Dave Mistich, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Photos & Video: Dick Henderson Memorial Bridge Replacement

Construction continues to replace the Dick Henderson Memorial Bridge, which spans the Kanawha River between Nitro and St. Albans.Officials with the…

Construction continues to replace the Dick Henderson Memorial Bridge, which spans the Kanawha River between Nitro and St. Albans.

Officials with the Department of Transportation said the state looked at options for bridge repairs over the years and eventually lowered the weight limit to less than 10 tons. Over time, rust and deterioration became too much.

The original bridge was closed in January and demolished in two separate explosions in early March.

DOT officials said construction of the replacement bridge is on schedule and it’s expected to be opened in November.

Will West Virginia Legalize Medical Marijuana?

After three failed attempts to get a bill passed that would make marijuana available to those who would benefit from its medicinal properties, Del. Mike Manypenny (D-Taylor) continues to press on. With three republicans cosponsoring his bill this past session, a public hearing on the issue late in the Regular Session, and a successful resolution to study the issue sponsored by House Health Committee Chair Don Perdue (D-Wayne), Manypenny and other advocates appear to be gaining some traction on the issue.

Members of both legislative houses met Wednesday for a hearing with the Joint Committee on Health to learn more.

The committee began with a presentation via Skype from Karmen Hanson in Denver of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Hanson pointed out that 20 states and the District of Columbia currently permit the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

However, the drug remains outlawed on the federal level and is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Food & Drug Administration, which means it’s seen as having a high potential for abuse with no medical purpose.

The floor was then turned over to Marijuana Policy Project Legislative Analyst, Matt Simon, a Parkersburg native who holds a master’s degree from WVU currently living in New Hampshire.

“To be clear, what patients are asking for with a state-level medical marijuana law is, really, two things,” said Simon. “They want to be protected from arrest if their doctors have recommended that they use this substance and they want to have a way to access it safely and legally.”

Simon pointed to states like California and Montana where limited regulations allow for too much access and create as many problems as they solve. He said Maine’s laws might provide a better model worth consideration.

Amongst other criticisms, Simon attempted to quell concerns that the passing of a medical marijuana law might increase use of the drug among young people. He said 15 states can provide before and after research on medical marijuana legislation where use by young people has remained the same or even dropped.

He also talked about another sticking point that often gums up legislation: the potential state revenue marijuana sales could garner.

“Some state medical marijuana programs do bring in significant revenue,” said Simon. “Others are revenue neutral. Many are written to be revenue neutral; fees are set to cover the cost of administering the program so that taxpayers will not bear the burden.

“And a few states were primarily concerned with patients and were not concerned with revenue at all, so they actually operate at a loss to those programs.”

Simon also pointed to a Pew Research study from March that shows an upswing in Americans that favor full on legalization of the drug. In fact, the study suggests that 52% of Americans are in support of legalization. He attributes these results to an increase in states with medical marijuana laws and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s announcement of a change in the policy of enforcing marijuana related crimes.

Regarding the new change in policy with the Department of Justice, Joint Committee on Health Minority Chair Del. Ellington (R-Mercer) asked whether a a change Administrations on the federal level might change the DOJ’s approach to enforcing related laws.

Hanson responded with: “No one can predict the future.”

The committee finished the hearing by watching an excerpt of a video released in August from CNN and Dr. Sanjay Gupta titled Weed that details the benefits an epileptic child received from the drug as well as research being conducted in Israel.

Perdue, who also chairs the Joint Committee on Health, called Gupta’s report and some of the information provided during the meeting “compelling” but said major hurdles remain in dealing with medical marijuana legislation.

“How do you get away from the fact that—and I do believe that—marijuana is a gateway drug? Well, so are a lot of other medicinals,” said Perdue. “So, again, if you view it only for its medicinal value that’s not a hurdle you should have to overcome. Yet it’s going to be back there. That’s the thought process.

“That’s kind of the synchronization of the people who oppose marijuana. I understand that. But, in the understanding that, the discussion has to be framed in terms of medicinal value. Not in terms of recreational use or what might or what could happen.”

As for Manypenny, he’s working now on building provisions into a new version of this past session’s bill.

“One of the things that is proposed in my bill is that the taxes generated, after the cost of regulating the industry, would go to treating substance abuse in the community and drug prevention programs in the schools,” he said.

“If there’s enough money generated, then, a percentage of that will go to build a veteran’s nursing home in the southern part of the state,” Manypenny added.

