On this episode of The Legislature Today, from staffing to security, West Virginia’s schools are facing a variety of issues. Bills introduced this year have ranged from associate degrees for vocational students to reducing barriers to teacher certification. Chris Schulz spoke with Senate Education Chair Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, about legislative action to address the state’s educational problems.
On this episode of The Legislature Today, from staffing to security, West Virginia’s schools are facing a variety of issues. Bills introduced this year have ranged from associate degrees for vocational students to reducing barriers to teacher certification. Chris Schulz spoke with Senate Education Chair Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, about legislative action to address the state’s educational problems.
In the House, lawmakers considered bills on third reading that included cutting the Social Security tax, getting broadband fiber optic cable on poles, and making it easier to visit certain gravesites. Randy Yohe has the story.
In the Senate, the chamber looked at bills on missing children, SNAP benefits, and Oil and Gas property taxes. Briana Heaney has more.
Also, the House Education Committee moved to address a critical shortage of special education staff, while the Senate Education Committee took a rarely seen action in their meeting. Chris Schulz has the story.
Finally, war hero Hershel “Woody” Williams was honored at the U.S. Capitol following his death. Now, a statue of him could be on permanent display there. Curtis Tate has more.
And, scientific and social research has to start somewhere. On Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol you can learn how theory and hypothesis develop into pragmatic information meant to help people.
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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.
Woody Williams, the late World War II Congressional Medal Of Honor recipient, created the Woody Williams Foundation to honor the families of those who died serving their country. His final wish was that the foundation erect a memorial for Gold Star Families in Huntington. On Monday, what would have been his 100th birthday, he got his wish.
Woody Williams, the late World War II Congressional Medal Of Honor recipient, created the Woody Williams Foundation to honor the families of those who died serving their country. His final wish was that the foundation erect a memorial for Gold Star Families memorial in Huntington. On Monday, what would have been his 100th birthday, he got his wish.
Near the close of the dedication, Lee Greenwood sang his iconic song “God Bless The USA” before more than a thousand people gathered at the Huntington Memorial Arch. The site is now also the home of the nation’s 131st Gold Star Families Monument. Greenwood said as William’s long time friend, and a Medal of Honor Society award winner, he wouldn’t have missed this event for the world.
“To give honor to Woody Williams is giving honor to all of them,” Greenwood said. “I’m proud to be here in West Virginia.”
At Williams’ state Capitol funeral service a year ago, friend and former Huntington mayor Kim Wolfe was reminded that he was tasked with getting this monument erected. Wolfe said it was one of many projects he worried on, for and with Woody, over 40 years.
“About three weeks prior to his passing, Woody said, ‘I’d like to have a monument.’ I don’t know anything about monuments. ‘Yeah, but you know people, just make that happen,’” Wolfe said.
Grandson Brent Casey reminded the crowd that Monday’s unveiling was not about his beloved “papaw,” but the two dozen or so Gold Star Family members in attendance, each given a yellow rose to place at the base of the monument.
“I share his exact words at nearly every dedication and groundbreaking that he came to,” Casey said. “People try to make it about him when he would say ‘It’s not about me. We are not here for me. It’s about them.’ We are here for them – to honor and recognize the Gold Star Families.”
Huntington’s Southside Preservation and Enhancement Alliance spearheaded the monument construction. The neighborhood group adjacent to the Memorial Park did all the logistics and raised all the money to make this monument and event possible. Alliance President Dan Gooding said all the work was true to a great man’s final wish.
“Woody picked the spot that this is on,” Gooding said. “It was the last request he had. This is the county seat of Cabell County, where he lived the majority of his life. And so it’s very, very meaningful.”
Some heard the clip clop of a not really riderless horse leave the event area. Wolfe said Williams, a fellow horseman, made him promise he’d get him on a horse on his 100th birthday. Wolfe did just that.
The riderless horse has Woody Williams’ ashes in his saddlebag.
