Corey Knollinger

In 2018, when Mirta Martin became president of Fairmont State University, she never imagined leading a school that was already in a dire financial state because of a pandemic. But because of measures she took upon taking the job, she doesn’t have to raise tuition in the face of the coronavirus.

History was made in Wheeling last Tuesday with the election of West Virginia's first openly trans public official. 

If you went to a hockey game in the Nail City during 2019, there’s a good chance you saw defenseman Aaron Titcomb on the ice. Titcomb played for the Pittsburgh Penguins’ ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.

Organizations in Ohio County have come together to address community needs during this pandemic. In a bid to lift each other up, local restaurants and farmers are teaming up to help feed kids.

Across the U.S., some states, including West Virginia, are beginning to loosen restrictions meant to reduce the spread of coronavirus, allowing for some non-essential businesses to reopen. 

On Monday, May 4, West Virginia entered the second week of Gov. Jim Justice’s six-week reopening plan, “The Comeback.” During week two, businesses with fewer than 10 employees, salons and barber shops, dog grooming services, and outdoor dining restaurants are allowed to reopen. Churches and other places of worship are allowed to conduct funerals and other services with limited gathering sizes. 

The stay-at-home order currently in place because of the coronavirus pandemic has changed how a lot of us go about our day. But for those without housing, basic hygiene tasks such as washing their hands, showering and doing laundry have become even more difficult. In Wheeling, one group helped put together a hygiene station under a city underpass to provide for those basic needs. Corey Knollinger recently spoke to Kate Marshall, the head of the HoH Share, about the hygiene station and how to keep those without housing from feeling hopeless during the pandemic.

A free mobile app will soon allow those in recovery to connect with treatment providers. 

In the face of social distancing requirements implemented to limit the spread of the coronavirus, colleges across the state are re-examining their commencement plans.

Free charitable health clinics like the West Virginia Health Right in Charleston play an important role in helping those in poverty or those without insurance get access to necessary medical care. However, the medical and financial impacts of the coronavirus are putting a large strain on Health Right and organizations like it. 

In response to the pandemic, West Virginia Health Right is offering testing to the state’s most vulnerable communities at a mobile clinic at Manna Meal Soup Kitchen. West Virginia Health Right Executive Director and CEO Dr. Angie Settle spoke with reporter Corey Knollinger about how the organization is adapting.

Here at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, we are asking our audience and viewers to reach out to us and share stories of hope, inspiration and resilience in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

In Huntington, the Marshall University School of Pharmacy has been making FDA approved hand sanitizer to help nonprofits who are quickly running out.  We spoke with Dr. Kim Broedel-Zaugg, who is the chair of pharmacy practice, administration, and research.

As restrictions on daily activities tighten and confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise, across West Virginia many community-based food pantries report more people are using their services. 

While federal food resources are being expanded during the pandemic, some organizations operating on the ground say they are grappling with how COVID-19 is changing day-to-day operations.

A college in the Northern Panhandle is postponing its search for its next president amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

West Liberty University has suspended its presidential selection process until early August in response to the coronavirus crisis, the college announced in a release on Monday.

As of Monday, March 23, there are 16 confirmed cases of coronavirus in West Virginia. Medical professionals are worried about what may happen if an outbreak occurs amongst one of the state’s most vulnerable communities: those experiencing homelessness.

Esports are becoming increasingly popular across the nation with leagues and tournaments popping up more frequently, both online and in person. A bar in Wheeling recently hosted an event to see how a league playing a classic video game would fare.

On a sunny day in early September, hundreds of Wheeling residents, state lawmakers, and the Pride of West Virginia, West Virginia University’s marching band, all came out to Main St. in Wheeling to celebrate an important milestone in the city’s history: 250 years.

West Liberty University will soon be seeing a change in leadership, as President Stephen Greiner announced plans to retire next year at a press conference on Tuesday.

Over the last five years in Wheeling, an organization called Project Homeless Outreach Partnership Effort, or Project HOPE, has been giving medical care to people who live in the city without housing.

This regularly brings Project HOPE director and nurse, Crystal Bauer, to some unusual places, like under a certain highway overpass.

Organizations in West Virginia like the Community Foundation of the Ohio Valley (CFOV) are working to address youth retention in West Virginia by exposing current college students to opportunities that exist in the region.

Several breweries across the state are hosting events as part of West Virginia Craft Beer Week, which kicked off this past weekend, June 15-16. Some in the craft beer industry are celebrating new regulations that the state legislature passed earlier this spring.

A new residential recovery center is opening its doors in Wheeling this June. The Serenity Hills Life Center will host an open house for the public this week.

Governor Jim Justice has announced the appointment of a new director for the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program.

A study conducted by the Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education and Research Institute and West Virginia University found a relationship between income and the risk of dying from a stroke.

Most people are familiar with the idea of first aid — like what to do to when dealing with a cut or scrape — but not everyone knows what to do when their friend is showing signs of mental illness. There’s a class dedicated having a better mental health first aid response. One of these classes was recently held in the Northern Panhandle.  

After West Virginia’s voter ID law went into effect last year an organization focused on increasing voter registration and voter turnout launched a new initiative in the state to help people gain proper identification. Spread the Vote now operates in nine states, and aims not only to give people a chance to vote, but also a better chance in life.

Science can be a hard subject to understand, especially upper-level higher-ed science courses. A professor in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle is creatively cracking the code to help his students understand tricky topics.

Joe Horzempa is an associate professor of Biology at West Liberty University, and he has what could be described as an unorthodox way of teaching science. 

Economists at West Virginia University say parts of the state are seeing job growth after economic downturn, but other areas have a longer road to economic recovery.  

Across the state, high schools offer career and technical education to give students a leg up in their fields before graduating. These programs can include skilled trades like welding, shop classes, or even meat processing.

West Virginia is one of only two states to lose population in the last 10 years, according to recently-released data analysis by the non-profit The Pew Charitable Trusts.

According to census data analyzed by the group, West Virginia has lost about 34,500 people since 2008. Over the last decade, the data showed West Virginia’s population dropped two-tenths of a percent each year on average.