Union Carbide, Legislative Updates And A Grassroots Printing Press On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, in the late 1960s in Huntington, a group of young people began printing pamphlets under the publishing label Appalachian Movement Press. We hear about a journey to learn more. Also, we have an update on the Union Carbide lawsuit, the latest on state legislative action and an update on the coronavirus pandemic in West Virginia.

Grassroots political leaders spoke out against a bill that would alter how local political parties’ executive committees are formed. Emily Allen reports.

Since the start of the year, West’s Virginia’s COVID-19 outlook has been good. Daily active cases consistently fell, while deaths dropped dramatically. But as June Leffler reports, state health officials are noticing an uptick on both fronts.

A landfill owned by Union Carbide may be leaking into Davis Creek in South Charleston. But two weeks after a federal court hearing, the chemical company and the plaintiff are still waiting on a ruling. Eric Douglas has more.

A bill to reduce licensing requirements for plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians passed the Senate this week. HB 2008 is headed to the governor’s desk after passing the House last month. WVPB has the latest.

A bill that would provide publicly funded education vouchers to students switching to private or homeschool has passed the West Virginia Senate. Liz McCormick has more.

In the late 1800s, national magazine writers created the hillbilly and other stereotypes about Appalachia and its inhabitants. Ever since then, there’s been no shortage of writing about the region by its visitors. What’s rarer is to find Appalachians with a platform to tell their own stories. But that’s exactly what happened beginning in the late 1960s in Huntington when a group of young people began printing pamphlets under the publishing label Appalachian Movement Press.

Pittsburgh artist Shaun Slifer came across one of the press’s pamphlets a few years ago — which led him on a journey to learn more. The result is a new book, titled “So Much to Be Angry About: Appalachian Movement Press and Radical DIY Publishing, 1969 – 1979.” Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams recently spoke with Slifer about the book.

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.

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