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This week, ballroom culture offers LBGTQ folks a chance to be as fabulous as they want to be. Also, national media reports on the deaths of notable people, but small, hometown papers add a more personal touch. And, alpha-gal syndrome takes red meat off the menu, but what about ostrich?
[CHARLESTON, WV] – West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) announced today that they have received a 2025 Ohio Valley Emmy Award in the category of Magazine Program – Single Program for the Inside Appalachia-Folkways Special.
“I’m very proud of and excited for Bryce Smith, the producing editor who assembled this piece into a 30-minute magazine program format,” said WVPB Director of Video Production, Chris Barnhart. “He did a great job assembling the individual pieces together into a seamless and coherent entity. I’m sure Bryce would agree that this award also belongs to all of the contributors who worked on the project.”
The Ohio Valley Emmy Awards are a division of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The Columbus, Ohio division was founded in 1964. In addition to granting the Ohio Valley Emmy Awards, this division awards scholarships, honors industry veterans at the Silver Circle Celebration, conducts National Student Television Awards of Excellence, has a free research and a nationwide job bank. The chapter also participates in judging Emmy entries at the regional and national levels.
“It’s such a nice honor,” said Inside Appalachia Producer, Bill Lynch. “We think we tell good stories. It’s great when other people think so, too.”
In this special program, Mason Adams shows us three pieces from our prolific Folkways Reporters. Clara Haizlett introduces us to a group restoring cane chairs, as well as a few musicians keeping the musical history of Osage, WV alive. Zack Harold shows us students at an elementary school in Boone County that is keeping a 100-year-old playground game alive.
About West Virginia Public Broadcasting:
The mission of West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) is to educate, inform, and inspire people by telling West Virginia’s story. WVPB is an indispensable resource for education, news and public affairs, emergency services and economic development. Learn more at https://www.wvpublic.org or find us on Facebook and Instagram.
A specific style of ballroom dance is helping disenfranchised young people find community in Appalachia. In our latest episode of Inside Appalachia, we explore LGBTQ ballroom culture and community in Roanoke, Virginia. Mason Adams has this excerpt.
Through early October, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in North Carolina is hosting an exhibit celebrating one of the region’s most notable fiber artists – Barbara Grennell. The exhibit does more than expose people to great art; it asks people, what makes art, art? Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch reports.
Gwyneth Philips is an ice hockey goalie for the Ottawa Charge in Canada. Philips, who grew up in Athens, Ohio, played on the U.S. Women's National Team during the 2026 Winter Olympics, where the team won gold. Inside Appalachia Associate Producer Abby Neff spoke with Philips.
Hockey is still finding fans and players in central Appalachia, but just because it’s an emerging sport in this region doesn’t mean we don’t have hockey heroes. Inside Appalachia’s Abby Neff met with Gwyneth Phillips, a goalie for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympics Women’s team, to learn more.