Podcasts about West Virginia Public Broadcasting

On this West Virginia Morning, a popular room with a view comes with a history that explains why it's the hottest new rental around. The post The State's Hottest New Campsite Is 80 Feet In The Air, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Across the Appalachian Mid-South, local law enforcement is doing more to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in detaining people. Morgan Watkins with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting analyzed the latest data on ICE arrests in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. Louisville Public Media's Bill Burton spoke with her about what she learned.  The post How, Why Local Law Enforcement Is Assisting ICE, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This episode was recorded on June 14th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Brandy Clark, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tristan, and Philip Bowen. https://bit.ly/4hjzCPF

Many farmers in our region raise sheep for meat, but not so much for wool. There's not a great market for it with textile companies overseas, but researchers at Virginia Tech have teamed up with farmers, to figure out how to use wool to insulate houses, potentially creating a new market. The post Using Wool To Insulate Homes, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

In this first part of our conversation with assistant professor and director of the West Virginia State University Cybersecurity Innovation Center, Ali Al-Sinayyid, we learn a little about the history of AI and its evolution. The post The Evolution Of Artificial Intelligence, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Hockey is still finding fans and players in central Appalachia, but just because it's an emerging sport in this region doesn't mean we don't have hockey heroes. Inside Appalachia's Abby Neff met with Gwyneth Phillips, a goalie for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympics Women's team, to learn more.  The post A Hockey Hero From Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

In the runup to the midterm elections, it's time for a new Us & Them dinner party. Host Trey Kay brings West Virginians together from a range of political perspectives to share some family dishes, as well as their thoughts. This time around, the conversation included some new topics as well as some of the familiar issues that divide us. We listen to an excerpt.   The post Dinner Party Guests Discuss Political Divides Ahead Of Midterms, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This episode was recorded on June 7th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes John R. Miller, Amy Speace, Bill Kirchen, Floyd Mercantile, and Michaela Anne. https://bit.ly/4dBFMIv

The votes are in – more than 3,200 of them – and the winner of the inaugural Coolest Thing Made In West Virginia competition will be announced next week. It's down to the final five. Assistant News Director Maria Young caught up with Bill Bissett, president of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association, which is hosting the contest, to find out more about the finalists. The post How The ‘Coolest Thing' Contest Shows Diversity In Manufacturing, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Two federally important facilities located in West Virginia require a strict limit on radio frequency interference. But for decades – increasingly as communication systems have become more advanced – those limits have made it difficult for emergency crews and first responders in Pendleton and Pocahontas counties to do their jobs as safely and effectively as possible. Now the results of a lengthy federal study show exactly how precarious the situation is. We caught up with Pendleton County Emergency Management's Rick Gillespie to find out what the study shows and what happens next. The post Communication Challenges For Emergency Personnel, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

In recent years, physicians across the country have monitored surges of a condition known as Alpha-Gal Syndrome, which can cause allergic reactions to red meat. Hannah Saad with Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom member station WKMS reports that, now, farmers, restaurateurs and the afflicted are flocking to a new source of protein. The post Ostrich Burgers Take Off At Kentucky Farm, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

In southern Ohio, there's a musical tradition that goes back nearly 1,000 years and 4,000 miles. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has this story.  The post Decades-Old Musical Tradition Pays Tribute To Welsh Immigrants, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

News Director Eric Douglas sat down in a classroom studio with Marshall's Chuck Bailey, the student news director Emma Johnson, and the Director of the Marshall School of Journalism and Mass Communications Rob Quicke, to learn more.   The post MU Radio News Program Rakes In Prestigious Awards, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A new book called "Appalachian Plants: In the Garden, In the Yard, and In the Wild" explores some of the history and lore of plants that have been used by many in the region. Inside Appalachia's Mason Adams spoke with author Linda Hager Pack and illustrator Pat Banks about their book.  The post Exploring Appalachian Lore, History Through Plants, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Data center proposals are popping up in West Virginia – and in neighboring Pennsylvania, where one small community is juggling seven different potential projects. From The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh, we hear from that community and their concerns. The post Data Center Proposals In Neighboring Pennsylvania, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Many West Virginians may not remember the name Doris “Dorie” Miller, but he served on the USS West Virginia when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor. While Miller was never trained to fight, he raced to the deck on the day of the attack and fought back - shooting down at least one enemy plane. In 2020, a new aircraft was commissioned by the U.S. Navy and named for Miller. But recent stories have surfaced with talk of renaming it after President Donald Trump. We speak with Scott Womack, the commander of American Legion Post 100 in Monroe, West Virginia, to discuss the group's recent resolution that the Navy should retain Miller's name on the ship. The post Efforts To Retain Name On Aircraft Carrier For W.Va. Cook, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Twenty-five years ago, on Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., a hijacked plane hit one of the twin towers at the World Trade Center in New York City, ending for this nation a certain innocence, and the belief that such an attack would never happen on American soil. Maria Young caught up an economics professor from WVU who was on site when the planes hit – and gave an exclusive interview to then-West Virginia Public Broadcasting News Director Beth Vorhees.  The post Remembering 9/11, 25 Years Later, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Economic growth in West Virginia ranks close to the bottom in national rankings. It's not just losing jobs, it's also losing young people. In the first of two new Us & Them episodes, host Trey Kay talks with several young adults from the Mountain State asking whether they will stay put or find their future elsewhere. The post ‘Us & Them’ Explores The Challenge To Stay Or Go, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

