Communities in West Virginia offer residents a welcoming atmosphere, affordable cost of living, and a strong sense of connection to nature and neighbors alike. From charming small towns to vibrant cities like Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia communities provide friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep. Residents enjoy a slower pace of life, surrounded by the state’s beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as rich local culture, historic sites, and community events that bring people together.
With safe streets, local businesses, and a true spirit of Appalachian hospitality, living in West Virginia communities means enjoying a high quality of life and a supportive, tight-knit environment where everyone feels at home. Be sure to visit our Communities Travel Guide for information about communities in West Virginia.
West Virginia’s general revenue collections for December 2021 came in at $506.8 million—a “staggering” $124.4 million above estimates and 32.6 percent ahead of prior year receipts, according to the office of Gov. Jim Justice. This revenue growth rate was the highest on record for December in West Virginia since at least the 1970s. “We really … Read more
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s West Virginia district office is accepting nominations for its 2022 National and West Virginia Small Business Week Awards, including its annual Small Business Person of the Year award. Do you know of a business you’d like to nominate? Visit sba.gov/nsbw to download forms, criteria, and guidelines for submitting a nomination. … Read more
You may have to stretch your imagination a bit to embrace the common name of this exciting West Virginia resident. That plant, Tipularia discolor, is a terrestrial orchid closely related to Aplectrum hyemale, aka “Adam & Eve,” aka “Putty Root.” Its common name is “Crane Fly Orchid,” as the blossoms resemble a Crane Fly lighting on … Read more
Due to an observed decline in their population, ramps may no longer be harvested on properties managed by the National Park Service in southern and south-central West Virginia. Harvesting will no longer be allowed within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the Gauley River National Recreation Area, or the Bluestone National Scenic River, effective … Read more
While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to transition to working from home, some are finding it difficult to sleep. According to one West Virginia University neuroscientist, this problem is caused by disruptions to the circadian rhythms that regulate our sleep-wake cycle. Randy Nelson, director of the WVU Center for Foundational Neuroscience Research and … Read more
Historians and history buffs are invited to an open house at the historic Dunlap farm and cemetery at Red Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in Monroe County 2-5 p.m. Sunday, October 3. Built in about 1830, the farm’s manor house may be the oldest structure in the former resort town that developed around Red Sulphur Springs, … Read more
I guess I’d have to attribute my love of woodland gardening to Errol Flynn, the swashbuckling MGM heartthrob of the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s. My mother had a serious crush on the daring star, and whenever one of his movies was on The Late Show, or The Late, Late Show, or The Late, Late, Late … Read more
The Robert C. Byrd Institute at Marshall University and a statewide group of partners are announcing the fifth-annual Student Agriculture Innovation Challenge to encourage problem-solving and innovation among West Virginia students interested in agriculture. Students in grades 7-through-12 are eligible to compete for multiple prizes, including a grand prize of $1,000 cash, an iPad, and … Read more
The hunt for more evidence of gravitational waves— the ripples in space-time formed by cataclysmic events in the distant universe—will be accelerated with a nearly $2 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to a West Virginia University scientist and her colleagues. Eberly Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Maura McLaughlin will serve as principal investigator on the project, … Read more
These days it seems that just about every gardener I speak with is searching for pollinator plants. There’s a major focus on Lobelia cardinalis, and with good reason, although its cousin Lobelia siphlitica is being sadly overlooked, and not with good reason. Lobelia cardinalis, also known as the “Cardinal Flower,” surely does its job attracting … Read more
