The National Park Service (NPS) announced last week nearly $10 million in Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants to 13 programs in 12 states.
The National Park Service (NPS) announced last week nearly $10 million in Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants to 13 programs in 12 states.
These grants mark the fifth year of funding for the program honoring the late Paul Bruhn, who served as executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont for nearly 40 years.
West Virginia was the only state to receive two grants totaling $1.5 million.
The Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, Inc. will receive $750,000 for its Fund for Historic Schools, and the Wheeling National Heritage Corporation will receive $750,000 for its Wheeling Revitalization Subgrant Program.
The grants are intended to support economic development through the preservation of historic buildings in rural communities across the country.
Grants awarded in this round will allow organizations to develop programs and select individual projects in their communities for preservation projects.
Built in 1856 across the Buckhannon River, the Carrollton Covered Bridge in Barbour County was damaged by a fire in 2017.
One of the oldest covered bridges in the state has been restored from fire damage.
Built in 1856 across the Buckhannon River, the Carrollton Covered Bridge in Barbour County was damaged by a fire in 2017.
The West Virginia Division of Highways had originally planned to hire contractors to restore the historic structure, but decided it would be cheaper and faster for WVDOH bridge specialists to do the work themselves.
Fire damage required workers to replace most of the bridge’s truss work, as well as new siding and a roof. Contractors must still remove scaffolding erected to work on the bridge and keep debris out of the river, but the Carrollton Covered Bridge is reopened to traffic.
Speaking to West Virginia Public Broadcasting at the start of the project last summer, West Virginia Division of Highways District 7 Bridge Engineer Chad Boram said the project was an important learning experience in a state with 17 similar, historic structures.
“We’ll take away a lot of knowledge from this rehabilitation that we can apply to other structures that are similar in nature,” he said. “Maybe as a district helps out other districts that also have covered bridges and may need to do restorations or minor repairs of some nature.“
Boram said another restoration project of the Walkersville Covered Bridge is being planned for next year.
Using artificial intelligence to better maintain state roads was just one of several bills passed by the House of Delegates in a Saturday session.
Using artificial intelligence to better maintain state roads was just one of several bills passed by the House of Delegates in a Saturday session, including:
House Bill 3214 creates the “Road Optimization and Assessment Data (ROAD) Pilot Program.” Highway crews will collect data in Monongalia and Preston Counties to best determine how to maintain roads and highways. They will use a combination of artificial intelligence, GPS, laser measurements and more to predict road faults such as potential potholes, buckles and breaks, to provide plans for preventive maintenance.
House Bill 2064 establishes the Tourism and Commercial Opportunity Zone Tax and Tax Credit Act. The intention is to encourage investment in business development and thereby increase employment and economic development.
House Bill 2483 reduces income tax liability for taxpayers who improve building facades in historic districts and provides for a tax credit of the replacement cost of historic facades.
House Bill 2760 permits firefighters to drive ambulances when both attendants are needed to administer patient care. There was debate over insurance liability when a firefighter drive as company’s ambulance, but it was decided that mutual aid agreements covered the issue
These four bills now go to the Senate for consideration.
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
/
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
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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.
Projects to restore historic sites in West Virginia may be eligible for grants through the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of Arts, Culture and History.
To apply, the projects must include restoration, rehabilitation or archaeological development of historic sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the department said. About $369,000 is expected to be available.
The deadline to apply is March 31. More information is available online.
Privately owned properties are eligible if there is evidence of public support or public benefit, the department said. Governmental properties that are not accessible to the public are not eligible.
The West Virginia Historic Preservation Office is awarding 21 grants, totaling more than $400,000, to help rebuild and restore historic sites across the state. One of the projects includes a grant to help make repairs to one of the last remaining operational gristmills in the state.
Reed’s Mill in Monroe County was built over 200 years ago. Today, the mill’s owner Larry Mustain is in his 80s. He still grinds cornmeal, buckwheat and flour. In 2017, Monroe County resident Steve Dransfield told West Virginia Public Broadcasting he’d love to see the mill restored.
Two years later, the mill is getting a little facelift. $8,500 is being awarded to help make repairs to the mill pond and the dam, which once helped power the mill.
The grant is one of 21 projects across the state. Others include a new roof for a historic springs hotel, also in Monroe County, a log cabin museum in Parkersburg, and a historic hotel building in Bramwell, in Mercer County.
To apply for a historic preservation grant, a person or organization must own a property listed in the National Register of Historic Places, or be located in a National Register Historic District.
