Maria Young, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Major State Park Expansion Through Public-Private Partnership Opens At Summersville Lake

Three campgrounds at Summersville Lake State Park now have new facilities to accommodate a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts.

Summersville Lake State Park just got bigger, due to a public-private partnership that may be repeated at other state parks in the months and years ahead.

Before a crowd of local officials at the park Friday, Gov. Patrick Morrisey cut the ribbon on the newest expansion at Summersville Lake State Park.

“These campgrounds are going to offer folks from all across the state and the country the opportunity to stay the night in one of our beautiful state parks and enjoy the natural beauty of West Virginia,” Morrisey said.

The park’s three separate campgrounds now offer a range of experiences, from campsites to RV hookups with laundry rooms, playgrounds, bathrooms and showers.

Morrisey said there are more state park expansions to come.

“This is an incredible display of West Virginia beauty at its best, and I’m going to predict we’re going to have a lot more additional announcements related to our state parks in the months and years ahead,” he said.

“There will be more public-private partnerships. There will be more opportunities to further expand our state parks for the kind of things that are going to attract more West Virginians and folks from across the country to visit,” he said.

Morrisey also announced a new Mountaineer Mile trail at the state park – the latest effort to encourage West Virginians to walk at least a mile a day.

New ‘Brews And Booze’ Trail Aims To Draw Visitors To Southern W.Va.

Residents and visitors seeking a unique, authentic experience in West Virginia might want to check out the lower half of the state.

Southern West Virginia – a not-for-profit organization that works to promote travel and tourism opportunities for the state’s nine southernmost counties – has just launched its new Brews and Booze Trail.

The trail wanders through Raleigh, Mercer, Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, McDowell, Nicholas, Wyoming, and Summers counties with stops at a variety of locally owned beverage facilities, including some steeped in West Virginia traditions and history.

Southern West Virginia Director Lisa Strader says each stop offers tastes of unique, locally produced beverages, from ciders and beers to wines and hard liquors.

“We do have a lot of the culture and history, a lot of Civil War history throughout our region. I know there’s several of our counties are on the National Civil War trail. “There’s beauty, there’s outdoor rec for those that want to be a little bit more in tune with nature versus just seeing the beautiful overlooks,” Strader said. “I always tell people when they start their journey, if you start at the coal mines, you’re going to understand everything else, because as you traverse your trails, you’re going to see the remnants of the coal and rail history.”

A series of “passes” with multiple stops close to each other allows visitors to travel past scenic sights to several stops in a single day, and pick up points – 25 for each stop – worth prizes along the way.

Prizes include stickers, coasters, t-shirts and tumblers.

‘No-Kill Shelter Month’ Aims To Save Pets In West Virginia

New data shows West Virginia is close to achieving “no-kill” status for animal shelters across the state.

Animal advocates across the state are working to decrease the number of animals that are euthanized at shelters in West Virginia.

Against the backdrop of new data showing the state is approaching a “no-kill” status considered optimal for saving as many pet lives as possible, Gov. Patrick Morrisey proclaimed May “No-Kill Shelter Month.”

Because some animals are too sick or too badly injured when they arrive at a shelter, the goal is for 90% or more of the animals to leave alive through foster or adoptive homes.

The Best Friends Animal Society is a national animal welfare organization that tracks shelter statistics county-by-county nationwide.

“To show just how close we are, for West Virginia to become no-kill, only 1,100 additional dogs and cats would need to be adopted this year so we’re talking very very close,” said Eric Swafford, the group’s Director of Legislation and Campaign Strategy. “Across the entire state, that’s nothing.”

Newly released data from Best Friends Animal Society shows fewer shelter cats and dogs were euthanized in West Virginia last year – just under 90% last year, up from 86% in 2023.

Swafford says shelters in West Virginia have implemented foster programs, spay and neuter services and more accessible adoption processes that have all helped animals find their homes.

W.Va. Tobacco Prevention Program Up In Smoke Due To Funding Cuts

A long-standing program that aims to cut tobacco use among young people in West Virginia is scheduled to close next month due to state and federal funding losses.

Organizers with the American Lung Association say Raze, a peer-led program to prevent tobacco use among West Virginia kids, will end this summer because of funding cuts.

“The Raze program is a unique, effective and truly incredible program,” said Val Gleason, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

“For over 24 years, Raze members have worked tirelessly to change the tide of youth tobacco use in West Virginia. Even in the ever-changing landscape of popular tobacco products, Raze has continued to adapt and lead the way in youth activism and tobacco education,” Gleason saidd.

There are just over 1,500 students enrolled in 53 Raze clubs across the state. This school year, they’ve held 16,000 tobacco education activities.

Most of the funds came from the Smoking and Health Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – that was eliminated last month.

