West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, not much has been known about Appalachia’s contributions to the Underground Railroad, but a Marshall University historian is documenting that history. The post The Underground Railroad’s Route Through Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning, affordable dental care is a little-talked-about challenge low-income families face in this state, but there is an effort underway to change that. The post Mobile Dental Care A Lifeline In Rural Communities, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning, many people are looking towards the country's future after the nation's 250th anniversary. A group in West Virginia is talking to the region’s youth to capture their voices and perspectives about what comes next. The post How Appalachia’s Young People See The Next 250 Years, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning a new musical, written right here in our region, takes a look at a small Ohio town, just across the river from West Virginia, that played a significant role in the development of the nation. The post Larry Groce On His New Ohio History Musical, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

This week, Inside Appalachia discusses the influence and contributions of Oscar Micheaux, an African American filmmaker who lived in Virginia in the 1920s. Mason Adams speaks with Roanoke historian Jordan Bell about Micheaux's life and career. The post A Look At Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux’s Impact, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning, both the U.S. and Japan are considering robots as a potential solution to an aging population amidst a caretaker crisis. The post The Robotic Future Of Caring For The Elderly, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

As baby boomers in West Virginia and nationwide continue to age, more Gen X and Millennial adults are finding themselves as caregivers for their parents. Pittsburgh’s major health systems are designing a new program alongside federal agencies aimed at keeping seniors at home for as long as possible. The post New Program Aims To Keep Seniors At Home, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on Wes...

Bats are the subject of myths and legends, often in a negative light. But that goes against the reality of their role in ecosystems, including critical agricultural services for humans. Bat populations have dropped significantly in the face of a changing climate and disease.  The post Appalachia’s Declining Bat Population, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcast...

Urban renewal in the last century was supposed to revitalize struggling cities, but it often sacrificed Black neighborhoods and business districts, like Black Bottom in Bristol, Virginia. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with organizer Tina McDaniel about “The Souls of Bristol’s Black Bottom,” a project in Bristol that remembers the community through interpretive signs, public art and digital...

On this West Virginia Morning, federal cuts and changes to state law focused on Medicaid programs could undermine West Virginia’s drug addiction and treatment system for 50,000 residents. The post Federal Cuts To Medicaid Endanger Addiction Treatment, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

A $1 million initiative through the Rural Health Transformation Program aims to help rural EMS agencies expand access to health care in rural and underserved areas of West Virginia. We spoke with Secretary of Health Dr. Arvin Singh to understand how the program is designed to work – and who it will focus on first. The post Improving Health Care Access In Rural Communities, This West Virginia Morni...

On this West Virginia Morning, our partner HealthQ explores why embracing the title of “caregiver” matters—and how recognition and support can make a difference in this phase of life. The post Caring For The Caregivers Of Aging Adults, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning, freshwater mussels play a vital role in the health of the region's waterways, but their populations have dwindled over the years. The post Protecting Appalachia’s Flexing Mussels, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

Indigenous people created hundreds of earthen monuments in what is now Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. John E. Hancock, a professor of architecture and design at the University of Cincinnati, spent years studying these earthworks. He published a guidebook for visiting them. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch spoke with Hancock about the book.   The post A Guidebook For Visiting Ancient Earthworks, T...

On this West Virginia Morning, State Sen. Ryan Weld has written a history of Wellsburg through a unique lens -- he focused on 14 homes in the town and the people who lived in them. The post New Book Charts Town’s History Through Its Homes, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning, an Appalachian distillery has rediscovered an old technique for aging their bourbon and whiskey products. The post A Forgotten Secret Of Bourbon Aging Rediscovered, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

On this West Virginia Morning, the nine-banded armadillo has become an indicator of rising temperatures in Kentucky and the surrounding region. The post Climate Change Brings Armadillos To Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting .

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...

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...

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...