I’ve been meaning to call attention to this new online West Virginia site. If you live in the Wheeling area, for example, this story ought to get your attention:

"What does it look like when a hospital closes? The impact I see has caused death,” said Scott Pelley.

Here's what happened when the Ohio Valley Medical Center closed in Wheeling, taking with it one of the city's behavioral health units. https://t.co/v3yg8Uqif4 pic.twitter.com/ofmvL0OvMS

— Mountain State Spotlight (@mtnstspotlight) October 15, 2020

They are calling themselves Mountain State Spotlight. Here is their mission statement:

Our mission is to help West Virginians improve their state by producing “sustained outrage” journalism that exposes abuses of power by government, business and other institutions.

If you read the old Charleston Gazette, you’ll recognize the “sustained outrage” phrase which powered its journalism for many years. Not surprisingly, a number of their writers come from the old Gazette including Ken Ward, who I consider to be one of the best energy writers in the country, and Eric Eyre, who won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for his work on opioids in West Virginia.

What is it?

Mountain State Spotlight is an independent, civic news organization that tells stories of importance to West Virginians about the issues and challenges facing their communities.

With a team of seasoned editors and aggressive reporters, we will produce journalism that exposes abuses of power by government, business and other institutions, and keeps after the story until positive changes are made. We will explain complex issues, and illustrate how public policy decisions affect real West Virginians. We will lift up the voices of those who might not otherwise be heard.

Check them out, bookmark them, and consider sending them a few bucks.