
Special announcement: The Mountain State Morning podcast is going on hiatus as we put all of our time and energy into covering the coronavirus and its effects on our community. You can read all that coverage for free at wvgazettemail.com/coronavirus. Now more than ever, please consider subscribing to the Charleston Gazette-Mail. This is the best way you can show your support that allows us to keep bringing West Virginians the news they need. Find out more at wvgazettemail.com/subscriptions. Thank you, stay safe, wash your hands and if you can, stay home for now. We look forward to bringing you more episodes of Mountain State Morning in the near future.
Mar 17, 2020
2 min

For Stephanie and Neil Legg, traditional church services are becoming something of the past. Neil is pastor at Covenant Christian Fellowship, in Charleston. Stephanie is a therapist and yoga instructor. The couple is liquidating everything from the church their congregation has practiced in for nearly 40 years to renovate an old school bus into a mobile wellness clinic. They'll offer rotating church services in different places while Stephanie will use the bus to provide therapy and counseling to those in need. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Mar 4, 2020
11 min

Tax reforms, greyhounds, Bibles in schools and the foster care system. Those are just some of the hundreds of issues that West Virginia's legislators have debated over the last 50 days. But now, there are less than 10 days left to pass bills and get them to the governor's desk. On this week's episode, Phil Kabler talks to us about the importance of Crossover Day, and how this session compares to the others he's seen during his three decades as a statehouse reporter. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Feb 27, 2020
25 min

Earlier this legislative session, as they debated the need for a Fairness Act, lawmakers questioned whether members of the LGBTQ community in West Virginia are discriminated against for their sexual orientations or gender identity. The answer? A resounding yes. A group of advocates from Morgantown, armed with a documentary film crew and several members of the community willing to share their stories, set out to show legislators what that discrimination looks like. This week, we talk more about that effort and the politics behind the proposed West Virginia Fairness Act. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Feb 19, 2020
18 min

Gunnoe Farms has operated in Charleston for more than 70 years, first as a sausage company, and now making salads. That's about to end though. Owner Joy Gunnoe announced earlier this month it was the end for the salad business. The choice came after years of unfortunate circumstances -- a derecho, loan debt, the water crisis, to name a few. Today, we hear from Joy on what the last few years have entailed, and the uncertainty of the future. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Feb 12, 2020
14 min

In less than one year, 26 people in Charleston have had their lives saved by Naloxone kits carried by area businesses. Leaders with the program want to get more businesses on board to save more lives in 2020. This week, we join them as they work to recruit businesses on Charleston's West Side. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Feb 5, 2020
22 min

Students in Herbert Hoover High School's next three graduating classes will finish their high school careers without ever having a high school of their own. They learn in portable trailers, as they have since floods destroyed the school in 2016. Students will do the same for the next two years, until a new school opens. It's not quite a traditional high school experience. This week, we talk to students about what's different. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Jan 29, 2020
18 min

So you wake up in the morning and your newspaper is sitting on your porch. But how did it get there? This week, former Mountain State Morning producer Kate Mishkin takes us on a ride around Kanawha and Putnam Counties, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the newspaper delivery process and the people who make it possible. Also in this episode: The House of Delegates passed a criminal justice reform bill, and the Secretary of State's purge of voter rolls took out more Democrats than Republicans. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Jan 22, 2020
20 min

More than 300,000 West Virginians rely on food pantries each month to eat. Many of those pantries have little on their shelves, which are supplied by wavering donations and organized by a handful of aging volunteers. The state's largest food bank, however, is sometimes overflowing with food. Today we look at why that food doesn't make it to some of the smaller pantries that residents rely on, and what could be done to alleviate some of the hunger in West Virginia. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Jan 15, 2020
12 min

West Virginia's legislature is officially back in session. State senators and delegates will be in Charleston for the next 60 days passing and debating bills that will affect many West Virginians. Last night, Governor Jim Justice gave his annual State of the State address. We'll break down what he discussed, and what we can expect to see from other state lawmakers as the session proceeds. Listeners: We'd love your feedback and to learn more about you! Fill out our short survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1OUtbg6F4l7IfCjqRl8ad_cpPiGPoblubBGcYlhT0ayw/edit
Jan 9, 2020
15 min
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