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You’ve heard their voices on radio. You’ve seen their faces on television. Now it’s time to talk to West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s reporters about their driveway moments of 2016 and the stories that made them proud to tell West Virginia’s story.
As we cap off 2016, West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s producers and programs share their most memorable moments of the year. Find each of our Best of 2016 posts at wvpublic.org/term/best-2016.
An Urban Agriculture Law Ruffles Feathers in Morgantown
“I had to get permission from a lawyer in order to “speak” to these chickens! This was the perfect story to do in the summer – I got to see Morgantown residents’ gardens and hear their thoughts on the class action lawsuit against the infamous Hopecrest Chickens.” – Anne Li
Collector Brings Works Of Self-Taught Artists Home To Appalachia
“I really enjoyed meeting Ramona Lampell and learning about her passion for breaking negative West Virginia stereotypes. I really respect the fact that she could have chosen just about any art museum in the world for her collection, but instead decided to keep it in Appalachia, making sure that children will have the chance to learn about and be proud of their own cultural heritage.” – Jesse Wright
Wheeling Central Celebrates 150 Years by Embracing Technology
“Glynis Board’s story about Wheeling students watching a live knee operation at school was my favorite. I was facing knee replacement at the time and the sound of that surgery was fascinating!” – Beth Vorhees
Mennonite Volunteers Build Wooden Bridges Over Troubled Water in W.Va.
“This is a sound-rich story from Southern W.Va. that highlights a fundamental can-do attitude often found in these hills. And I really like the music in this.” – Glynis Board
Drug Epidemic Takes Toll on Foster Care System
“This story hits on a really important topic that I don’t think is discussed enough – the effects the drug epidemic has on our state’s foster care system. I love hearing from the family; the Holbens were so kind for letting me into their home and for talking about a difficult subject. I really took my time with this piece and tried to make it as sound-rich as possible. And the kids are just adorable.” – Liz McCormick
Clay County Residents Have Mixed Feelings About FEMA Aid
“Working on this story was certainly not fun, it was emotional and difficult, but it allowed me to connect on a real level with people in a region of the state that I felt were being forgotten in all of the aftermath of the flooding. It was important to me to share their stories.” – Ashton Marra
Coalfield Development Corp. Making Cuts into Unemployment With Saws Edge
“I liked doing this story because of the availability of cool sounds with all the saws involved. I also got to spotlight a unique job training program.” – Clark Davis
Inside Appalachia: West Virginia’s 1,000 Year Flood
“The Inside Appalachia TV special was a chance to get out in the field and be with West Virginians during a difficult time. It was an honor to share some of these very raw, emotional stories that revealed the courageous, tenacious spirit of my home state. It was one of the hardest stories to tell in 2016, but it needed to be told by West Virginians. It was the spirit of the Mountaineers that energized and drove me to tell their stories, no matter how hard.” – Jessica Lilly
Hippies, Home Birth and the History of Birthing Babies in Appalachia
“We got to hear a birth on the radio, and I interviewed my mother and a midwife about my own birth. That wasn’t an easy thing to do, I learned, but I am glad we have a newsroom and a news director that lets us think outside of the box and be creative.” – Roxy Todd
Dinosaur Burps: From the City and the Country, Definitely From Out of This World
“As a guy who admittedly knows relatively little about hip-hop, I’ve always thought of Dinosaur Burps as one of the most fascinating groups out of West Virginia, regardless of genre. B. Rude has always struck me as highly intellectual in his observations of his surroundings, particularly in the way he deals with internal and external perceptions of Appalachia. To that end, I’ve always found him toeing that line between being a goofball and sincere—which, in my mind, is as endearing as they come.” – Dave Mistich
Collaborative Air Medical Service Celebrates 30 Years
“It was cool flying in a helicopter!” – Kara Lofton
You’ve now experienced 2016 through the eyes (and ears) of West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Make sure to follow @wvpublic on social media and sign-up for our email newsletter to keep up with 2017’s stories.
