Community Support: Bethlehem Apostolic Temple will hold a Nov. 8 charity basketball game in Wheeling to raise money for its Thanksgiving food distribution, as more Ohio Valley families struggle with food and fuel costs. Education: Four McDowell County elementary schools have opened STEM centers with robotics and 3D printers. Berkeley and Morgan counties are also joining a program that helps recruit out-of-state teachers. Family Well-being: West Virginia has the nation’s highest foster-care rate, with more than 5,000 children in care and a particular shortage of homes for teens. A federal newborn-support program expects to provide 2,000 families with supply kits and health information. Heritage and Preservation: An account of Appalachian hog-killing traditions recalls how families used cold weather—and, some believed, the full moon—to preserve pork for winter. Eight historic West Virginia buildings also received $490,000 in preservation grants. Land and Local Life: The West Virginia Land Trust has protected more than 62,000 acres since 1994; longtime director Brent Bailey is preparing to retire. Morgantown’s urban deer hunt has donated more than eight tons of venison to food programs over 16 years.
AGP Executive Report
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Foster Care: West Virginia has the nation’s highest foster-care rate, with more than 5,000 children awaiting homes and about 1,300 licensed foster homes. Teens are especially underserved. Family Support: A Parkersburg mother is launching a statewide effort to place sensory-care kits in hospitals after an emergency visit left her autistic son without familiar supports. Flood Recovery: Buckhannon and Upshur County are offering free mold-mitigation cleaner to residents affected by July’s flooding, while supplies last. Community Care: Morgantown’s urban deer hunt has donated more than eight tons of venison to local food programs since 2011; this season, 22 of 62 deer harvested so far have gone to food banks. Preservation: Eight historic West Virginia buildings received a combined $490,000 for preservation. Travel: A 1923 Fayetteville high school has been converted into a 40-room hotel near New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Local Action: West Liberty’s Sustainability Club works with community groups on litter cleanups, stream care, tree planting and flood recovery.
Youth Support: Parkersburg’s annual SleepOut fundraiser brought residents together to raise awareness of youth homelessness and support the Children’s Home Society’s transitional living program. Community Resources: Charleston’s former Save-A-Lot will become a Mountaineer Food Bank site, beginning with a move of its volunteer center to the West Side as the organization consults residents on future services. Neighborhood Renewal: Huntington Rising opened a former West End church for public input on plans to turn the century-old building into a community hub; roof repairs are expected to cost about $70,000. Local Traditions: Rowlesburg’s 18th Chestnut Festival celebrated the American chestnut with roasted nuts, vendors and exhibits on restoration. Preserving History: Eight historic West Virginia buildings will receive more than $490,000 for repairs and continued use as museums, cultural centers and educational spaces. Appalachian Character: A local essay laments the fading tradition of waving to strangers on West Virginia roads, recalling how a small gesture once made newcomers feel at home. Agriculture Heritage: Six new members were honored at the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame for contributions spanning farming, education, conservation and forestry.
Holiday Hours: Most federal, state and Kanawha Valley government offices will close Monday for Columbus Day; West Virginia officially observes the holiday, though the day is also recognized as Indigenous Peoples Day. Support for New Families: A federal newborn-support program launched in Morgantown, with about 2,000 kits planned for West Virginia families. Kits include diapers, postpartum supplies, breastfeeding items and health information. Youth & Schools: Monongalia County 4-H reports 210 active members, with programs in outdoor education, farming and cooking. In Boone County, three schools are set to close after the 2026-27 school year and students will be reassigned. Mountain Traditions: West Virginia’s fall wild turkey season opened statewide, carrying on a hunting tradition rooted in Appalachian forest life and wildlife restoration. Songs & Stories: A drive on Maryland’s Clopper Road helped inspire the title of “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” though songwriter Bill Danoff said the song wasn’t about Maryland. Appalachian Culture: Hinton has found new ways to celebrate after losing its excursion trains, while the first Hillbilly Jubilee invited visitors to a festival celebrating the region.
