At Mountain State Spotlight, we consistently hear that the topics on the minds of everyday West Virginians — parents, grandparents, students, business owners — were often a far cry from the issues that candidates have built their campaigns around. 

So in the lead-up to this year’s general election, we tried to get candidates on the record about where they stood on the issues that West Virginians told us mattered most to them. 

We asked 244 candidates to rate their level of agreement on statements relating to clean drinking water access, SNAP and Medicaid funding and data center oversight among other things. 

Only 65 of them responded. 

If your candidate’s answers are missing, it’s because they didn’t respond to our survey. There’s still time for us to add their responses! Reach out and ask them to email [contact@mountainstatespotlight.org](mailto:contact@mountainstatespotlight.org). 

If you’re a candidate and didn’t respond, it’s not too late to let voters in your district know where you stand. Just email us and your response will be added to our guide.

Read the full story here: https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2026/10/14/unresponsive-candidates/

It’s supposed to rain and we’re going there. I don’t think I wanna do the diamond point hike in the rain. Still gonna go to cathedral falls. What else can we do?

Our Lady of the Pines Church of Silver Lake, Preston County, West Virginia. A Lithuanian immigrant, Peter Milkint, erected the so-called “smallest church in 48 states” in 1958. At that time, it was a true claim—Alaska and Hawaii had not yet been annexed into the union. Accompanying the church is the “world’s smallest mailing office” at its rear, within which a sign soberly informs visitors that it is not a USPS office, just a “mailing office” and that the smallest post office is actually in Florida. Inside, there are a variety of postcards one can purchase (on the honor system that you leave a couple dollars).

The interior of the church itself is beautiful and reverent, contrasting sharply with the adorable and absurd nature of such a tiny church existing in the first place. It has Catholic iconography and themes, though I am unsure as to whether it is officially a Catholic chapel. Information about its original and current spiritual purpose is sparse, but folks tend to regard it more as a roadside attraction and “place of reflection” than as a worship space.

Let me know if y’all like my history/photography posts and I’ll do them more often, I usually keep them to instagram but I like the interactions on here!

A must on our annual trip to Davis in October, but never seen it gushing like this. Incredible!

A massive World War II factory once stood on Point Pleasant's outskirts. Now hidden in the woods, its concrete bunkers stored explosives manufactured for the American war effort.

https://wvexplorer.com/west-virginia-ordnance-works-mothman-tnt-area/

I am taking a very much needed break to Harpers Ferry area to recharge for a couple of days soon. I am definitely doing a little hiking in the area. I wanted to ask y'all if there are any waterfalls within 30-45 min drive of Harpers Ferry? I've been to the area several times to go tubing and I know there is a waterfall at one of the end points of tubing, but it's not an area you can just park and walk to, plus, there's a lot of people and I'm not a peoply person LOL.

While exploring street view in McDowell County, one thing I was surprised at was the amount of nice and new vehicles on the roads. There were many newer Ford F series pickup trucks as well as a lot of new economy cars like Mitsubishi Outlanders, Kia Rios, and Chevrolet Trax's. I was expecting the streets to be filled with old rust buckets but most of the cars seemed to be in good condition.

I also recently watched a report about a food pantry in the state and noticed many people were pulling up to the food pantry in late model crossovers.

I received a USPS notice that a signature is needed for a letter from the WV Tax Department. Freaking out. Anyone else have one of these? My husband and I filed together but only I received one.

I am the OP / OC

https://governor.wv.gov/article/governor-morrisey-announces-plan-preserve-historic-trees-former-clements-state-tree-nursery

Well, well, well. Look who suddenly has a plan for the American chestnuts at Clements Nursery. 🌰

Governor Morrisey, forgive me if a press release doesn’t reassure me. This is the same administration that promised West Virginia wouldn’t become a nuclear waste dumping ground, while its own April 2026 submission to the DOE discussed spent fuel storage, recycling, and even disposal.

Now that the public is asking questions, we’re told the trees will be RELOCATED in late 2027.

Relocated where? What guarantees they survive? Where’s the preservation agreement? When does the public see the plans?

