Glynis Board, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

ARC: 'Billions' Coming To Coal Communities From Feds

Massive economic opportunities are available for rural energy communities according to Gayle Manchin, the co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

Manchin was in Wheeling Wednesday at Northern Community College and met with state and federal leaders representing a variety of government agencies. She and other panelists outlined approximately $200 billion of what was called a “once-in-a-generation investment” targeted at coal-impacted communities.

Increases in funding are anticipated for everything from water and sewage projects, brownfield cleanup, and mineland reclamation, to small business support and regionally collaborative economic development.

“What I find exciting about being here today is that it’s really all about how we can all work together and to see a very strong group from Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania,” Manchin said. She pointed out that the Appalachian region includes 26 million people and 423 counties — rivaling California and Texas.

Manchin said she applauded President Joe Biden’s efforts to infuse Appalachia with financial assistance to help the region transition from coal-dependent to a more diversified economy. Manchin was joined by Brian Anderson, executive director of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization.

“All of the federal agencies are here to make sure we’re working hand-in-hand with local communities,” Anderson said. He added that the goal is to make sure communities that have been relied upon for national energy independence and security are not left behind as energy trends shift to renewable sources.

Anderson also directs the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. He expects this funding to be allocated through competitive grant programs over the next five years.

Some of the grant opportunities discussed include those provided through:

W.Va.’s Department Of Agriculture Race: Supporting The Small Farm

Two farmers from north central West Virginia are vying for the position that guides and promotes the state’s agriculture industry. The Republican incumbent and the Democratic challenger both say they’re passionate about communication, which experts say is key, given the makeup and conditions of the industry in the Mountain State.

West Virginia’s agriculture community is made of about 22,900 farms — most of them are small and 9.5 of 10 are family owned — the highest rate in the country. Without much flat land, the state produces a lot of hay, apples and peaches, specialty crops, as well as cattle, chicken, turkey and trout. Overall, about $500 million comes into the state from traditional agriculture. For some perspective, neighboring Virginia generates $52 billion. According to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, 80 percent of these farms earn less than $10,000 a year.

“Realize that big ag is never gonna work here,” said Fritz Fritz Boettner, the Food Development Director at the Center for Resilient Communities at West Virginia University. “Accept it, and move on. And say, how do we help small scale farmers?”

Boettner also points to the work the department does to regulate safe food sales and management, but he stressed that there’s a lot of potential economic growth to be tapped in supporting small farmers. He says the state’s Department of Agriculture plays critical roles to develop that economy, and also in cultivating health and well-being in the state.

“We drastically undervalue the role of the Department of Agriculture in our food system and feeding people,” Boettner said. “All the food access programs and distribution, all that federal funding that comes into the state goes to the Department of Agriculture, then they divvy it out. They have intense control of how we provide food to people.”

A Department of Agriculture

West Virginia’s Department of Agriculture was established in the early 1900s to promote the state’s agriculture. Over the years it’s grown to ensure that all agricultural products in the state are safely sold.

According to the WV Encyclopedia, the department’s responsibilities include:

prevent, control, and eradicate animal and poultry diseases;
inspect commercial slaughterhouses;
regulate pesticides;
detect and control plant diseases;
distribute agricultural information, including the monthly Market Bulletin, circulation 60,000;
enforce laws to protect the public food supply; and
support rural development initiatives.

The state Department of Agriculture works cooperatively with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on some matters, particularly meat and poultry inspections, and detection and control of plant diseases.

Leonhardt vs. Beach

While both men who want to head the agency have a background in farming, they’re coming to the position in different ways.

Current Commissioner Kent Leonhardt is running on his record.

“I’m not a career politician,” Leonhardt explained. “I’m only in my 6th year in politics.”

He’s originally from Buffalo, New York. He had a military career in the U.S. Marine Corp, retired in 1996, and today owns about 380 acres in Monongalia County, raising sheep, cattle, goats and sometimes selling hay.

