Tag: Us & Them

W.Va.’s Legislative Scorecard And A Look At Compassion Fatigue On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, we speak with Judy Ball, chair of the Legislative Action Workgroup for the League of Women Voters of West Virginia, to break down the state’s 2024 Legislative Scorecard. Also, we hear an excerpt from our Us & Them episode, “Compassion Fatigue.”

On this West Virginia Morning, the League of Women Voters of West Virginia has released their 2024 Legislative Scorecard. It compiles the votes from all delegates and state senators on 26 bills that became law to give an idea where they stand on issues.

Judy Ball, chair of the League’s Legislative Action Workgroup, spoke with Government Reporter Randy Yohe on the scorecard results.

Also, in this show, many communities see people turning away from homeless shelters to temporary encampments. Nonprofit agencies and government programs struggle to support a vulnerable population with complicated needs. 

At a recent AP award’s event, the Virginias AP Broadcasters acknowledged an Us & Them episode focused on homelessness with a second place for Best Podcast. In that episode, host Trey Kay talks with Barbara DiPietro, the director of policy for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. We listen to an excerpt.

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

Funding Medicaid And Navigating The Nation’s Foster Care Crisis, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, health care services for nearly 30 percent of West Virginia’s population may be difficult to access if lawmakers don’t fully fund the Medicaid program in an expected special session. Emily Rice has more.

On this West Virginia Morning, health care services for nearly 30 percent of West Virginia’s population may be difficult to access if lawmakers don’t fully fund the Medicaid program in an expected special session. Emily Rice has more.

Also, in this show, America has a foster care crisis. More than 390,000 children are in foster care nationally. On the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks into the shortage of licensed foster homes. Last year, more than half of all states saw a drop in licensed foster homes, partly because new foster parents don’t stay in the system for long.

A wide range of agencies and nonprofit organizations offer help navigating what can be a complicated system. We listen to an excerpt from the new Us & Them episode called “Our Foster Care Crisis.” Listen to the rest of this episode Thursday, April 25 at 8 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, an encore broadcast on Saturday, April 27 at 3 p.m. or you can listen on your own time here on wvpublic.org.

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

Kanawha County Textbook Controversy, 50 Years Later

Thursday marks the 50th anniversary of a Kanawha County Board of Education meeting that became inundated with controversy over new, multicultural textbooks.

On April 11, 1974 — 50 years ago Thursday — a meeting of the Kanawha County Board of Education quickly became mired in controversy.

During the meeting, members of the board adopted a new slate of language arts textbooks, in part to promote multiculturalism in the classroom.

But after reviewing the books that had been approved for the new curriculum, board member Alice Moore and several local residents alleged some of them were antithetical to Christian values.

As proponents of the new curriculum stood firm in the board’s decision, others began to stage protests over the books’ inclusion.

Things escalated in the months following the meeting, and even turned toward violence. Some protesters threw dynamite and Molotov cocktails at local school buildings, and even targeted buses with firearms.

Ultimately, a contingent of residents and board members pushed the curriculum through. But some say the incident has parallels to today, as libraries and schools across the country face increased scrutiny over the books they provide youth.

Trey Kay, host of the West Virginia Public Broadcasting podcast Us & Them, produced a documentary on the textbook controversy in 2013.

On the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, Kay said 1974 was a year when the country was experiencing “one of its more progressive phases,” which brought forth new, often clashing ideas.

“A lot of things that would have been considered multicultural were society reacting to the changing role of women. Society was reacting to how we were making a correction with regard to civil rights,” he said. “The textbooks were reflecting how it was we thought about our government and how we conducted war.”

Debates seemingly over textbook content were also debates on what place these new values and ideas would have in American society, Kay said.

Five decades later, Kay said that the incident remains an influential memory for West Virginia residents. Perhaps most notably, Kay said a through-line over the years has been parents’ focus on what curricula their children are exposed to.

“The constant is that parents really have a great deal of care over what it is that their children learn,” Kay said. “They’re highly suspicious and vigilant about what the schools are teaching.”

The Future Of The American Chestnut And Our Latest Us & Them, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, WVPB last spring covered efforts at Shepherd University to regrow American chestnut forests in Appalachia. One year later, that project has incorporated new technology and a familiar tree variant. Jack Walker caught up with a pair of self-proclaimed “chestnutters” to discuss the project at large, and the future of the American chestnut.

On this West Virginia Morning, WVPB last spring covered efforts at Shepherd University to regrow American chestnut forests in Appalachia. One year later, that project has incorporated new technology and a familiar tree variant. Jack Walker caught up with a pair of self-proclaimed “chestnutters” to discuss the project at large, and the future of the American chestnut.

Also, in this show, more than 4.5 million Americans cannot vote because they’ve been convicted of a felony. On the newest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks at the patchwork of state laws that restore voting rights to people after those convictions. The laws differ significantly from state to state. A few allow a person to vote from prison, while others require release and completion of probation or parole. Kay meets Anthony Cole who’s been out of prison for nearly a year after serving 12 and a half years. We listen to an excerpt from the next Us & Them: “Locked Out of Voting?”

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

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

Remembering Travis Stimeling And The Debate Over Weed Killer Dicamba, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, it was a shock when author, musician and West Virginia University professor Travis Stimeling died abruptly in November. They were 43. Folkways Reporter Zack Harold collected remembrances from colleagues, former students and friends. He shared them recently on Inside Appalachia.

On this West Virginia Morning, it was a shock when author, musician and West Virginia University professor Travis Stimeling died abruptly in November. They were 43. Folkways Reporter Zack Harold collected remembrances from colleagues, former students and friends. He shared them recently on Inside Appalachia.

Also, in this show, farmers in America’s heartland are watching the effects of a recent federal court ruling about a popular weed killer called dicamba. The decision stops the use of dicamba, saying the herbicide can drift to injure and kill desirable plants, bushes and trees. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now says despite the ruling, farmers may use existing supplies on their fields this year.

On the latest episode of Us & Them, we bring back a story from our archives about this ugly battle in farm country. Host Trey Kay and his colleague Loretta Williams head deep into farm country to hear from Bo Sloan. He’s the manager of a national wildlife refuge surrounded by farm fields where dicamba is sprayed. Here’s an excerpt from Us & Them’s “Dicamba Woes.”

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.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

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

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