We asked AI how its own data centers could pollute West Virginia. Here’s what it had to say
(The following article was generated partly by ChatGPT in response to a prompt about how data centers pollute. As ChatGPT is powered by data centers, one might expect it to lean toward a positive statement about the impact on West Virginia.) DAVIS, W.Va. — Data centers rarely look like polluters….
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Here are the top 10 winter snows that shaped West Virginia history
BECKLEY, W.Va. — West Virginia can be a snowy place. Though not nearly as snowy as Maine or Alaska, it does snow for much of winter, and winter…
West Virginia winter cold weather tips: WVU experts share ways to stay active
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As late winter settles in across West Virginia, mountaineers are entering the coldest stretch of the year—a time when snow,…
Travel and outdoor insurance matter for backcountry adventures in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia backcountry is having a moment. From high ridgelines and spruce forests to deep river gorges and winter…
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Inside West Virginia’s National Radio Quiet Zone, where scientists listen to the universe
GREEN BANK, W.Va. — The universe is a strange place. And it is never truly silent. Across the vast darkness it whispers, in radio waves older than…
Is it more cost-effective to restore or rebuild in West Virginia downtowns?
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As communities across West Virginia consider options for aging buildings, one key question keeps coming up: Is it more…
WorkForce West Virginia to host Feb. 4 virtual job fair as employers seek workers
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As West Virginia employers continue to navigate a tight labor market, WorkForce West Virginia will host a statewide virtual…
A hidden parkway travels beneath the New River Gorge Bridge in W.Va.
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Nearly all who cross the towering New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia are affected by the journey. Soaring 876 feet above the New River, it affords motorists a vista of one of the most remarkable landscapes in the U.S. But only a few of the…
West Virginia’s shortest river? It may be one of the shortest in the U.S.!
JUSTICE, W.Va. — Which is the shortest river in West Virginia? Most sources have heretofore agreed that it’s the Holly River at 3.9 miles. The namesake for Holly River State Park, it is indeed short, far shorter than most people probably think a river should be….
Peters Mountain Roar continues to mystify West Virginia residents
ZENITH, W.Va. — Those who have heard the haunting “Peters Mountain Roar” say it will forever stay with them. “The roar of a thousand lions,” some have called it. A meteorological phenomenon, the sound is most often experienced in the windward…
Romance, Riches & Ghosts: Inside West Virginia’s most enigmatic castle
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Something about a castle evokes thoughts of murder, mayhem, and mystery. Perhaps it’s the architecture—the stonework and castellated towers. Secrets seem to surround these structures. Berkeley Castle in West Virginia is no exception….
West Virginia unveils daily one-mile trail program in 32 state parks
BEAVER, W.Va. — To encourage West Virginians to walk at least one mile daily, state officials are designating one-mile hiking trails in 32 parks as “Mountaineer Mile” challenge trails. Governor Patrick Morrisey gathered with other state officials to…
Wrecked aircraft deployed in Mine Wars may remain in mountains
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — Historians in central West Virginia are preparing to commemorate the mysterious site of the crash of a remarkable military aircraft — a wood-winged bi-plane sent to bomb striking miners during the infamous Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921. The…
W.Va. roadside curiosity captures imaginations in Pocahontas County
EDRAY, W.Va. — Famous for its breathtaking mountain scenery, Pocahontas County offers travelers plenty to admire. Yet, one small landmark sparks more curiosity than most—a charming, cone-shaped structure reminiscent of a gnome’s hat. While the county may best be…
Organizations join forces to apprehend New River Gorge vandals
GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Two organizations in West Virginia are working together to identify vandals who spray-painted a famous natural landmark in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Crime Stoppers of West Virginia has joined the Friends of New River Gorge to…
Pinnacle Rock geologic marvel in West Virginia part of larger formation
BRAMWELL, W.Va. — Towering above the valley of the Bluestone River in southern West Virginia, legendary Pinnacle Rock has captivated visitors for millennia. A capstone on a giant wall, it soars more than 120 feet above the spine of Black Oak Mountain in Pinnacle Rock…
Grandview panoramas showcase New River Gorge at its widest, deepest
SHADY SPRING, W.Va. — Perched more than 1,400 feet above the New River, the panoramic overlooks of the New River Gorge at Grandview offer views of the world-famous gorge at its widest and deepest. The rock outcrops, shaded by rhododendron, highlight why Grandview is…
W.Va. celebrates record number of National Register nominations
CHARLESTON. W.Va. — Two-thousand-twenty-four has proven record-breaking for historic preservation in West Virginia. Twenty sites, buildings, and districts were nominated to the National Register of Historic Places—the highest number in 18 years. The listings cover a…
Park ranger lists the four must-see attractions in the New River Gorge
THURMOND, W.Va.—Visiting America’s newest national park? There are countless trails to walk, rocks to climb, and streams to paddle, but there are four places every visitor should see in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in southern West Virginia….
