Best of 2017: Grandparents Raising Grandkids & Former Miners Find Jobs in Stream Restoration

We end our weeklong look at our best stories from 2017, where we stepped into the archives to retell some of our favorite stories from last year.

This morning, we hear from reporters Kara Lofton and Glynis Board.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

About 2 and a half million children in the US are being raised by grandparents or relatives instead of birth parents.  And that number is rising. West Virginia saw a 16 percent increase from 2000-2015.

The George family, like many across the state, know the effects of addiction and are working hard to protect the next generation. From our archived best-of-stories from 2017, Kara Lofton takes us to meet this family in Jackson County.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health, Charleston Area Medical Center and WVU Medicine.

Former Miners Find Jobs in Stream Restoration

We hear a lot of political rhetoric about “job killing” regulations and their effect on the coal industry. But in some corners of coal country, environmental regulations create jobs. Here’s another from our archived best-of-stories from 2017, where Glynis Board reports how stream restoration is part of a multi-billion-dollar business, and some displaced miners are tapping into that revenue stream.

The Ohio Valley ReSource is made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Mountain Stage: Song of the Week

Somewhere between experimental folk and traditional Appalachian you’ll find Asheville-based band River Whyless, an up-and-coming indie act making their Mountain Stage debut on this week’s broadcast. Here’s “All Day All Night” in this Mountain Stage: Song of the Week.

Like what you hear? Subscribe to the Mountain Stage podcast to hear River Whyless’ full set in the coming weeks.