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West Virginia filmmaker turns state’s history of extraction into monster movie ‘Dark Hollow’

A researcher works in a laboratory at West Virginia University’s Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, which will introduce nuclear engineering coursework in 2027 as West Virginia explores a larger role in the nation’s nuclear industry. (WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit)

Higher Education

WVU prepares nuclear workforce as West Virginia weighs role in nation’s nuclear industry

Clyde Craig September 28, 2026

The New River Gorge Bridge rises above the New River amid autumn foliage in southern West Virginia. Fall brings cooler weather, whitewater recreation and changing colors to the national park region.

National Parks

Autumn changes the New River Gorge and gives travelers new reasons to visit

June Schreiner stars in Dark Hollow, an Appalachian horror film written and directed by West Virginia-raised filmmaker Daniel Byers. Byers said his father trained Schreiner to handle the pump-action shotgun used in the film. (Courtesy Brainstorm Media)

Arts

West Virginia filmmaker turns state’s history of extraction into monster movie ‘Dark Hollow’

A sign marks the Beaver Dam Cooperative Wildlife Management Area in Monongahela National Forest, one of several areas where the U.S. Forest Service and West Virginia Division of Natural Resources cooperate on wildlife management.

National Forests

Why West Virginia manages wildlife inside a federal national forest

Latest West Virginia News

West Virginia’s archery and crossbow seasons for white-tailed deer, black bear and wild boar open Sept. 26, 2026.

Hunting

West Virginia archery season opens Sept. 26 for deer, bear, and wild boar

September 25, 2026

Chillers, the 1988 cult horror film by West Virginia filmmaker Danny Boyd, is returning to theaters as a series of screenings celebrates Boyd’s filmmaking legacy.

Arts

Nearly 40 years later, a cult horror film made in West Virginia is returning to theaters

September 24, 2026

Crowds fill downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, during the annual Apple Butter Festival, which returns Oct. 9–11 for its 51st year despite spring freezes that damaged the region’s apple crop.

Festivals / Events

Despite damaging spring freezes, apple butter will simmer again in Berkeley Springs

September 24, 2026

Glenville State University rises above the small Gilmer County seat of Glenville in central West Virginia, where the university has played a prominent role in the community since its founding in 1872.

Higher Education

Glenville State establishes College of Business as programs expand beyond campus

September 24, 2026

Low clouds spread across an Appalachian landscape in autumn. As summer fades, towering convective clouds become less common while broad layers of stratus and stratocumulus become more conspicuous during colder-season weather.

Festivals / Events

Why the sky changes when summer ends in Appalachia

September 23, 2026

The September equinox marks the astronomical beginning of autumn, though seasonal change is already underway across West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Michael and Diane Weidner)

Travel / Transportation

Why fall arrived twice in West Virginia this September

September 23, 2026

Communities

West Virginia University is launching a three-year effort to recruit, train and retain teachers as the state faces a shortage of nearly 1,200 certified educators. The program will include pathways for aspiring teachers and school employees already working in West Virginia communities. (WVU Photo)

West Virginia is short nearly 1,200 teachers as a new program aims to bring them home

Clyde Craig September 23, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia is short nearly 1,200 certified teachers, according to West Virginia University, and a new $1.6 million initiative will try to fill some of those gaps by training teachers closer to home and making

Fall foliage spreads across the mountains at Lost River State Park in Hardy County, West Virginia. Elevation, slope, moisture and forest type can cause autumn color to develop differently across the state's mountainous landscape.

West Virginia’s fall colors can defy the forecast, forester says

David Sibray September 22, 2026

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Trying to predict the brilliance of West Virginia’s fall foliage weeks in advance may be harder than it looks, according to a forest scientist who says even seemingly unfavorable summers can produce spectacular autumn color.

The Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park is one of West Virginia's most recognizable tourism landmarks, photographed and shared around the world for decades. The state's new tourism secretary says West Virginia's next challenge is turning growing national attention into repeat visits and economic opportunity.

West Virginia has been discovered; new tourism chief says what comes next

September 21, 2026

The Mingo Oak towers above the surrounding forest in Mingo County shortly before it was felled in September 1938. More than 2,000 people gathered to watch lumbermen bring down the centuries-old white oak after it had died.

More than 2,000 gathered to watch one of West Virginia’s greatest trees fall

September 17, 2026

Students gather outside Hogan Hall on the WVU Tech campus in Beckley, West Virginia. A new scholarship program will cover remaining tuition, housing and meal costs for qualifying students from 13 southern West Virginia counties. (Courtesy WVU Tech)

New WVU Tech scholarship targets talented students across southern West Virginia

September 15, 2026

Snow covers a street in Davis, West Virginia, the state’s highest incorporated community. At an elevation of about 3,100 feet in the Allegheny Mountains, Davis experiences cooler summers, earlier autumns, colder winters, and later springs than many lower-elevation communities.

