On this West Virginia Week severe weather pounded the state, from destructive tornadoes in the south to historic floods in the north.
On this West Virginia Week, severe weather pounded the state, from destructive tornadoes in the south, to historic floods in the north.
Jobs in the state saw some losses, and some possible wins, while a program for people with disabilities was cut from the recent Budget. Chris Schulz takes listeners on a bike ride through the hills of Morgantown.
Also, Friday marked the 14th anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. Briana Heaney sat down with former WVPB reporter Ashton Marra to discuss her reporting on the trial that followed the disaster.
Brina Heaney is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert.
West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week’s biggest news in the Mountain State. It’s produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Liz McCormick and Randy Yohe.
This week on Inside Appalachia, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags… Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia’s New River Gorge more inclusive. And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice.
This week, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags…
Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia’s New River Gorge more inclusive.
And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
The mountains of Appalachia are home to some killer rock climbing, but they’re also accessible for some groups who’ve felt excluded in the past.
Adaptive sports reporter Emily Chen-Newton covers athletes with disabilities. She brings us this story, exploring why climbing festivals are making a home in Appalachia.
Removing Racist Language From Rock Climbing
In West Virginia, one of the most popular climbing destinations is the New River Gorge. Advanced rock climbers continue to pioneer new climbing routes there. The first people to climb these new routes are called “first ascensionists.” And they get the privilege of naming the routes. But what happens when dozens of those route names are plainly and clearly offensive?
In 2020 and 2021, Zack Harold followed the story of a climber at the New River Gorge who wanted to make the sport he loved more inclusive for his son.
Crafting A Classic Paddle
Jon Rugh with his wooden paddle at the New River near Blacksburg, VA.
Credit: Clara Haizlett/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Appalachia has several huge rivers — the New River, the Youghigheny, the Pigeon — so, it’s no surprise whitewater paddling is popular across the region, but it wasn’t all that long ago that modern paddlers first started exploring these rivers, designing their own gear and even building their own paddles. Some of those DIY paddle makers became master crafters.
Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett followed one.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sturgeon Creek, Anthony Vega, Oakfield, the Delorian, Biba Dupont, Marissa Anderson, Tyler Childers, Jerry Douglas and John Blissard.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
On this West Virginia Morning, video games have been around for decades, but in recent years esports – competitive, multiplayer video games – have exploded in popularity. Reporter Chris Schulz examines their growth.
On this West Virginia Morning, video games have been around for decades, but in recent years, esports – competitive, multiplayer video games – have exploded in popularity. But playing on a team is still out of reach for many women and lower income individuals. For their capstone project at West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media, students Gabriella Boal and Maxwell Ionno looked at diversity and accessibility in the growing esports space.
WVPB reporter Chris Schulz sat down with Boal to discuss their findings.
Also, in this show, the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities is the only center of its type in West Virginia. As Emily Rice reports, centers like these can assist foster care placements.
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 Concord University and Shepherd University.
Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and produced this episode.
Chuck Anziulewicz hosted this episode.
Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
WVU’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities has been in operation for 43 years. It does not focus on one disability in particular but instead cares for those with disabilities at every age.
West Virginia University’s (WVU) Center for Excellence in Disabilities can assist foster care placements and is the only center of its type in West Virginia.
If someone with a disability who is also in the state’s care cannot find a suitable home, they used to be institutionalized. That’s according to Lesley Cottrell, director of the center, and a professor in the WVU Department of Pediatrics.
Cottrell is working to reduce that outcome in West Virginia by connecting foster or adoptive families with foster children with disabilities, called Specialized Family Care.
“I think one of the largest outcomes is their success, by placing those individuals into homes and finding providers who will open their homes to individuals with disabilities, which reduces our state rate of institutionalization,” she said. “The default, if you don’t find a kind of loving home, the default is an institution, and we’ve moved away from that many years ago. So that keeps us awake at night and really pushes us on that Specialized Family Care to find those individuals who could be providers and open their homes to individuals.”
The center is part of a 62-center network nationally funded by Accountable Communities in Living. Cottrell said they learn from and contribute to the network.
“That network provides a lot of information about employment, about foster care, many things connected to community living as individuals with disabilities, and we share that back to West Virginia, but we also develop some things and contribute to that,” Cottrell said.
WVU’s Center for Excellence in Disabilities has been in operation for 43 years. It does not focus on one disability in particular but instead cares for those with disabilities at every age.
“Because we’re the only center of its type, we have a lifespan approach,” Cottrell said. “So we have some pediatric programs, we have some geriatric and all in between.”
Each organization in the national network provides four types of services: direct services, training, research and sharing of information.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, Gov. Jim Justice signed House Bill 2526 into law today. The bill includes a 21.25 percent tax cut across all six income brackets, with the governor’s office calling it the largest tax cut in state history. Government reporter Randy Yohe has the story.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, Gov. Jim Justice signed House Bill 2526 into law Tuesday. The bill includes a 21.25 percent tax cut across all six income brackets, with the governor’s office calling it the largest tax cut in state history. Government reporter Randy Yohe has the story.
With the signing of the bill, lawmakers have taken a significant step towards finalizing a budget. However, there are still some coronavirus relief monies yet to be appropriated, and significant debate on how to use them. Reporter Chris Schulz has more.
Yohe also sits down with Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, and House Minority Leader Doug Skaff, D-Kanawha, to discuss changes to the Public Employees Insurance Agency as Senate Bill 268 has passed through both chambers and is on the way to the governor’s desk.
It was also deaf awareness day at the Capitol, an event of understanding and education for all West Virginians.
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The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.
Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has signed two bills aimed at protecting special needs students.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed two bills Friday aimed at protecting special needs students after allegations of abuse at some schools last year.
One bill requires public school administrators to view video of each special education classroom for at least 15 minutes at least every 90 days. It also eliminates a requirement that video footage be deleted after a certain time period.
A 2019 state law required cameras to be installed in special needs classrooms following allegations of student abuse in Berkeley County. Investigators and parents or guardians of students involved in incidents are allowed to view available video upon request.
The other bill makes it a felony for someone in a position of trust to physically or verbally abuse a special needs student, or for failing to report abuse. That act previously was a misdemeanor.
The second bill also requires the state Department of Education to create a database of school employees under active investigation for child abuse.
The state also will be required to study the possibility of implementing a system allowing parents and guardians to view their children remotely.
A Kanawha County couple filed a lawsuit against the county school system after their son allegedly was abused at an elementary school. A criminal case against a former teacher at the school is ongoing. Criminal charges and civil lawsuits also have been filed alleging mistreatment of special needs students at a Kanawha County middle school.