Schools: West Virginia Superintendent Michele Blatt approved the closure of Van Elementary, Van Junior/Senior High and Whitesville Elementary after the 2026–27 school year. Boone County officials say students will be reassigned to nearby schools. New Families: West Virginia is the first state to receive the federal NEST newborn-support kits, with about 2,000 planned for families. Kits include diapers, postpartum supplies, a blood-pressure monitor and health resources. WVU Legacy: Seven Mountaineers, including coach John Beilein and women’s soccer stars Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence, entered the WVU Sports Hall of Fame. The women’s soccer program is also marking 30 years under coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, who has sent 46 players to the professional ranks. Outdoor Tradition: Fall wild turkey season opened statewide Oct. 10, carrying on a hunting tradition rooted in Appalachian life. Local Sports: University High’s Micah Gainer won the OVAC cross-country title, while Morgantown High swept the team honors.
Family Support: West Virginia is the first state to receive federal NEST newborn kits, with about 2,000 expected for families. Each includes baby and postpartum supplies plus health information. WVU Honors: Seven athletes entered the WVU Sports Hall of Fame Saturday, including former basketball coach John Beilein and soccer stars Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence. Appalachian Culture: The first Hillbilly Jubilee will celebrate Appalachia, while Huntington’s Funktafest continues to build local music and arts culture. Arts & Heritage: Blenko Glass donated $85,000 in honor of Dolly Parton, and a Moundsville library talk on Monday will revisit the Civil War’s Burning Springs oil-field fire. Campus Milestone: WVU women’s soccer marked 30 years under coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, whose players include 46 professionals and Olympic medalists. Local Traditions: Salem’s Apple Butter Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and Dolly-themed Blenko suncatchers are selling briskly.
Family Support: West Virginia is the first state to launch the federal NEST newborn-support program, with 2,000 kits of baby and postpartum supplies planned for families. WVU Milestones: Coach Nikki Izzo-Brown’s women’s soccer program marks 30 years; 46 players have gone on to play professionally. WVU’s women also won the team title at the Nuttycombe cross-country invitational. Civic Engagement: Voter registration changes are due Oct. 13. Early voting runs Oct. 21–31, and local groups plan Oct. 17 rallies to share voting information. Community Traditions: The Gold Star Mothers Bridge Ride crosses the New River Gorge Bridge today, honoring 69 West Virginia service members lost since 9/11. Appalachian Culture: The first Hillbilly Jubilee is among the fall events celebrating the region’s heritage.
Land & Heritage: The West Virginia Land Trust has protected more than 62,000 acres since 1994, including farms, waterways, historic sites and recreation land. Executive Director Brent Bailey is preparing to retire after 14 years leading the group. Schools & Opportunity: Four McDowell County elementary schools will get hands-on STEM centers through a new Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and T.C. Energy partnership. Separately, West Virginia State University won a $26.5 million USDA grant for an agriculture complex, with construction expected to begin next year. Food Access: Dunlow is facing a hunger crisis as food assistance cuts strain rural households and food banks. Statewide, about 24,000 West Virginians, including 8,000 children, have reportedly lost SNAP benefits since last summer. Outdoor Recreation: More than $19 million is earmarked for repairs and upgrades at state parks and forests, including Cass Scenic Railroad, Canaan Valley and Hawks Nest. The spending addresses a long-standing maintenance backlog.
State Parks: More than $19 million is earmarked for repairs and upgrades at West Virginia parks and forests, including projects at Pipestem, Cass Scenic Railroad and Canaan Valley. Arts & Literacy: Milton’s Blenko Glass donated a record $85,259 to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of West Virginia, funded by sales of handcrafted glass keepsakes; the program serves about 50,000 children and families. Education: West Virginia State University landed a $26.5 million federal grant for a new agriculture complex supporting research, teaching and services for producers. Campus Culture: WVU has wrapped a PRT car with “Planes II,” honoring Monongalia County-born artist and WVU alumna Blanche Lazzell. Holiday Tradition: United Way of Southern West Virginia’s Wonderland of Trees returns to Tamarack Marketplace Nov. 6–20, featuring community-decorated trees.
