Grandfamilies

Our Inside Appalachia team recently won several awards for our reporting. This week, we’re listening back to some of these stories, including one about the John Denver classic, “Take Me Home Country Roads,” which was first recorded 50 years ago in 1971. And we’ll learn how indie pro-wrestling in Southern West Virginia was able to keep going through the pandemic — with drive-in shows. We’ll also hear about two Welsh storytellers and their fascination with Appalachia.

We have a packed episode of Inside Appalachia this week, stuffed with stories of family strife and struggle, revolutionary artists fighting against stereotypes, legendary lawbreakers, matriarchal moonshiners and the badmen of one of Appalachia’s biggest battles — the Baldwin-Felts detectives.

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear a story about grandfamilies during the coronavirus pandemic. Also, the 2021 West Virginia Legislative session has begun. We hear from Gov. Jim Justice on his legislative priorities, and we hear an update to a lawsuit filed against Union Carbide.

Us & Them host Trey Kay speaks with West Virginian grandparents about the challenges of raising grandchildren during COVID-19. He also talks with Bonnie Dunn, director of West Virginian State University’s “Healthy Grandfamilies” program and Ana Beltran, co-director of National Center on Grandfamilies.

On this West Virginia Morning, a global mask shortage is putting healthcare workers on the front lines at risk. Some West Virginians are taking matters…

On this West Virginia Morning, we hear from a woman who is reaching out to grandparents who are raising their grandkids.This month, Fairmont Regional…

In this episode, we explore how chemical addictions and the opioid crisis have divided millions of U.S. families. An addicted parent can abandon responsibilities for their children, and when a grandparent steps in, it creates a new kind of family structure some call a grandfamily. It’s a generational divide.

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…

On this West Virginia Morning, we’ll hear about the foster care system, and kinship parents – often grandparents – who are raising their children’s kids.…

On The Legislature Today, we discuss West Virginia children in crisis and a foster care system under the microscope. The new Senate Select Committee on…