Podcasts about West Virginia Public Broadcasting

West Virginia has been at the center of America's opioid epidemic and overdose death toll. While recent reports show the state's overdose deaths have fallen by nearly 38%, addiction remains the most common reason for West Virginia children to be taken from their families. In the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay attends a WVU training symposium, including a screening of the recent film "What We Hide," and hears from professionals who work with people affected by addiction. The post Parental Addiction’s Impact On Trust, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

As lawmakers and educational leaders across West Virginia take a hard look at school finances, administrative staff that work outside the classroom have come under increased scrutiny. But one school financial operations officer says administrators manage an increasingly complicated educational landscape. The post Understanding A Complicated Educational Landscape, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders' iconic items earned big bucks at auction. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, reporter Andrew Henderson went to the auction and hung around for the fried chicken. The post Kentucky Fried Chicken Founder's Items Up For Auction, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

At the bottom of West Virginia's New River Gorge, the nearly abandoned railroad town of Thurmond hides a history of coal wealth, rival businessmen, gambling, violence and suspicious deaths. This episode traces the rise of Thurmond and the infamous Dun Glen Hotel, the crimes that earned the area a lawless reputation, and the town's transformation from a booming C&O railroad center into a preserved part of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries

Residents across Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia have packed public meetings in recent months to speak out against data centers. A recurring concern is how the developments could affect the cost of electricity. The post Concerns Over Data Centers And Rising Electricity Costs, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

For nearly 100 years, Snuffy Smith has been a staple of newspaper comic pages, though these days, it's easier to find him online. Snuffy Smith was brought to life by Artist Fred Lasswell in the 1930s, but now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. We hear from Rose about drawing the famous hillbilly. The post The Legacy Of Comic Strip Snuffy Smith, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Federal health researchers at the CDC have a new report about black lung disease among the most experienced coal miners in Appalachia. They are suffering from the incurable disease at the highest rates in nearly half a century. The post Black Lung Disease At Its Highest In 50 Years, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The West Virginia Manufacturers Association has just launched its inaugural Coolest Thing Made In West Virginia tournament. We caught up with WVMA President Bill Bissett to find out what organizers hope will come from the competition – and what makes a really cool product.  The post An Inside Look At New ‘Coolest Thing' Tournament, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Roadside farmstands with homemade jams and bread are a common sight in Appalachia. Because they're unmanned, many of them work on the honor system: Take a carton of berries, leave some cash. But the humble farm stand is changing to keep up with an increasingly cash-free society. Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch recently visited a stand in Wythe County, Virginia and has this.  The post The Changing Appalachian Farmstand, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Data center development is a fast-growing industry, with projects popping up in seemingly every corner of the country. But that's not been the case in West Virginia so far. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Chris Schulz reports state officials are rolling out the red carpet for the expensive and increasingly expansive projects. The post Communities Have Questions As Data Center Development Underway, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Writer Emilee Hackney has a complicated relationship with where she grew up. She loved her friends, family, the swimming holes and wild places in Tazewell County, Virginia, but she felt stifled. Her new memoir, All That's Unseen: An Appalachian Memoir, explores this tension and what happened when she did leave. The post Writer's Memoir Explores Complicated Relationship With Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A recent national story identified West Virginia's Ascend program as being highly successful, even though the numbers are relatively small. News Director Eric Douglas caught up with NPR reporter Scott Neuman to discuss the program in relation to other similar efforts and what he discovered. The post A Look At The State’s Successful Relocation Program, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The criminal charges against teacher and now-former delegate Elliott Pritt shocked many. We speak with Moore Capito, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, whose office is prosecuting the case, about what specific steps parents can take to protect their children from predators who seem both successful and safe. The post Steps To Protect Our Kids From Harm, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Traditional Appalachian ballads have found new life in the form of an audio drama podcast produced by the Appalachia Book Company. We look at a reimagined story of a traditional railroad disaster ballad.  The post Reimagining Traditional Appalachian Ballads, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Tornadoes are notoriously unpredictable, making forecasting nearly impossible. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to improve forecast models. We listen to the latest story from The Allegheny Front, a public media program based in Pittsburgh, that reports on environmental issues in the region.  The post How AI May Help Predict Tornadoes, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Open Door Café in Wytheville, Virginia uses gardening as a way to feed the hungry while breaking down the stigma of homelessness. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story about digging into the roots and connecting to more than just the land. The post How A Café Uses Gardening To Fight The Stigma Of Homelessness, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Many people struggle to find affordable housing, and more cities and towns now grapple with growing homeless populations. On the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay moderates a public conversation in Morgantown about that city's housing approach. The post Morgantown's Housing Approach, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

There are many insects that threaten West Virginia's agriculture and bother us when we're trying to enjoy time outdoors. But with its distinctive Dalmatian pattern and splash of red, the spotted lanternfly stands out for its ability to threaten dozens of plants, commercial and domestic. We hear from WVU Extension entomologist Carlos Quesada to learn more about the insect and how to stop its spread. The post How To Stop Spread Of Spotted Lanternfly, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, a look at how the hot, humid weather of summer is a prime season for the sometimes disease-carrying ticks.  The post ‘Tis The Season For Ticks, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, an unattractive, slimy, two-foot salamander may hold the key to detecting healthy water ways in West Virginia.  The post Helping Hellbenders Help Water Health, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, if you've ever seen the eye-catching ‘Bus On A Rock' in the New River and wondered why – and how – it got there, we have some answers for you. The post Finding Solitude In A Bus On A Rock In A River, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, the client of a Charleston attorney says the DEA allowed millions of doses of potentially deadly Fentanyl into the United States. The post Whistleblower Raises Alarm On Fentanyl Trafficking, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, blind athletes rely on sound to hit the ball and run to a base in beep baseball. The post Playing Baseball By Ear, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, the spike-covered hawthorn is unique to our region but little known, and the heat you feel might be more about how humid it is than the temperature. The post A Rare Appalachian Tree And How Humidity Affects Heat, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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 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.

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 Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This episode was recorded on May 17th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Paul Thorn, Ray Benson, Sunny Sweeney, Andy Friedman. https://bit.ly/4afWiMG⁠

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, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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.

This episode was recorded on April 3rd, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Chris Smither, Joan Shelley, Yarn, Calvin Arsenia, Hudost. ⁠https://bit.ly/4vsZEnH

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 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.

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 on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

We're firing up the Mountain Stage time machine once again to look back two decades to the year 2006. Host Kathy Mattea revisits sets from The Derek Trucks Band, Bettye LaVette, Soulive (featuring Reggie Watts), Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, and more, all recorded live on Mountain Stage. https://bit.ly/4xBxqcv

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 Broadcasting.

This episode was recorded on March 22nd, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Patrick Watson, John Gorka, Anna Tivel, Shelby Means, and Liza Lo. https://bit.ly/4vsZEnH

This episode was recorded on April 19th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, John Pizzarelli, Peter Case, Mollie O'Brien & Rich Moore, Jedd Hughes. https://bit.ly/4wLZPMh