West Virginia News & Current Events

The study found 51% of Medicaid recipients connected to small businesses are children of owners or employees. (Adobe Stock)

Report: WV small business labor force at risk from Medicaid cuts

A new report says cuts to Medicaid will weaken the small business workforce nationwide, potentially shrinking local economies in rural states like …

Agriculture advocacy group Farm Action says the federal government's support of corporate farms over smaller, family producers means less healthy food is available to American consumers. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Government action needed to help WV farmers produce healthier foods

A group of farmers says government policies need to change to support farms in West Virginia and elsewhere in cultivating foods that will improve Amer…

Nearly 16% of West Virginians are food insecure. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Senate poised to cut benefits, increase SNAP costs for West Virginia

As the budget reconciliation bill moves through the Senate, West Virginia still faces cuts to a key food support program. The House budget …

Advocates said prison gerrymandering gives voting districts with a correctional facility an unfair advantage in the West Virginia political system. They want state lawmakers to make changes before the 2030 Census. (Adobe Stock)

Report calls for WV redistricting reforms to stop 'prison gerrymandering'

Prison policy advocates are urging West Virginia lawmakers to put an end to "prison gerrymandering," which they said distorts political representation…

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, the Mountain State has seen a total of $339 million invested into the local solar industry.(Adobe Stock)

AEP proposes rate hikes, changes to net metering for WV customers

Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, subsidiaries of the national utility American Energy Power, are asking West Virginia energy regulators to …

The budget reconciliation bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, increases both the amount of money dairy producers receive through the Dairy Margin Coverage Program and the number of producers who are eligible for the program. (Adobe Stock)<br />

House GOP bill a win for big meat and dairy industries

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Colla…

West Virginia has made strides to reduce the number of kids without health insurance, according to data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Report: WV child well-being has improved post-pandemic

A new report shows West Virginia has improved the well-being of its children but the Mountain State still ranks the in the bottom tier of states for m…

'Clean slate' laws boost employment, housing access among formerly incarcerated

More states are considering "clean state" laws, which establish a process to automatically seal records of most misdemeanor criminal charges…

A minimal data center has a capacity of five megawatts of electricity, while the largest, sometimes called

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Report: WV residents could foot bill for VA data center infrastructure

An influx of data center infrastructure in neighboring Virginia will likely leave Mountain State residents with higher energy bills, according to a …

As part of 2021's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress allocated $4.7 billion for plugging orphaned oil and gas wells nationwide. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV law changes standards for plugging abandoned oil wells

There are more than 20,000 abandoned oil and gas wells scattered across West Virginia, putting communities at risk for water contamination and …

In 2004, British Petroleum introduced the carbon calculator, reframing the climate crisis as a matter of personal responsibility, according to reporting from The Guardian. (Adobe Stock)

New climate change research: People can't fight it alone

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service C…

In 2022, the infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Experts: Medicaid cuts could worsen WV’s maternal mortality rate

Congress is considering a proposal to slash $880 billion in Medicaid funding and experts warn the cuts would be devastating for West Virginia women…

West Virginia is the nation's fifth-largest energy producer, largely from fossil fuels, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Experts: Plans to loosen environmental rules will hurt West Virginians’ health

West Virginia is the only state in the country where the Trump administration has overturned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's previous …

After decades of decline, black lung disease among miners in recent years has been on the rise, largely driven by increased exposure to fine silica dust, according to the American Journal of Managed Care. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV coal miners sue over NIOSH cuts impacting black-lung screenings

West Virginia coal miners filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to temporarily halt the Trump administration's layoffs impacting the Coal Workers Hea…

In 2022, the average annual amount of electricity purchased by residential customers in the U.S. was 10,791 kilowatt hours, an average of about 899 kilowatt hours per month, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

West Virginia’s electricity prices could rise amid push for coal

Over the past 15 years, West Virginians have been shelling out more of their income each month on electricity bills. Now, as lawmakers continue to …

Prison book censorship is increasing nationwide, according to a 2023 report from PEN America. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Project focuses on literacy in Appalachian prisons

There are more than a dozen state and federal prisons in Central Appalachia, with some located in remote areas of West Virginia. Connie Banta…

Service dogs can help with mobility and access, object retrieval, reminders and medical alerts, among other things. (Adobe Stock)

Service dogs trained behind bars in WV transform lives, inside and out

With demand for assistance dogs on the rise, people in two West Virginia prisons are getting involved in their training. At Saint Marys Correctional …

Reduced federal funding for Medicaid would lead to widespread coverage losses and tens of thousands of avoidable deaths each year, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

