Among this week’s segments: A conversation with Kathy Mattea about her latest album Coal, the Sago tragedy that inspired the project, and her recent environmental activism. Plus, farmland preservation in Pennsylvania, and a study on the health risks of living in coal communities.
Archive for March 2008
Inside Appalachia – March 29, 2008
March 31, 2008Workers strike at Mountaineer Racetrack
March 31, 2008By Keri Brown
More than 200 workers at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort in Hancock Co. are hitting the picket lines. The strike began early Saturday morning after contract negotiations broke down late Friday.
WV has extension to comply with feds’ REAL ID rules
March 31, 2008By Anna Sale
March 31 is the deadline for states to get extensions for complying with the federal government’s new REAL ID requirements. The new rules have been controversial among privacy advocates and states. Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joe Cicchirillo says residents should not notice any changes while the state prepares for the new REAL ID deadline in 2010.
Collecting histories through listening
March 31, 2008By Jean Snedegar
Michael and Carrie Kline of Elkins create audio series from interviews with individuals – people telling their own stories – of life, history, coal mining and farming. This story was produced as part of our series Aging with Grace and Dignity.
Is Wild Wonderful?
March 28, 2008By Emily Corio
The Monongahela National Forest has five federally designated wilderness areas. A bill before Congress would add almost 50,000 acres of wilderness to the Forest, but not everyone thinks that wild is wonderful. The WV Division of Natural Resources worries a plan of the state’s congressional delegation would interfere with wildlife management, so they’ve proposed an alternative.
Kathy Mattea discusses latest album Coal and issues that inspired it
March 28, 2008By Mona Seghatoleslami
On Sunday night, Kathy Mattea will perform on West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage as part of a tour to promote her new album. The album is titled Coal, and is a product of Mattea’s own recently-formed label, which she calls “Captain Potato Records.”
Mattea: “If you say may name over and over again, and you say it faster and faster, and then somewhere in there you have a couple of beers, somewhere in there it will turn to Captain Potato. It’s been a running joke for years, now.”
Mattea grew up in Cross Lanes in Kanawha County, and coal mining is part of her family history. That history and her increased interest in coal-mining issues are certainly reflected in Coal. So is the influence of other West Virginians, including songs she covers by acclaimed writers like Billy Edd Wheeler and Hazel Dickens.
Mona Segatoleslami spoke to Mattea about these songs, her recent environmental activism, and the Sago tragedy that inspired Coal.
Retroactive compensation for lawmakers sparks controversy
March 27, 2008By Scott Finn
When West Virginia lawmakers voted for a pay increase last month, they made it very clear that the pay increase wouldn’t go into effect until after the November election. But unknown to most of us, they increased their compensation in a different way – and they did so retroactively, going back to the beginning of this year…
Former Pres. Bill Clinton on the campaign trail in WV
March 27, 2008By Keri Brown
Bill Clinton made stops in WV Wednesday to rally support for his wife’s campaign. While in Wood Co., Clinton talked about his wife’s plans for change, including creating more jobs, universal healthcare and tightening up loop holes in our foreign trade policies.
Indian remains returning to Putnam County
March 27, 2008By Beth Vorhees
The skeletal remains of about 600 American Indians are being returned to WV. Robert Maslowski, a retired archeologist with the US Army Corp of Engineers and president of the Council for WV Archeology, talks about what has happened to these remains once they left Putnam County 40 years ago.
Local law enforcement keeps up with digital age
March 27, 2008By Clark Davis
We see all kinds of technology on crime shows, but most think it’s just made for TV. One local class is teaching local law enforcement technology that will allow them to catch the criminal of the digital age.
Former President Clinton hurt Gore, Kerry in N. Panhandle; how will he affect Hillary’s campaign?
March 26, 2008Former President Bill Clinton is West Virginia today to rally support for his wife’s campaign. He will make stops in Parkersburg, Beckley and the Kanawha County town of Chesapeake. Clinton won West Virginia in the 1992 and 1996 general elections.
