The last few years have seen a new wave of indie rock music emerging from the Mountain South. It’s distinguished by a Southern rock sound, and lyrics drawn from observations about living in the region. We’re talking about acts like Wednesday and MJ Lenderman — and Fust, a group that’s based in Durham, North Carolina with deep Appalachian roots. Fust has a new album. It’s called “Big Ugly.” Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams recently spoke with Fust singer and songwriter Aaron Dowdy.
Lawmakers Tour North Central West Virginia During Interim Meetings
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State lawmakers wrapped up their August interim meetings Wednesday, but legislators decided to take the show on the road this month, meeting in Bridgeport and touring parts of North Central West Virginia.
While some of their interim meetings were held in conference rooms around long tables just like in Charleston, many had delegates and senators out exploring the area.
Legislators took a tour of the I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont, visited Clarksburg’s United Technical Center, and met with West Virginia University President Gordon Gee in Morgantown—just to name a few examples of their outings.
At the Clarksburg Veteran’s Nursing Home, Clarksburg native and House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Richard Iaquinta urged his fellow lawmakers to consider building a second home for veterans in southern West Virginia.
Credit Ashton Marra / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Dr. Kevin Crickard, the nursing home’s administrator, led the tour Wednesday.
If the state took on the endeavor the federal government would pay two thirds of the construction costs and a portion of health benefits for some veterans, but Senate Finance Chairman Roman Prezioso said it is still a reoccurring cost for the state that lawmakers would have to prioritize.
“You have to maintain the facility after it’s built,” he said during a tour Wednesday, “obviously the salaries, the utilities, the maintenance, the upkeep, all of that has to be taken into consideration.”
September interims return to Charleston where lawmakers may be called into a special session focused on unintended consequences stemming from this year’s above ground storage tank bill.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, the House of Delegates passed a bill Tuesday that would allow data centers to establish microgrids — self-contained sites that generate their own power. The bill is one of Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s legislative priorities. It is also of interest to Chris Hamilton, president of the West Virginia Coal Association. Our Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate speaks with Hamilton about issues the coal industry is facing at home and abroad.
The Senate Education committee took up two bills Tuesday to try to improve school security, a legislative focus for years.
Schools have been required in code to provide their updated floor plans to fi...
On this West Virginia Morning, we discuss the role education has played in this year's legislative session, from proposed teacher pay bumps to bills addressing student discipline.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, education related topics from teacher pay, to curriculum and school discipline are all issues before the West Virginia Legislature this session. News Director Eric Douglas talks with Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, in our studio about some of the proposed legislation this session and how it affects teachers. The WVEA and the American Federation of Teachers plan to merge this summer to become a single teacher’s union in the state.
