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.
Officials at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture are urging state residents not to plant foreign seeds following reports of unsolicited seeds being received in surrounding states. Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt said seeds could pose an environmental threat. “Like other states, we have been made aware of reports from people in West Virginia that … Read more
While the kind of hemp that’s grown in West Virginia does not contain the level of the psychoactive substance present in marijuana, it does contain some—sometimes a trace, sometimes more. A West Virginia University professor hopes to help farmers and growers better understand why this may be and how to keep levels low, which will … Read more
In an effort to understand declining firefly populations, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is inviting the public to participate in a citizen science project to track lightning bug sightings in the Mountain State. West Virginia boasts as many as 40 species of fireflies, or lightning bugs, which biologists say may have declined in … Read more
The National Science Foundation has awarded a one-year $999,000 planning grant to Shepherd University to develop a comprehensive plan to cost-effectively connect the university to the Internet2 national backbone. “This planning grant will support Shepherd’s exploration of the feasibility to connect to Internet2,” said Dr. Robert Warburton, dean, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. … Read more
There’s more to see and do in West Virginia’s Metro Valley region than one might expect, which is why four visitor bureaus there have engaged in a cooperative promotion on Instagram dubbed “Rt. 60 Ramble.” Project leaders themselves said they were surprised to discover resources along or near U.S. 60 that were appropriate for socially-distanced … Read more
The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources announces that the West Virginia Wildlife Center at French Creek has resumed regular admission rates and hours of operation. The Wildlife Center features native and introduced animals and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though some COVID-19 restrictions remain in place, according to Zack Brown, assistant … Read more
Biologists with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources have teamed up with Marshall University graduate students to monitor the movement of timber rattlesnakes in an effort to develop methods for moving the reptiles from high-use recreation areas. The project is part of a three-year-long study in Kanawha and Coopers Rock state forests and will … Read more
West Virginia University’s Duncan Lorimer might be the “godfather of the fast radio burst,” but a pair of international students have taken exploring these mysterious cosmic flashes to a new level. In 2007, Lorimer was credited for helping discover fast radio bursts—the intense, unexplained pulses of energy, light years away, that pop for mere milliseconds. … Read more
Excitement is building around the new Elk River Trail State Park in central West Virginia, especially downstream along the 30-mile corridor between the park and the state capital at An angler cast into the Elk near Queen Shoals. Photo by Rick Burgess[/caption] Planners for E.L. Robinson Engineering, which was hired to assess the development of … Read more
Officials have confirmed state support for a $25-million streetscaping project in downtown Wheeling, West Virginia, and the Wheeling National Heritage Area in the state’s northern panhandle. Governor Jim Justice today joined state officials and Wheeling Mayor Glenn F. Elliott, Jr., in expressing the state’s commitment to the Wheeling Streetscape Project. “This project is going to change … Read more
