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West Virginia bottler wins silver award at international water competition
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Le Sage Natural Water, of Lesage, has been awarded a silver medal for its purified water at the 36th annual Berkeley…
West Virginia uniquely prepared to dominate 21st-century outdoor economy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is uniquely prepared to dominate in the 21st-century outdoor economy of the U.S., thanks to its unmatched…
Flood risk outpaces warnings, advocates say, as W.Va. considers changes to resiliency fund
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition warns that the state…
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West Virginia bottler wins silver award at international water competition
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Le Sage Natural Water, of Lesage, has been awarded a silver medal for its purified water at the 36th annual Berkeley…
West Virginia uniquely prepared to dominate 21st-century outdoor economy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is uniquely prepared to dominate in the 21st-century outdoor economy of the U.S., thanks to its unmatched…
Flood risk outpaces warnings, advocates say, as W.Va. considers changes to resiliency fund
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition warns that the state…
West Virginia State Parks Foundation launches online merchandise store
HURRICANE, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Parks Foundation has launched an official online merchandise store, offering supporters a new way to celebrate West Virginia’s parks while directly supporting projects across the state park system. The online shop features…
Inside West Virginia’s National Radio Quiet Zone, where scientists listen to the universe
GREEN BANK, W.Va. — The universe is a strange place. And it is never truly silent. Across the vast darkness it whispers, in radio waves older than Earth, in particles carried on solar winds, in faint rhythms beating from stars long dead. If we listen carefully, we…
West Virginia Pepperoni Roll Museum to open this spring in Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — One of the most iconic foods in West Virginia is getting its own permanent home. Rachel Adkins, best known locally as a short-term rental host, announced plans to open the West Virginia Pepperoni Roll Museum in Fayetteville this spring. The small…
West Virginia state parks, Smooth Ambler expand branded bourbon partnership statewide
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A partnership blending West Virginia’s outdoor heritage with its growing reputation for craft spirits is expanding statewide. Officials with West Virginia State Parks announced that a new series of state-park-branded bourbons produced by Smooth…
Longtime West Virginia state parks leader details the park system’s real impact
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After more than five decades working inside the West Virginia State Park system, former superintendent Scott Durham says the actual value of state parks goes far beyond scenic overlooks and cabin reservations. “State parks seem like a simple thing,…
Benedum foundation awards $50,000 to West Virginia State Parks Foundation
HURRICANE, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Parks Foundation has received a $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to strengthen organizational capacity and expand public awareness of the value of West Virginia state parks, forests, and rail…
Why West Virginia’s state parks matter now more than ever
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the 100th anniversary of West Virginia’s state park system approaches, officials say the network of 48 parks and forests has become an essential pillar of tourism, conservation, and community development. Few assets owned by West…
Overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest in West Virginia closed for repairs
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The renowned main overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest in northern West Virginia will be closed for scheduled repairs to the pedestrian bridge used to reach the top of the rock. The project is expected to be finished in July, according to Dillard…
New historical society to help conserve New River Gorge region in West Virginia
THURMOND, W.Va. — Historians, history buffs, and preservationists have organized a new historical society in southern West Virginia encompassing the region around the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Unlike many such societies established around smaller…
Ghost town fundraiser to highlight film, uncertain future of Thurmond, West Virginia
HICO, W.Va. — Deep in the New River Gorge, the tiny town of Thurmond is drawing global attention. With just four full-time residents, it is technically one of America’s smallest towns, but filmmaker Jillian Howell insists there is nothing lifeless about it. On January…
Historical society seeks contributions to restore legendary “Chessie 29” railcar
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society has embarked on the restoration of “Chessie 29,” a railcar that served as the mobile office for the president of the C&O Railway and played a hidden role in the Cold War. The…
Lost village of “Lilly” hides in national park lands in West Virginia
HINTON, W.Va. — Deep in a forested gorge where the Bluestone River winds, the lost village of “Lilly” was among southern West Virginia’s first frontier communities. The landscape today only hints at a small settlement that had a mighty impact. It was the…
West Virginia uniquely prepared to dominate 21st-century outdoor economy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is uniquely prepared to dominate in the 21st-century outdoor economy of the U.S., thanks to its unmatched potential for outdoor recreation, says a spokesman for The Nature Conservancy. The state is attracting new residents in record…
Flood risk outpaces warnings, advocates say, as W.Va. considers changes to resiliency fund
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition warns that the state risks narrowing its flood strategy at a time when disasters are becoming more frequent, more costly, and more destructive….
