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McDowell County, West Virginia
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About McDowell, WV

Population
Approximately 19,000 residents
County Seat
Welch, West Virginia
Coverage Area
535 square miles in southern West Virginia

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Business

McDowell EDA prepares sites to attract investment, support growth

McDowell EDA prepares sites to attract investment, support growth

The McDowell County EDA is coordinating site-preparation funding and planning support to ready land for private investme...

Sarah Chen2m read
Community

McDowell County Library in Welch keeps vital services amid strains

McDowell County Library in Welch keeps vital services amid strains

Welch's public library provides books, internet and local history while branch hours vary; these services matter for stu...

Marcus Williams2m read
Community

Tug Fork WMA remains vital outdoor resource for McDowell County

Tug Fork WMA remains vital outdoor resource for McDowell County

Tug Fork Wildlife Management Area provides hunting, hiking and wildlife viewing for McDowell residents; visitors must fo...

Marcus Williams2m read
Community

McDowell’s coal heritage draws tourists and highlights health equity gaps

McDowell’s coal heritage draws tourists and highlights health equity gaps

Historic mines, memorials, and Homer Hickam sites attract visitors while underscoring long-term health and economic chal...

Lisa Park2m read
Business

McDowell wins $75,000 Ready Sites grant to spur development

McDowell wins $75,000 Ready Sites grant to spur development

McDowell County received a $75,000 Ready Sites grant for pre-construction studies. The funding aims to make local sites ...

Sarah Chen2m read
Healthcare

Medicaid managed care debate could reshape McDowell health access

Medicaid managed care debate could reshape McDowell health access

State briefings reviewed changes to West Virginia Medicaid, a debate that will affect McDowell County clinics, behaviora...

Lisa Park2m read
Government

Northfork Residents Still Struggle With Unreliable Water Service

Northfork Residents Still Struggle With Unreliable Water Service

Longstanding problems with Northfork's aging town water system have left residents facing repeated boil-water advisories...

James Thompson2m read
Community

Free State of McDowell: How coal shaped county identity and policy

Free State of McDowell: How coal shaped county identity and policy

A recent feature traces McDowell's "Free State" nickname to coal-era diversity and shows why that history still shapes l...

Marcus Williams2m read
Government

Welch prepares connector to link Coalfields Expressway by 2027

Welch prepares connector to link Coalfields Expressway by 2027

Excavation is set to begin on a Welch connector route, bringing the Coalfields Expressway into McDowell County by fall 2...

James Thompson3m read
Education

McDowell Schools post head football coach opening at Mount View High

McDowell Schools post head football coach opening at Mount View High

McDowell County Schools posted a seasonal head football coach job at Mount View High on Jan. 11; the low stipend and cer...

Marcus Williams2m read
Education

McDowell County posts urgent head volleyball coach opening for Mount View

McDowell County posts urgent head volleyball coach opening for Mount View

McDowell County Schools posted a vacancy for a head volleyball coach at Mount View High; this affects fall middle school...

Sarah Chen2m read
Community

Rail Maintenance Will Close Multiple Crossings in McDowell County

Rail Maintenance Will Close Multiple Crossings in McDowell County

CSX and Southern Commercial Development will begin a rail maintenance project on Jan. 12, 2026, that will fully close ra...

Lisa Park2m read
Government

Mountaineer Heritage Hunt Opens Jan. 8-11 with Local Restrictions

Mountaineer Heritage Hunt Opens Jan. 8-11 with Local Restrictions

The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources opened the four-day Mountaineer Heritage Season Jan. 8, running through ...

Marcus Williams2m read
Community

Welch’s Longstanding Veterans Day Parade Anchors Community Identity and Needs

Welch’s Longstanding Veterans Day Parade Anchors Community Identity and Needs

Welch’s long-running Veterans Day Parade, one of the nation’s longest continuously held events of its kind, remains a ce...

Lisa Park2m read
Business

New Renaissance Village Housing Aims to Lure Teachers and Revive Downtown Welch

New Renaissance Village Housing Aims to Lure Teachers and Revive Downtown Welch

Renaissance Village, a multi-story mixed-use housing complex in downtown Welch, opened with the goal of providing low-ma...

