This week on Inside Appalachia, we speak with the author of a new graphic novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars. Also, professional storyteller James Froemel invents quirky characters, like a sign maker who can't spell. And, one of the most common animals to get hit by cars are possums. But, there’s a kind of animal rescue called pouch picking. We talk with author Laura Jackson.
WVPB Wins AP Public Service Award for 2016 Flood Coverage
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West Virginia Public Broadcasting won 11 Associated Press awards this weekend, including a public service award for coverage of the historic 2016 floods in southern West Virginia.
The WVPB news team earned the Associated Press of the Virginias Broadcasters’ Douglass Southall Freeman superior award for public service for its coverage of the devastating flooding that hit southern West Virginia in June 2016.
The awards were announced on Saturday, April 1, during a luncheon in Roanoke, Va.
WVPB’s flood coverage included stories and contributions from every reporter in the newsroom, but it was a true organization-wide effort. The news team got help in its coverage from every other department at WVPB, and collaborated with the video production team for a 1-hour Inside Appalachia TV special about the flooding and its aftermath.
news anchor superior award. WVPB also won a meritorious newscast award for an episode of West Virginia Morning filed during the flood coverage and hosted by Liz McCormick.
McCormick also received a meritorious award for her feature called “Drug Epidemic Takes Toll on Foster Care System” about one dramatic way the heroin epidemic is affecting West Virginia.
Individual Effort
Assistant news director and statehouse reporter Ashton Marra, and Appalachia Health News coordinator Kara Lofton each earned meritorious awards for outstanding effort by an individual reporter, having both made significant personal contributions to WVPB’s news coverage during 2016.
Chad Matlick and Dave Mistich were recognized for their outstanding digital talent with a meritorious award for best website, which included live view updates of the 2016 elections on a state and national level.
On this West Virginia Morning, a song inspired by the 2016 West Virginia floods is helping raise funds for those effected by Hurricane Helene, and our Song of the Week.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s News Department has secured 11 nominations in eight categories in the 2023 Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters annual awards competition. This competition includes the best radio and television stations in both West Virginia and Virginia.
Seven years after the historic floods of 2016, the state has finally completed nearly all of the houses and bridges that were damaged in the deadly flood.