Despite past and planned efforts on the issue, no specific legislation that would allow the medicinal use of the drug in West Virginia was discussed during the hearing. Manypenny hopes to firm up potential legislation during interims in December and have it ready for introduction at the beginning of the 2014 Regular Session.

Former W.Va. reporter sparks national interest in 'The Butler'

In most cases, a novel or biography inspires a film. But for journalist and author Wil Haygood, the sequence has been dramatically different. A November 7^th, 2008 article by Haygood in The Washington Post inspired the Lee Daniels film The Butler and then Haygood went back to write the book, The Butler: A Witness to History.

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio and graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Haygood took his first job in journalism as a copy editor at The Charleston Gazette. It was while here in West Virginia where Haygood began focusing on arts and human interest stories. Eventually, he went on to jobs in larger markets like Pittsburgh and Boston before winding up in the nation’s capitol at The Washington Post.

While on the presidential campaign trail in 2008 following then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama, Haygood turned his attention to other timely and culturally relevant topics.

“I wanted to find somebody—an African American—who had worked in the White House during the era of segregation because I thought that story, juxtaposed against the story of the first African-American president in the country, would be a pretty powerful story,” he said.

So Haygood launched a nation-wide search to find a subject that could illuminate the historical gravity of what he saw as Obama’s impending victory.

“I was essentially looking for a ghost, because I didn’t have a name. Eventually somebody in Florida mentioned the name of Eugene Allen and told me he lived in the Washington D.C.-Maryland region and I tracked him down,” said Haygood.

Unraveling the story of the now famous butler took a special level of care Haygood had rarely—if ever—experienced before.

“My grandparents raised me, so I lived in their house as a kid and knew the value of being patient. Mr. and Mrs. Allen were elderly people by the time I reached them, so I kind of had a sense that it might not be the best thing to sit down and try to grab information from them,” said Haygood.

“They wanted to watch a couple of TV shows—game shows—before we actually got the interviews underway. There were several hours before he took me down in the basement and showed me this room with all sorts of memorabilia.”

By the end of the day that his original article was published—a mere three days after Obama’s win—calls began to pour in from Hollywood executives. Haygood said it was partly a matter of timing mixed with a cultural and historical juxtaposition too important to ignore.

“Here was a character that had seen vivid American history up close. He lived at the most powerful address in the country, yet in the ‘50s and early ‘60s he could go to his native Virginia and have to use a segregated bathroom,” he said.

“So, the twin engines of those two narratives—Obama winning and Mr. Allen’s life story—I think proved to be a real magnet for Hollywood interest.”

Haygood was enlisted as a researcher and associate producer for Lee Daniels’ film The Butler. He said the experience of working with Oscar winners like Forrest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and Robin Williams was difficult to believe.

“I don’t think anyone can ever say that they dreamed of being on a movie set with six Oscar winners making a movie based on a story that they wrote. It’s just too unreal to think that. There’s some mornings that I still have to pinch myself,” explained Haygood.

As production on the film began, Haygood decided to put together a full-length written treatment of Eugene Allen’s incredible story. Haygood’s book, The Butler: A Witness to History, was released in June and Lee Daniels’ film adaptation of the story was released in August.

Through it all, Haygood said he cherishes the opportunity to meet and tell the story of the White House butler who endured eight presidencies and witnessed the moments that shaped our nation and culture.

“It was a pretty astonishing find to come across a man that nobody knew about who had almost had this Forrest Gump-like life. He was there during all of these epical moments of White House history for 34 years. It was just a special, special story to do,” he said.

Haygood has also written award-winning biographies on the enigmatic New York congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and famed member of The Rat Pack Sammy Davis, Jr. His latest book, Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson, is currently in the developmental stages for a film.

Photos: Mountain Stage Celebrates 30 years at Americana Conference

West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage celebrated 30 years of live performance radio at the Americana Music Association’s Conference in Nashville last week. Host Larry Groce and Producer Adam Harris were joined by singer-songwriters Tim O’Brien, Kim Richey and Chip Taylor for a special panel to discuss the show’s history and its impact on American music and culture.

Here are a few images taken during the hour-long panel, which featured discussion and performances:

Video of the Mountain Stage panel at the Americana Conference will be added at a later date.

Integrated Behavorial Health Conference tackles drug abuse, other mental health issues

West Virginia’s substance abuse problem is one focus of the Integrated Behavioral Health Conference in Charleston this week. Professionals from health…

West Virginia’s substance abuse problem is one focus of the Integrated Behavioral Health Conference in Charleston this week. Professionals from health care, government and law enforcement are meeting to find the best ways to handle substance abuse and other mental health needs.