Meanwhile state Sen. Bob Beach, the Democratic challenger, comes to the table as native farmer and a longtime politician.

“I’ve been in the legislature for 20 years. My office door is always open,” he said.

Some of the initiatives Leonhardt is passionate about include efforts to expand production of specialty crops like mushrooms, and agro therapy for veterans and traumatized first-responders.

“We’re actually coordinating the instruction of an agro therapy [program] at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Huntington, which is one of four in the country. And I’m hoping that ours becomes the model that they use around the country.”

Leonhardt says he’s made his office more efficient during his first term. He says he’s developed a strategic plan and wants to be re-elected to continue to put the plan into action. He says he’s improving communications between the office and farmers, and that he’s working to deregulate antiquated laws to make farming easier.

“We’ve changed the attitude of the department from a heavy-handed regulatory agency to an educate-before-regulate agency. We want to make sure that agribusinesses in the state are able to comply with the food safety aspects, yet be successful at the same time.”

Eric Blend, a farmer in the Northern Panhandle, supports Leonhardt.

“He has really made some changes and added some key players in the department to really help out small-scale agriculture and just agriculture in general.”

Blend is referring to business coordinators in the restructured department who have been very responsive to his needs as he navigates the farming world in the region. He said he’s been able to share practical knowledge from the field with the department, and seen those ideas incorporated into policy. Blend was also invited to help lobby for legislation pushed by the department — specifically the Cottage Food Law, which legislators passed this year.

“So now home-bakers and producers, with proper labeling, can actually sell their goods in retail stores, gas stations, and online as well, as well as just selling it to your neighbor,” Blend said.

Another recent policy adjustment includes a micro dairy rule, designed for smaller dairy farmers who want to process their own milk and dairy products to sell locally. (It doesn’t legalize the sale of raw milk beyond existing herd-share agreements, by the way. That’s a different law.)

And Leonhardt has continued to try to cultivate the hemp industry in the state.

Leonhardt’s Democratic challenger, Beach was one of the sponsors of the Cottage Food Law. But he’s also well known for his enthusiasm and interest in developing the hemp industry.

“There’s a lot of pieces to the hemp industry and to the legislation itself, because you have the state level, obviously, you have the federal level,” Beach said. “I’m trying to learn as much as I can. And the more I learned, the more I realized there’s more to learn.”

Beach grew up on an 800-acre cattle farm here in West Virginia.

“My involvement in agriculture is not eight years, but 54 years,” he said. “We have a lot to bring to the table, we want to focus on what I call ‘ARC,’ and that’s advocating, resources, and communication for the agricultural community.”

Former state Sen. Ronald Miller, a Democrat from Lewisburg, is among those who encouraged Beach to take up a campaign to run. Miller has an agritourism business in southern West Virginia. He remembers serving on the agriculture committee with Beach in the senate and said Beach is willing to tackle important agricultural projects.

“We’re within a big percentage of the nation’s population — they’re within a small drive from West Virginia. That’s important. We should be looking at how do we tap that market?”

Beach said he’d focus more resources on promoting agricultural products grown in the state. He recently released a 10-point plan that emphasizes things like supporting educational initiatives to bring more agriculture into K-12 and higher ed institutions. He also wants to support farmers by expanding access to technology and create more regional networking between farms.

Wheeling Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis

Officials in a northern West Virginia city have unanimously approved a resolution declaring racism a health crisis.

Social justice movements across the nation helped spark Tuesday’s vote by the Wheeling City Council, which appears to be among the first in the state.

The resolution highlights public health authorities like the American Public Health Association and the American Medical Association which have recognized that racism is an urgent threat to public health in the U.S.

The effort was spearheaded by newly elected councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum.

“Ultimately the goal is three-fold,” Ketchum said, “to build trust among our communities of color and our city government, to identify where and how we can make city leadership diverse, representative and inclusive as possible, and finally to formally acknowledge the systemic and far reaching impacts racism has on all of our lives.”