Randy Yohe/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
“Woody turned one hundred today,” Wolfe said. “He had told me many times, I want you to put me on a horse when I’m one hundred. So this is going to be his horse, and his ashes are in that saddlebag. There’s a little urn under that gold strap. He’s not looking down from heaven today, he’s here.”
Initially, the Woody Williams Foundation’s goal was to establish a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument in Woody’s home state of West Virginia. Once that monument was complete, a new mission was to establish monuments in as many communities as possible in all 50 states and U.S. territories. That has been done over the past ten years.
These monuments are a two-sided tribute made of black granite. One side bears the words: Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, a tribute to Gold Star Families and Relatives who sacrificed a Loved One for our Freedom.
The other side tells a story through the four granite panels: Homeland, Family, Patriot, and Sacrifice. At the center of this tribute, is a silhouette of a saluting service member which represents the legacy of the loved ones who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Together, these features tell each community’s unique story based upon the pillars of the foundation.
House Bill 3254 would create a special detail of the West Virginia National Guard to be present and perform ceremonies at the funerals of eligible veterans.
The House Finance Committee passed a bill Wednesday to create a military funeral honor guard formed in remembrance of Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams.
House Bill 3254 would create a special detail of the West Virginia National Guard to be present and perform ceremonies at the funerals of eligible veterans. The program would be created and run by the state’s adjutant general.
These ceremonies would include the folding and presenting of the American flag to the dead’s next of kin and the playing of Taps, either by a bugler or electronically if one isn’t available.
Eligible veterans include those from West Virginia who had either died in combat or had been honorably discharged.
Del. John Hardy, R-Berkeley, recommended the bill pass to the House floor.
“With [veterans organizations] VFW and American Legion, as some of those members start to age out and some of our younger veterans are maybe not as involved in those organizations as much as they used to be, this will go a long way,” Hardy said.
The bill passed the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security earlier this month. It is expected to be read a first time on the House floor Friday.
Over the course of a year, reporters file hundreds of news stories. But a few tend to stick out and become favorites — for any number of reasons. The WVPB News Department picked their best stories.
Over the course of a year, reporters file hundreds of news stories. But a few tend to stick out and become favorites — for any number of reasons. The WVPB News Department picked their best stories.
The following are in no particular order:
Randy Yohe
Randy Yohe
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Vickie Yohe, sitting by the fire outside a glamping dome near Alderson, West Virginia.
This story was a highlight of my first year at WVPB. I enjoy traveling and staying in “alternative lodgings” and was able to manifest that pleasure while getting out in the field and capturing compelling sound and interviews. Who doesn’t enjoy the sound of a steam locomotive or a babbling brook? I could tell a story that was a feature that offered governmental insight into West Virginia’s exploding tourism industry. I also got to include the smart and insightful one in my family, my lovely and talented wife Vickie.
A government reporter who enjoys tourism stories? Who doesn’t want to combine work and play? This was part of our news-staff-wide series on getting inside the dynamics of West Virginia tourism. I’ve followed the stalled implementation of the Coalfield Grant Facilitation Commission, directed to help revitalize struggling coal communities. One aspect is improving recreation and historic draws. So, I got to ride an airboat on the Tug Fork River, tour two fascinating but neglected museums and bring a voice to those who desperately need economic redevelopment.
Chris Schulz
Chris Schulz
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Students at Morgantown High School staged a walkout Wednesday to protest the removal of Pride flags from classrooms.
It’s always nice to be able to report on the next generation taking action and standing up for what they believe in. It’s a bit of a cliche in journalism to say that we give voice to the voiceless, but in reality when we’re at our best we simply amplify what’s already there. It was exciting to follow this story as it developed over several days, and humbling to have it picked up by NPR.
COVID-19 continues to loom large over our lives, so it was empowering to take the time and really get into the numbers with this story. There is truly so much that we still don’t understand about this disease, why it hits some harder than others, and how things like those disparities and long COVID-19 will continue to influence our world.
