Us & Them

The battle of Blair Mountain in 1921 might be West Virginia's ultimate ‘us and them’ story — labor versus absentee landowners; working class versus ruling class; West Virginia versus the world.

On this West Virginia Morning, COVID-19 concerns, an ethics investigation and the sounds of summer. You will also hear an excerpt from the Us & Them episode “Grandfamilies of the Opioid Crisis.”

This Us & Them episode, which was recently honored with a 2012 National Edward R. Murrow award, examines: How can society support grandparents who are raising the children of their drug-addicted children?

As summer draws to a close and students head back to the classroom, Us & Them host Trey Kay harkens back to a time when we weren’t thinking about masks or social distancing, the possibility of infection or the sadness of isolation and lack of connection. Back then, Trey recalls kids at his West Virginia high school sorting themselves into different camps. How one dressed was often a determining factor…right down to the shoes.

On this West Virginia Morning, Us & Them host Trey Kay speaks with Dr. James Berry from WVU’s Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute about medication-based treatment of substance use disorder. Also, in this show, it’s the 35th anniversary of rock icon Peter Gabriel's landmark album “So.” Eclectopia host Jim Lange speaks with Daniel and Lauren Goans who released a track-by-track cover of “So” called "So Low."

The fight for sobriety comes in many forms. For some, abstinence works. For others, it takes medication to kick addiction. But that creates its own battle.

Back in 1968, a West Virginia band did something brave. It wasn't the easy thing to do, but it put them on the right side of history. For this episode, host Trey Kay learns about an act of defiance against racial discrimination that happened 50 years ago in a Charleston night club and the consequences for four musicians.

On this West Virginia Morning, while the average age in West Virginia is going up, the number of younger workers is going down. We explore why that’s a challenge for senior care facilities and home care companies. Also, in this show, there are several big prizes in place for people who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. But fewer than half the people in those states have been vaccinated.

Since 2010, West Virginia has lost nearly 50,000 residents. From 2010 to 2018, it was one of only two states with more deaths than births. That generational imbalance is expected to grow even wider in the coming years. Is the state prepared to care for a growing number of Golden Mountaineers in their sunset years?

Dental care isn’t just about a pretty smile. The state of our teeth plays an important role in our overall health. In West Virginia, dental hygiene is a challenge for many people. Accessible and affordable dental care can be hard to find.