West Virginia Senators push Medicaid cuts

Many residents of West Virginia are at risk of losing health care under a federal proposal to cut Medicaid funding by $880 billion. Sen. Jim Justice…

Nearly 10,000 West Virginia children per year will suffer asthma attacks because of ozone from the oil and gas industry, according to a report from the Clean Air Task Force. (Adobe Stock)

WV facilities seek exemptions from limits on toxic pollution

West Virginia communities will see increased air pollution with little oversight under a new Trump administration proposal offering presidential exemp…

Of the more than 5 million families with young children who pay for child care each year, on average 2.2 million, or about 43%, pay unaffordable rates, according to a Center for American Progress report. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV child care crisis expected to worsen as lawmakers fail to take action

West Virginia lawmakers continue their inaction on improving access to child care. House Bill 2026 would have allocated $32 million toward child …

Bumblebee colonies have annual life cycles, according to the ZYWang Lab at the University of Washington, where researchers study natural social behavior changes in aging bees. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Impact of solitary confinement goes beyond psychological trauma

Imagine being locked in a cell for 23 hours a day, under constant artificial light, with no human contact for months or even years. This is the …

For the first time, more American college students will be learning entirely online than will be learning 100% in person, according to the consulting firm Encoura. (Adobe Stock)

Online college courses just as expensive as in-person classes

By Jon Marcus for The Hechinger Report.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Kentucky News Connection reporting for The Hechinger Report-Public New…

According to the American Journal for Public Health, in the 1980s, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health led pioneering research on job-related musculoskeletal injuries, workplace violence, latex allergy among health care workers and risks of occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed NIOSH cuts could affect health of coal miners

The Trump administration has slashed jobs and closed research centers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the …

States who adopt universal licensing have seen the benefits of increased migration, job creation, and higher levels of economic growth, according to the America First Policy Institute. (Adobe Stock)<br />

West Virginia passes new 'universal licensing' law

New residents of West Virginia can now use professional and occupational licenses issued in other states. Gov. Patrick Morrisey, who signed the bill …

Research showed those who were previously incarcerated are approximately 10 times more likely to experience homelessness than the general population. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Broken prison system leaves many in WV without options post-release

April is National Second Chance Month but across West Virginia, resources to help people leaving prison find gainful employment are dwindling…

In 2019-20, some 21% of undergraduates and 11% of postbaccalaureate students reported having a disability, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Blind students sue West Virginia University for discrimination

Two blind students are suing West Virginia University. They allege the school has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by not providing …

A McKinsey analysis suggested global demand for data-center capacity could rise at an annual rate of between 19% and 22% from 2023 to 2030 to reach an annual demand of 171 to 219 gigawatts. (Adobe Stock)

High-impact data centers could pose WV energy, environment threats

Large, energy-intense buildings used in Bitcoin mining, cloud computing and artificial intelligence data processing industries could become more …

More than 200,000 state employees in West Virginia rely on the Public Employees Insurance Agency for health insurance. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Most WV voters oppose privatizing Public Employees Insurance Agency

More than 70% of West Virginians polled said they opposed privatizing or abolishing the state's health insurance agency for public employees…

The USDA reported since April 2024, there have been avian influenza virus detections in 336 commercial flocks and 207 backyard flocks, for a total of more than 90.9 million birds affected.(Adobe Stock)<br />

Poll: Americans concerned about bird flu effects on wallets over health

West Virginians are more concerned about bird flu's effect on grocery costs rather than health implications, and Republican voters are more likely to …

The combination of inflation and avian influenza has caused egg prices to rise more than 350% per dozen compared to last year, according to the American Farm Bureau. (Adobe Stock)

Importing eggs won’t lower prices, experts say

By Nina B. Elkadi for Sentient.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

West Virginians recognized at new National Medal of Honor Museum

The stories of 57 West Virginians who've received the Medal of Honor, the highest military award, will be on display at the new National Medal of …

Roughly 150 cities in 32 states have passed homelessness ordinances, according to the National Criminal Justice Association. (Adobe Stock)

Morgantown residents will soon decide whether to veto camping ban

Next month, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, will ask residents to vote on whether to keep or eliminate a city ordinance banning camping on …

Slightly more than 55% of registered West Virginia voters cast ballots in the 2024 General Election, according to Ballotpedia. (Adobe Stock)

WV lawmakers move to speed voter purges, tighten absentee ballot rules

Absentee ballot restrictions and shortening the amount of time it takes to purge inactive voters from the voting rolls are priorities for West Virgini…