Reproductive Health: WV Free’s first statewide “Repro Road Trip” visits seven cities Oct. 14–Nov. 20, bringing health resources and community connections to West Virginians. Education: West Virginia’s 2027 Teacher of the Year, Mercer County English teacher Laura Presley, credits 4-H with helping shape her teaching and leadership. Arts: Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg is showing Norma Jean Heim’s mixed-media work free through Oct. 30. Community Traditions: United Way’s Wonderland of Trees returns to Tamarack Marketplace Nov. 6–20, featuring community-decorated trees. Local Music: Huntington’s Funktafest brought hundreds to Ritter Park for two days of funk, art and a welcoming, community-centered atmosphere. Child Care: Parents in Clay County opened Trailblazer Learning Academy in Wallback after the county’s only center closed; its 27 places filled quickly, with families already on a waitlist.
Campus Safety: WVU police are investigating anonymous hazing reports involving at least two fraternity sites. The reports also renew attention to the Clery Act, which requires colleges to disclose campus crime and safety information. Appalachian Culture: Shepherd University’s 30th Appalachian Heritage Festival brought music, dance, history and hands-on arts together, with organizers saying the event helps challenge stereotypes about the region. Arts: Notre-Dame Cathedral organist Vincent Dubois drew a crowd at Wheeling’s Cathedral of Saint Joseph, performing six works and improvising on a theme for the church’s centennial. History in Schools: West Virginia officials launched “Mountain Moves,” a new history and tourism game for students. Community: Growing Up Greene director Aaron Houser and therapy dog Coalbie are walking the Warrior Trail to raise funds for the organization’s expansion.
Schools: As rural schools close across West Virginia, the state’s school-funding formula remains unresolved, leaving communities to face enrollment declines and budget pressure without proposed reforms. Childcare: A Wheeling small-business owner says she lost state childcare assistance because she operates an LLC, highlighting a barrier for parents trying to grow a business while paying for care. History & Heritage: A newly formed commission has begun planning a U.S. Capitol statue honoring West Virginia Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams. The state is also introducing eighth graders to local history, parks and careers through the new “Mountain Moves” board game. Tourism: The Ohio River Way conference brought communities together to plan riverfront tourism, with organizers looking to deepen the initiative’s reach into West Virginia. Governor Patrick Morrisey also says nearly $20 million in park improvements will support a tourism industry he says provides more than 61,000 state jobs.
Community & Culture: Morgantown swears in new Seventh Ward City Councilor Gail Taylor, a long-time volunteer with the Morgantown Cultural Arts Commission, as she tells residents “your voice matters.” Public Safety: West Virginia’s GHSP kicks off National Pedestrian Safety Month with a reminder to slow down and protect people on foot. Education & Health Policy: The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is set to hear oral arguments in the compulsory school-age vaccine fight, with Gov. Patrick Morrisey seeking to intervene. Civic Life & Service: Gov. Morrisey honors Upshur flood relief volunteer Tammie Strong for her work with the county’s CERT team. Mental Health: NAMI West Virginia wraps a statewide listening tour in Parkersburg, with transportation barriers repeatedly raised by attendees. Food Insecurity: Mountaineer Food Bank wins Charleston City Council approval to move its volunteer center into a former Save a Lot on the West Side. Conservation & Outdoors: West Virginia Highlands Conservancy hosts its free Fall Review Oct. 23–24 at Canaan Valley, including advocacy training with climate author Eileen Flanagan. Workforce & Skills: WVU’s New Mountaineer Orientation returns to in-person onboarding, spotlighting Amy Metz’s role in rebuilding the experience after COVID. Sports & Campus Life: JMU volleyball rebounds from an early skid, winning seven straight as it heads into a road series with Marshall.
