived a lost recipe. Folkways Reporter Lauren Griffin brought us this story.
Lauren Griffin
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Cheese being prepared and packaged for local sale.
In 2022, Folkways reporters filed around 40 different stories on topics ranging from mushroom hunters and people who raise honeybees to guitar surgeons, funeral singers and snake handling music. You can hear them all right here.
A Farewell To An American Hero
In June, the nation said goodbye to its last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient. Hershel Woodrow Wilson, or “Woody,” was from Quiet Dell, West Virginia. He died at the age of 98.
Aside from his military decorations and honors, Williams was an advocate for veterans and veterans issues for decades. Following his passing, tributes from elected officials on both sides of the aisle poured in.
We paid tribute, too, with an excerpt of Trey Kay’s interview with Wilson for Us & Them.
Eric Douglas
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Woody Williams standing beside the first Gold Star Families memorial in the country, at the Donel C. Kinnard cemetery in Dunbar, West Virginia. There are more than 100 memorials around the country now.
Witness To The Flood of 2022
In late July, historic flooding hit parts of eastern Kentucky and Western Virginia, killing 34 and damaging or destroying homes, businesses and schools. One of the places affected by the disaster was the town of Hindman in Knott County, Kentucky, home to the Hindman Settlement School.
The rain and flood waters came while the school was hosting its annual Appalachian Writers Conference.
Our producer Bill Lynch spoke with some of the writers who’d watched the waters rise, flood buildings and carry off cars.
Brynn Anderson
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AP
FILE – A truck is sunk in water after massive flooding in Hindman, Ky., Aug. 2, 2022. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear complained Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is denying too many requests for assistance in flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky, and urged those getting turned down to take their cases directly to agency representatives in the region.
Jamin’ At The Jamboree
One of our favorite stories in 2022 was a visit to the hometown of host Mason Adams and the Floyd Country Store.
The town of Floyd in Floyd County, Virginia is small — about 400 year-round residents, but on Friday nights, the population doubles or triples — maybe gets bigger than even that with people traveling from all over to attend Floyd’s Friday Night Jamboree.
Mason Adams
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Various musicians gather around to play music at the Friday Night Jamboree in Floyd, Virginia.
Well, Hello Dolly
It was almost like an appearance by a head of state or royalty. This summer, American music legend and recent Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame inductee Dolly Parton came to Charleston.
The acclaimed singer/songwriter, actress and philanthropist was in West Virginia to celebrate the state’s full, 55-county participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. That’s an early childhood literacy program she started in 1995 from her home in Sevier County, Tennessee.
The goal of the program is to put books in the hands of children. Each month, Imagination Library provides a free book to participating children aged birth to five. It’s been a huge success and the program sends books to children all over the world.
In August, WVPB’s Executive Producer Suzanne Higgins spoke with Parton at a special event at the Clay Center in Charleston.
Butch Antolini
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
WVPB Executive Producer Suzanne Higgins speaks with Dolly Parton in an exclusive interview on Aug. 9, 2022.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Tyler Childers, David Mumford, Andrea Tomasi, Amethyst Kia and Dolly Parton.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.
You can send us an email at InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
On this West Virginia Morning, earlier this year, the state legislature revitalized the West Virginia Film Office, as well as the state’s film tax credits. The bill went into effect in July and as Chris Schulz reports, in just five months, the state’s film industry is already seeing a bump.
On this West Virginia Morning, earlier this year, the state legislature revitalized the West Virginia Film Office, as well as the state’s film tax credits. The bill went into effect in July and as Chris Schulz reports, in just five months, the state’s film industry is already seeing a bump.
Also, in this show, consumer groups and Mon Power itself are pushing back on a recommendation that the company purchased an aging northern West Virginia power plant. Curtis Tate has the latest.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
On this West Virginia Morning, there are two schools of thought dominating the politics of improving West Virginia’s education systems. Some promote non-traditional education, while others say public schools must be prioritized. Government Reporter Randy Yohe offers some points and counterpoints on the state’s education debate.
On this West Virginia Morning, there are two schools of thought dominating the politics of improving West Virginia’s education systems. Some promote non-traditional education, while others say public schools must be prioritized. Government Reporter Randy Yohe offers some points and counterpoints on the state’s education debate.
Also, in this show, members of Congress are renewing their calls for the federal mine safety agency to create a standard that protects mine workers. It comes amid an epidemic of the deadly and incurable Black Lung disease in central Appalachia. As Justin Hicks with the Ohio Valley ReSource reports, people have been working for decades to support this change, but there’s still no word on when new regulations may come.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
On this West Virginia Morning, another birthing center in a hospital has closed, worsening West Virginia’s critical shortage of care for its mothers and babies. Amelia Knisely has the story.
On this West Virginia Morning, another birthing center in a hospital has closed, worsening West Virginia’s critical shortage of care for its mothers and babies. Amelia Knisely has the story.
Also, in this show, restructuring the state Department of Health and Human Resources began Monday with the first of several high-profile hires. Randy Yohe has more.
West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.
Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