📍 The image shows Clements Nursery at Lakin, Mason County, overlaid with Monarch’s rendering of its northern data center campus.
🟩 Green: the 126-acre nursery parcel, still listed under WVDNR on the county assessor’s site
🟥 Red: Monarch’s footprint, covering that parcel plus 1,000+ more acres
📌 Yellow: the chestnut grove on the east side of Route 62, near the marker for Mark Twain’s boyhood summers at his grandparents’ farm

Three miles downriver at Camp Conley, Monarch’s southern campus clearing has already done serious damage.

Together, we’ve delayed the bulldozing at Lakin. That’s a win, but it’s not enough. A delay isn’t protection.

We’re working alongside other concerned West Virginians filing FOIA requests, and with NPR WV, to get answers. Responses are due by October 23, and we look forward to comparing those records to today’s announcement.

Transparency shouldn’t take FOIAs and public outrage. And Patty, trust isn’t announced at a podium. It’s earned.

Some folks need relocating in 2027, and it isn’t the chestnuts. 🗳️

That treetop apartment is sounding better every day.

#SaveClements #AmericanChestnut #WestVirginia #RightToKnow #DataCenters

Looking to speak to Reading Specialists or Early Elementary who teach at West Virginia schools. Will be great if you could connect me to one.

I realize that West Virginia has low NAEP grade 4 reading scores. I am trying to understand how could we change that.

Hey everyone! My spouse and I are visiting Harpers Ferry for Halloween weekend (Fri Oct 30 – Sun Nov 1) and we're stuck on lodging.

We're coming in by Amtrak Friday morning and won't have a car, so we need something walkable to Lower Town / the station area. We've checked the usual inns online and everything shows fully booked for that weekend.

A couple of questions for the locals:

- Do any of the hotels or B&Bs hold rooms back from the online calendars ?
- Any guesthouses, rooms, or lesser-known spots within walking distance you'd recommend?
- Open to Airbnb too, if anyone has a favorite walkable listing.

Trying to keep the weekend reasonably budgeted. And happy to take any Halloween weekend tips — the ghost tour is already on our list!

Thanks in advance

anyone been near/around seneca rocks in the last day or so? Was debating a day trip down tomorrow to hike it but my drive is about 3 hours one way so I want to know if the fall colors are really showing or not yet. was considering starting right before sunrise too for some morning golden hour! thanks!!

Hey everyone, I'm planning a hike at Harpers Ferry soon and want to get to the Maryland Heights trail via the footbridge over the Potomac. I saw the stairway at the Byron Bridge was closed for construction starting in late July, with a shuttle running to Lock 34.
Has anyone been recently? Is the bridge and stairway open again, or is the shuttle still running? Any tips on parking or other options if it's still closed would be great too.
Thanks!

Welcome to the weekly r/WestVirginia classifieds thread.

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I'm from Marion, VA so I'm semi-local. My parents and husband and I made a day trip to see the Green Bank Telescope. Did the tour, which was so awesome. I have never been to this part of the state and I'm absolutely enamored! On the way there, we hopped off of I64 in White Sulphur Springs and stayed on highway 92 the whole way to the GBT. That drive might be the most beautiful drive I've ever taken! That highway just travels along this enormous wide valley with luscious, green grassy fields as far as the eye can see with barns, cows and picturesque old farm houses the entire way. Much of the road was covered by tree canopies. Ugh! It was unbelievably beautiful. The GBT is no exception.

On the way back, we went through Cass, ate at Shay's diner there and headed up the mountain to Snowshoe. And wow was that a treat. Just a small town on the top of a mountain. Those views up there are something unreal!!

On the way back we traveled highway 219 to Lewisburg before hopping back on I64. That is, again, such a beautiful drive. It crosses over several mountain passes, which I think are fun and obviously beautiful.

Beware - if you aren't screeching tires at near-rollover speeds on every curve, you're going too slow and you'll be aggressively tailgated. And I'm a pretty spirited driver, but a RAV4 is a RAV4. Highway 92 was absolutely dead but highway 219 was awful for intimidating tailgaters.

Anyways - the entire area was beautiful every single inch of the way. It was not as enjoyable on the way back due to the tailgaters, but it was so very beautiful nonetheless. Truly an amazing part of the state.

I think I'm gonna come back that way soon and spend the night somewhere that way the trip isn't so rushed (was 7 hours round trip). Probably bring my Infiniti that way I can outrun the butt chewers on the curves and hit some of the multiple state parks on highway 219.

Beautiful, beautiful area with postcard scenery everywhere ya look. I was thoroughly shocked with how gorgeous it all was.