The resolution outlines steps the city plans to take to address systemic racism, including reviewing all City policies and procedures to identify any racial bias, requiring implicit bias training for all employees, and developing partnerships to confront racism in the community.

The document directs the city manager to review policies and remove any racial bias, require municipal employees to complete implicit bias training and work toward building a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Q&A: How George Floyd Woke The Ohio Valley… For A Little Bit

A longtime community leader in the Northern Panhandle, Ron Scott Jr. was born and raised in a family of community advocates in Wheeling. He founded and directs the Ohio Valley African American Student Association — an organization that “encourages & promotes higher and continued education for Black and Bi-Racial students in the Ohio Valley.” Now he’s the Director of Cultural Diversity and Community Outreach at the YWCA in Wheeling. The mission of the YWCA is, “Eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.”

West Virginia Public Broadcasting met up with him to learn about some of the changes he’s seen in his community in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Ron Scott Jr. is currently helping to coordinate a multi-year plan to address racial issues across public and private high schools throughout Ohio County. And since the killing of George Floyd began with an altercation over a counterfeit 20 dollar bill, the YWCA has also launched what they’re calling “Change for a 20 Challenge” asking community members to donate a 20 dollar bill and post why they donate in social media channels with #Changefora20. Funds are slated to go to scholarships, and programs and events designed to address diversity, human rights, race relations, and ultimately to cultivate unified community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NubR22EzwU

Glynis Board: The YWCA in Wheeling began in 1906, right? Talk to me about its history of dedication to diversity.

Ron Scott Jr.: I’ve never seen an agency that has “eliminating racism” in their mission statement. That’s it. And it’s before “empowering women.” “Eliminating racism, empowering women…” They did something — they called it the Blue Triangle, during segregation. There weren’t services for black women and children and families. It just didn’t exist. So they went out of their way to make a separate agency called the Blue Triangle that was affiliated with the YWCA and it just served black women and children and families. It was around for a while through segregation stuff through Jim Crow. And I’m amazed that I never learned anything about that. Or it’s never been celebrated — the bravery of an agency like that back then. Because you weren’t getting rewarded for that sort of stuff, then. You weren’t considered a visionary for doing that. You were just breaking the rules. And now they were on the right side of history. So it’s kind of cool to be affiliated with an agency that has historically been on the right side of history.

Board: Have you seen an uptick in interest and in people been coming to you for guidance in the wake of George Floyd’s killing?

Scott: Definitely. And me and a good friend of mine, Jermaine Lucius, we’ve been trying to figure out why this is so different, because the act itself — this isn’t new. Especially not to us. This isn’t a new thing. This isn’t a new phenomenon. I think it may have been the combination of the quarantines from the virus, people just being at home, just watching TV, and it dominating the news stories, and nothing else can take your eyes off. There’s no football games and basketball games; there’s nothing to distract you. So they kind of got to see it, and really let it soak in this time.

And the outpouring and outcry has been incredible to me. I’ve never experienced this kind of outrage from the white community for an issue that, in essence, doesn’t affect them. It’s not like George Floyd was a white guy that was just doing this thing and got murdered. But I’ve been just inundated with, “What can I do?” “How can I make my agency better? My community better?”

I thought originally I was going to get a week out of this. And so I’m jumping on whenever I can. Whoever asked me anything, I’m on it. And a week passes, and then two weeks pass, and a month passes and people are still asking me, “What can I do?” And they don’t just want to put a little bandaid on. They’re like, “What can we do that is sustaining?” “How can we change the culture of this agency or this hair salon?” I’ve been speaking to groups that I just didn’t even know, had those kind of concerns.

There was a local hair salon who had an issue that was race related because people were speaking out we’re seeing these things happen and play out in front of us right on TV. So folks bean to speak out and made it tense and uncomfortable in the salon. And the owner asked me to come and speak to all the staff and we just had a great conversation about their views.