Public Safety: As National Pedestrian Safety Month kicks off, West Virginia’s Governor’s Highway Safety Program is teaming with NHTSA to urge drivers to slow down and watch for pedestrians, citing national trends that still show high pedestrian deaths and injuries. Courts & Schools: The West Virginia Supreme Court consolidated vaccine-related school cases for oral arguments and decision, setting up a fight over how religious or philosophical exemptions should be handled. Campus Safety: WVU Police issued a campus warning after multiple anonymous reports of alleged hazing tied to at least two fraternity sites; the university says it has zero tolerance and is investigating. Health Watch: Monongalia County health officials are investigating 16 lab-confirmed Salmonella infections with no source identified yet, and several patients required hospital care. Community Health Access: WVU Medicine’s “Bonnie’s Bus” is scheduled to bring mobile mammograms to multiple West Virginia counties in late October, with help available for uninsured and underinsured women. Education & Opportunity: State Treasurer Larry Pack announced the 20th annual SMART529 “When I Grow Up” essay contest, offering cash prizes for students and schools. Sports: Marshall’s swim team beat Fairmont State 181-65, winning 12 of 14 events.
Road Safety: As National Pedestrian Safety Month kicks off, West Virginia’s GHSP is teaming with NHTSA to urge drivers to slow down and watch for pedestrians, citing high national injury and fatality rates. Health Access: Bonnie’s Buses will bring 3D mammograms and breast-care education to Wetzel, Pocahontas, Harrison, and Marion counties, with options for insured and eligible uninsured women. Nuclear Debate: A new West Virginia push for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses raises fresh questions about whether the state’s pitch includes responsibility for used fuel and waste. Arts & Entertainment: Mollie Gallagher makes her stage debut in “Clarice,” bringing “Silence of the Lambs” to the Lowry. Education & Culture: Gov. Morrisey and Tourism Secretary Kayla Kessinger unveiled “Mountain Moves,” a Game of Life-style board game for 8th graders built around West Virginia history, tourism, and careers. Local Governance: Charleston councilman Emmett Pepper plans guardrails for data center proposals, aiming for community benefits where state law limits local control. Sports & Community: WVU tips off its 2026-27 basketball season with “Ballin’ at Woodburn” on Oct. 15, featuring free festivities for fans. Public Health & Policy: The West Virginia Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a school vaccine case involving religious exemptions.
Health & Community: WVU Medicine’s “Bonnie’s Bus” mobile mammography program is set to stop in Wetzel, Pocahontas, Harrison and Marion counties in late October, offering 3D screenings and help enrolling in the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program for eligible uninsured/underinsured women. Higher Ed & Workforce: WVU Nursing is receiving a major expansion award (nearly $300,000) aimed at boosting nursing education capacity to help ease statewide nursing shortages. Sports & Local Pride: Honor Huff, WVU’s leading men’s scorer, has sued the NCAA seeking a fifth season of eligibility, arguing the NCAA’s revised rules were applied unfairly. Arts & Heritage: West Virginia State University won a federal historic preservation grant to protect two Malden Village homes—Hale House and Norton House—tied to the region’s salt-industry history. Public Safety: West Virginia law enforcement will join the Governor’s Highway Safety Program for “Click It or Ticket” from Oct. 9–31, running alongside a crash-reduction push over Columbus Day weekend. Culture & Lifestyle: A Charleston-area fall preview is underway along the Sunrise Carriage Trail, with artists and performers helping families kick off the season. Food & Growth: Chicken Salad Chick is expanding its Northeast footprint with new development agreements that include West Virginia.
