People in our region have made spirits for hundreds of years. Some 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.

We originally aired this show last year, but we thought it would be a good one to listen to again. During the pandemic, with fewer of us going to restaurants and bars, the alcoholic beverage industry has taken a hit. On the other hand, in-home use has increased. Of course, that raises concerns for people who struggle with substance use disorder, including alcoholism.

Coronavirus cases are on the rise in the Eastern Panhandle. Berkeley County has counted 22 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the past three days. 

Berkeley County’s total number of positive cases, as of Friday morning, is 325 with 14 probable cases, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and it has the highest number of positive cases in the state. 

When country superstar Chris Stapleton stopped by a special FestivALL Charleston edition of Mountain Stage on June 28, 2015, he brought songs from arguably one of country music’s greatest debut albums in recent memory.

On this West Virginia Morning, it's election season, and in West Virginia that used to mean everyone and their dead brother was casting a vote. Have times changed? We talk with a historian about voter fraud. Also, we hear a report on high numbers of cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Panhandle, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

The earliest record of the St. Joseph Settlement, a community of German Catholic immigrants, dates to June 5, 1853. The settlers originally came from the southern German states of Bavaria and Hesse—areas that opposed Frederick William IV’s absolute monarchy.

They emigrated to the United States and settled St. Joseph on the hills above the Ohio River on the Marshall-Wetzel county border.