Podcast
Blankenship On Trial
Hosted by Unknown Author · EN
On April 5, 2010, 29 men were killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. Federal regulators say a history of unsafe practices led to the explosion and prosecutors are now trying to prove that culture at Massey Energy came from the top down, starting with former CEO Don Blankenship. These are the stories as they are told in the courtroom, the evidence as presented by both sides and the community's reactions to the trial of Don Blankenship.
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Understanding Risks, Prevention Of Tick Bites, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 29Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, as temperatures rise and people start heading outside, the chance of contracting a tick-borne illness goes up. Cases of Lyme disease have seen a sharp rise in recent years, so reporter Chris Schulz recently spoke with Dr. Kane Maiers, associate medical director for UPMC GoHealth Urgent Care in West Virginia, to learn more. Also, potholes across West Virginia are on track for repair by the end of May, according to Gov. Patrick Morrisey. That’s happening as the state steps up safety efforts for workers. And, the League of Women Voters of West Virginia has published its annual legislative scorecard on 20 bills that became law in the recently completed legislative session. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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Green Bank Observatory SETI Tours Takes Visitors Behind The Scenes, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 28Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, the Green Bank Observatory is offering a limited chance to go behind the scenes to check out its Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI). SETI tours are offered to small groups – ages 12 and up – several times a month through October. Maria Young caught up with the Observatory’s news manager, Jill Malusky, to find out more about the tours – and what exactly scientists there are looking for. Also, a new study is shedding light on the need for more mental health resources for new and expecting mothers. And, a developing industry is taking off with federal support. Finally, text messages illegally using the West Virginia State Seal have been reported to the Secretary of State’s office. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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Understanding And Preventing Chemical Incidents, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 27Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, there are still many questions that surround the chemical incident near Institute last week that killed two workers. Chris Schulz spoke with Dr. Christopher Martin, a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine at West Virginia University (WVU), to try and shed some light on what happened. Also, Mountaineer Food Bank is expanding its warehouse to serve significantly more food insecure West Virginians. The nonprofit cut the ribbon on its new, 864,000 square-foot facility in Gassaway last week. The central location will serve 48 of the state’s 55 counties and is designed to quickly get more food to those in need. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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The Chemical Spill In Kanawha County And Photographer Perry Bennett, This West Virginia Week
Apr 25Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Week, the air around the site of a chemical leak near Institute is determined safe, the state reaches a settlement with Roblox, and Charleston photographer Perry Bennett represents Team USA in Iceland. Bill Lynch is our host this week. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. West Virginia Week is a web-only podcast that explores the week's biggest news in the Mountain State. It's produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe. Learn more about West Virginia Week.
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Willie Carver Jr. And Marina Waters, Inside Appalachia
Apr 24Tap to summarizeIn author Willie Carver, Jr.’s new book, he reconsiders a negative childhood experience with a neighborhood girl who might have just been looking for a friend. Also, a southwestern Virginia community rang the alarm after more and more of its children were diagnosed with cancer. A local journalist is trying to unravel the cause. And, the city of Asheville has a new crusading reporter. He’s a puppet. You'll hear this story and more this week, Inside Appalachia. In This Episode: Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel Tore All To Pieces Health Care Hollow In Tennessee Childhood Cancer Rates Rise In Scott County, Virginia Preserving Little Green Apples Air Pollution Can Cause Lung Cancer Asheville's New Puppet Correspondent Willie Carver Jr.'s Novel Tore All To Pieces The cover of Tore All To Pieces by Willie Carver Jr. Courtesy of University Press of Kentucky Kentucky writer and educator Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr. has a new book. It’s a mosaic novel that draws from his upbringing, and his experiences as a gay man in Appalachia. The title is Tore All To Pieces, and it weaves together poetry and short stories into a narrative about people and place. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Carver about the book, and about the joys of bologna gravy. Health Care Hollow In Tennessee The Perry County Community Hospital shuttered in 2020 and sat vacant for years. It reopened under new owners in September 2025. Photo Credit: LaTonya Turner/WPLN News Hospitals in rural America are closing at an alarming pace, and Tennessee has the highest closure rate. WPLN in Nashville is looking at the trend, and what's being done to reverse course. Reporter Catherine Sweeney went to Linden a Tennessee town that watched its hospital go dark but is now on the path to recovery. Childhood Cancer Rates Rise In Scott County, Virginia Andryk Williams is joined by a therapy dog. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Williams A cancer diagnosis can be devastating. And tragic when it happens to a child. But when multiple childhood cancer cases appear in a community, folks start asking questions. That’s what’s happening in Scott County, Virginia. Scott County has seen a dramatic rise in childhood cancer diagnoses. Marina Waters is a reporter who’s been covering the issue. Host Mason Adams spoke with her. Preserving Little Green Apples Early transparent green apples from the market ready to be cut up for freezing. Photo Credit: Connie Bailey Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting Fruit trees in much of central Appalachia are just coming off their spring bloom. Their fruit won’t be ripe until late summer, early fall, but some varieties of apples show up early. Some folks call them June Apples, June transparent apples or even early transparents. The growing season and flavor of this fruit set it apart. And generations of Appalachians have kept these apple trees alive. In one of our early Folkways stories, from 2020, reporter Connie Kitts discovered that these early apples were in danger of disappearing. Air Pollution Can Cause Lung Cancer For decades, we’ve known smoking can lead to lung cancer. Public health messages usually focus on personal behavior that the only way to prevent lung cancer is for people to stop smoking. But new research finds a connection between lung cancer and air pollution, particularly in urban areas. The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant spoke with researchers about reducing cancer rates through environmental policy. Asheville's New Puppet Correspondent Little Ginger at the BPR studio on March 6, 2026. Photo Credit: Laura Hackett/BPR There’s a new “voice for the people” in Asheville. He’s a blue puppet with bright red hair. His name is Little Ginger and you can find him on Instagram. He’s a crusading reporter, taking on potholes and local property taxes. Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Laura Hackett has more. ------ Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, Paul Loomis, John Blissard 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. You can find us on Instagram, <a href="https://www.threads.net/...