These are West Virginia’s 10 highest communities, from cool summers to snowy winters

September 15, 2026

Attractions

The center hall at Arthurdale , West Virginia

West Virginia town built as Great Depression experiment wins national honor

David Sibray September 22, 2026

ARTHURDALE, W.Va. — A small West Virginia community built from the ground up by the federal government during the Great Depression has received one of the nation’s major historic preservation honors. Arthurdale Heritage received the 2026 Trustees’ Emeritus

The New River Gorge Bridge spans New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia, which recorded nearly 2 million recreation visits in 2025. (NPS photo/Gary Hartley)

New River Gorge ranks among 20 most-visited national parks in North America

David Sibray September 20, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia’s New River Gorge has joined some of the continent’s best-known landscapes among the 20 most-visited national parks in North America. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve ranked No. 17 in a new

Snow and ice coat the high-elevation spruce forest at Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. Winter conditions can arrive in the Allegheny Mountains while lower elevations remain snow-free. (Photo courtesy Rick Burgess)

Winter comes early to West Virginia’s highest mountains as forest sites begin closing

September 18, 2026

Steps descend inside the stone enclosure of the historic Janutolo Well in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The water source dates to the Civil War era, while the surrounding stonework was added in the early 20th century. (WVExplorer.com photo)

Civil War-era stone well hides in plain sight in this West Virginia tourist town

September 16, 2026

A steam-powered excursion train travels through the mountains at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. A new 100-site campground has opened at the popular railroad and outdoor recreation destination.

New 100-site campground opens at popular West Virginia mountain destination

September 15, 2026

A hiker follows the boardwalk beneath the Alum Cave rock overhang along the Middle Fork River at Audra State Park. The photograph won the outdoor recreation category. (Photo by Stasha Ray)

Family gives 47 acres to expand scenic West Virginia state park

September 11, 2026

Recreation

A child climbs a tree while exploring the woods. Outdoor educator Levi Moore says adults can help children develop a lasting connection with nature by giving them opportunities to explore, play and discover outdoors.

Want your children to spend more time outdoors? Start with yourself, educator says

David Sibray September 16, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — Parents who want their children to put down their phones and spend more time outdoors may need to start by examining their own habits, according to a West Virginia outdoor educator who has spent years

Chefs from 10 West Virginia state parks are preparing dishes including rabbit pot pie, venison chili, shredded duck tacos, burgoo and other foods for National Hunting and Fishing Day at Stonewall Resort State Park.

Rabbit pot pie, venison chili, duck tacos on menu at West Virginia outdoor celebration

David Sibray September 16, 2026

ROANOKE, W.Va. — Rabbit pot pie, venison chili, shredded duck tacos, and burgoo are among the dishes West Virginia state park cooks will bring to Stonewall Resort State Park near Weston Saturday for a celebration of the state’s hunting, fishing,

Mountain bikers ride a wooded trail in Beckley, West Virginia, where an expanding trail network is part of an effort to develop the city as an outdoor recreation destination.

West Virginia city eyes 40-mile trail network near New River Gorge

David Sibray September 10, 2026

BECKLEY, W.Va. — A West Virginia city near the nation’s newest national park is developing a recreational trail system that could grow to more than 40 miles as part of an effort to transform it from a transportation

A young shooter receives guidance while handling a firearm. West Virginia has eliminated the minimum age for its special youth hunting seasons, although hunters younger than 15 must still be accompanied by a licensed adult. Photo credit: Remy Gieling

West Virginia eliminates minimum age for youth hunting seasons

September 10, 2026

Wesley Scarbrough helps his brother-in-law, Justin, fire a gun while squirrel hunting near Rock Creek, West Virginia, in 1995. The photograph by Lyntha Scott Eiler is part of the Library of Congress Coal River Folklife Project.

Long a West Virginia rite of passage, squirrel hunting returns Saturday

September 10, 2026

Tyler Harmon holds the 72.75-pound blue catfish he caught in the Ohio River in Jackson County as a West Virginia Division of Natural Resources official assists with the record certification. The fish set a new state weight record and was released alive. (WVDNR photo)

West Virginia brought back a giant native fish that now keeps breaking records

September 4, 2026

A bicycle rests beside the Meadow River along the Meadow River Rail Trail, an 18-mile route between Rainelle and Nallen in southern West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Meadow River Rail Trail)

New 18-mile trail is revealing a hidden West Virginia river valley

September 4, 2026

Rafters charge through whitewater on the Gauley River during Gauley Season in West Virginia. The six-week fall season draws thousands of whitewater enthusiasts to the river each year. (NPS photo)

Six weeks of legendary whitewater are about to begin on the Gauley in West Virginia

August 26, 2026

A couple walks a wooded trail at Pipestem Resort State Park, where the West Virginia Trails Conference will be held Nov. 8–10, 2026.

