podcast Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

On this West Virginia Week, bats play a critical role in our ecosystems and agriculture, but their numbers are declining in the face of a changing climate and disease. The post Studying Endangered Bats, A Pioneering Appalachian Filmmaker And The Supreme Court Rules On Local Sports, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This week, in the 1920s, Oscar Micheaux was an entrepreneur filmmaker in western Virginia. He became a world-renowned director and producer. Also, Kentucky’s poet laureate lives down the road from what has been called the country’s most lethal cryptid. Attempts to spot it have led to deaths. And, we talk soul food with Xavier Oglesby, who’s passing on generations of kitchen wisdom to his niece. The post Encore: Oscar Micheaux, Kathleen Driskell And Soul Food, Inside Appalachia appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This week, some folks are working to preserve the memory of Bristol, Virginia’s Black Bottom, a largely African American community wiped out by urban renewal. Also, small food producers embrace digital technology for the humble farm stand. And, kudzu; it’s coming for us. The post Kudzu, Farmstands And Bristol’s ‘Black Bottom’ Community, Inside Appalachia appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 storytelling. McDaniel says learning about Black Bottom was a revelation. The post Remembering ‘Black Bottom’ In Bristol, Va., This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

West Virginia leads the nation in overdose deaths, but not everyone experiences the crisis the same way. In this Regional Edward R. Murrow Award-winning episode of Us & Them, Trey Kay examines the unique challenges Black West Virginians face in addiction treatment and recovery — and what happens as the state changes how those services are funded. The post Us & Them Encore: Black West Virginians With Substance Use Disorder Face Unique Challenges appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

An heir files suit to keep his community hospital open, disparities in the distribution of school choice vouchers, and a West Virginia lawmaker is among those targeted in White House UFC fight plot.  The post Community Hospital Concerns, School Choice Vouchers And A Town’s Hidden History, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a new book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. The post Ohio’s Ancient Earthworks And Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia 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.

On this West Virginia Week, the unhoused population in the state declines, child well-being remains the same, and just how many abandoned gas wells are there?  The post Abandoned Gas Wells And The Unhoused Rate Declines, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 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 Public Broadcasting.

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 America's most influential outsider artists. The post Us & Them Encore: Daniel Johnston — The Troubled Life And Artistic Genius Of West Virginia Music Hall Of Fame Inductee appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 Remembering Singer-Songwriter Daniel Johnston, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 Appalachian Stories, Inside Appalachia 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 good? The post Appalachian Monster Game And Nelsonville Music Festival, Inside Appalachia appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 Public Broadcasting.

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 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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.

On this West Virginia Week, a long-serving judge dies, the primary election wraps up and national hospital week is observed.  The post Judge Copenhaver Dies And The Primary Wraps Up, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A plan to funnel millions of dollars in oil and gas royalties toward conservation efforts is getting support from an unexpected group. From The Allegheny Front, we learn about fracking proposals in southeastern Ohio – and what WVU researchers say could be the impact on wildlife. The post Fracking Proposals And Possible Impacts, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Week, an opioid settlement reaches a milestone, gas prices shock Sen. Shelley Moore-Capito, R-W.Va., and we have more information on the recent chemical spill near Nitro. The post The Opioid Settlement And Gas Price Shock, This West Virginia Week appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This week, historian Mills Kelly’s love affair with the Appalachian Trail started when he was a boy scout. Also, the region is known for exporting coal, but it’s losing people, too. And, Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in southwestern Virginia fuses Asian ideas with Appalachian comfort food. The post Mills Kelly, Coalfield Depopulation And Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque, Inside Appalachia appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.