West Virginia Morning

These Dreaming Hills is a new horror and science fiction anthology collecting stories from across Appalachia. Inside Appalachia's Bill Lynch spoke with editor Noah Ashley Blooms about the book....

Appalachia is full of ancient cave systems. Some are so deep nobody’s sure where they begin or end. For Inside Appalachia, Folkways Reporter Andrea “river” Peterson explored a once-privately owned underground landscape that recently became a Pennsylvania State Park. ...

In both the House of Delegates and the state Senate, the 2026 general election saw significant inroads for Democrats. At least one expert traces the reasons for those inroads to several key issues. Assistant News Director Maria Young spoke with Marshall University political science professor Marybeth Beller to learn more about the wins and the losses. ...

There is a lot riding on the outcome of Tuesday's election, both in this state and across the nation. Assistant News Director Maria Young spoke with Marshall University Political Science Professor Marybeth Beller about what to watch for as the results come in....

Inside Appalachia this week explores data centers and artificial intelligence (AI). As part of this special episode, host Mason Adams spoke with Dan Parks, a journalist who writes a Substack called Country Roads News. He's been covering data center development in Tucker County. We listen to an excerpt....

Southern West Virginia has rich but often overlooked musical traditions. Chris Haddox is a WVU professor of sustainable design, but he's also spent years uncovering more information on those overlooked musicians. We spoke with him to learn more about his effort to shine a light on the musical talents of local miners, now with the help of a grant from the Mellon Foundation. ...

If your doctor recommends a big test or procedure, a decision tool with the acronym B.R.A.I.N. can help you talk through options collaboratively. It works at a routine checkup or in high-stakes medical situations like childbirth. As part of the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, health reporters Kara Anthony and Blake Farmer brings the latest from the series, HealthQ....

From The Allegheny Front, a public radio program based in Pittsburgh, brings us their latest story on the return of black lung disease to Appalachian coal miners. ...

Stories about cryptids are revived every October in the lead-up to Halloween. Oftentimes, these monsters are said to live in the woods – or some other dark area where they’re difficult to find. Few, if any, can be found leaping along rooftops in one of the country's largest historic preservation districts. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, LPM’s Roberto Roldan brings us the story of the Old Louisville Demon Leaper. ...

Silas House is a major voice for Appalachia. The Kentucky native has written more than 15 books and served as the state's poet laureate. His latest book is The Tulip Poplars, a sweeping novel about the lives of four people as they navigate friendship and forbidden love throughout the 20th century. Inside Appalachia's Mason Adams spoke with House. ...

As we’re counting down to the midterm election, Us & Them host Trey Kay has invited a new group of guests to a Dinner Party – but this time, the table is in Huntington. Kay’s guests are a mix of conservative and progressive voters, half of whom are under 30 and they share a wide-ranging conversation over a potluck meal. We listen to an excerpt from this episode where a number of guests weigh in on immigration. ...

The nonprofit newsroom ProPublica has been reporting on the use of public money to fund private education. Earlier this month, ProPublica published a series of stories about how they, along with Mountain State Spotlight, opened a school in West Virginia. Reporter Jennifer Smith Richards spoke with Chris Schulz about the experience and what it says about modern education. ...

As people take a greater number of medications across years or decades, experts say the risk for adverse drug interactions increases. One way to advocate for yourself? Keep a list of your meds handy. We listen to the latest story from health series, HealthQ, a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News, with reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer....

Middle Tennessee’s Dickson County is known for being the filming location for Ernest Goes to Camp, which grossed upwards of $20 million in the late 1980s. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WPLN’s Jewly Hight looked into the area’s earlier lore about mysterious creatures of the night....

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina in 2024, it took lives and upended communities. A community of ballad singers lost a place where they could share their tradition, but what was lost could be restored....

In Mason County, West Virginia, new data center developments are changing local landscapes and communities. One of the computing campuses is also threatening a special stand of trees. Reporter Andrea “River” Peterson reports. ...

The changing colors of the leaves and the dropping temperatures of fall bring with them calls to get vaccinated against the flu. But in recent years, that call to action has expanded. We talk with Dr. Brian Huggins, Monongalia County health officer and medical director, about when to get vaccinated....

It’s not often that we associate West Virginia's obesity rates with good news – but data released last month from the nonprofit Trust for America's Health finds West Virginia is one of just two states nationwide to show a significant drop in adult obesity rates. We find out what's causing the decline – and whether it's likely to continue. ...

Barbara Kingsolver is one of Appalachia’s foremost writers. She’s written a string of bestsellers, like "The Poisonwood Bible" and "Demon Copperhead," which won her the Pulitzer Prize. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams met Kingsolver at her home outside Abingdon, Virginia, to talk art, writing and her latest book, "Partita." We listen to an excerpt from that interview. ...

West Virginia has seen the largest population decline in the nation - nearly 1.5% - and many of those leaving are young people. In an episode that aired last month, Us & Them host Trey Kay heard from some young people who think they may stay in the state to launch their futures. This month, Kay talks with those who say living their dreams may well require moving away from the Mountain State. We listen to an excerpt from the latest Us & Them....

Last week, we aired the first part of an interview with a WVSU professor about what is AI. In the second part of that interview, we explore the best way to use AI to get what you want – while avoiding fabricated or false answers that seem real....

Direct-to-consumer tests like full-body scans are marketed as a way to catch diseases early and establish a baseline. But there are financial, physical and psychological risks to all medical tests — and in some cases, not getting a test could be better for your health. From the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, HealthQ hosts Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer speak with UCSF Cardiologist Dr. Rita Redberg. ...

During spooky season, popular attention turns toward ghosts and goblins – or if you live in Appalachia – cryptids. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Bill Lynch, producer of Inside Appalachia, brings us the story of the Flatwoods Monster....

A specific style of ballroom dance is helping disenfranchised young people find community in Appalachia. In our latest episode of Inside Appalachia, we explore LGBTQ ballroom culture and community in Roanoke, Virginia. Mason Adams has this excerpt. ...

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....

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. ...

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....

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....

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. ...

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 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....

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....

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....

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. ...

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. ...

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. ...

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....

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....

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. ...

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....

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 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. ...

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. ...

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....

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....

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. ...

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. ...

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....

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....

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. ...