As one of the hardest hit states in the country's opioid crisis, communities across West Virginia have started spending their portion of the roughly $1 billion in settlements from pharmaceutical companies and distributors. Schuyler Mitchell, assistant news director at nonprofit newsroom Mother Jones, reported last month on the use of the funds to purchase automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, from companies like Flock. She spoke to Chris Schulz about her findings.   The post National Report Highlights Use Of Opioid Settlement Funds For Police Surveillance, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The mayor of Gallatin, Tennessee, says a Meta hyperscale data center is the city's largest taxpayer, but residents still have concerns about its effect on utilities, the environment and property values. Travel up I-65 and data center fights are playing out in several Kentucky communities. Lisa Autry from the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom went to Gallatin to find out if Big Tech is a good neighbor.  The post A Look At Whether Big Tech Is a Good Neighbor, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

We remember Dolly Parton, not just as a musician and celebrity, but as a voice for Appalachian humor, resilience and kindness. Inside Appalachia's Mason Adams spoke with Mountain Stage host and country star Kathy Mattea, who shares some of her memories.  The post Singer, Mountain Stage Host Kathy Mattea Remembers Dolly Parton, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

NPR recently released a story showing that heat-related deaths in the United States have likely been undercounted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks deaths, but it isn't always easy to attribute a death to heat. We speak with an expert who helps us understand what heat does to the body and what it means in West Virginia. The post Understanding How Heat Affects The Body, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Every week, the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom's Bill Burton and meteorologist Tawana Andrew break down what we know - and what we don't - about the climate and weather in the region. This week, we're talking about when different areas of the country have their hottest days. The post Dealing With The Hottest Days, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, National Save A Life Day coordinator talks about what to expect if you stop by one of the dozens of booths planned across the state later this month.  The post What To Expect At A National Save A Life Day Booth, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Noise pollution has reached dangerous levels for residents living near the Memphis-Mississippi border. That's the home of Elon Musk's X-AI data center campus that runs Grok, the AI chatbot for the social platform X, formerly known as Twitter. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WPLN's Caroline Eggers reports on what's becoming an emerging model of data center – and unchecked noise pollution.  The post Unchecked Data Center Noise Pollution, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, we lost the beloved Dolly Parton this week. The Tennessee native was an American music icon, an actress and a philanthropist. She was also, undeniably, Appalachian. The post Remembering Dolly Parton's Appalachian Roots, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, about 12% of West Virginia's young people from 16 to 24 are disconnected youth - not going to school or working. Us & Them looks into why the state has such a high number. The post Why The Youth Are Disconnected, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Singer, actress and icon Dolly Parton visited West Virginia in 2022 to celebrate the state's full participation in her Imagination Library, an early childhood literacy program she started in honor of her father in 1995. Dolly Parton died Tuesday after a brief illness. We listen back to an interview she did with then WVPB Executive Producer Suzanne Higgins.  The post Dolly Parton's Imagination Library In W.Va., This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

One of the world's rarest plants, the Peters Mountain Mallow, lives on only one mountainside, in the New River Valley along the West Virginia line. Last year, scientists counted just five plants still alive – and the recent drought means protecting it from extinction is getting tougher. The post Efforts Underway To Protect A Rare Plant, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

As developers rapidly propose data centers across Kentucky, their neighbors are struggling to find out what it will mean for them. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Sylvia Goodman reports that residents are calling for more transparency from developers and their own public officials.   The post Kentucky Neighbors Call For More Data Center Transparency, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

On this West Virginia Morning, a new book, “The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America's Eastern Wilderness,” looks at the process to reintroduce large game to parts of Appalachia. The post Restoring The Eastern Wilderness By Reintroducing Big Game To Appalachia, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Social Security began 91 years ago when President Franklin Roosevelt signed it into law. Since then, it has provided a social safety net to Americans, allowing many of them to retire with dignity, according to John Hishta, senior vice president of campaigns with AARP. But many experts say that without some action, social security benefits will have to be reduced by 20% in 2032. News Director Eric Douglas sat down with Hishta to understand the situation. The post The Future Of Social Security Benefits, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

It's thunderstorm season, but not all of them are the same. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Bill Burton and meteorologist Tawana Andrew break down what we know – and what we don't – about the climate and weather in the region. This week, they examine different types of thunderstorms.  The post Understanding Different Kinds Of Thunderstorms, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

For the third installment in our series on data centers, we look at how data centers proposals are provoking outrage from local opponents. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Kentucky Public Radio's Joe Sonka reports that such fights are increasingly common — and bipartisan.  The post Hyperscale Data Centers Sparking Bipartisan Outrage, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that black lung rates are the highest they've been since the 1970s. Justin Hicks and Howard Burkes reported on that for the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. Inside Appalachia's Mason Adams spoke with Hicks and Burkes to dig a little deeper.   The post Digging Deeper Into Rising Black Lung Cases, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on 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.