Today’s the last day for you to help @mtnstspotlight deliver West Virginians the accountability reporting they need.

Donate to our end-of-year campaign - donations up to $1K are matched - until midnight!
/ 1…tainstatespotlight.fundjournalism.org/donate/?campai… We’re not just pointing out problems. We tell you about solutions to West Virginia’s challenges, like ways lawmakers could improve conditions in the state’s jails
/ 2mountainstatespotlight.org/2023/12/05/wes…

Yesterday, @wvgov Jim Justice announced a run for the Senate, seeking the GOP nomination for the seat currently held by @Sen_JoeManchin.
It’s sure to be a bigger stage for Justice, and for the business practices that we’ve covered in detail. propublica.org/series/big-jim / 1 @wvgov @Sen_JoeManchin Justice inherited a coal fortune & expanded to an empire that includes resorts & agricultural interests. But he’s been hounded by allegations of unpaid bills, delinquent taxes & late payments of environmental & workplace safety fines.
propublica.org/article/the-bi… / 2

Coalfield residents & environmental groups have warned over and over that the coal industry would use bankruptcies to escape paying for its legacy liabilities, especially cleaning up scarred hillsides and polluted streams.

Our new analysis shows they were right. / 1 Reporting with @propublica, @mtnstspotlight found that bankruptcy — meant to give a clean financial slate — had created an easy path for companies looking to ditch their liabilities. / 2
mountainstatespotlight.org/2023/04/26/wes…

As the business model for legacy media has eroded, news organizations have reluctantly pulled back coverage of areas like West Virginia’s small towns and rural communities. At @mtnstspotlight, we are doing the opposite. /1 @mtnstspotlight We are increasing our travel budget. In the last month alone, we’ve had reporters in Davis, Parkersburg, Marlinton, Madison, Bridgeport and Beckley. /2

This week @Sen_JoeManchin seems to have tanked the Build Back Better bill. He said the bill is determined to “reshape American society.” Indeed it has a lot of environmental justice initiatives.

So let’s talk about the toxic pollution risks Black West Virginians face. THREAD: @Sen_JoeManchin Build Back Better includes $162 million in environmental justice initiatives, to clean up legacy pollution, monitor emissions, provide job training and affordable housing in communities that have largely been left behind by systemic inequities. ajustclimate.org/pressrelease.h… / 2

Appreciated this chance to talk about West Virginia and this new @mtnstspotlight/@propublica piece out this morning:

mountainstatespotlight.org/2021/12/21/bla…

https://twitter.com/MichaelHillNJ/status/1473255916396900356

The Build Back Better bill contains huge investments in environmental justice initiatives to help communities like Institute, WV, which we profiled in this part of the @propublica series on toxic air pollution propublica.org/series/sacrifi…

theatlantic.com/health/archive… Great quote from my friend @gregggonsalves

“The weaknesses were in the rootstock, not high up in the trees.”

For good reason, this @wvlegislature resolution asking @POTUS to give West Virginia $8 billion for abandoned mine reclamation is getting some attention wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bi… /1 There’s a big need for this funding in places like West Virginia, where residents live with the aftermath of a century of coal mining damage. Best recent report detailing the need comes from @O_R_V_I ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/reports/cleani… /2

Easy to grow tired of national political stories about @Sen_JoeManchin but when @eosnos does the reporting and writing, it's worth your time:

newyorker.com/magazine/2021/… "Manchin’s power is forcing Democrats to expand their focus on systemic inequities to encompass places like West Virginia, where substandard schools, high poverty, and distrust of government helped fuel radical conservatism."

Hard year. But feel privileged, grateful for family and friends, tremendous support from community & journalism world for challenges we took on /1 Endings and beginnings. Lost a dear family member. Left a job I loved.

But helped launch a local news organization, @mtnstspotlight, amidst a global pandemic
mountainstatespotlight.org /2

Thanks to @appodlachia listeners for voting @mtnstspotlight as Appalachian Online Creator of the Year.

https://twitter.com/appodlachia/status/1343913989995196416

Check out our website:

mountainstatespotlight.org

As the sun came up over West Virginia's Kanawha Valley after a scary night, thinking of chemical plant workers and their families .. a thread … /1 Neighbors with questions about a horrible explosion. Finding answers. Whether we’ve learned anything after going through this time and again. /2

wvgazettemail.com/news/energy_an…

Does today's @mtnstspotlight-@propublica story about the Mountain Valley Pipeline sound familiar?

mountainstatespotlight.org/2020/12/08/fed…

It should. It's not the first time we've found regulators relaxing rules for this and other pipeline projects. /1 Here's one I worked on with @KateMishkin and @thebeenster

propublica.org/article/west-v…

Investigative reporter @EricEyre wrote the book on how drug firms fueled West Virginia's opioid crisis.

Now, he writes for @mtnstspotlight. Read his new story:

mountainstatespotlight.org/2020/09/25/as-… Get the book, "Death in Mudlick."

ericeyrebook.com

The @propublica Local Reporting Network fire hose is on wide open setting ... first this:

propublica.org/article/he-wan… Then this:

propublica.org/article/new-je…

Part 2 of @LaurenMPeace's examination of COVID-19 nursing home deaths in West Virginia:

mountainstatespotlight.org/2020/09/23/nur… Read part 1 of this @mtnstspotlight report by @LaurenMPeace

mountainstatespotlight.org/2020/09/22/ins…

So, yeah ... we created a thing:

mountainstatespotlight.org Your people.

A team dedicated to telling important stories about West Virginia, holding powerful interests accountable, giving our neighbors the journalism they need.

mountainstatespotlight.org/welcome/

Here is the story @WVGovernor is talking about:

mountainstatespotlight.org/2020/09/18/the…

https://twitter.com/PhilKabler/status/1306990614769090561

Support @mtnstspotlight and our work to hold powerful institutions and people accountable and give West Virginians the journalism the need:

checkout.fundjournalism.org/memberform?cam…

Thanks to the folks at @Register_Herald for republishing our @mtnstspotlight-@propublica story about @WVGovernor

…gister-herald-cnhi-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=0923f… You can ask your local paper or other media outlet in West Virginia to republish @mtnstspotlight stories, too.

Here's all we ask: mountainstatespotlight.org/republish/

We believe that all West Virginians should have access to the journalism they need.

Enter Mountain State Spotlight

mountainstatespotlight.org A little bit about our story and this fantastic team

mountainstatespotlight.org/welcome/

Public employees working behind the scenes to help a major state industry ... seems somehow familiar ... great @propublica story with @Oregonian @OPB

propublica.org/article/what-h… This:

"Then, Locke, a public employee, offered to help a timber lobbyist draft a counterargument “those of us in the industry can use.” "

Can't help but think of a long ago head of @DEPWV ...