At the state level, almost $8 million was set aside for youth tobacco and prevention from a settlement with Juul, a popular vaping company, back in 2023. But those funds have never been allocated.

Charleston-based Chaste Barclay with the American Lung Association says House Bill 3521 would have allocated over $1 million for tobacco prevention – but the bill died on the last day of the session.

“We’re hoping that, with the attention that we’ve been getting recently, that the governor’s office would reconsider and bring that back up in a possible special session to use it for how it was intended,” Barclay said.

Without those funds, she predicted, tobacco use will sharply increase in West Virginia.

“We’re hearing about fourth and fifth graders getting caught using vape devices and things like that, and I think there’re just going to be an increase in tobacco-related illnesses down the road.”

Breanna Cutright, now 17, joined Raze in her Clarksburg Middle School to encourage her classmates to stay away from tobacco. But as she learned about the dangers of smoking, she turned to her grandfather, a long time smoker.

“I was like, ‘Would you ever consider quitting? Like, would you do that for me?’ And then within a couple months, he actually did, and I was able to get him to quit, and he’s been tobacco free for a couple years now,” she said.

“West Virginia continues to have one of the highest rates of tobacco use in the nation. We are devastated that the Administration in Washington and state leaders eliminated funding support for tobacco education programs for Raze youth and their schools,” Gleason said.

“Over the years, this program has saved lives and reduced the burden of tobacco use in youth. The program made incredible progress in reducing youth tobacco use in West Virginia, and we can’t allow funding decisions to reverse this progress,” she said.

Raze is expected to shut down on June 30.

McDowell Commission Seeks More State, Federal Flood Recovery Dollars

County leaders in one of the areas hardest hit by February flooding are asking for help in preventing future floods.

Commissioners in one of the areas hardest hit by Feb. 15 flooding that ravaged West Virginia are asking for assistance in clearing their waterways. It is critical, they say, to prevent a similar catastrophe in the future.

Three people were killed in flooding that washed away homes and cars and wiped out bridges in the county.

Recovery from the torrential rains is well underway. But nearly three months later, the county commission says there is a long way to go – and they need help to prevent more floods.

“We still have families that are still struggling with the loss of the bridges going to the residence, we’ve got several those within the county,” Commission President Michael Brooks said.

“In Gary, (we lost) a little bridge there that gave access to 10 homes, where the people are having to walk the railroad tracks to their vehicles,” Brooks said.

In the middle of streams, car parts, trailers and trees have all piled up to form islands of debris that will push rain waters to land, Brooks added.

The county is one of seven that has been approved for individual and public assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA). But county commissioners have sent a resolution requesting help in clearing the clogged streams and creeks.

“The resolution that we did was asking that our state government as well as our federal partners assist us in finding ways that we can revitalize the streams here in McDowell County that will enable the streams to actually stay within its banks and not continue to eat away at roadways, infrastructure, things like that,” Brooks said.

The governor’s office and multiple state agencies have been responsive, Brooks said, and he added that churches and volunteers have also stepped up – but he is hopeful even more help will be coming.

W.Va. Voters Now Required To Show Photo IDs

West Virginia voters have a list of identifying documents they can use to verify their identities before the next election.

West Virginia voters will need to present photo identification to vote in future elections.

House Bill 3016 was signed into law by Gov. Patrick Morrisey Wednesday evening.

“No photo ID, no vote,” said Morrisey at a ceremonial signing on Thursday. “This is just common sense. Need a photo ID to drive a car, purchase alcohol and get on a plane. Why shouldn’t you need one to vote in an election?”

Until now West Virginia voters only needed proof of residence. Under the new law, they’ll have to show a photo ID in order to vote.

The list of valid, identifying documents that can be used includes:

A valid West Virginia driver’s license or valid West Virginia identification card issued by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles;
A valid driver’s license issued by a state other than the State of West Virginia.
A valid United States passport or passport card;
A valid employee identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by the United States Government or of the State of West Virginia, or by any county, municipality, board, authority, or other political subdivision of West Virginia;
A valid student identification card with a photograph of the eligible voter issued by an institution of higher education in West Virginia by a West Virginia high school;
A valid military identification card issued by the United States with a photograph of the person desiring to vote; or
A valid voter registration card that includes the voter’s photograph issued by a county clerk in the State of West Virginia or the Secretary of State.

Morrisey said the new law upholds election integrity and helps to prevent voter fraud.

“With this bill, West Virginians can be even more secure that they should have confidence In our election. We can’t afford to sacrifice our elections to mistrust or questionable practices,” Morrisey said. “I don’t think this should be controversial, and I’m very excited to help make this a law.”

Voters without photo identification can execute an affidavit affirming their identity and then cast a provisional ballot that is counted once their identity has been verified by an elections official.