On June 17, 1961, the Brinkley Bridge was dedicated near the town of Wayne. The previous year, it had entered West Virginia political lore. While covering the Democratic presidential primary between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey, NBC-TV newsman David Brinkley was reporting on poverty in the Mountain State and the poor condition of West Virginia’s roads and bridges. He visited a Wayne County bridge, built in 1907, that local residents had complained about for years.

World-renowned West Virginia Pianist Barbara Nissman recently released her latest project from Three Oranges Recordings. Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Ramey is the 26th recording collaboration among Nissman, piano technician David Barr, and producer Bill Purse. This newest CD features the dazzling pianism of Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, the short fragment and possibly last notes of Prokofiev in the Piano Sonata No. 10 in E minor, the adventurous Ramey Piano Sonata No. 10, and the beautiful Rachmaninoff Six Moment Musicaux. 

For a variety of reasons, breastfeeding is just not possible for everyone. Formula was a lifesaving development when it was first created. Before formula, a lot of babies who did not have access to adequate breast milk starved to death. 

Sometimes wet nurses provided babies with nourishment, if their mothers could not, or did not want, to breastfeed. These were usually women who earned an income by breastfeeding other women’s babies. In some cultures around the world, even today, milk sharing is a socially accepted practice among sisters and close friends who support each other by feeding a baby if the mother cannot produce enough milk. 

It’s not uncommon for tuition rates at universities and colleges to fluctuate in price from year-to-year. But this year, at West Virginia’s colleges and universities, the average tuition increase is the lowest for the state in almost a decade.

Some of the names of places in Appalachia have a long history, dating back to the 1600s. The history and story behind a name can get lost over time – leading us to question how a place got its name.

One such place is Coopers Rock state forest, located outside of Morgantown. Who was Cooper? Was he a real person? Did he live there?

People in Appalachia have made spirits for hundreds of years. Some people even say Appalachians are among the best at making whiskey and moonshine. But this history is sometimes coupled with negative stereotypes. Outsiders have long portrayed Appalachians as dangerous, lawless moonshiners.

On this West Virginia Morning, we explore how some transgender families celebrate Father’s Day, we hear a story from this week’s Inside Appalachia podcast featuring craft breweries, and we listen to this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

Peanut butter stouts, guava sours, hazy double IPAs, pomegranate ales – these are just a few experimental beers to come out of the craft beer craze in recent years.

According to the National Brewer’s Association, this expanding industry started in the 1990s but didn’t gain momentum until 2010, making it relatively new. Today there are more than 7,000 commercial breweries in the country.

Newspaperman “Cal” Price died in Marlinton on June 14, 1957, at age 76. Price—the longtime owner and editor of the Pocahontas Times newspaper—was known for his civic involvement and conservation endeavors, such as his famous “Field Notes” column and his panther and bear stories.

The 10,000-acre Calvin W. Price State Forest in southern Pocahontas County was dedicated in his honor in 1954.