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Dealing With Thousands Of Abandoned Natural Gas Wells, This West Virginia Morning
TodayTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, there are just over 6,000 abandoned or orphaned natural gas wells in West Virginia, according to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Some estimates suggest that number is low. The surprising thing, though, is where some of them are located. News Director Eric Douglas has this story. Also, West Virginia is holding steady in a national report on child well-being. And, the application deadline for the Hope Scholarship Program is just a week away on Monday, June 15. State Treasurer Larry Pack, who serves as Chairman of the Hope Scholarship Board, is encouraging more families to apply for the funding. Finally, a statewide initiative launched Monday aims to help West Virginians prepare for disasters before they strike. 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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A Look At An Invasive Vine That’s Taken Over The South, This West Virginia Morning
YesterdayTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, 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. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WUOT’s Jacqui Sieber has more on efforts to tackle the ‘vine that ate the south.’ Also, the West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) has a new chief operating officer. Gov. Patrick Morrisey has named William "Bill" D'Aiuto to the newly created leadership position. And, U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey, who oversees the Northern District of West Virginia, has been named to a leadership position on a board that targets major drug trafficking operations across multiple states. Harvey will serve as the vice-chair of the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). 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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Trump Invests In Coal And Mountaineer Food Bank Expands, This West Virginia Week
3d agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Week, the Trump administration invests in coal, Medicaid concerns rise in the Mountain State, and Mountaineer Food Bank expands. 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 and Maria Young. Learn more about West Virginia Week.
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Encore: Printmaking Inspired By Appalachian Stories, Inside Appalachia
4d agoTap to summarizeSome 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. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. In This Episode: WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On Inside Appalachia The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners WVU Students Carve Prints From Stories On Inside Appalachia Meghan Sterrett “Bearing the thought of being disposable." Courtesy of Joseph Lupo We occasionally hear from educators who find ways to work Inside Appalachia into their classrooms. In December, the show was tagged in an Instagram post by West Virginia University (WVU) art professor Joseph Lupo. The post showcased four-color reductive relief prints made by WVU students — each one inspired by a story or episode they heard on Inside Appalachia. Host Mason Adams spoke with three of Lupo’s students and asked them to describe their work and its connection to the show. But first, he asked Lupo to explain the assignment he gave his class. The Three Kitchens Of New Vrindaban Saci Suta offers food to Krishna in the devotee kitchen. Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting New Vrindaban is a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle. It started in the late 1960s and is home to a few hundred permanent residents — but thousands of pilgrims visit each year. They come to worship in the temple — and to visit the opulent Palace of Gold. But those main attractions were a pretty small part of Folkways reporter Zack Harold’s trip. He ended up spending much of his time in the kitchen. New Book Exposes ‘America’s Contempt’ For Marginalized Underclass The cover of Sarah Jones' new book Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass.Photo courtesy of Sarah Jones/Simon & Schuster More than one million Americans have died from COVID-19. Some groups of folks died at much higher rates than others. And those deaths tended to follow lines of race, class, age and disability. In other words, conditions that were already making life harder for some people played out during the pandemic, too. Last year, host Mason Adams spoke with reporter Sarah Jones about her book, Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass. Leann Ray And Her Support For Coal Miners West Virginia Republican Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito pose with coal miners at a White House event where President Donald Trump signed executive orders to loosen regulations for coal mining. Courtesy Office of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. The Trump administration has slashed federal jobs and loosened energy production regulations, and delayed a Biden-era rule to protect miners against silica dust, which contributes to black lung disease. Last April, we spoke with Leann Ray, the editor-in-chief of the nonprofit news outlet, West Virginia Watch, about an editorial she wrote. ------ Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Tim Bing, Frank George, Blue Dot Sessions 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. We had help this week from Folkways editor Chris Julin. You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org. You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook. Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter! Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
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Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20 Years, This West Virginia Morning
4d agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, 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. Also, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services this week has released a ruling on pending changes to Medicaid coverage. Opponents say thousands in West Virginia will lose coverage. And, Google has created a website to provide information on the company’s plans to develop a data center near the Putnam County town of Buffalo. Finally, low income West Virginia residents can apply soon for energy assistance to get through the summer heat if they are in danger of having their service shut off. 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 and Maria Young. Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Maria Young is our producer. 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 Challenges And Benefits Of FMLA, This West Virginia Morning
5d agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, 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. HealthQ’s Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, as part of the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, spoke with Jocelyn Frye from the National Partnership of Women and Families to learn more. Also, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has released their final report on the mining accident that killed a miner last November. And, an apprenticeship program in the state’s schools is reporting widespread success in its first few years of operation. Finally, activists who are concerned about the risks coal mining poses to endangered species in Appalachia notched a courtroom victory last week. 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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Meeting The Food Needs Of The State, This West Virginia Morning
6d agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, 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. Also, human rights advocates are raising questions about reported immigration enforcement in West Virginia earlier this year. And, a reminder for anyone who takes a parking spot reserved for Purple Heart recipients. Starting next week, there will be stiff penalties for unauthorized use of those spaces. 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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A Look At Baseball’s ‘Miracle Fields,’ This West Virginia Morning
1w agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, 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. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports that these fields are a growing trend across the country. Also, Gov. Patrick Morrisey is doubling down on prevention as medicine to improve the state’s health. And, collections for West Virginia’s General Revenue Fund surpassed $381 million in May. That’s $44 million more than estimated, according to Morrisey’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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Black Bear Encounters On The Rise, This West Virginia Morning
1w agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Morning, 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. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WPLN’s Caroline Eggers reports that state wildlife managers are working to promote peaceful coexistence. Also, Sierra Club West Virginia will debut its finished “Quilting for Community” project Tuesday evening in Morgantown – designed, cut and sewn by community members who may or may not have had any sewing skills when they began. The project will then launch a statewide tour that is expected to lead to similar projects across 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. 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
Transcribe →The Drought Continues And Amphibians Struggle, This West Virginia Week
2w agoTap to summarizeOn this West Virginia Week, the springtime drought lingers, beverage distributor workers continue to strike and the state’s amphibians are struggling. 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 and Maria Young. Learn more about West Virginia Week
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