Schools, Mass Vaccinations And A Visit To The New River Gorge This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, WVU Medicine has quickly set up a mass vaccination site in Morgantown, hoping to vaccinate tens of thousands of people against COVID-19 each week. Also, we hear the latest news on school reentry in the state, we visit the New River Gorge, and we hear from higher education institutions that are trying to help students stay in school.

Just three West Virginia counties are still offering remote-only schooling, but that could soon change. Liz McCormick has more.

Thursday marks the first day of business for a new vaccine clinic in the state. As June Leffler reports, a Morgantown clinic operated by WVU Medicine hopes to immunize 26,000 people a week.

The New River Gorge was originally given federal protection as a national river in 1978. Last year, it became West Virginia’s first national park. Advocates for the new designation and economists say the name will bring more visitors and valuable tourism dollars to the area. But it’s more than just a name change. Less land will be open to hunting, while more visitors will place an additional burden on the park infrastructure. Duncan Slade spoke with a few of the people who will be impacted by these changes.

Higher education institutions are having a hard time keeping up with the new COVID-19 related needs for students to stay in school. Some schools like West Virginia State University, West Virginia University, and Concord University are equipped with programs meant to get money to students quickly. Now a statewide initiative is in the works. Jessica Lilly has more.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

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