McDowell County Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

WVDEP Suspends Permit For Mine Operated By Justice

The department took the action on Wednesday after ongoing issues with runoff and sediment at the Bluestone Coal Poca Surface Mine, on the border of Wyoming and McDowell counties.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has suspended a permit for a mine in southern West Virginia operated by Gov. Jim Justice.

The department took the action on Wednesday after ongoing issues with runoff and sediment at the Bluestone Coal Poca Surface Mine, on the border of Wyoming and McDowell counties.

The DEP has issued 13 notices of violation and 16 cessation orders to the mine in the past 12 months. The mine’s permit was not renewed, meaning Bluestone could not legally remove coal from the site. Yet a federal inspection in May revealed mining activity taking place anyway.

Willie Dodson, coal impacts program manager for Appalachian Voices, says Bluestone should be reclaiming the site, as federal law requires.

“I just think it is so disappointing that there are coal miners who were employed to scrape the coal out of the ground up there who are now not being given the hours that they are entitled to to actually reclaim the land,” he said.

Runoff from the mine flows into a tributary of the Guyandotte River, where the Guyandotte River crayfish is protected as an endangered species.

The two environmental groups that raised concerns about the impact of surface mining on the crayfish – Appalachian Voices and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy – call it an “indicator species” for the health of rivers and streams.

A federal inspection in November by the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement found that DEP should have revoked the permit.

Instead, Bluestone Coal will have until March 7 to appeal the permit’s suspension by DEP.

Dodson says DEP has the authority under federal law to take a more aggressive approach.

“DEP should revoke the permit, should seize the bond and should use the bond money to hire contractors to do the reclamation work,” he said.

Justice was elected to the U.S. Senate in November and will take the oath of office next week. He’s been assigned to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

In what was billed as his final virtual press briefing as governor Friday, Justice took no questions from reporters.

W.Va. Receives Nearly $2 Million For Electric School Buses

West Virginia was allotted nearly $2 million in rebates from the United States Environmental Protection Agency this week to purchase electric school buses.

More than 25 million children across the United States ride the school bus each day, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. In West Virginia, approximately 220,000 students ride the bus each school day, according to transportation news source School Bus Fleet. But these vehicles emit greenhouse gasses that can harm both the environment and public health.

To address this, federal officials are encouraging schools to switch to electric buses. And new funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims to help four West Virginia school districts do just that.

The EPA this week approved a cumulative $2 million in rebates for West Virginia school districts that plan to purchase electric school buses this year.

The funding comes as part of a national rebate program for school districts making the switch to cleaner buses. In a virtual press briefing Tuesday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan described the program as a national priority.

“We’re advancing environmental justice and helping level the playing field for children who suffer from the higher rates of respiratory issues and other health conditions because of the air they breathe,” Regan said. “When we prioritize the health and well being of our children, we’re not just making a difference in their lives. But we’re also setting the foundation for a safer, healthier and more sustainable planet.”

West Virginia’s slice of the rebate is just a fraction of the $900 million provided by the EPA this year.

Calhoun, McDowell and Summers county school districts will each receive a rebate to purchase one clean school bus, and Randolph County will purchase two.

Efforts to convert West Virginia school districts to lower-emission school buses stretch beyond this latest round of funding.

In January, the EPA granted GreenPower Motor Company more than $18 million to build 47 electric school buses in its South Charleston facility, slated for nine school districts across the state.

During Tuesday’s call, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Quillian said creating new union jobs through the construction of electric vehicles was an added perk for the Biden administration.

“Not only is this funding providing cleaner air, it’s also helping tackle climate change and creating good paying union jobs and electric school bus manufacturing,” she said.

But not all Americans back the transition to electric vehicles, including some West Virginians.

New federal standards that limit carbon emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles drew criticism from Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. and U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., in March.

The lawmakers expressed concern that an abrupt switch to electric vehicles would place undue burden on American consumers, and potentially force them to rely on vehicles produced abroad.

When asked whether federal interventions like the rebate program are necessary to make a full switch to electric vehicles, Regan said that he didn’t want to get into “local politics,” and that the program has been popular nationally.

“Each year our program is oversubscribed. And so we have a lot of demand out there for electric school buses from districts all across the country,” he said.

The Clean School Bus Program was established in 2021, with funding for five years of operation.

Since then, Regan said the EPA has helped fund the purchase of approximately 8,500 electric and low-emission school buses by roughly 1,000 school districts across the country.

For school districts in West Virginia and beyond, rebates won’t come immediately. Schools must first buy the vehicles themselves, then send the EPA documentation of the purchase.

EPA officials said there is no singular timeline for when school districts will receive their new buses, but that purchases are likely to be made over the course of the next several months.

How COVID-19 Affected National Parks And Us & Them Looks At Changes In Local Journalism, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, tourists from around the world visit Harpers Ferry each year to immerse themselves in U.S. history. But the number of visitors fell in 2020, as public health restrictions ramped up nationwide. Jack Walker visited the town to learn how things have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

On this West Virginia Morning, tourists from around the world visit Harpers Ferry each year to immerse themselves in U.S. history. But the number of visitors fell in 2020, as public health restrictions ramped up nationwide. Jack Walker visited the town to learn how things have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Also, in this show, some of the divides in our nation are defined by where we get our information. As social media sites gain a larger audience, some traditional news organizations find themselves losing out and going out of business.

In a new episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay finds the media landscape has changed, and fewer newspapers and radio and television stations are doing daily reporting. A study from Northwestern University shows 200 counties in the U.S. now have no source of local news.