Health Access: WVU Medicine’s “Bonnie’s Bus” mobile mammography program will stop in Wetzel, Pocahontas, Harrison and Marion counties in late October, offering 3D screening and help enrolling uninsured/underinsured women who qualify. Domestic Violence Resources: A local roundup for Domestic Violence Awareness Month spotlights the barriers survivors face and points readers to nearby support services. Arts & Heritage: Saina Frank Rabon, a CHamoru dancer and choreographer from Guam, received the 2026 NEA National Heritage Fellowship—an arts honor that recognizes lifetime contributions to traditional culture. Community Fundraising: Growing Up Greene’s Coalbie’s Warrior Walk will hike the 67-mile Warrior Trail to raise money for a $1 million expansion. Fall in the Capital: Charleston families are getting an early look at autumn along the Sunrise Carriage Trail, with art and performances helping kick off the season. Education & Service: A WVU exercise physiology student is building a path to medicine through tutoring, research, and hospital volunteer work. Local Sports: Millbrook High’s girls’ cross country team placed fifth at the Octoberfest Invitational. Public Safety: West Virginia State Police arrested a man in connection with a stolen vehicle in Chapmanville.
Community & Caregiving: WVU exercise physiology student Sophia Bell builds a medicine path through tutoring, rural health research, and 100+ hours at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital. Education & Workforce: Ascend West Virginia expands a teacher residency pathway modeled on Monongalia and Preston County pilots, aiming to recruit, prepare, place, and retain educators statewide. Disability & Family Life: A Southern WV mother advocates for her son with Level 3 autism amid an ABA therapy “desert,” showing how access gaps reshape daily life. Arts & Community Events: WV Wesleyan College names 2026 Alumni Award honorees for Founders Day Convocation during Homecoming. Sports & Local Pride: Groundbreaking is set for the University High Athletic Complex in Monongalia County, with baseball/softball now and future tennis. Culture & Heritage: Research highlights how West Virginia coal industrialization reshaped community names across coalfields. Public Safety & Justice: Kanawha County judge approves a $4.4M settlement for five Black children abused “as slaves” by adoptive parents, tied to CPS failures.
Food Safety: FDA says frozen Great Value organic blueberries and Triple Berry Blend, plus Trader Joe’s Mixed Berry Blend, were recalled for possible E. coli contamination, with West Virginia among affected states. Immigration & Community: NPR spotlights how Trump’s deportation crackdown is hitting Cuban-Americans in South Florida, including people caught in shifting interpretations of the Cuban Adjustment Act. Education Workforce: Ascend West Virginia expands an educator residency pathway to recruit, prepare, place, and retain teachers, modeled on a Monongalia/Preston pilot. Local Sports & Culture: Caitlin Clark visited Iowa fans at a children’s hospital during College GameDay, prompting the “Hawkeye Wave” across teams and patients. STEM Inspiration: Bridgeport’s Girls in Aviation Day at the airport’s former terminal brought hands-on activities and an all-female National Guard crew to spark future pilots. Community Building: Groundbreaking is set for the University High Athletic Complex in Morgantown, with fundraising still underway for a multi-sport facility. Appalachian History & Identity: A study finds industrialization reshaped West Virginia coalfield place-names, with many mining towns named quickly by operators. Arts & Reading: Deesha Philyaw discusses her church-centered fiction and plans to move to Philadelphia next spring.
Energy & Permitting: A bipartisan Senate energy bill would fine any administration that blocks permits for an entire class of energy projects like solar or wind, aiming to speed up approvals and limit “stalling” tactics. Coalfield Culture & History: A new study finds industrialization reshaped West Virginia’s coal-country place names, with many mining towns named quickly by operators—often after themselves or family—rather than local settlers or the landscape. Appalachian Folklore: For spooky season, a look at Appalachian graveyard beliefs and folk practices explores how the dead were sometimes thought to hold healing power. Community & Service: In Elkins, the Mountain Loggers Group’s Ted Harriman Log-A-Load for Kids auction drew strong support and raised $158,155 this year for WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital. Arts & Learning: Greenbrier Valley Theatre keeps its student matinee series going with discounted school tickets for Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” plus study guides and talkbacks. Local Education Fight: In Mingo County, a lawsuit continues over efforts to keep a small elementary school open, with residents warning closures could unravel the community. Sportsmanship & Belonging: The Big 12 launches “Respect the Game,” a league-wide campaign promoting respect, belonging, and community through sports.
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