Department of Health and Human Resources Cabinet Secretary Karen Bowling said the idea of the conference began a couple years ago and that the goal is to combine resources in hopes of learning and progressing the field.

“Whether it’s medical professionals, policy makers, law enforcement –we all go at the idea of behavioral health services and substance abuse from a different angle. Bringing individuals together with expert speakers and continuing education credits and really making sure we’ve covered the full gamut of individuals who are dealing with our citizens who are in need of behavioral health services will help us think more collaboratively,” said Bowling.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin outlined a few collaborative efforts to combat substance abuse in an opening keynote speech, which touched on regional drug task forces, prescription disposal centers, and the justice reinvestment act from this past legislative session. He also announced a $9 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that’s been awarded to the state.

“Over the course of five years these federal monies will help expand prevention services state-wide by focusing on prescription drug and alcohol abuse,” Tomblin explained

The Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli, participated in the opening panel discussion at the conference. He said the emphasis on prevention and other collaborative efforts can in some way be attributed to an evolution of perceptions surrounding substance abuse and addiction.

“I think under this Administration we’re really looked at and moved away from this 'War on Drugs' mentality and really focused this issue as a public health-related issue—acknowledging that substance abuse is a disease and that people can get treatment and do recover. One of the issues that is really important to us is how we make sure people are getting good care,” said Botticelli.

Clinical Assistant Professor of Marshall University’s Pharmacy School Brian Gallagher said getting quality care that combats substance abuse means all corners of the health care industry need to be involved, including pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies.

“Everybody has a component in this and I think the part in dealing with the pharmaceutical industry is that they’re recognizing that they don’t want their drugs taken off the market. They don’t want it to be so restrictive that the patients can’t get access to those drugs,” said Gallagher.

“We need to make sure we strike an appropriate balance: the patients who actually need the drugs are able to get them while we’re keeping them out of the hands of the people who abuse them. It’s striking that balance that’s important and working with the pharmaceutical industry and every body involved.”

Asked what type of costs might be associated with potential changes in policy, Secretary Bowling said the state will first look for other grant opportunities. But, she expects any spending in the short term will inevitably save the state money and hopefully will reduce health care costs for individuals.

“If we focus our attention on the right things for the people that we serve, in the long run it’s going to actually reduce costs to the system,” said Bowling.

“What we have to make sure we’re doing is thinking about the client in a holistic manner, that we are looking the physical and the behavioral aspect of care and making sure we’re doing the right thing, at the right place, at the right time.”

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is sponsoring the inaugural conference which runs through Thursday at the Charleston Civic Center.

Gov. Tomblin Marks 9/11 with Wreath Ceremony, Meets with First Responders

This morning Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin laid a wreath near the Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial on the State Capitol grounds to mark the twelfth anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

On this day 12 years ago, Governor Tomblin was serving as Senate President in the State Legislature. He said he first heard reports of the planes striking the World Trade Center as he was getting ready for the day while the legislature was in special session. Tomblin said he rushed to the Capitol and watched the rest of the day’s events unfold.

“It was one of those times when we had a quick session. Everyone was very concerned. We had never really experienced anything like this before. Shortly thereafter, I sent the members of the Senate home, our staff home. People were just stunned and didn’t know what was going to happen next,” said Tomblin.

Tomblin also met briefly with first responders and officials from the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at the ceremony, including Frank Kennedy.

Now a training officer with the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Kennedy responded to the September 11 attacks as a marine patrol officer with the East Hampton, N.Y. Police Department. Having patrolled the perimeter of the World Trade Center for 36 hours until the National Guard could be deployed, Kennedy said it took a while to learn about those he knew who perished in the attack.

“It’s an exceedingly tough day. It’s a day I probably don’t watch the news at all,” said Kennedy. “I lost six friends that were NYPD officers and five friends that were FDNY officers–people I grew up with and had known my whole life.”

At the Sept. 11 wreath ceremony Gov. Tomblin shakes hands with Frank Kennedy, Training Officer for the State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Kennedy was a first responder in with the East Hampton, N.Y. Police Department New York City 12 years ago.

Upon retirement, Kennedy moved to West Virginia to be close to his son and decided to go back to work with the Department of Homeland Security, a move he said somewhat helps him cope with the experience of being on the scene in New York City 12 years ago. He said it’s also helped him see the importance of the work of first responders.

“It’s not just New York that was affected. Obviously, D.C. was affected, Pennsylvania and very well West Virginia could have been affected if that plane had flown a little longer,” said Kennedy.

“I think it is something every American should be concerned about and remember because there was people running in while other people were running out. That’s the nature of first responders.”