We asked AI how its own data centers could pollute West Virginia. Here’s what it had to say
(The following article was generated partly by ChatGPT in response to a prompt about how data centers pollute. As ChatGPT is powered by data centers, one might expect it to lean toward a positive statement about the impact on West Virginia.) DAVIS, W.Va. — Data…
Inaugural W.Va. Outdoor Economy Summit to unite leaders around $2.1 billion growth
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s outdoors are more than a scenic backdrop. They’re a strategic economic asset. That message will take center stage February 17–18, 2026, when leaders from across the state and region convene for the inaugural West Virginia…
Inside Appalachian Escapes: Themed rentals, escape rooms, and a love letter to West Virginia
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — What began as a search for an affordable retirement option has turned into one of southern West Virginia’s most imaginative tourism ventures. Nate Adams and his wife, Rachel Adkins, are the founders of Appalachian Escapes , a growing collection…
West Virginia Travel Safety: What it means for residents and visitors in 2026
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Travel safety in West Virginia is shaped less by headline-grabbing crime and more by geography, weather, and the realities of rural travel. For West Virginians and the growing number of tourists drawn by the state’s mountains, rivers, and small…
Study finds WVU and its health system account for 17% of West Virginia’s economy
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University and the WVU Health System together generate $14.3 billion in annual economic impact in West Virginia, accounting for approximately 17% of the state’s gross domestic product, according to a newly released independent study….
Spring arrives by sound and bloom in the hills of West Virginia
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — In West Virginia, spring doesn’t begin on a single date. It begins with a sound. On mild late-winter evenings, a high, piping chorus rises from ponds, wetlands, and roadside ditches across central Appalachia. These are spring peepers—tiny…
Why weather in the Allegheny Mountains is so different from the rest of West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginians like to say, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” In the Allegheny Mountains, that old line turns from a joke into a forecasting rule. From Preston and Tucker counties south through Webster and Greenbrier and into the…
West Virginia winter cold weather tips: WVU experts share ways to stay active
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As late winter settles in across West Virginia, mountaineers are entering the coldest stretch of the year—a time when snow, limited daylight, and frigid temperatures can take a toll on mental and physical health. However, experts at West Virginia…
Travel and outdoor insurance matter for backcountry adventures in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia backcountry is having a moment. From high ridgelines and spruce forests to deep river gorges and winter slopes, the Mountain State has become a magnet for travelers who want something wilder than a roadside overlook. These…
Is it more cost-effective to restore or rebuild in West Virginia downtowns?
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As communities across West Virginia consider options for aging buildings, one key question keeps coming up: Is it more cost-effective to demolish and rebuild or to restore what’s already there? According to real estate development consultant David…
West Virginia bottler wins silver award at international water competition
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Le Sage Natural Water, of Lesage, has been awarded a silver medal for its purified water at the 36th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition in the eastern panhandle of the Mountain State. The world’s most prestigious…
Did Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis secretly meet in West Virginia?
PHILIPPI, W.Va. — Did Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis secretly meet in what is now West Virginia just days after the first land battle of the Civil War? It is a question that’s lingered for more than a century and a half, whispered in local lore, debated by…
Here are the top 10 winter snows that shaped West Virginia history
BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia can be a snowy place. Though not nearly as snowy as Maine or Alaska, it does snow for much of winter, and winter storms have shaped its culture. This is especially so in the lofty Allegheny Mountains, where most of its ski resorts are…
The house that vanished overnight: West Virginia’s Neerly House haunting
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — At least two mysteries tangle in the tale of the Neerly house. What happened to the house? What happened to “old man Neerly? And where did the late folklorist Ruth Ann Musick encounter the legend? The following version of the West Virginia tale…
Jan. 15 marks Midwinter Day, but the most wintry weather is ahead in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — By mid-January, many West Virginians will notice a subtle but welcome change: daylight is beginning to stretch a little longer each afternoon. That small gain of sunlight can create the impression that winter is already easing its grip….
The horrors of Skull Run recounted by late West Virginia historian
SKULL RUN, W.Va. — A traveler motoring through the pastures in this wooded section off the Ohio River might have little idea of the dark tales that have arisen there. With its grazing cattle, it seems a world away from warfare, but according to the late historian…
Giant skeletons and buried copper plates—a strange Marion County folktale
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — In the hills and river bottoms of Marion County in north-central West Virginia, stories have long circulated that blur the line between frontier memory and myth. Few are as strange or as enduring as a tale recorded by the late historian Glenn D….
