On this West Virginia Morning, the state’s vaccine rollout is hailed as one of the best in the nation. Still, so many people are waiting in line. We explore how those with chronic health conditions are trying to get a shot sooner rather than later. Also, we hear the latest in a lawsuit against Union Carbide and reaction from Democrats to the governor’s State of the State address.
Published February 11, 2021 at 9:56 AM EST Listen • 14:01
On this
West Virginia Morning, we hear a story about grandfamilies during the coronavirus pandemic. Also, the 2021 West Virginia Legislative session has begun. We hear from Gov. Jim Justice on his legislative priorities, and we hear an update to a lawsuit filed against Union Carbide.
During the first State of the State address of his second term, Gov. Justice spoke of West Virginia’s image nationally. He mentioned the state’s accomplishments, despite a harrowing year impacted by COVID-19. He shared goals that he said will continue to push West Virginia to the top. Emily Allen reports.
WVPB
Vials of Pfizer s coronavirus dose sit on a table at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and exacerbated societal inequities.
Black and Latino populations have suffered higher infection rates. People working low-income jobs are more likely to be considered essential and therefore required to work in-person while others have the luxury of working remotely.
The pandemic has pushed many people who were already living paycheck to paycheck out of work. Despite programs to provide rental and utility relief, some have lost their homes. At one point last summer, 60 percent of people in West Virginia said they were at risk of being homeless, according to a study by the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.
Listen • 15:46
On this
West Virginia Morning, republican state leadership say a Fairness Act could be a “turning point” for gay and trans rights in West Virginia. But the state has yet to push one through the legislative process. Also, we learn about an online storybook that highlights Medicaid success stories.
The state agency responsible for overseeing the oil and gas industry had budget shortfalls last year and had to cut staff. A group of lawmakers, environmental advocates, and representatives of private property owners are calling for the state legislature to fully-fund the agency. Duncan Slade has more.
Almost a third of West Virginians rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. That includes single moms, caretakers, students and every kind of West Virginian under the sun. A collective of healthcare advocacy groups want to highlight these folks. Their stories include accessing essential health services like delivering a baby or seeing a therapist
Producer Chuck Kleine films Rosemary Ketchum
Scratch the surface of most any grassroots movement in Appalachia, past or present, and you’ll find women at its heart. Strong women feature prominently throughout Appalachian history, and they continue to push the region forward today.
This week on
Inside Appalachia, we’re revisiting a show that originally aired last fall, that prominently features bold mountain women who are making a difference in their communities.
We hear what happens when Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei combine Appalachian and Chinese folk music. We also meet the driving force behind a family-owned Black newspaper that’s been publishing since 1939. Claudia Whitworth began working there for her father in 1945, and three quarters of a century later still takes an active role as publisher of the Roanoke Tribune. And we’ll meet Rosemary Ketchum, a community activist who ran for city council in Wheeling, West Virginia. We’ll learn how she became West Virginia’