This week, in author Willie Carver, Jr.’s new book, he reconsiders a negative childhood experience with a neighborhood girl who might have just been looking for a friend. Also, a southwestern Virginia community rang the alarm after more and more of its children were diagnosed with cancer. A local journalist is trying to unravel the cause. And, the city of Asheville has a new crusading reporter. He’s a puppet.
No matter what meteorologists might say, two famous, furry, weather predictors in West Virginia have differing forecasts for the next six weeks.
About 40 people in Athens cheered as they learned Concord Charlie’s prediction of an early Spring. The group gathered on Groundhog Day at Concord University for the annual light-hearted breakfast.
The tradition was started back in 1978 by the late Professor R.T. “Tom” Hill. It’s meant to celebrate a bit of Appalachian heritage and highlight the Geography program.
Jessica Lilly
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WVPB
About 40 people gathered for the annual Concord University Groundhog Day breakfast in 2022.
The breakfast doesn’t just honor a groundhog, it also honors a person. Princeton Rescue Squad CEO Stacey Hicks was named as the 2022 Grand Groundhog Watcher. Hicks gave thanks to Concord, remembering his mother, who raised seven children on her own, while working as a cook at the college.
“Driving over this morning, I thought about the days that she drove over here to raise us by herself,” Hicks said as he fought back tears. “Without Concord, I probably wouldn’t be here because this place fed me when I was a child.”
Hicks received a standing ovation at the end of his speech.
Hicks serves on several boards in the region and is the Transportation Director for Southern West Virginia Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, a service he himself was in need of as a child.
French Creek Freddie, with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources predicted six more weeks of winter, after seeing his shadow Wednesday morning. Freddie makes his home at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in Upshur County.
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On this West Virginia Week, the air around the site of a chemical leak near Institute is determined safe, the state reaches a settlement with Roblox, and Charleston photographer Perry Bennett represents Team USA in Iceland.
This week, in author Willie Carver, Jr.’s new book, he reconsiders a negative childhood experience with a neighborhood girl who might have just been looking for a friend. Also, a southwestern Virginia community rang the alarm after more and more of its children were diagnosed with cancer. A local journalist is trying to unravel the cause. And, the city of Asheville has a new crusading reporter. He’s a puppet.
Kentucky writer Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr’s new book Tore All To Pieces weaves poetry and short stories into a narrative about people and place. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch recently spoke with Carver and brings us this conversation.
As the U.S. approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Americans are debating not just politics but the nation’s past. In this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay brings together student and academic scholars and community members at Marshall University in West Virginia to examine what the revolution means to us today.