Because I don’t ever go into the situation with, “You’re wrong. Let me tell you why.” And so we just kind of flesh out whatever it is they already think, what they already feel, and who they want to be, and how they want to be perceived by other people. So once we fleshed all that out, we then realize places like salons are social hubs. People come there and get more candid than they do in doctors offices and therapists offices. And so being able to do that kind of a presentation and talk at a place like that, it has a ripple effect. And that’s how real change happens. You know, it’s not me standing in front of the city building with a megaphone. It’s having presentations at like hair salons or community centers, places like that. And all these places are asking, they’re saying, “What can we do?”

Board: Is there a common theme in these conversations?

Scott: Well, there’s an underlying theme that a lot of people that reach out to me seem to be working with: the issue of them being perceived a racist sometimes seems to be worse than being one. So what they want to make sure happens is — I don’t want to do or say anything that might make folks believe that I’m a racist, or I just have no real sensitivity or tolerance to anyone different than me. So it’s almost like they want me to come in and we do some assessment of the idea, like, “I’ve been in the city for a long time, and I’ve had a few black employees, and my roommate in college…” So we go through all of that sort of stuff. And it’s like they’re unsure because they’re seeing how the systematic racism has permeated almost every institution that they’ve loved. And now, it’s like — and I don’t know why now — they just seem to see it clearly. And some of them it scares them; some are in denial about it; and others just want to go to action. They’re like, “We got to fix this. I didn’t realize this is how you felt every day.” And they’re ready to go. So I’m like, let’s go then! I’m not slowing down. Not until they are.

Board: I hesitate to use the word “hope,” but how do you feel about the future? Do you think that with this more substantial sort of movement afoot, that there will actually be tangible policy changes and cultural shifts?

Scott: Right now, I think I’m hopeful for attitude shifts, paradigm shifts in thinking, and thinking and personalities — those kind of shifts are definitely happening. And I think we’re gonna to be able to see more of it. But I have begun lately to lose some of the hope because there are certain narratives that are like comfortable shoes to people, you know. And the newest one is the idea that Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization that has an agenda that just kill random and innocent white people. I’ve had folks tell me that places are just like war zones now like Beirut and, you know, people don’t want to drive through them anymore. And that narrative, people have adopted it. It’s finally given me a little bit of pause where I can see this starting to lose some traction, because people are believing stuff that they haven’t seen. They haven’t experienced it. No one’s even telling them second or third hand. This is just an abstract idea someone’s just saying and they’re like, “Yes. That’s the case. Let me get back to being comfortable and live in my life. And just give me a few blinders. We need some leagues to come back, we need some games to start, we need something. So I could put these blinders back up and go back to business as usual.”

Because real change is uncomfortable. And for a minute there people were just ready to get uncomfortable. They were ready to hear this conversation. But with this idea that there’s a terrorist group called Black Lives Matter that’s just killing people, randomly and innocent people for no reasons. It just is a ridiculous notion but people are clinging to it. And I think that might slow us down.

I’ve been explaining to people, the Black Lives Matters and it isn’t even an organization in a sense. It’s a movement. It’s a sentiment. It’s an idea. I mean, yeah, they got a website. They got principles. There’s a founder. But so does #MeToo, but there’s not a #MeToo office or a board of directors for the #MeToo movement that could organize… No it’s the idea of it. And it’s one that resonates when you get it. When you understand that what you’re saying is black lives matter as well, too. Just like my life matters Black Lives Matter as well. Once you wrap your mind around it is such a simple sentiment and it’s so easy to get behind. But when you throw a little dose of fear in there people are ready to put the comfortable shoe back on, like, “Okay, they’re killing people. We’re good. We’re gonna stay in the house.”

Board: Well, what about here in West Virginia? I’m curious… I don’t even know what I’m curious about now. Now I’m just like, sad.