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Weaving Poetry Into Short Stories, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 24Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, Kentucky writer Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr’s new book Tore All To Pieces weaves poetry and short stories into a narrative about people and place. Inside Appalachia’s Bill Lynch recently spoke with Carver and brings us this conversation. Also, state and federal environmental agencies were on site Thursday at the Catalyst Refiners plant following a fatal chemical leak on Wednesday. And, money from the Rural Health Transformation Program is about to start flowing into West Virginia. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Eric Douglas, Maria Young and Randy Yohe. Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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Us & Them: The Good, The Bad, And The American Revolution
Apr 23Tap to summarizeThe 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence arrives at a moment when Americans are arguing not just about politics — but about our nation’s history. As President Donald Trump calls for the removal of what he labels “divisive” history from public institutions, a new documentary from Ken Burns revisits the American Revolution with all of its complexity, contradiction and competing visions of freedom. In this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay brings together professors and students at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia along with community members for a public conversation. There’s talk about what the revolution meant then, who it was for, and what it means now — at a time when questions about executive power, citizenship and belonging feel anything but settled. This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from WETA and the CRC Foundation. Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, the NPR app and wherever you get your podcasts. The PBS documentary series The American Revolution, produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, premiered Nov. 16, 2025, on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the war’s start. The eight-year project traces how 13 British colonies rebelled, won independence and formed a new government that reshaped the continent and inspired democratic movements worldwide. West Virginia Public Broadcasting hosted a community screening and discussion of The American Revolution, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Photo courtesy of Marshall University Learn more about the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation. Learn more about Marshall University. Before the program begins, Us & Them host Trey Kay welcomes the audience and outlines the evening’s format ahead of a live taping and discussion of The American Revolution. Photo by Nolan Duncan Members of a five-person panel — two Marshall University professors and three students — gather for a community discussion before an audience in the Encova Auditorium at Marshall University’s Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation in Huntington, West Virginia, ahead of a screening of excerpts from The American Revolution. Photo by Nolan Duncan Kevin Barksdale is a professor of early American history at Marshall University whose research focuses on the Appalachian frontier during the Revolutionary era and on Native American history in the Southeast. Photo by Nolan Duncan “My experience with students is that students want unvarnished history. They don’t want the Disney version of American history. That’s boring, right? And that’s not the way it works. I try to point out that these are people that we’re talking about. They’re flawed humans with different kinds of ambitions and desires and counter-ambitions. And if you think about the past in that kind of way, it allows you to put yourself back there, maybe relate to what’s going on and think about those sorts of things. I’ve never experienced students coming up to me and saying, ‘Look, I want you to simplify this, romanticize this, and I don’t want any of the most unsavory aspects of it to come about because it hurts my feelings.’ I don’t have that experience. I don’t understand that experience.” — Kevin Barksdale Learn more about Kevin Barksdale. George Davis is a professor of political science at Marshall University whose work focuses on American political development, constitutional law and the evolution of democratic institutions. Photo by Nolan Duncan “It’s easy sometimes in academia to look at the revolution or the founding and say this was terrible, and ask if there’s hypocrisy there. But it’s really important to think about how the ideals that come out of the revolution—the founding, the Declaration of Independence—have been used for multiple social justice issues since then. Part of the American story is believing in things like liberty and equality and self-determination. And we don’t take a lot of time to really think about what those terms mean. Unless we interrogate our history—what they meant to the colonists, and how they didn’t always live up to them—it forces us to ask what we actually mean when we use those words today. Without telling these stories, we can’t have a sense of what those ideas mean.” — George Davis Learn more about George Davis. ...
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The State Gets Good Grades For Air Quality, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 22Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, the American Lung Association has released its 27th State of the Air report on air pollution and awarded grades for metro areas across the country. West Virginia isn’t perfect but is surprisingly good. No one in the state lives in a county with a failing grade. The Charleston-Huntington metro area got all As. News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Kevin Stewart, director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association, about the report and what it all means. Also, West Virginia has reached one of the first settlements in the country with a popular children’s online gaming platform. And, a West Virginia folklorist has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Finally, the Appalachian Regional Commission is accepting applications for projects to help people in recovery enter – or reenter – the workforce. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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W.Va. Photographer Talks Photo That Brought Him International Recognition, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 21Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, a West Virginia photographer is representing Team USA in the 2026 World Photographic Cup in Iceland this week – and he’s there because of a photo he almost didn’t take. We hear from longtime photographer for the West Virginia Legislature and two-time winner of the Professional Photographers of West Virginia Photographer of the Year award, Perry Bennett. Also, a federal hearing in three weeks could determine the next step for the historic but struggling Greenbrier Resort. And, it's time to get your bird feeders out. The hummingbirds are here. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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The Healing Power Of Water, This West Virginia Morning
Apr 20Tap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, especially in a land-locked state, the idea of caring for our natural waterways may not come easily. The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh that reports on environmental issues in the region, brings us their latest story on the healing power of water. Also, the search for extra-terrestrial life is on at the Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County. And, the Spring Gobbler Season has kicked off. After a long, cold winter the annual spring harvest offers a chance to enjoy West Virginia’s great outdoors under sunny skies. West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Maria Young produced this episode. Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:49 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning
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