Inside Appalachia Updates Struggle To Stay Stories

On this West Virginia Morning, two years ago, for our Struggle to Stay series, we began following two apprentices with a job-training program called Refresh Appalachia. The program is teaching Crystal Snyder and Colt Brogan to farm, while also helping them go to college. On this weekend’s episode of Inside Appalachia, we’ll look back on the challenges Colt and Crystal faced at work, and in their personal lives. Roxy Todd caught up with Colt and Crystal earlier this year at a Refresh Appalachia work retreat, to hear how things are going at work, and what their plans are after graduation.

Also on today’s show, you might have heard of a new fitness fad called “goat yoga” that’s becoming popular across the United States. But what about puppy Pilates? This week, West Virginia University Student Health hosted a puppy Pilates class aimed at de-stressing students before finals. Kara Lofton reports.

And on this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week we hear Songwriter James McMurtry’s “State of the Union,” which depicts a family’s inner-conflicts, long-standing grudges and stubborn optimism.