Scott: Don’t be sad. There’s good stuff. There’s still people — like tonight at five I’m speaking to a group in St. Clairsville. That didn’t exist maybe a month ago. All the stuff was going on. One woman had an interest, so she gathered up people who had an interest, and they want to … they just want to have a conversation to see if there’s more that they can learn, or if they can do better, and I love the idea that someone can still be teachable, nowadays. You can be a grown adult with kids, a successful job, and still say, “There’s stuff, I just don’t get still, and you might be able to help me get it.” And that’s fantastic. Because they’re not looking at that as a weakness. They’re just ready to go.

Operation YURT: Building Youth Resilience Through Food, Storytelling & Community In The Ohio Valley

West Virginia is one of the few states where the population is dropping and life expectancy is among the lowest in the country. Communities are shrinking, aging, and experiencing some of the highest opioid overdose rates in the country. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, one of every four kids in West Virginia has experienced two or more adverse childhood experiences — a rate almost 20 percent higher than the national average. West Virginia Public Broadcasting has engaged with organizations in the Northern Panhandle region with an eye toward addressing these disparities.

The resulting program is still in its infancy. WVPB together with Ohio County Schools, Grow Ohio Valley, Oglebay Institute and several other organizations have all contributed to development and deployment Operation YURT (Youth Resilience Training): a trauma-informed, school-based, outdoor education program teaching storytelling, nutrition, and emotional intelligence.

At West Virginia Public Broadcasting we know the value of storytelling. And we aren’t the only ones. Researchers have found that deeply rooted in the human species is a need to connect, empathize, and understand each other, and that narratives are powerful and important tools which can either manipulate or harness human potential.

The programming at Operation YURT seeks to tap into the positive potential storytelling can have in a community. Identified student interests guide storytelling efforts. Community members who champion those interests are invited to be interviewed. In this way we aim to celebrate and learn from our community by tapping into and highlighting the expertise found therein.

These are some of the stories that have been produced as a result.

A Community Project

Operation YURT is a community effort to lift up youth voices. It began in 2018 when West Virginia Public Broadcasting teamed up with Grow Ohio Valley and Ohio County Schools in an eight-week, youth reporting research project, Operation TIPI (trauma-informed pilot intervention). From there, the project grew into a year-long pilot, gaining partners and support along the way:

Driehorst Family Foundation – The Driehorst Family Foundation has provided important programming funds, allowing for key guest educators.
Grow Ohio Valley – Operation Yurt is an educational program led and staffed primarily by Grow Ohio Valley. The program takes place on former derelict housing property overlooking downtown Wheeling that Grow Ohio Valley has reclaimed and turned into a small urban farm.
Hess Family Foundation – The Hess Family Foundation has provided means to heat the yurt through cold months.
JB Chambers Foundation – The J.B. Chambers Foundation has provided critical funding to build a yurt onsite. This unconventional, round classroom provides a clean learning space that breaks normal for kids, and provides shelter while keeping kids closely connected to the elements.
Oglebay Institute and the Rural Arts Collaborative – Oglebay Institute named Glynis Board a 2019/2020 Rural Arts Collaborative (RAC) artist in residence. As such, Board has focused on teaching storytelling to Ohio County students during Operation YURT, culminating in a series of stories listed here for broadcast. RAC is funded by the Benedum Foundation and aims to bring professional teaching artists into schools during the content day to enhance the arts education experience.
Ohio County Schools – A critical partner, Ohio County Schools has been a supportive and engaged collaborator. Members of the Ohio County Board of Education and the administration have provided thorough guidance, support, and structure to allow students the opportunity to engage with Operation YURT in meaningful and educational ways.
Schenk Charitable Trust – Among the first to sign on to help get this project running, the Schenk Charitable Trust provided funds which have supplied programming support, staffing, classroom and food supplies, and warm outdoor apparel for students.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting – WVPB’s education reporter and Wheeling resident Glynis Board initiated the project as the culminating product of a Master’s in Education through West Liberty University. Board has fostered community partnerships ever since to see the program grow and led the youth reporting aspects of Operation YURT.
WVU Extensions – In addition to expertise and resources, WVU Extensions has provided engaging guided outdoor gardening curriculum.
Youth Services Systems – Youth Services Systems houses the Ohio County Learning Center and has been a founding partner, providing expert guidance and resources.

