Amanda Larch Hinchman
WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — Hidden in plain sight, the islands in the Ohio River in West Virginia are a Noah’s Ark for wildlife that has managed to escape development elsewhere. As the Ohio River became cleaner in the 1980s, thanks to legislation like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, wildlife started to return, … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Much of West Virginia enjoys about 85 percent as much sunlight as Miami, Florida, which means it’s ideally suited to solar energy use, says the founder and CEO of West Virginia-based Solar Holler. Thanks to technological advances, Dan Conant says solar energy is now an affordable and viable option for many residents … Read more
WESTON, W.Va. — Minutes away from one of West Virginia’s most popular tourist destinations—The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum—one of the most extensive glass museums in the U.S. is attracting tourists from across the globe. Complete with a research library and more than 14,000 pieces on display, the Museum of American Glass in West Virginia celebrates American-made … Read more
DAVIS, W.Va. — An almost 2,000-acre property purchased by The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia is preserving habitat adjoining the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge and will ensure access to outdoor recreation in the Canaan Valley. Thomas Minney, director of the conservancy in West Virginia, says the ‘Big Cove’ tract in the northern end of … Read more
WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — As interest in kayaking on the Ohio River in West Virginia increases, officials advise paddlers to be especially attentive to safety. While the river may seem a sleepy reprieve in good weather, paddlers should be aware of barge traffic and inclement weather, according to Michael Schramm, visitor services manager for the Ohio … Read more
WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — More than 20 virtually forgotten islands in the Ohio River in West Virginia are increasingly attracting kayakers drawn by the opportunity to explore one of the nation’s evolving wildlife refuges. Amid a landscape pulled from the pages of a Mark Twain novel, the islands, shorelines, and underwater habitat protected as part of … Read more
DROOP, W.Va. — Among the smallest state parks in West Virginia, 110-acre Beartown State Park is nevertheless among its most fascinating. For decades, it’s inspired visitors as a natural wonder—a densely shaded landscape of ferns and mossy rocks. On the summit of Droop Mountain—very near Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park—a thick sandstone has weathered into … Read more
WHEELING, W.Va. — After more than 100 years, a West Virginia-based glassware manufacturer is carrying on the legacy inherent in a more-than-century-old pattern—the Moon & Star. Produced since the 1880s by several glassmakers (the L.E. Smith Glass Company, L.G. Wright Glass Company, the Adams Glass Company, and Fenton Art Glass Company), Weishar Enterprises began reproducing … Read more
PADEN CITY, W.Va. — Able to produce upwards of a million marbles a day, Marble King has been a staple of industry in northern West Virginia since it was formed in 1949, and it remains the only domestic marble manufacturer in the nation. According to president and CEO Beri Fox, with 28 full-time employees, it … Read more
HURRICANE, W.Va. — Known for its made-from-scratch biscuit sandwiches, Tudor’s Biscuit World has been a staple of Appalachian cuisine since it first opened and is one of the only fast-food chains of its size to originate in West Virginia. Elizabeth Epling, the marketing director for Tudor’s, shared some facts about the growing chain, including that, … Read more
