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Teachers' Strike Big Factor in Race for 3rd U.S. House District

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On this West Virginia Morning, the state’s 3rd Congressional District is one of the country’s most closely watched U.S. House races in the 2018 general election. Richard Ojeda, of Logan, is an Army veteran and Democratic state senator who became an advocate for striking teachers. He is running against Carol Miller, a Republican state delegate, bison farmer and small business owner from Huntington, who’s backed by Donald Trump. Molly Born reports.

Also on today’s show, in eastern Kentucky’s Pike County, some residents have suffered numerous damaging flash floods. State inspectors say the floods were made worse by a nearby coal mine. The damaged mine lands have not been properly reclaimed, sending water rushing onto neighboring properties. 

It’s a common problem in coal communities. But what sets this one apart is that the coal mine is owned by the family of West Virginia’s governor, Jim Justice. 

The Justice family companies are locked in a legal battle with Kentucky’s regulators over the unreclaimed mine lands. As Sydney Boles reports, residents are left yet again dealing with the mess.

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 West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.