Blankenship On Trial

This week, we’re revisiting a show featuring storytellers out loud in front of audiences. Folks like five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest, Bil Lepp. Also, musicians Anna & Elizabeth, whose storytelling used something known as a crankie. And, we’ll head to the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. The post Storytellers, Inside Appalachia appeared first...

This week’s Inside Appalachia features storytellers from around the region, including author, television host and five-time West Virginia Liars Contest winner Bil Lepp. Here he is back in 2019, telling a story during a Mountain Stage performance at the West Virginia Culture Center. The post A Story From Liars Contest Winner Bil Lepp, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Publi...

Daniel Johnston recorded songs in his parents' basement in rural West Virginia that would eventually inspire artists such as Kurt Cobain, Beck, Wilco, and Sonic Youth. In this award-winning episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay explores the life, art, and enduring legacy of the late singer-songwriter and visual artist whose creative genius and struggles with bipolar disorder made him one of Ame...

The late singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston grew up in West Virginia and came onto the indie music scene in the 1980s. Last year, Johnston was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and he’s featured in the next episode of Us & Them. In this award-winning show, host Trey Kay learns about Johnston’s legacy which was partly shaped by his challenges with mental illness. The post Remem...

The Public Service Commission of West Virginia is currently conducting public comment hearings concerning developer NextEra Energy’s application to construct a new 107.5-mile-long transmission line from Pennsylvania through West Virginia to Virginia. WVPB spoke with NextEra about the project. The post A Discussion On The NextEra Transmission Line Proposal, This West Virginia Morning appeared first...

There are just over 6,000 abandoned or orphaned natural gas wells in West Virginia, according to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Some estimates suggest that number is low. The surprising thing, though, is where some of them are located. The post Dealing With Thousands Of Abandoned Natural Gas Wells, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadca...

Throughout the Southern United States, you’ll often find three-pronged leaves with hairy vines swallowing entire sections of forests. It can be a beautiful sight at first glance. But the invasive plant causes persistent ecological problems in the region. We look at the efforts to tackle the ‘vine that ate the south.’ The post A Look At An Invasive Vine That’s Taken Over The South, This West Virgin...

On this West Virginia Week, the Trump administration invests in coal, Medicaid concerns rise in the Mountain State, and Mountaineer Food Bank expands.  The post Trump Invests In Coal And Mountaineer Food Bank Expands, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

This week, some of the stories on our show inspired college student art — including a vivid image of a bear smashing a clarinet. Also, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens. And, COVID-19 exposed the contempt society has for marginalized people. One author says, these folks are anything but passive.  The post Encore: Printmaking Inspired By...

The Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The Ohio-based festival over the years has hosted American music icons, like John Prine, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, while also supporting regional artists. Inside Appalachia’s Abby Neff spoke with festival founder Tim Peacock to learn more. The post Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20 Years, This West Virginia Morn...

If your aging parent needs surgery, you might need to take time away from work to care for them. A federal policy called the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives many employees job-protected leave for caregiving. But it has noteworthy limitations. The post The Challenges And Benefits Of FMLA, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

One in six West Virginians is food insecure. Meaning, 270,000 people in the state regularly don’t know where their next meal will come from. Assistant News Director Maria Young recently toured Mountaineer Food Bank’s greatly expanded, new facility to find out what it takes to meet that need every day – and what it will take in the years to come. The post Meeting The Food Needs Of The State, This W...

While baseball fields are run of the mill in most communities, there’s a certain type of diamond that’s less common: it’s called a “Miracle Field.” There are three of these in West Virginia – in Morgantown, Wheeling and Green River. These are accessible baseball facilities that can accommodate players with disabilities. The post A Look At Baseball’s ‘Miracle Fields,’ This West Virginia Morning app...

Black bears now inhabit all 55 counties of West Virginia, and bear encounters are on the rise across Appalachia. Climate change is often a hidden culprit. But state wildlife managers are working to promote peaceful coexistence. The post Black Bear Encounters On The Rise, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Week, the springtime drought lingers, beverage distributor workers continue to strike and the state’s amphibians are struggling.  The post The Drought Continues And Amphibians Struggle, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

This week, a new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster. Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back. And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so...

Monsters in the workplace? Maybe. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is developing a team building game using Appalachian cryptids like Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the university’s Center for Transformational Play, to learn more. The post Team Building With Appalachian Cryptids, This West Vi...

America’s foster care crisis is serious for nearly 400,000 kids who rely on the system. In the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks into the shortage of licensed foster homes – and the wide range of agencies and nonprofit organizations who offer help navigating what can be a complicated system. The post How A Wide Range Of Agencies Are Tackling The Foster Care Crisis, This West Vi...

Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care, while a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a growing crisis. As May marks National Foster Care Month, this encore episode of Us & Them explores the lives of children, foster parents, and families navigating a system under strain. The post Us & Them Encore: Our Foster Care Crisis appeared first on West Virginia P...

Researchers have spent almost two decades restoring a threatened species of orchid in southern Kentucky. But those efforts were disrupted when an EF-4 tornado swept through the area in May 2025, carving visible lines in the landscape. We learn about recovery efforts. The post How A Tornado Affected Threatened Orchids, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

Unpredictable weather is making it harder for amphibians to survive in West Virginia and elsewhere, but we learn about an effort to protect them. Also, the WVU Cancer Institute is enrolling pancreatic cancer patients for a promising, first-in-human clinical trial. The post Protecting Frogs And WVU Explores New Cancer Treatment, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broa...

At least one primary election race is headed for a recount. Also, an independent audit finds a critical deficit that could affect struggling families. And, the termination of a federal grant program for first time farmers is leaving some growers – and communities – in a bind.  The post A Primary Recount, An Agency Deficit And Termination Of A Farming Grant, This West Virginia Week appeared first o...

This week, Hurricane Helene devastated central Appalachia and disrupted the lives of people in recovery. Also, in West Virginia, fur trapping continues, even in the 21st century. And, baseball is America’s past-time. One league is making the game more inclusive. The post Recovery After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

It’s been a year-and-a-half since Hurricane Helene ravaged central Appalachia. Communities are still recovering, including those who were already in recovery for addiction. The post How Hurricane Helene Affected Substance Use Recovery, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

A small federal grant program aimed at increasing first-time farmer’s access to land, training and tools was finding fertile ground in West Virginia. But in March, the Trump administration suddenly terminated it, leaving local partners uncertain about their futures. The post Future Of First-Time Farming Program Uncertain, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasti...