A Rural Radio Station’s Fight To Stay On Air, Inside Appalachia

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The federal government has taken back millions of dollars set aside for public radio stations. Allegheny Mountain Radio is among those fighting to stay on the air.

Also, a book by a West Virginia artist illustrates the tiny worlds of mountain critters, like a lizard that changes color.

And, geocaching gets folks outside to play detective and find hidden treasures.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• Allegheny Mountain Radio Confronting Federal Funding Cuts
• Residents In W.Va. Town Find Clean Water For Themselves
• Slow Federal And State Flood Recovery Abandons W.Va. Residents
• Rosalie Haizlett Explores Tiny Worlds
• Geocaching Creates Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
• Alpha-Gal Syndrome in Kentucky
• Coal Mining Rescue Competition in W.Va.
• Flatfoot Dance At Appalachian String Band Festival

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Allegheny Mountain Radio Confronting Federal Funding Cuts

In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Public Broadcasting Act that established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. For nearly sixty years, the CPB has supported educational television and radio programming across the country. TV shows for children like “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” documentaries like Ken Burns’ Civil War. And radio shows like Inside Appalachia.

This month, the CPB will begin winding down its operations. That’s a result of a Republican-led claw-back of already approved funds by Congress. The funding cuts will mostly affect NPR and PBS affiliates like our home station. WVPB will lose more than one million dollars between its radio and television operations this year.

Smaller stations are being hit especially hard. Like Allegheny Mountain Radio, on the Virginia-West Virginia border. Host Mason Adams spoke with Scott Smith, Allegheny Mountain Radio’s general manager.

Residents In W.Va. Town Find Clean Water For Themselves

Appalachia has a water problem. In southern West Virginia, some communities have waited more than 30 years for municipal systems to deliver clean drinking water. Meanwhile, they rely on churches and other organizations for bottled water. In the tiny town of Anawalt, West Virginia, Reporter Wendy Welch attended a water distribution day and brings us this story.

Slow Federal And State Flood Recovery Abandons W.Va. Residents

In February, flooding killed at least 27 people in Kentucky and West Virginia and required water rescues in Virginia and Tennessee. It also destroyed homes and businesses.

Now, eight months later, federal and state assistance has been slow to arrive. WVPB’s Chris Schulz reports.

Rosalie Haizlett Explores Tiny Worlds

In 2022, artist Rosalie Haizlett set out on a trip to illustrate parts of the Appalachian Mountains that often get overlooked – that is, the tiny birds, reptiles and other critters hiding beneath leaves or up in the trees.

Her illustrations came together as Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains, an Artist’s journey. It’s a stunning book, full of colorful images and thoughts Haizlett recorded as she spent hours exploring the mountains.

In 2024, Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Haizlett about the book.  

Geocaching Creates Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Visit a public park or mall parking lot and you may pass a geocache without knowing it. Geocaches are containers of hidden treasures. To find one, you’ve got to use some detective skills. One of the best known geocachers is West Virginia’s Tim Eggleston. WVPB’s Jack Walker met up with Eggleston in Berkeley County to talk about his geocaches and how they’ve shaped local tourism.

Alpha-Gal Syndrome in Kentucky

Cases of alpha-gal syndrome have been on rise. The rare, tick-borne illness causes a severe allergy to red meat. Alpha-gal syndrome now affects as many as 400,000 people in the U.S.

WKYU’s Derek Parham spoke to a woman in Warren County, Kentucky, whose life’s work has been altered by the lifelong condition.

Coal Mining Rescue Competition in W.Va.

Coal mining is a dangerous job. Last year there were five deaths at U.S. coal mines and nine the year before. So, it’s important that miners develop skills in rescue operations. In July, coal miners from West Virginia and surrounding states met in Morgantown to compete in a rescue competition. WVPB’s Curtis Tate has the story.

Flatfoot Dance At Appalachian String Band Festival

Last month, WVPB’s Randy Yohe took a trip to the Appalachian String Band Music Festival. The festival is well-known for old time music, but people also come to Clifftop to dance – flatfoot dance.  

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Larry Rader, Tim Bing, Jeff Ellis, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, Erik Vincent Huey and Hello June.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.