Health and Medicine

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the W.Va. House of Delegates considers changes to Senate Bill 390, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition warns that the state risks narrowing its flood strategy at a time when disasters are becoming more frequent, more costly, and more destructive. The organization points to a growing gap between early-warning technology and long-term … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As late winter settles in across West Virginia, mountaineers are entering the coldest stretch of the year—a time when snow, limited daylight, and frigid temperatures can take a toll on mental and physical health. However, experts at West Virginia University say late winter doesn’t have to mean inactivity. With the right approach, … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two West Virginia University experts are warning residents and visitors that ticks are more prevalent than ever, and encounters with them are increasingly causing serious health risks. According to Timothy Driscoll, an associate professor of biology in the university’s Eberly College of Arts and Sciences in Morgantown, changing environmental conditions are driving … Read more

BECKLEY, W.Va. — They’re hard to miss in downtowns and along highway strips in West Virginia with their neon-bright window graphics, flavor names splashed across posters, and glass cases filled with sleek devices and colorful packaging. Over the past decade, vape shops have spread from big cities into small towns and rural communities across Appalachia, … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia physician and former law-enforcement officer is urging state leaders to invest in a chronic care hospital aimed at treating the mentally ill, drug addicted, and homeless. “This is not only a West Virginia issue, but a national one, and it is nonpartisan,” Dr. Norman Wood said in a written … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As the days grow shorter and sunlight becomes scarce, a West Virginia University clinical psychologist is reminding people not to dismiss the “winter blues.” Seasonal affective disorder, or “SAD,” affects millions of Americans each year and is a form of depression that deserves serious attention. Stephanie Cox, professor in the Department of … Read more

MERCER HEALING SPRINGS, W.Va. — International Relaxation Day is observed August 15 across the world, and West Virginia celebrates it for a good reason. West Virginia is a relaxing place. Over time, thanks to the rise of social media, Relaxation Day has grown to a global scale, and West Virginia’s been at the forefront. The … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council announced $4.25 million in funding for sewer and water projects around the Mountain State this month, including those in Davis, Nitro, Hinton, Fairview, and New Haven. Town of Davis The council approved a $178,000 grant and $178,000 loan to the Town of Davis in Tucker County … Read more

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Long-term-care patients in West Virginia who wish to return home are getting help thanks to more than $5,000,000 being provided to the state by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The “Take Me Home” program, which borrows the John Denver song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” seeks to identify qualifying … Read more

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Aromatherapy eases stress in people undergoing treatment for substance use disorder, which can enhance their chances of a successful recovery, according to West Virginia University research. The ongoing study incorporates the use of essential oils as an integrative therapy that is part of a bigger-picture model focusing on the whole person. Researchers … Read more