But in 2000, his administration’s policies regarding the steel industry played a significant role Al Gore losing West Virginia to then-candidate George Bush.
In the Northern Panhandle, Gore paid the price at the polls for Clinton‘s decision not to impose tariffs on foreign companies that were dumping steel on the American market at below-market prices.
Keri Brown examined how President Clinton could affect the Democratic primary in the Northern Panhandle, and filed this report…Click here for audio.
Manchin’s veto of MR/DD waiver language upsets disability advocates; lawsuit in the works
March 25, 2008By Beth Vorhees
Disability advocates are angry with Governor Manchin for vetoing language in the state budget regarding in-home care for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled people.
Now, the group Mountain State Justice plans to take the Manchin Administration to court to force the Department of Health and Human Resources to eliminate the current waiting list of 388 children and adults who have qualified to receive care in their homes.
Attorney Bren Pomponio says Manchin’s veto means the state is in violation of a 2000 federal court order. That order says people on this list should not wait longer than 90 days for in-home health services.
“It seems to be aimed at depriving poor people of needed services. I don’t understand it,” Pomponio said. “The governor has a surplus in the Medicaid budget of over $93 million, and the Legislature has seen that the Department of Health and Human resources is in violation of the court order and has sought to remedy that. Despite the surplus, these essential services are being deprived of these people.”
John Law, a spokesman for the DHHR says the governor vetoed the language regarding the waiver list because the Legislature did not attach an amount of money to its directive. Click here to listen to rest of story.
Coal pollution, disease linked in WVU study
March 25, 2008By Scott Finn
Living in a coal-mining community may be hazardous to your health. That’s according to a new study by a WVU researcher to be published in the April issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Researcher Michael Hendryx found higher rates of kidney and lung disease and high blood pressure in West Virginia’s coal-producing counties. He says this is true even when you take into account differences in income and lifestyle.
Hendryx says he can’t say for sure what’s causing the increased rate of disease, but his working theory is exposure to coal dust and mining runoff…
High global grain costs hit home
March 25, 2008By Anna Sale
Grain prices are hitting record highs – whether it’s corn, wheat, or soybeans. You’ve probably noticed the spike at the grocery store. Small business owners and farmers in WV have noticed too.
Cities save money by changing light bulbs
March 25, 2008By Clark Davis
Many cities in WV are now going to LED traffic signals. The new lights could power new savings.
Appalachian studies conference at Marshall
March 25, 2008By Beth Vorhees
The Appalachian Studies Association will hold it’s annual conference this weekend at Marshall University in Huntington. Chris Green is an assistant professor of English at Marshall and is the conference program chair.
Bethany presents version of rock opera ‘Tommy’
March 24, 2008By Keri Brown
In 1969, the British rock band The Who released the album Tommy which included the hit Pinball Wizard. The album was actually a rock opera hitting on the spiritual themes of self identity and discovering your inner talents. Since then, it’s been adapted for the big screen and for Broadway. Bethany College is presenting its own version of the popular production.
Stock advice: Don’t listen to entertainment programs
March 24, 2008By Beth Vorhees
Wall Street will be hoping to maintain last week’s positive momentum that gave the Dow a lift of more than 3 percent. Beth Vorhees talks to Terry Raab of the Charleston firm Janney Montgomery Scott.
WVU basketball thriving
March 24, 2008
Beth Vorhees talks to Greg Hunter, editor of the Blue and Gold News, about the NCAA Tournament success of WVU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. The men are in the Sweet 16, and the women play Vanderbilt tonight in the second round of the women’s tournament.
Inside Appalachia – March 22, 2008
March 24, 2008Among this week’s stories: Kentucky lawmakers take steps to make sure disastrous coal slurry spills don’t happen again, a look at the Clinton and Obama campaigns in West Virginia, and a preview of an Appalachian studies conference.
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