Kay talks with Steve Waldman, a longtime journalist who is now trying to save local journalism. Co-founder of Report for America, Waldman says the industry has imploded after watching its business model turned inside out. We listen to an excerpt from the latest Us & Them episode, “Another Small Town Paper Down.”

And to hear the rest of the episode, tune in Thursday, March 28 at 8 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting or on Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. for an encore. You can also listen on your own time, right here.

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 Shepherd University.

Chris Schulz produced 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

Us & Them: Another Small Town Paper Down

Across the nation, there are more and more local news deserts; communities with no local newspaper, television or radio station to cover what’s going on. When a small town paper like The Welch News in McDowell County, WV, can’t compete and shuts down, losing those local eyes and ears can affect accountability. No one is there to watch over things. Local news also provides a sense of cohesion and identity for a community. What happens when it’s gone? This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.

Our country’s divides often reveal themselves in our choices and habits, including how and where we get our information. As the economics of the media landscape have imploded, the economics of the industry have forced changes. In the past two decades, online sites have taken over much of the income stream from classified ads and general advertising. That has led newspapers and broadcasters to slash thousands of jobs. Many local news outlets have gone out of business and there are now more than 200 counties across the country with no source of local news.

One of those is McDowell County in West Virginia. Last year, publisher Missy Nester was forced to shut down the Welch Daily News after a valiant effort to keep the paper running. Join host Trey Kay and reporter Todd Melby on this episode of Us & Them to see what happens when local news organizations stop telling the stories of a community.

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the Pulitzer Center, the West Virginia Humanities Council and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

Derek Tyson and Missy Nester on the back steps of the now shuttered building that housed The Welch News.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

Downtown Welch, West Virginia.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

Before the Welch Daily News shut down operations, publisher Missy Nester bought another regional paper, the Pineville Independent-Herald for $1.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

Missy Nester, taking a break in the printing press room of The Welch News.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

Missy Nester kept a collection of coal-related books and pamphlets in her office, including some from the last century showing several dozen coal companies operating in McDowell County.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

The Welch News closed down operations in March 2023.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

A discarded iMac rests on top of bound copies of The Welch News.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

The Welch News printing press dates to 1966, says publisher Missy Nester.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

The Welch News hired drivers three days a week to deliver the paper to homes in nearly every holler, road and neighborhood in McDowell County.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

Derek Tyson and Missy Nester on a smoke break in the front office of The Welch News before the paper shut down in 2023.

*Photo Credit: Todd Melby*

Us & Them Host Trey Kay with Steve Waldman, co-founder of Report for America, which is modeled on Teach for America. Instead of bringing teachers to schools, Waldman’s focus is on bringing reporters to newsrooms around the nation. He’s currently the president of Rebuild Local News, a nonprofit dedicated to finding new ways to fund local journalism.

*Photo Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Probe Of Illegal Drugs Delivered By Drone At W.Va. Prison Nets 11 Arrests

Eleven suspects have been arrested in an investigation into illegal drugs allegedly delivered by drones into a federal prison in southern West Virginia. Another man under investigation who fled officers was later found dead, authorities said.

McDowell County Sheriff James Muncy said his office was contacted in November by officials at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution, McDowell in Welch to help with increased drone use in the area. In December, the sheriff’s office started receiving multiple tips about drone deliveries.

Muncy said in a statement Friday that the arrests were made from mid-December through early February. The charges included introduction or attempts to introduce contraband into a correctional facility, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, unlawfully operating a drone, terroristic acts and felony conspiracy.

Muncy didn’t say what drugs were allegedly flown into the facility or whether any of those arrested are inmates there.

A Louisville, Kentucky, man wanted on an outstanding warrant in the investigation fled officers on foot Feb. 9. Members of the sheriff’s office found him dead on Feb. 15. The statement didn’t indicate where he was found, and his body was sent to the state medical examiner for an autopsy.

One of the arrested suspects is a juvenile, Muncy said. In addition, two suspects were charged with assault and battery on an officer and fleeing on foot. Another suspect in the case was charged with being a fugitive from Pennsylvania.

Most of the suspects remained held Monday at the Southwestern Regional Jail in Holden. Jail records didn’t indicate whether they have attorneys who could comment on the charges.

Senate Approves New I-73 Corridor Economic Commission

The West Virginia Senate unanimously approved an economic commission to identify funding and development opportunities tied to an interstate highway corridor that would span southern West Virginia.

The I-73 highway corridor is currently under construction in southern West Virginia and legislators are looking to parlay the project into an economic opportunity.

West Virginia’s portion of I-73 would connect the state to highways stretching from Michigan to Myrtle Beach. With the region opened to more out-of-state travelers, lawmakers hope economic opportunities will roll in with them.

On Thursday, the West Virginia Senate unanimously approved SB 354. The bill would create an economic commission to advise local industry leaders on development and federal funding opportunities available to them following the project’s completion.

Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, said the commission hopes to turn the highway’s construction into an economic opportunity for McDowell, Mercer, Mingo and Wayne counties, which the new corridor will intersect.

He added that the highway construction project would qualify the region for new funding opportunities.

“There’s some federal funding out there available for this that currently the state of West Virginia doesn’t get for highway programs,” he said. “Hopefully we can go after some of that.”

Receiving approval from the Senate, the bill now awaits review from the West Virginia House of Delegates.

“Just by making this [corridor] a real thing, it will solve the economic issues because it will allow interstate commerce,” Maynard said. “At the exit ramps, it will allow development, fast food restaurants and truck stops.”

“The bounds are limitless,” Maynard said.