David Sibray
Motorists visiting the New River Gorge in West Virginia yesterday might have thought they had encountered a two-headed eagle engaged in a fight with itself. While not so astonishing, they were witnessing a sight rarely seen near the New River in the state’s southern mountains, where bald eagles are relative newcomers. Two male bald eagles … Read more
Students at Bethany College are mapping trees across the school’s historic campus in advance of the arrival of one of the nation’s foremost experts on old-growth forests. So far, members of the school’s Tri-Beta Club have identified about 60 noteworthy trees based on qualities such as size and species, according to Ian Nelson, an environmental … Read more
Access to one of the most important mining heritage sites in the U.S. will reopen again soon, though officials have no timeline for restoration of the route there, which was practically destroyed after flooding in 2016. The road has been officially closed while the engineers repair priority routes damaged by the flood, to the dismay … Read more
Usually, the Earth’s magnetic field shields us from the misadventures of our nearest star, the mighty sun, but it failed on September 2, 1859. Known as the Carrington Event, the most powerful solar storm on record burst through the magnetic field and pummeled telegraph wires throughout the United States and Europe, breaking down communication systems … Read more
If there’s anything new going on at Capon Springs in 2020, it’s that very little new is going on, and traditions are being held onto with even more endearment. Celebrating its 88th year, the esteemed resort in eastern West Virginia will reopen again in 88 days, and horse-drawn carriages will wander the grounds, and writers … Read more
This weekend’s Wizard Weekend in Fayetteville, West Virginia, seems ideally suited to the character of the whimsical town on the rim of the New River Gorge, organizers say. Beginning Thursday, the first annual community festival will see many of the town’s shops, restaurants, and attractions transformed into magical venues—wand shops, potion distilleries, and feast halls … Read more
The production of maple syrup is a time-honored tradition in West Virginia, and it’s enjoying an economic resurgence while attracting a new group of tourists to the mountains—especially to the high Alleghenies. Pocahontas County, the loftiest county in the state, enjoys the freezing temperatures necessary to create some of the state’s best maple syrups, and … Read more
Glenville State College and Gilmer County have announced the launch of a new Appalachian Heritage program designed to increase literary discourse and community in the valley of the Little Kanawha River in north-central West Virginia. Dubbed the “Little Kanawha Reading Series,” the project aims to feature regional writers invited to Glenville as well as local … Read more
Governor Jim Justice, Milton Mayor Thomas Canterbury, and officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have signed an agreement to build an 8,300-foot long levee between Milton, West Virginia, and the Mud River that will reduce flooding in the area. “This is something that your community needs, and you need it right now,” Justice … Read more
Officials at Concord University have named Mountain Lion head football coach Dave Walker as Grand Groundhog Watcher for 2020, joining “Concord Charlie” in the spotlight during this year’s Groundhog Day Breakfast. According to tradition, if Charlie or any other apt groundhog sees his shadow on the morning of February 2, six more weeks of winter … Read more
