This week on Inside Appalachia, crossing a river by ferry can be a special experience, and hard to come by. On the Ohio River, a retiring ferry captain passes the torch to his deck hand. And Hurricane Helene destroyed roads and knocked out power and cell service across western North Carolina. But there was still a way to keep people in touch.
Weelunk.com is a self-described “Wheeling-centric website that wants to serve sophisticated, local readers who care about their community,” and it’s is launching November 1st. That’s according to the Weelunk Facebook page that was born a few weeks ago and has since been growing in popularity.
Wheeling is one of the oldest names in the state. It’s actually an anglo-fied Delaware Indian word: Weelunk— which means Place of the Skull, or Head. According to lore and historians, the land where Wheeling Creek and the Ohio meet was marked by native folks with a European’s head on a stake as a stark reminder of some heinous deed that occurred there. An ominous beginning. But today, people in Wheeling are reviving the word Weelunk, as part of a larger effort to revive the town.
Weelunker: Passionate Wheeling resident with a Wheeling-related message to share with Wheeling and the world.
Weelunker-in-Chief Jason Koegler has what he calls a “real” job with West Liberty University. But he’s been peddling hard to get Weelunk off the ground.
Koegler says there’s a real need for a community platform to connect all of the initiatives and activities that are happening all over the area. Weelunk is the idea that is crystalizing. So far, the three main objectives of the site
encouraging community dialogue (Weelunkers)
an all-encompassing, interactive Wheeling Calendar of Events
in-depth journalism
The idea began as an online newspaper to serve the Wheeling area. Perhaps that’s why the only paid employee so far is the news editor, local talk radio personality Steve Novotney. Novotney is another home-grown Wheelonian. He says there’s been a need for unbiased, veteran journalism in Wheeling for some time.
“We’re gonna cherish the past, but focus on the future,” Novotney said. “You’re going to see that no longer in Wheeling is it passé to dream.”
So far, all other Weelunk employees are volunteers. They include marketing experts, web developers, graphic designers, party planners, and business men and women cohorts in general who all share one thing for sure in common: they are all invested in Wheeling’s future.
Join us for our 41st Anniversary show in Charleston, West Virginia on Dec. 8, 2024 as guest host David Mayfield welcomes Kip Moore, Maya De Vitry, Brad Tursi, Joy Clark and Andrew Marlin Stringband.
Holly Ridpath, a first-grade teacher at Ronceverte Elementary School in Greenbrier County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for October 2024.
Three communities in the northern part of the state are getting some help to improve road safety.
Martinsburg, Wheeling and Star City will share close to $1 million from the U.S. Department of Tra...