Liz McCormick

The Contemporary American Theater Festival, located in Shepherdstown, has pushed its 2020 season to next year due to coronavirus concerns. This summer was meant to be the festival’s 30th anniversary celebration.

At least two universities in the Mountain State are using 3D printing technology to make much-needed personal protective gear for first responders and healthcare professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Children and Families announced in a news release Tuesday that recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may be eligible for two waivers from the federal government.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Child Support Enforcement is asking clients to seek help through the office online and not visit the agency’s local offices in-person during the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to be the top public health concern in the nation.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported early Thursday morning 12 new cases, bringing the total positive case count in West Virginia to 51.

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 study done last year that found the video game Fallout 76 may help forge new emotional connections between those playing it and West Virginia, will be published in a new journal under the American Psychological Association. 

Jefferson County Schools have entered a Stage 3 closure as of Monday, March 23, meaning a total shutdown of school campuses and no staff are to report to work. The county’s superintendent made the announcement on their website last week. 

Shepherd University President Mary Hendrix announced Wednesday that the remainder of the 2020 spring semester will be taught completely online.

Schools across West Virginia closed Monday, March 16, for at least two weeks in an effort to help stem the transmission of the coronavirus. 

Since the shutdown was announced, West Virginians around the state have been working to make sure students are fed. According to the West Virginia Department of Education, more than two-thirds  of school-aged children, or more than 183,000, qualify for free or reduced-priced meals. 

The House of Delegates’ foster care bill was up for a vote in the Senate Friday, while the Senate's Intermediate Court of Appeals bill was up for a vote in the House. We recap that action and more in our weekly reporter roundtable.

Host Suzanne Higgins has a conversation with House Finance members for a breakdown of the budget bill that passed out of the House chamber Wednesday night – a budget with some key differences in spending priorities than that of the Senate.

Host Suzanne Higgins speaks with Interim Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission and Chancellor of the West Virginia Community and Technical College System, Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker for a discussion on higher education funding issues, secondary education attainment and financial aid requirement challenges.

We explore criminal justice reform legislation from this session, and we bring you an in-depth report and follow-up conversation on the issue. We also bring you the latest news from West Virginia’s statehouse.

We have updates on gun legislation, a renewable energy bill, and we bring you the latest on the Senate’s version of the budget bill.

Host Suzanne Higgins is joined by Brad McElhinny of West Virginia MetroNews and Steven Allen Adams of Ogden Newspapers for a reporter roundtable featuring an update on both the Senate and House proposed state budgets.

It was Arts Day at the Capitol. We spotlight the activities from the day, and we bring you a special report on an educational effort by the West Virginia Humanities Council.

It was Crossover Day at the West Virginia Legislature, which means it was the final day for bills to be read a third time in their house of origin. Host Suzanne Higgins speaks with senior reporter Dave Mistich and reporter Emily Allen for updates from both the House and Senate. We also bring you updates on several health-related bills and issues.

Ahead of Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness Day at the Capitol this week, we bring you a special report and update on several bills aimed at helping survivors.

A sweeping tax proposal calls for the elimination of manufacturing machinery, equipment and inventory taxes on motor vehicles and other personal property. It also calls for hikes to tobacco and consumer sales taxes. The legislation has passed in the Senate, but a joint resolution that would make the bill constitutional was held over in that chamber for one day.

We explore a major broadband bill that passed the House of Delegates, and we have a discussion with two West Virginia lawmakers who are involved in broadband and technology expansion in the state.

We bring you updates on the energy and environment legislation we've been following, and we also meet some students who visited the Capitol to participate in the page program for their local lawmakers.

We bring you a special report on the state's Medical Cannabis program and a bill this session to expand it to further accommodate patients. We'll also bring you an update on other major health bills from members of the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

There were events all day at the Capitol celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment – guaranteeing women the right to vote. We hear about West Virginia’s suffragists and the need for West Virginia women to engage more actively in the political process.

We’ve passed the deadline for bills to be introduced in the House of Delegates this session. On Monday, that same cut-off will be in the Senate. Host Suzanne Higgins sits down with statehouse reporters Ryan Quinn of The Charleston Gazette-Mail, Taylor Stuck of the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, and Brad McElhinny of WV MetroNews for this week’s roundtable.

We look at two bills aimed at protecting health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions – one offered by West Virginia Senate Republicans, and one offered by Senate Democrats.

We explore support and opposition to a bill that would cut funding for greyhound racing at two West Virginia tracks, and we bring you the latest in West Virginia Legislative news.

We bring you a special report and discussion on the challenges faced by West Virginia’s farmers. We also bring you the latest news from the Capitol.

We learn about a state program that’s helping thousands of West Virginia grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, and we have a conversation with the co-chairs of a new bipartisan Tech Caucus.