College students and public school students mingle and discuss life passions and interests on a chilly day in February.

Project Overview

Operation YURT (Youth Resilience Training) is a trauma-informed, school-based, outdoor education program teaching storytelling, nutrition, and emotional intelligence. The program strives to be responsive to all students, but especially those overcoming adversity.

Creativity is encouraged with journals, instruments and art supplies. Working on murals and song lyrics are common YURT activities.

Identified Ohio County public school students meet for a full school day once a week throughout the school year at Grow Ohio Valley’s “Lincoln Meadow.” A former site of derelict housing projects, Lincoln Meadow is now a reclaimed urban farm, complete with a spring-fed irrigation system, two high tunnels, a yurt, and intensive organic grow-beds. The site overlooks the Ohio River valley and downtown Wheeling, West Virginia.

The objective of Operation YURT is to improve academic success, wellbeing, and create a love of self and learning within student populations. One of the key ways this is accomplished is through storytelling. Students’ interests are identified, community experts in those interests are invited to visit. Students are then able to conduct and record interviews with these community members. Then, paired with an adult storyteller, they craft a story to share with their larger community.

In this way, students are exposed to expertise within their community as they develop important 21st century skills such as communication and collaboration.

Acting Superintendent Of W.Va. Schools Now Permanent, Shares Reentry Guidance

West Virginia’s Board of Education voted unanimously today to name acting superintendent Clayton Burch as the permanent State Superintendent of Schools.…

West Virginia’s Board of Education voted unanimously today to name acting superintendent Clayton Burch as the permanent State Superintendent of Schools. Burch accepted the position for a salary of $230,000 and discussed plans for reopening schools in the fall.

Burch said the social and emotional wellbeing of students is his top priority as he leads public schools throughout the state. In a press conference, he said he also wants to address resource equity for students including, but not limited to, broadband access. His third priority is to continue efforts to close the achievement gap.

Burch was temporarily promoted from deputy superintendent in February to replace Steve Paine. He continues the role now as school systems across the country consider the safest way to have classes this fall. He outlined different scenarios that include requiring health screening for kids and establishing cleaning protocols.

Each district has the autonomy to choose how they will reopen for the fall.

But Burch presented three scenarios schools can consider, saying counties could use the ideas to best meet the needs of their students:

Safer at School/Safer at Home – Students will attend school four days with one day of remote learning or some similar configuration determined by the county. On the remote days, the building will be rigorously sanitized. (Preferred elementary school scenario to best meet developmental needs.)

AND/OR

Blending Learning Delivery Models – Students may attend schools a limited number of days. Class sizes may be limited and/or creative scheduling implemented to minimize student mobility in the school. All students will be engaged in learning five days a week through a blended learning model.

Full Remote Delivery – If an outbreak occurs and a stay at home order is issued, all students will complete school assignments remotely five days a week. This will require the teacher and students to communicate daily and develop a process for monitoring, reviewing and/or grading of student engagement activities.

The plans allow for new policies such as some grades attending fewer days of school to allow for social distancing or the option for totally remote learning.
“For both middle school and high school it gives the district leadership opportunities to look at their class sizes and scheduling and be able to be creative when they try to limit the number of students that are mobile within the school as well as being transported,” Burch said during a press conference.

Burch said resources schools and the public can use to prepare for reentry will be available online, along with the Department of Education’s recommendations. Regularly scheduled press conferences are planned over the next two months in the lead up to the next school year.