In January 2014, approximately 10,000 gallons of chemicals used to process coal spilled from a storage tank into the Elk River in West Virginia, a water source which serving 300-thousand people in the Charleston area.(Adobe Stock)

Bill aims to weaken WV coal and gas industry chemical tank regulations

Lawmakers in the West Virginia Senate have passed a bill to remove mandated inspections for chemical storage tanks in the oil, coal and gas …

In West Virginia, 11,000 people are incarcerated and another 9,200 are on probation or parole, according to data from the Prison Policy Initiative. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: West Virginia’s prison population on the decline

West Virginia is among just ten states whose prison population declined between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from the Prison Policy …

Coal is mined in 22 of West Virginia's 55 counties, according to federal data. (Adobe Stock AI/generated Image)<br />

Environmental groups sue over permit for West Virginia valley fills

West Virginia environmental groups are suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing the agency failed to consider residents' health when it gave …

The USDA reported one of seven households in America struggled with hunger in 2023. (Adobe Stock)<br />

SNAP cuts could wreak havoc on West Virginia’s economy

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is on the chopping block in Congress. A House budget resolution would cut $30 billion in SNAP …

Polluted, acidic water leaving KD #1 Surface Mine on Lens Creek near Marmet. (Kanawha Forest Coalition)

WV officials expected to let coal company evade water-pollution cleanup

Watchdog groups said the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection seems poised to allow coal company Keystone West Virginia to walk away f…

Eating food grown, raised or caught within a relatively short distance of where it's consumed supports local farmers and the economy and provides fresher meals. But

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Expert: 'Eating local' may not be best solution for fighting climate change

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for West Virginia News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Coll…

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, in 2023, 12% of people in West Virginia prisons were over age 55, and the average age of state prisoners was 39. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Bill to increase penalties could overpopulate WV prisons

A bill pending in the West Virginia Legislature would increase the length of penalties for "serious" felony convictions, but critics have said it …

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve saw more than 1.7 million visitors in 2023, the highest attendance since the park was established in 1978. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates: WV tourism gains threatened by federal job cuts

With West Virginia's tourism industry seeing dramatic growth in recent years, conservation groups are sounding the alarm about layoffs of federal …

Congestion, caused by lack of of grid capacity nationwide, increased consumers' energy bills by an estimated $20.8 billion in 2022, according to a report by Grid Strategies. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Pushback against proposed AEP rate hike grows in WV

One of West Virginia's major utilities, Appalachian Power, is proposing a more than 13% rate hike, along with cuts to its current net metering rate …

A McDowell County, West Virginia resident holds up a water bottled filled with brown tap water at a webinar hosted by ReImagine Appalachia. (Facebook/ReImagine Appalachia)<br />

Southern WV residents demand lawmakers address ongoing water crisis

Many residents of southern West Virginia say the water flowing out of their taps is a brown or orange color and most continue to rely heavily on bottl…

Meatpacking is a concentrated industry, with the four largest firms handling 85% of all steer and heifer purchases and 67% of all hog purchases, according to USDA data.(Adobe Stock)<br />

Meat processing tax exemption bill could help WV farmers

Some West Virginia lawmakers want to remove consumer sales taxes on the processing of beef, pork and lamb at slaughterhouses. House Bill 2146 would …

According to the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, rural children under age 5 make up 24% of children eligible for child care services in the country, yet 55% of them live in areas considered to be child care deserts. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

Rural steering committees help to close WV learning gaps

Appalachian counties are expanding efforts to help ensure children are off to the right start in their education. Research shows attending a high-…

A map shows West Virginia's abandoned oil and gas wells. (Ohio River Valley Institute)

WV's abandoned wells could pose risks for planned carbon storage

West Virginia has thousands of unplugged and improperly plugged oil and gas wells that could leak and contaminate groundwater, potentially harming …

The number of of working-age adults with degrees or professional post-high school credentials continues to grow, according to new data from Lumina Foundation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV’s free community college helps more residents attain degrees

West Virginia's innovative programs and a boost in state financial aid have made it possible for more people to earn a college degree or get a credent…

Nearly half of U.S. adults said it was at least somewhat hard for them to regularly obtain and eat nutritious foods, and 54% agreed the nation is not making enough progress in making nutritious food accessible and affordable, according to a 2024 survey from Research!America and the American Heart Association. (Adobe Stock)

Revive SNAP Stretch, WV growers, consumers urge

Food advocates are calling on lawmakers to help jump-start the state's SNAP Stretch program, which was paused last year due to budget constraints…

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