On this West Virginia Morning, from the Hope Scholarship to charter schools, West Virginia’s educational landscape has changed in the last few years. Often driven by legislation, supporters of the “school choice” movement have more options now than ever before.

Education Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, and Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, to discuss how things have changed.

Also, in this show, a study from West Virginia University recently looked at the financial costs of self-injury deaths like suicide or overdose as a way to make people pay more attention to the problem.

Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice spoke with Ian Rockett, one of the authors of the study.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, the state recently received some bad health grades from the American Lung Association. Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice sat down with Del. Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, who is also a doctor, to get his thoughts on the state of health in West Virginia and what the legislature can do to help.

Also, in this show, in last week’s installment of the radio series "Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents," News Director Eric Douglas spoke with a funeral director on planning ahead. This week, he speaks with Charleston Attorney Franki Parsons about wills and estate planning and the problems that arise if you don’t have them when you die.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, one issue before the West Virginia Legislature this year is judicial redistricting. That means balancing out the number of judges covering the state to make sure that every case gets heard in a timely manner.

Government Reporter Randy Yohe spoke with Del. Moore Capito, R-Kanawha, and Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, the chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary committees, to talk about the decision making process and other legislative legal issues. 

Also, in this show, the Senate voted unanimously Monday to encourage Mon Power to purchase a power plant in northern West Virginia to save it from closing. Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate has more on what this might mean for ratepayers.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, the biggest story to watch at the West Virginia Legislature this week will be proposed tax cuts. Last Friday, WVPB‘s Chris Schulz and Curtis Tate sat down with Leah Willingham from the Associated Press for a reporter roundtable on The Legislature Today.

Also, in this show, Marc Harshman has published more than 15 books and served as West Virginia’s poet laureate for 10 years. His latest poetry collection is called “Dark Hills of Home.” Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch recent spoke with Harshman about poetry and his long tenure as the poet laureate.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, energy costs have gone up for West Virginians in the past couple of years. Local governments in the state have been some of the most vocal opponents of utility rate increases.

On our most recent episode of The Legislature Today, Energy & Environment Reporter Curtis Tate spoke with Emmett Pepper, a member of the Charleston City Council, and Kent Carper, president of the Kanawha County Commission. Both men say they would like the West Virginia Legislature to get more involved in the effort.

Also, in this show, we listen to our Mountain Stage Song of the Week, which comes to us from folk-music icon Janis Ian, who joined us on her final tour. Ian’s performance of her landmark hit from 1975, “At Seventeen,” is one of many “evergreen” songs Ian has penned since she began songwriting at the age of 14. The song was awarded a Grammy in 1976 for Best Pop Vocal Performance-Female.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Curtis Tate, Chris Schulz, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, Randy Yohe, and Shepherd Snyder.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

Teresa Wills and Chuck Anziulewicz are our hosts.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources touches the lives of nearly everyone in West Virginia in one way or another. But a big problem is internal communication. New legislation aims to fix that.

Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice sat down with the chairs of the Senate and House Health committees: Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor, and Sen. Mike Maroney, R-Marshall, to discuss DHHR’s future.

Also, in this show, recent reports show that young people in the U.S. are showing up to vote. Turnout among 18 to 29-year-olds shot up in the 2020 election to a level not seen since the 1970s. The numbers also show there are more young people engaging in conservative politics.

In the next episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay explores how young people engage with politics.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, discussing funeral arrangements is never easy, but as News Director Eric Douglas found out through personal experience with his mom, it is much easier to do it in advance than it is after a loved one has passed away.

As part of his series, "Getting Into Their Reality: Caring For Aging Parents,” Douglas spoke with Tom Nichols, the owner of Bartlett Nichols Funeral Home in St. Albans to understand the process.

Also, in this show, the House of Delegates last week approved House Bill 2007. The bill would limit gender-affirming medical care for anyone under 18. During two committee hearings on the bill, lawmakers called no expert witnesses. Curtis Tate spoke with Dr. Kacie Kidd of the WVU School of Medicine about what gender-affirming care for minors is and is not.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, there are 1,500 classrooms in West Virginia without accredited teachers.

Education Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with Sen. Amy Grady, R-Mason, the Senate Education Committee chair, and Del. David Elliot Pritt, D-Fayette, the Minority vice chair of the House Education Committee, to learn more about what is being done to address this and other education challenges in the state.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, book deserts are places without nearby libraries or bookstores, which can be very hard for children just learning to read. Morgantown High School senior Rania Zuri is trying to fight that and bring books to kids in West Virginia. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with her.

Also, in this show, a number of health-related issues have been on the table this legislative session — from gender-affirming care, to PEIA coverage and even foster care splitting up DHHR. For our Friday reporter roundtable on The Legislature Today, Chris Schulz spoke with WVPB’s Appalachia Health News Reporter Emily Rice and Allen Siegler from Mountain State Spotlight.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

On this West Virginia Morning, Education Reporter Chris Schulz sat down with West Virginia teachers Shane Healy and Robin Chancey on our latest episode of The Legislature Today to discuss the state of our schools and some of the proposed changes.

Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from journeyman songwriter James McMurtry. We listen to his song “Canola Fields,” which is the opening track of McMurtry’s acclaimed New West release The Horses and the Hounds.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Curtis Tate, Chris Schulz, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, Randy Yohe, and Shepherd Snyder.

Eric Douglas is our news director and producer.

Teresa Wills and Chuck Anziulewicz are our hosts.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning