This week on Inside Appalachia, a look back at some of the stories that shaped the show in 2024, like the story of an abandoned Fairmont Brine site in Marion County, West Virginia. It was a common hangout spot, but there’s a hidden danger. Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food. Like disenfranchised neighborhoods in East Knoxville, TN. And, not all bamboo is invasive. In fact, there’s a species native to Appalachia.
Five WVPB Projects Are Finalists For NETA Public Media Awards
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting has finalists in five categories of the 53rd Annual Public Media Awards, which celebrate the work of National Educational Telecommunications Association members. Winners will be announced in January.
Butch Antolini, WVPB’s interim executive director, said he’s proud of the WVPB team. “I’ve been with West Virginia Public Broadcasting only a short time, but I am impressed with the level of work I see being done here in service to West Virginians, and now a national educational organization recognizes it, too,” Antolini said. “To be finalists in categories that reward community initiatives and excellence in innovation is outstanding.”
West Virginia Public Broadcasting finalists include —
EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION WVPB’s Above And Beyond Award recognizes excellence and creativity in Mountain State teachers every month when a deserving teacher is rewarded with a host of prizes including cash and a signature Blenko glass blue apple paperweight. It was born from the extra effort we saw teachers putting in to help students during the pandemic.
WVPB
TOPICAL DOCUMENTARY Rosemary profiles the campaign of the first openly transgender person to be elected to public office in West Virginia. With the pandemic as the backdrop, the film follows Rosemary Ketchum’s campaign and election to Wheeling’s City Council in June 2020. It premiered in late October 2020 and can be viewed here.
Harrison Evans
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WVPB
There’s no right or wrong direction! Participants can use this map to visit each library by clicking on each county. While the path appears to be linear, children are encouraged to create their own path.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Library Pathfinders was an initiative for grades PreK-5 designed to give students in lockdown during the pandemic the opportunity to visit a handful of West Virginia libraries virtually. They could download the Pathfinder Journal to participate. Inaugural libraries include Burnsville Public Library, Mason County Library, Webster-Addison Public Library, Clay County Public Library and Boone-Madison Public Library.
COMMUNITY INITIATIVE Read for the Record is an annual event created to engage elementary children throughout the nation on the same day each year. WVPB provided this national event on a local level to children across the Mountain State. More than 200 volunteers read the book, “Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away” by Meg Medina, to children in schools, libraries and youth organizations in all 55 counties.
NATIONAL PROJECT THE PBS Writers Contest invites budding storytellers, avid writers and talented young illustrators to write stories for the annual contest, which kicked off during a time of lockdown for many students in the state. The contest was open to all students in grades K-5, including those in public and private schools, as well as those who are home schooled. First-, second- and third-place prizes were awarded at each grade level, and one winner had his story animated by WVPB’s television production team.
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Category winners will be announced during the 53rd Annual Public Media Awards Gala presented by Georgia Public Broadcasting on January 25, 2022, as part of the NETA Conference and CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forum. Awards were judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media. Except for the overall excellence categories, stations competed within their appropriate divisions based on their station size.
Join us for our 41st Anniversary show in Charleston, West Virginia on Dec. 8, 2024 as guest host David Mayfield welcomes Kip Moore, Maya De Vitry, Brad Tursi, Joy Clark and Andrew Marlin Stringband.
Holly Ridpath, a first-grade teacher at Ronceverte Elementary School in Greenbrier County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for October 2024.
Get ready to relearn those magic words with Hey Cartooners! For nearly three decades, Jule Huffman entertained the tri-state area as Mr. Cartoon, but his legacy loomed larger than his television personality. Now those who knew him best tell his story.
Alexa Bushovisky, a science teacher at John Marshall High School in Marshall County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Above and Beyond Award for September, 2024. This award recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