It seemed as absurd to say that West Virginia could run out of coal as to say Iowa could run out of corn. Yet in late 2021 and early 2022, as we would learn from Public Service Commission testimony, that’s exactly what happened. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, in particular, came up short on their coal supplies at their John Amos, Mountaineer and Mitchell power plants. They had to idle the plants for significantly longer periods, otherwise they’d burn through their stockpiles and not have enough on hand for winter.
With coal and natural gas suddenly in high demand due to the COVID-19 recovery and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the utilities were caught flat-footed and couldn’t get new deliveries. The problems persisted well into the year. On top of that, Appalachian Power asked for approval of a huge rate increase to cover the increasing cost of coal and gas. We still don’t know how the PSC will rule in that case.
Shepherd Snyder
Shepherd Snyder
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
UMWA leaders and trial defendents Bill Blizzard, Fred Mooney, William Petry, and Frank Keeney pose for a photo (left to right). The photo was featured in the Coal Country Tours exhibit in the Jefferson County Courthouse.
I really enjoy diving into local history whenever possible, and putting this feature about the post-Mine War treason trials in Jefferson County was some of the most fun I’ve had as a reporter. It was a blast getting to pick historians’ brains about this part of West Virginia history that’s often overlooked.
I was actually out in the field grabbing tape for another story when, completely by chance, I struck up a conversation with someone who ended up introducing himself as the circuit court judge who presides over the Jefferson County Courthouse — the very same building where these trials took place. He invited me later that week to come by the courthouse, where we got to talk more about the trials and take a look at some old court documents from the era, which I think really tied the whole story together. So that’s a great memory I’ll always have.
My favorite story from this year is sad, but I was proud to help remember and honor a great American and a great man. This story is based on an interview I did with Woody a few years before on another project. I used it to tell some of the story of Woody Williams within hours of us learning of his death.
West Virginia native, U.S. and state hero Hershel “Woody” Williams died on June 29. He was 98 and the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor from World War II.
Bill Lynch
Mason Adams
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Various musicians gather around to play music at the Friday Night Jamboree in Floyd, Virginia.
Picking out my favorite Inside Appalachia story is a little unfair.
In every show, I can at least find one story that tells me something new or informs me about our region in a way I didn’t expect, but my favorite from 2022 was this story from Floyd, Virginia where Inside Appalachia’s host, Mason Adams, lives.
To me, this is the Appalachia I love. It’s fun, friendly, and willing to share what it has. In this case, that’s music and a good time. This story reminds me of home.
Caroline MacGregor
Helpful Harvest
Food insecurity is being felt by more families across West Virginia
Hunger in America is not something one would expect from a first world country. Yet right here in West Virginia, as in other states, this growing social issue is only exacerbated by inflation. People across all income levels, as well as the very food pantries whose goal it is to help, are struggling. This story is an overview on food insecurity approaching Christmas, with a focus on one woman’s efforts to put food in the hands of residents in rural Mercer County. Hearing her firsthand account of people in need, some of whom literally walk miles for a small box of food, for me, was both poignant and inspiring as well as a call to action to help our neighbors in need.
Abortion undeniably evokes impassioned and provocative viewpoints on both sides of the debate. Reporting on the West Virginia Legislature’s contentious decision in September to ban the procedure extended beyond what many consider a fundamental woman’s reproductive right — to the more troubling questions surrounding the ban’s implications for doctors and women’s healthcare. In a state already faced with an OB/GYN shortage and one that ranks near bottom for maternal and infant health, I feel it is a critical obligation for reporters to continue to highlight this pressing issue.
As a lifelong learner, I enjoyed learning about toxicology from Kristen Bailey for this piece about the availability of accurate and expedited toxicology reports. While usually associated with pre-employment drug screening, toxicology reports are vital to doctors treating a variety of illnesses with the best medicines available.
The year 2022 marked a transition for me at WVPB. I moved out of our newsroom, where I had been our Eastern Panhandle and education reporter for many years, and into our webmaster/digital coordinator position. It was so exciting to take on this new role and support WVPB in new and exciting ways through digital and social media initiatives, but I knew I would miss reporting.