WVU president urges university to ‘think big’ in first State of the University address
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Michael T. Benson, new president of West Virginia University, urged faculty, staff, students, and alumni Monday to “think big” as the university works to strengthen enrollment, expand research, and raise its national profile. Delivering his first…
Five West Virginia organizations receive $302,000 in specialty crop block grants
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Five West Virginia agri-businesses, organizations, and agencies will share more than $300,000 in specialty crop block grant program funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administered through the West Virginia Department of Agriculture….
Risk of West Virginia wildfires increases in 2025 amid dry autumn conditions
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The crackle of autumn leaves underfoot is a familiar sound in West Virginia, but this year those leaves carry more than just the promise of fall. Dry weather, gusty winds, and lower-than-average rainfall have created a perfect recipe for West…
Autumn colors continue to unfold across ‘Almost Heaven,’ West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Autumn is sweeping across ‘Almost Heaven,’ West Virginia, as the West Virginia Department of Tourism releases its third fall foliage update of the season. Brilliant hues of crimson, gold, and orange now paint the hillsides, enhanced by…
West Virginia tourism tops record $9 billion in annual economic impact
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The W.Va. Department of Tourism today announced that the state has surpassed $9.1 billion in annual tourism economic impact for the first time, outperforming national growth rates. Visitor volume to the state reached 77.2 million, with those…
West Virginia officials to open scenic new elk viewing platform on October 1
LOGAN, W.Va. — West Virginia officials will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 1 to celebrate the opening of a new elk viewing platform and education center at the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in Holden, near Logan. The event will start at 11 a.m., and members…
Forecasted autumn rainfall promises vivid 2025 fall foliage in West Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State officials say West Virginia is on the cusp of one of its most spectacular autumns in years, thanks to a perfect blend of summer rain, crisp mountain nights, and the rolling terrain that makes West Virginia a natural canvas for fall. The West…
Pumpkin Spice and Beyond: WVU expert explains the power of seasonal scents
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As autumn arrives in West Virginia, seasonal scents begin to fill homes — from pumpkin spice and cranberry to pine and gingerbread. A West Virginia University expert says these aromas are more than festive decorations. They can trigger powerful…
Chairlifts open for rides through one of West Virginia’s iconic fall destinations
DAVIS, W.Va. — Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia has opened its ski chairlift for 2025 fall foliage rides, offering visitors sweeping views of one of the Mountain State’s earliest and brightest autumn landscapes. The scenic chairlift, famously used during…
This scenic parkway explores some of West Virginia’s very highest peaks
MARLINTON, W.Va. — Traveling through a remote, windswept landscape of spruce and cranberry, a scenic parkway that explores some of the highest elevations in West Virginia is attracting more visitors as tourism in the Mountain State increases. The Highland Scenic…
West Virginia trust invests in SensorHubb in push for tech growth, safer food
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Jobs Investment Trust has made a $400,000 equity investment in SensorHubb, formally known as Fides Food Service Solutions LLC, a technology company based in Ranson that specializes in food safety monitoring for the hospitality and…
WVU School of Nursing campuses rank top in West Virginia for 2026
BECKLEY, W. Va. — The Beckley campus of the School of Nursing at West Virginia University Tech has secured one of the top spots for “Best Nursing School in West Virginia” for 2026 from Registered Nursing. Hillary Parcell, chair of the university’s Beckley…
Mysterious Horse Creek ghost in West Virginia said to foretell the demise of presidents
PAX, W.Va. — Of the many spirits said to haunt the hills of West Virginia, few stir as much unease as those believed to foretell death. Among them, one of the most chilling is the Horse Creek Hollow Ghost, a phantom whose legend has been whispered around campfires in…
Wolves and panthers roamed the forgotten wilderness east of the West Virginia capital
