Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care. However, a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a national crisis. While official foster care cases are carefully tracked, many informal examples of kinship care aren’t part of the data. For this Us & Them episode, we hear the experiences of those who’ve been part of the foster care system.
In the mood for some great late night jams? Look no further than this weekend’s pair of “Mountain Stage After Midnight” performances, broadcast from 1am-5am Saturday and Sunday mornings here on West Virginia Public Radio. It’s all part of the improved radio schedule that we know you’ll appreciate, and we’re excited to be sharing the best memories from Mountain Stage’s 31 year history with our late night listeners. Each week, we’ll hand-pick two of our favorite episodes and they’ll alternate order each night.
Here’s what is in store for you Saturday July 12 and Sunday July 13 on “Mountain Stage After Midnight.”
First, an episode from October 2000 featuring Irish folk supergroup Solas, American banjo player Alison Brown, Canadian folk band The Paper Boys, singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, and rootsy group Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. We taped this show in “the other Charleston” (in South Carolina).
Next, you’ll hear an episode featuring the late/great Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, American folk/blues artist Chris Smither, blues singer Tracy Nelson, Canadian guitarist Sue Foley, and California singer Chuck Prophet.
Do you have a Mountain Stage performance in mind that you’d love to hear overnight weekends? Give us your recommendations on the show’s Facebook and Twitter.
WVPB's Matt Jackfert speaks with harper, composer and producer Maeve Gilchrist. They discuss her compositions, the Silkroad Ensemble and the group's upcoming performance.
On this West Virginia Morning, Sue and Stan Jennings for 30 years have run Allegheny Treenware, a company that makes wooden kitchen utensils. But they started off as a couple of coal miners. Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro has more.
On this West Virginia Morning, violets bloom across Appalachia throughout spring, but the flowers are more than just some extra color in the yard. They’ve long been a key ingredient in herbal remedies.
On this West Virginia Morning, the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster, which caused the deaths of 29 miners, happened 14 years ago. Ashton Marra worked for WVPB at the time and covered the trial of Don Blankenship, CEO of the company that owned the mine. Briana Heaney sat down with Marra to talk about what it was like being a reporter covering the trial.