Sarah Chen2m read
Government

Years of Tap Failures in Northfork Spur Phased Elkhorn Water Overhaul

Years of Tap Failures in Northfork Spur Phased Elkhorn Water Overhaul

Northfork residents have endured multi-year boil-water advisories and repeated weeks-long outages, prompting a phased re...

Marcus Williams2m read
Community

Kimball War Memorial Symbolizes McDowell County's Black Heritage and Loss

Kimball War Memorial Symbolizes McDowell County's Black Heritage and Loss

The Kimball War Memorial, dedicated in 1928 and among the nation’s earliest monuments to Black World War I veterans, sta...

Sarah Chen2m read
Government

Morrisey pushes permits reform to lure investment to McDowell

Morrisey pushes permits reform to lure investment to McDowell

Gov. Patrick Morrisey outlined permitting and infrastructure plans to boost investment and jobs in southern West Virgini...

James Thompson2m read
Government

PSC Sets Hearing on West Virginia-American Water Purchase

PSC Sets Hearing on West Virginia-American Water Purchase

The West Virginia Public Service Commission on Jan. 9 set a full procedural schedule and an evidentiary hearing for a co...

James Thompson2m read
Community

Panther State Forest: Vital Outdoor Resource for McDowell County Health

Panther State Forest: Vital Outdoor Resource for McDowell County Health

Panther State Forest, including the Panther Wildlife Management Area, encompasses roughly 7,810 acres of public land tha...

Lisa Park2m read
Community

McDowell sheriff urges vigilance on human trafficking awareness

McDowell sheriff urges vigilance on human trafficking awareness

Local law enforcement marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and urged residents to recognize and report signs ...

Marcus Williams2m read
Government

Broken Elevators at Elkhorn Towers Threaten Resident Safety in Welch

Broken Elevators at Elkhorn Towers Threaten Resident Safety in Welch

Elevators at the nine-story Elkhorn Towers in Welch repeatedly failed, leaving disabled and elderly residents unable to ...

Marcus Williams2m read
Government

McDowell County Commission Website Centralizes Documents, Public Contacts

McDowell County Commission Website Centralizes Documents, Public Contacts

The McDowell County Commission website now serves as the primary public portal for county notices, official contacts, pr...

James Thompson2m read
Government

Longest‑Serving West Virginia Senator Donna Boley Announces Retirement

Longest‑Serving West Virginia Senator Donna Boley Announces Retirement

Sen. Donna Boley (R‑Pleasants), the longest‑serving member of the West Virginia Senate with 41 continuous years, announc...

Marcus Williams2m read
Healthcare

Nearly $200 Million Federal Award Targets Rural Health Upgrades in West Virginia

Nearly $200 Million Federal Award Targets Rural Health Upgrades in West Virginia

West Virginia received a nearly $200 million federal award for 2026 through the Rural Health Transformation Fund, intend...

Lisa Park2m read
Government

Region I Publishes McDowell County Meeting Schedule to Boost Civic Access

Region I Publishes McDowell County Meeting Schedule to Boost Civic Access

The Region I Planning and Development Council has posted a centralized schedule of regular municipal and county meetings...

Marcus Williams2m read
Healthcare

Nearly $200 Million State Fund Targets Rural Health Care Gaps

Nearly $200 Million State Fund Targets Rural Health Care Gaps

State officials announced on Jan. 7 that nearly $200 million will be awarded through a Rural Health Transformation Fund ...

Lisa Park2m read
Government

McDowell Deputies Seek Woman Wanted on Multiple Charges

McDowell Deputies Seek Woman Wanted on Multiple Charges

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 6 issued a wanted notice for Courtney Fay Veselosky, sought on multiple fel...

James Thompson2m read
Community

Welch Nears Completion of Patriot Park to Honor Local Veterans

Welch Nears Completion of Patriot Park to Honor Local Veterans

The City of Welch is finishing Patriot Park at the Riverside Drive intersection, a new veterans memorial and public spac...

Sarah Chen2m read