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Glance at a road map of West Virginia, and you’ll spot a striking blank space just east of the state’s capital. Although the valley around Charleston ranks among the most densely populated regions in West Virginia, the land to the east tells a…
The magic of September in West Virginia, when summer fades and autumn awakens
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Meteorologists mark September 1 as the first day of fall, even though the astronomical equinox doesn’t arrive until later in the month. For West Virginia, that date rings true in a way that many residents feel almost immediately. The sticky, thick…
The Battle of Stanaford: A massacre in W.Va. vanished from the pages of labor history
STANAFORD, W.Va. — A quiet residential community outside the city of Beckley, perhaps best known for its scenic views of the Piney Creek Gorge, Stanaford today gives little hint of the labor-related violence that once stained its soil. More than a century ago, on…
Betrayed in life, buried in silence: Forgetting the victims of the Hawks Nest disaster
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — In a ravine beside the U.S. 19 expressway near Summersville Lake, 48 graves lie beneath the trees, marked by small stones. Paddlers and kayakers by the hundreds walk past on their way to the water, rarely pausing at the modest memorial. Few may…
Mysterious ghost-focused cult existed briefly in West Virginia in the 1850s
MOUNTAIN COVE, W.Va. — In a remote wilderness near the New River Gorge in what’s now West Virginia, a mysterious experiment in religion and community emerged in the early 1850s. Known as “Mountain Cove,” the short-lived settlement sought to bridge…
Praise the Lord, and pass the rattlesnakes! West Virginia’s fading snake handling tradition
JOLO, W.Va. — On a warm Sunday in late May 2012, a locally well-known Pentecostal pastor named Mack Wolford invited friends and family to what he billed as “a homecoming like the old days,” a day of music, prayer and the spiritual “signs” drawn from the King James…
McKinley Rock: The eerie stone face watching over Thurmond, West Virginia
THURMOND, W.Va. — High above the abandoned rail town of Thurmond, West Virginia, a weathered stone face gazes silently across the New River Gorge. Known as McKinley Rock, this haunting natural profile has been a source of local legend since its accidental creation in…
The Bustle Flag: How Martinsburg’s Unionist women defied the Confederacy
MARTINSBURG, W.Va — The prosperous manufacturing town of Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia, was thrust into turmoil at the outset of the Civil War, and its citizens had to decide where their allegiance lay. As the secession movement gathered steam in…
National Hunting and Fishing Day returns to Stonewall resort Sept. 6
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — National Hunting and Fishing Day 2025, the state’s largest annual celebration of hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation, will return to Stonewall Resort State Park in Roanoke, West Virginia, on Saturday, September 6. Hosted in partnership with…
Monument to coal baron in W.Va. hidden deep within New River Gorge
QUNNIMONT, W.Va. — The New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia is a treasure trove of sights, where forested mountain walls conceal ghost towns, industrial ruins, and lost historical gems. An overlooked monument in the gorge Some sights require…
The captivating West Virginia legend of Kanawha Falls and her daughters
GAULEY BRIDGE, W.Va. — Though beautiful, the following tale of Kanawha Falls in West Virginia may not have originated with the Shawnee, as its unknown author purported, but around the campfires where storytellers practiced their art. The tale appears to show up in no…
2024 fall turkey harvest up 17 percent in West Virginia, officials say
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunters in West Virginia harvested 17 percent more fall turkeys in 2024 than in 2023, according to officials at the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources. Division director Brett McMillion said the increase is evidence of the success of the…
Strange single-leafed orchid sprouts in winter woodlands in West Virginia
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Only the most sharp-eyed outdoor enthusiasts may have spotted this remarkable one-leafed orchid hiding in the West Virginia woodlands in winter. While most plants gather sunlight in the warm months, this remarkable denizen of the forest floor…
West Virginia stocks monstrous trophy-sized trout in 44 lakes, streams
