Southwest Virginia

In the 1940s and 50s, calling the doctor to come out to your house or heading to a hospital could be difficult in rural Virginia. So a lot of parents used old fashioned home remedies to treat their children’s’ ailments.

As part of our occasional oral history series, Robbie Harris has this look back.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought theater curtains down nationwide.

Some are now offering live performances online.  Others simply closed, but in southwestern Virginia one historic playhouse found a novel way to assure the show would go on. 

Southwest Virginia is rich with natural springs. People have long visited here for the mineral baths. But there’s also a long history of people who live here getting their drinking water from these natural springs.

But a new study finds 80% of springs surveyed are contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria.

It’s no secret the coal economy is changing, and as it declines, so do the livelihoods of people and families who’ve worked in the industry for generations. Now, coal states across the country are working together on a community driven, economic transition for the people and places where coal was once king.