Clyde Craig
BECKLEY, W.Va.—Organizers of a third annual oddities fair being celebrated September 24 in historic downtown Beckley say things are about to get even odder. Sponsored by the Beckley Arts and Entertainment Exhibition, otherwise known as BEX, the Oddities and Curiosities Fair, will host the expanded open-air market with more than 40 artists and vendors, including … Read more
MATEWAN, W.Va. — The first of two monuments commemorating the Battle of Blair Mountain in West Virginia will be installed this weekend in Logan and Kanawha counties, acknowledging a history that state schools long worked to suppress, say organizers. Commissioned by the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, located on the Kentucky border at Matewan, the … Read more
FAIRLEA, W.Va. — The State Fair of West Virginia reported more than 170,000 people attending, an exceptional attendance despite rains that fell across the Mountain State in August. State Fair CEO Kelly Collins said that the economic impact of the annual event was high. Fairgoer spending on food grossed more than $3.5 million, and Reithoffer … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia is one of nine U.S. national parks with no admission fee, according to BestLifeOnline, which promoted the park in an August 2022 story. BestLife reporter Zachary Mack’s article “9 U.S. National Parks That Are Always Free to Visit,” noted that … Read more
GRANDVIEW, W.Va. — Visitors to the Grandview area of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia should expect temporary closures and delays beginning on or around Wednesday, August 17, according to acting superintendent Jay Newman. Grandview is among the most popular attraction in the national park and features multiple trails … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—In search of funding for a historical tourism project? Two West Virginia agencies are working together to help tourism initiatives fund historic preservation projects. The West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the West Virginia Department of Tourism will host a webinar on August 18 for owners and administrators of privately and publicly-owned historic … Read more
RALEIGH, W.Va.—A landmark industrial building near Beckley, West Virginia, has been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The former powerhouse for the Raleigh Coal & Coke Company—perhaps best known for the swastika motif that decorates its trim—was found eligible based on its architectural and industrial importance, according to Cody Straley … Read more
If you’re a West Virginian who came of age after 1971, chances are you can hardly remember a time when John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” wasn’t the state’s unofficial anthem. Though not officially adopted as a “state song” until 2014, it was, seemingly, performed at every event everywhere in the state. It became … Read more
The National Park Service has received approximately $9.8 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plug, remediate, and reclaim abandoned oil and gas well sites in national parks, including the Gauley River National Recreation Area. Overall, bureaus within the U.S. departments of the interior and agriculture will address 277 high-priority wells that pose … Read more
A leadership gift to West Virginia University from longtime supporters Ken and Randy Kendrick will allow the John Chambers College of Business and Economics to transform economics education through innovative programs for high-schoolers and educators statewide via the new Kendrick Center for an Ethical Economy. The $40 million partnership with the Kendricks complements broader efforts … Read more