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources stocked 44 lakes and streams with trout in late October, and anglers who take some of them are eligible for prizes. More than 35,000 pounds of trophy-size trout and 6,500 pounds of monster trout (100 of…
New River Gorge national park boosts popularity of W.Va. motorsports route
GAULEY BRIDGE, W.Va. — The global attention that one of America’s newest national parks has garnered is boosting interest in The Talon, an exceptional new motorsports route in southern West Virginia. The 18-mile stretch of two-lane US-60 that skirts the New…
Small game hunting, trapping seasons in West Virginia open Nov. 2, 2024
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hunting and trapping seasons for several small game and fur-bearing species in West Virginia will open on November 2, 2024. Brett McMillion, director of the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources, says the season represents the state’s…
Snowshoe Mountain ski resort to open 50th season Nov. 27, 2024
SLATYFORK, W.Va. — Snowshoe Mountain ski resort in West Virginia will open for its 50th anniversary on Nov. 27, weather permitting. The announcement follows the region’s first snowfall, which descended on the mountain, one of the highest peaks in the Allegheny…
W.Va. officials urge participation in early antlerless deer season
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia officials are urging hunters to participate in the state’s 2024 early antlerless deer firearms season, which will open Oct. 24–27. The early season is vital to the health of the state’s high deer population, says Brett…
W.Va. Gov. celebrates expanded access to Endless Wall hiking trail
LANSING, W.Va. — Gov. Jim Justice and other state and federal dignitaries cut the ribbon today on an expanded parking facility established to accommodate a boom in tourism sweeping the state. Justice and Chelsea Ruby, secretary of the W.Va. Department of Tourism,…
W.Va. announces fall trout stockings and return of Monster Trout Contest
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia will begin fall trout stockings during the weeks of Oct. 21 and 28, along with its third annual Monster Trout Contest. The W.Va. Dept. of Natural Resources will stock 35,000 pounds of trout weighing one to two pounds in 40 lakes and…
Pocahontas County to celebrate 50th anniversary of Allegheny Trail
GREEN BANK, W.Va.— More than 80 miles of the 311-mile Allegheny Trail wander through Pocahontas County in eastern West Virginia, a fact that the state’s outdoor recreation community will celebrate Sept. 6-8 at the Green Bank Observatory to mark the trail’s…
Officials unveil largest mountain bike trail project in W.Va. history
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — West Virginia officials have broken ground on the largest mountain bike trail project in state history. At Cacapon Resort State Park, a two-hour drive from downtown Washington, D.C., the $3.5 million project will add 35 miles of…
New River Gorge resort in W.Va. shares industry trends in diversity
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — From increases in diversity to an uptick in female groups, the outdoor adventure industry in the New River Gorge region in West Virginia has witnessed significant shifts in guest participation in recent years, according to an industry spokesman….
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West Virginia announces winners of 2025 West Virginia Big Buck Photo Contest
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources announced the winners of the 2025 West Virginia Big Buck Photo Contest during the opening ceremony of the West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Now in its…
Inside West Virginia’s National Radio Quiet Zone, where scientists listen to the universe
GREEN BANK, W.Va. — The universe is a strange place. And it is never truly silent. Across the vast darkness it whispers, in radio waves older than Earth, in particles carried on solar winds, in faint rhythms beating from stars long dead. If we listen carefully, we…
Is it more cost-effective to restore or rebuild in West Virginia downtowns?
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As communities across West Virginia consider options for aging buildings, one key question keeps coming up: Is it more cost-effective to demolish and rebuild or to restore what’s already there? According to real estate development consultant David…
WorkForce West Virginia to host Feb. 4 virtual job fair as employers seek workers
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As West Virginia employers continue to navigate a tight labor market, WorkForce West Virginia will host a statewide virtual hiring event on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to connect businesses with job seekers across the Mountain State. The online event will…