West Virginia trails conference looks to turn outdoor recreation into community growth

August 24, 2026

Morgantown angler Robert Glover holds the 9.76-inch pumpkinseed sunfish he caught at Cheat Lake, setting the West Virginia record for a category that has now been broken three times in little more than a month. (Photo courtesy W.Va. DNR)

West Virginia fishing record broken for third time in little more than a month

August 21, 2026

Participants learn outdoor skills during a Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop in West Virginia. The nationally recognized program introduces women to hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities in a supportive setting.

More women are taking up hunting and fishing; these West Virginia workshops may be helping

August 18, 2026

Visitors descend into Organ Cave in Greenbrier County, one of the many West Virginia caverns around which generations of history, tradition and folklore have accumulated. Photographer to be determined.

West Virginia cave lore—strange stories from beneath the Mountain State

August 17, 2026

Culture

A miniature replica of the Mothman stands at the feet of the original stainless-steel statue created by Bob Roach in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Roach’s daughter, Kelly Roach Miller, has helped preserve the story behind her father’s famous sculpture.

The man behind West Virginia’s famous Mothman statue left an unusual legacy

David Sibray September 23, 2026

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Before Bob Roach built the famous Mothman statue, he talked with people who said they had seen the mysterious creature decades earlier. Their descriptions helped shape the stainless-steel figure that has stood on Main

An artist’s interpretation of the “Panther Killer” legend associated with Ephraim “Big Eaf” Hatfield, father of William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield. A 1952 Logan County history related a tradition that Hatfield killed a panther with a hunting knife near present-day Red Jacket, West Virginia. Contemporary evidence establishing the episode as fact has not been found.

Before Devil Anse Hatfield, there was a giant

David Sibray September 20, 2026

RED JACKET, W.Va. — Long before William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield became one of the most famous figures in Appalachian history, another Hatfield was remembered as a mountain giant along the Tug Fork. His name was Ephraim Hatfield,

Rafters descend the Gauley River in West Virginia, one of the world’s celebrated whitewater runs. A form of the river’s unusual name appears in records dating to at least 1774, though its origin remains uncertain. (Photo courtesy ACE Adventure Resort)

How did West Virginia’s Gauley River get its unusual name?

David Sibray September 19, 2026

SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — Every autumn, thousands of paddlers descend into West Virginia’s mountains to run the Gauley River, one of the world’s celebrated whitewater runs. They come for rapids named Pillow Rock, Lost Paddle, and Sweet’s Falls, as

Mourners gather for the 1929 funeral of Levicy Chafin Hatfield in Logan County, West Virginia. Funerals were once deeply communal events in the Mountain State, with relatives and neighbors assuming many of the duties later performed by funeral homes. (West Virginia & Regional History Center, WVU Libraries)

Lore and Legend

The West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia identified Marmaduke Van Swearingen as the Shawnee chief Blue Jacket, preserving a long-standing legend that historical research and DNA evidence later disputed.

Real Estate

The 80-foot Red Oak Fire Lookout in the Monongahela National Forest is now available for overnight stays in Webster County, West Virginia. (Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service)

History and Prehistory

Daniel Boone prepared this survey of ten acres along Crooked Creek in Kanawha County on June 14, 1791. The original manuscript, signed by Boone, is preserved by the West Virginia State Archives. (West Virginia State Archives)

State Parks

A young forager gathers wild berries. Foraging for edible plants is the focus of Nature Wonder Weekend, a West Virginia tradition held at North Bend State Park since 1968. (Getty image)

Hunting

A white-tailed doe pauses in a West Virginia forest. The state's controlled antlerless lottery hunts are designed to manage deer populations while protecting forests and wildlife habitat.

Fishing

West Virginia anglers Ken Neer (left) and Sierra Adamson each caught state-record pumpkinseed sunfish in summer 2026. Adamson's catch surpassed Neer's record just 19 days after it established the species' first official place in the state's record books.

Hiking

Skiing

White Grass has long been a magnet for visitors from Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mountain River Media)

National Parks

Historic buildings line the railroad at Thurmond, a former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway boomtown now largely preserved within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. The town is challenging National Park Service plans to demolish several historic structures.

Kayaking

Kayakers paddle around Big Rock on the lower Greenbrier River near Hinton, West Virginia.

Whitewater Rafting

Biking

One of the largest networks on the East Coast, the routes activate thousands of miles of gravel roads across the Mon Forest for visitors and communities. (Photo: Getty Images)

More West Virginia News

Higher Education