Beloved story of “Frosty the Snowman” was born in snowy highlands of West Virginia
KEYSER, W.Va. — One of America’s most enduring holiday songs—and the animated television specials it inspired—has roots that trace back to the snowy Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia. Though its lyrics never name a place, “Frosty the Snowman” was…
Frank James entered a West Virginia bank in 1872 — and left without robbing it
PRINCETON, W.Va. — In 1872, when the name Frank James still carried the weight of fear and notoriety across the border states, the older brother of Jesse James quietly rode into Princeton, West Virginia, and walked straight into the Bank of Princeton—not to rob it,…
Colonel Ludington’s legendary giant ox was real, and it weighed 4,450 pounds
FRANKFORD, W.Va. — Long before viral videos and roadside attractions, West Virginia produced a creature so outsized that stories about him drifted into legend. Yet, despite decades of exaggeration, the animal at the center of the tale did exist. According to the late…
Runaway Virginia slave deceived by rescuer changed public opinion in Ohio
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — On a September morning in 1856, attorney James Jackson awoke to learn that one of the people he claimed to be his property had stolen one of his horses and fled for freedom. Jackson was a member of one of Harrison County’s most prominent families…
Quiet West Virginia village of Clayton named for 1835 hot-air balloon crash
CLAYTON, W.Va. — Few West Virginia place names come with a tale as improbable or as theatrical as that of Clayton, a quiet Summers County community whose name traces back to the crash of a hot-air balloon nearly two centuries ago. The year was 1835, a time when flight…
Black bear harvest remained steady in West Virginia in 2025 as predicted
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia hunters harvested 2,469 black bears during the combined 2025 archery, crossbow, and firearms seasons, according to preliminary figures released this week by the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. The total is nearly identical to…
West Virginia announces winners of 2025 West Virginia Big Buck Photo Contest
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources announced the winners of the 2025 West Virginia Big Buck Photo Contest during the opening ceremony of the West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Now in its…
W.Va. DNR to sponsor West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show in Charleston
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources will sponsor the annual West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show, set for Jan. 23–25 at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, bringing thousands of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts to the…
West Virginia trout stocking Jan. 5: biologists stock 46 waters statewide
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Officials at the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources in Charleston announced that hatchery crews stocked trout in 46 lakes and streams across West Virginia during the week of Jan. 5, continuing the agency’s winter trout-stocking program. West…
West Virginia trout stocking resumes in lakes and streams statewide
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Trout stockings have resumed in select lakes and streams across West Virginia, the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources announced, restoring a seasonal boost to recreational fishing around the state. Brett McMillion, director of the division, said…
Mountaineer Heritage Season opens, reviving a West Virginia hunting tradition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The winter woods in West Virginia are echoing with the traditions of an earlier era as the state’s four-day Mountaineer Heritage Season for deer, bear, and turkey opened Thursday. The special season runs Jan. 8–11 and is open across all 55…
Beneath West Virginia’s Greenbrier Valley, a vast underground world draws adventurers
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Beneath the bluegrass pastures of eastern West Virginia lies one of the most extensive cave networks in North America—a hidden landscape of winding tunnels, underground streams, and limestone formations that attract explorers, scientists, and…
White Grass cross-country skiing elevates winter in Canaan Valley, West Virginia
CORTLAND, W.Va. — Cross-country skiing is enjoying quite a renaissance. As snow-loving retirees, energetic youths, outdoor enthusiasts, and adventurous families search for quieter ways to explore winter landscapes, more people are looking beyond traditional downhill…
West Virginia state parks to ring in 2026 with 24 First Day hikes across the state
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia state parks will welcome the New Year by inviting residents and visitors to step outside, lace up their boots, and explore the state’s public lands during 24 free, guided First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2026. Held at 21 state parks and…
Bumper nut, acorn crop and disease reduced West Virginia buck harvest in 2025
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bumper crop of nuts and acorns and localized outbreaks of hemorrhagic disease contributed to a significant decline in the West Virginia buck harvest during its firearms deer season in 2025. According to the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources,…
Snowshoe Mountain opens 2025–26 ski season with fresh snow, free lift tickets
SNOWSHOE, W.Va. — Snowshoe Mountain, the largest ski resort in the Mid-Atlantic, opened the 2025–26 winter season Friday with a fresh burst of natural snow and strong early turnout. Resort officials reported four to five inches of overnight snowfall, providing skiers…
Three powerful reasons to hike West Virginia when the temperature drops
BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginians know winter differently. When the leaves fall, and the chatter of summer tourism fades, the Mountain State and its Appalachian neighbors enter a season that feels quieter, older, and somehow more honest. For hikers willing to lace up…
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West Virginia bottler wins silver award at international water competition
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Le Sage Natural Water, of Lesage, has been awarded a silver medal for its purified water at the 36th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting competition in the eastern panhandle of the Mountain State. The world’s most prestigious…
West Virginia uniquely prepared to dominate 21st-century outdoor economy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is uniquely prepared to dominate in the 21st-century outdoor economy of the U.S., thanks to its unmatched potential for outdoor recreation, says a spokesman for The Nature Conservancy. The state is attracting new residents in record…
Flood risk outpaces warnings, advocates say, as W.Va. considers changes to resiliency fund
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition warns that the state risks narrowing its flood strategy at a time when disasters are becoming more frequent, more costly, and more destructive….
We asked AI how its own data centers could pollute West Virginia. Here’s what it had to say
(The following article was generated partly by ChatGPT in response to a prompt about how data centers pollute. As ChatGPT is powered by data centers, one might expect it to lean toward a positive statement about the impact on West Virginia.) DAVIS, W.Va. — Data…
Popular Posts
West Virginia bottler wins silver award at international water competition
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Le Sage Natural Water, of Lesage, has been awarded a silver medal for…
West Virginia uniquely prepared to dominate 21st-century outdoor economy
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is uniquely prepared to dominate in the 21st-century outdoor…
Flood risk outpaces warnings, advocates say, as W.Va. considers changes to resiliency fund
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West…