Kyle Vass

In the final episode of our three-part series, "HIV in the Mountain State," we meet April who is in recovery and on HIV medications, which have helped her to stay well. But she and a physician who works with those who are infected with HIV-AIDS say that there are far more people on the streets living with addiction and the disease — and likely spreading it.

In the second story of his three-part series, "HIV In The Mountain State," freelance reporter Kyle Vass hears from Mike who contracted AIDS from intravenous drug use. While his early prognosis was dire, Mike is now in good health and taking the latest medications that have helped patients overcome the progression of the disease.

The CDC has identified an HIV outbreak in Kanawha County, West Virginia as the “most concerning in the nation." Freelance reporter Kyle Vass looked at how HIV has impacted West Virginians over the past 40 years. This story profiles Robert in Hardy County, and is part one of a three-part series titled “HIV in the Mountain State.”

In this installment of our summer education radio series, “Closing the COVID Gap,” we look at summer school remediation efforts in the state. In an effort to help students get back on track, the WVDE launched the Summer SOLE grant program. The SOLE program offered more than $32 million to districts, divided up based on population.

Back in 1968, a West Virginia band did something brave. It wasn't the easy thing to do, but it put them on the right side of history. For this episode, host Trey Kay learns about an act of defiance against racial discrimination that happened 50 years ago in a Charleston night club and the consequences for four musicians.

In April of this year, there were five gun deaths in Charleston within a span of 18 days. According to a report from the city, that’s the highest number of gun deaths in a single month in more than 20 years.

The state's Democratic Party is facing criticism over the lack of an affirmative action committee and efforts to draft an affirmative action plan — without minority input. Leadership is facing the DNC's credentials committee over its actions.

Charleston police are working on new reforms over the use of weapons as well as training with Tasers. The refocus comes after police in April shot a man who was brandishing a knife on Charleston's West Side.

There's a name for young people, who aren't in school, or working, or training for work. They are disconnected youth. West Virginia has one of the highest rates of these young people — between the age of 16 and 24 — who feel stuck in the transition between school and joining the workforce.

On April 30, Charleston Police officers shot Denaul Dickerson, a 33-year-old Black man, while attempting to make an arrest on Charleston’s West Side. The incident has left many people in the community wondering why police resorted to shooting Dickerson who had brandished a knife.