Fortunately, I still get to do a little reporting from time-to-time, including an annual interview with the Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence at Shepherd University in the fall. This year, I interviewed the incredibly talented Appalachian author Barbara Kingsolver. For my 2022 staff pick, I’ve chosen my conversation with Kingsolver where we discussed her work as a writer and her latest novel Demon Copperhead.
Williams died on June 29 in Huntington at age 98. Very few Americans have been honored in such a fashion, and he is the first West Virginian.
Step, by step, U.S. Marines carried the flag draped casket of Hershel “Woody” Williams up the eastern front of the U.S. Capitol. For the next few hours, Williams, who was the last living Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, lay in honor in the Capitol rotunda.
Williams died on June 29 in Huntington at age 98. Very few Americans have been honored in such a fashion, and he is the first West Virginian.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid tribute to Williams. Senators, members of the House and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Veterans Secretary Denis McDonough and Williams’ family encircled Williams’ casket.
The casket rested on the same catafalque that was originally built for Abraham Lincoln. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin, and all three House members from West Virginia, placed wreaths by the casket. Lawmakers from both chambers, the Cabinet secretaries and family members lined up to pay their respects.
After the ceremony, Capito said Williams earned the admiration of powerful people across generational lines. And, she said, his optimism and sense of humor endeared him to many more.
“I mean, he was sort of universally known and admired, and people wanted to be with him,” Capito said. “He was the kind of person you wanted to be around, because he had an infectious love of the country.”
Capito also shared what one of her Senate colleagues told her.
“He was in the military. He had a bunch of programs. He said he got these programs because ‘I’m going to show them to my dad.’ And I thought that shows you what the meaning of this is generationally. I thought that was a good way to sum it up.”
West Virginia’s last World War II Medal of Honor recipient, Woody Williams, will lie in honor on Thursday in the U.S. Capitol. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito paid tribute to Williams Wednesday evening from the floor of the U.S. Senate.
West Virginia’s last World War II Medal of Honor recipient, Woody Williams, will lie in honor on Thursday in the U.S. Capitol. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito paid tribute to Williams Wednesday evening from the floor of the U.S. Senate.
Manchin said he was more than a friend, confidant and elected representative to Woody Williams. He said he gladly took marching orders from an American hero.
“It has been 77 years since Woody Williams quieted those enemy machine guns on the Sands of Iwo Jima,” Manchin said. “And while he is now sadly gone, the ideals that he lived by are not. The love of his family, his friends and his faith and service to the country above all, Gen. George Patton once said, ‘It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.’ He lived every day as if he were given a second chance, and we are all so much better for it. One of Woody’s last wishes was lying in state at the United States Capitol and it wasn’t for himself. We spoke about this years ago. It wasn’t for himself. But he wanted to make sure that he’d represent all Medal of Honor recipients from World War Two and there were only 472. A West Virginia farm boy from Quiet Dell will lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, laying to rest the sacrifices of a generation of heroes.”
Capito said she thinks of her father, Gov. Arch Moore, himself a World War Two veteran who received a Purple Heart, and all the others from the greatest generation when she remembers a man who so many honor as the greatest of that generation.
“That guy could give a speech,” Capito said. “And it was always very captivating whenever he was on the program. His mission was to inspire those especially younger Americans to answer that same call to service that he did as a teenage boy. As he said years later, the people need to remember that if we ever lose our freedom, we will never be able to regain it. He believed that to every core of his body. There’s no doubt in my mind that because of Woody, there are more people who answered the call and chose to serve the United States in some way, shape or form, what an incredible legacy to leave. He also never forgot his fellow veterans, serving as a veteran’s service rep for 33 years at the VA. And I’m proud that that legacy of care lives on forever. In the Hershel Woody Williams VA Medical Center in Cabell County, outside of Huntington, West Virginia, as a matter of fact, Sen. Manchin told me that that was one of his requests. He needs another exit for that hospital. ‘Joe, could you arrange that?’ But he did all this with the same trademark humility that we came to know and love about him.”
Williams is one of a select few in American history to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol.
