West Virginia
This Small Town in West Virginia Is One of the Quietest Places in the Country
When planning a trip to Green Bank, West Virginia, local experts will remind you to download or print a map well before entering the city limits of the three square-mile town, population: 141. That’s because this tiny, idyllic village, nestled in the Allegheny Mountains, is at the heart of the National Radio Quiet Zone—an area where radio transmission, which includes cellular service and wi-fi—are restricted by law. So if you’re looking for the quietest place in the country, you’ve come to the right place.
For those who live in or visit the 13,000 square-mile National Radio Quiet Zone, peace and solitude are at the top of the list of priorities. And in Green Bank, it isn’t enough that cellphones, wireless devices, electric toothbrushes, microwaves (they’re responsible for electromagnetic current generation) and other vestiges of the 21st century are effectively disabled—they’re seriously banned. A so-called radio policeman uses special equipment to detect any and all signs of unauthorized and unregistered electronic devices.
The enforcement of silence isn’t simply a gimmick; rather, it’s all in service of the Green Bank Telescope, the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world and key to scientists’ attempts to discover signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. The telescope is also credited with a number of key discoveries, including the largest neutron star ever found in 2019. Because the Allegheny mountains protect the telescope from radio interference outside of Green Bank, the instrument is one of the most sensitive and well-positioned to listen (and observe) in the world.
While the town has long attracted scientists, academics, and researchers, it has also become a mecca for those looking for an escape from noise pollution and the seemingly unending buzz of modern-day life. Green Bank, after all, takes unplugging to a new level.
The most obvious attraction is the Green Bank Observatory, whose sheer size is enough to warrant significant marveling at the scientific achievements of recent years (though the fact that it can hear a star dying is pretty cool, too). That said, there are also natural wonders to behold within the Allegheny, with a multitude of hikes and trails readily available in and around Green Bank. But perhaps most precious and inimitable of all the attractions in Green Bank is the opportunity to truly hear the world as it may have sounded long before humans began to walk the Earth, and just maybe, experience a few square miles as they ought to have been.
Drive Time to Green Bank, West Virginia:
About 4 hours from Washington DC
Where to Eat in Green Bank, West Virginia:
For a truly unique dining experience, check out the Starlight Cafe within the Green Bank Observatory. The menu is simple with pizzas, subs, hot dogs, and chips, but the real draw is the location. Naturally, you won’t be able to pay with your phone or credit card, so best to have cash handy here (and just about anywhere in town).
Where to Stay in Green Bank, West Virginia:
Given that the town itself is only three square miles, it goes without saying that hotels are hard to come by in Green Bank proper. That said, 20 minutes south you can find the Mountain Quest Inn, situated in the Monongahela National Forest on an old 1905 farm, and offering free breakfast. Alternatively, head 30 minutes west to the Corduroy Inn and Lodge, with views of the Whistlepunk ski trail, and just 10 miles from Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
Where to Have Morning Coffee in Green Bank, West Virginia:
Trent’s General Store offers basic groceries and caffeine needs, as does Henry’s Quick Stop, a gas station-cum-local watering hole that offers coffee, donuts, and other small town necessities. You’ll likely run into several of the town’s few denizens while inside.
West Virginia
Diversion and youth prevention are a focus of West Virginia's initial opioid settlement awards
Child advocacy centers, recovery housing and diversion programs in West Virginia will receive grants as part of the initial round of $10.4 million distributed by the nonprofit allocating opioid settlement funds in the U.S. state with the highest overdose rate.
The West Virginia First Foundation announced funding Monday for 38 programs across six regions of the state representing “a crucial step in addressing the epidemic with both urgency and care,” Executive Director Jonathan Board said.
The proposals were chosen from 174 applications received by the foundation for funding this year for an initial round of around $19.2 million in grants. Foundation officials say they plan to disperse around $8.8 million in supplemental awards to organizations that weren’t selected for the first round, under the requirement that they make adjustments and reapply.
A total of 11 organizations will receive money for youth substance use prevention and workforce development, with the largest share — $442,800 — going to support Seed Sower, Inc. in the southern West Virginia counties of Fayette, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Nicholas, Webster, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Mercer, Wyoming and McDowell. Ten county commissions, local police departments and other organizations received funding for programs to divert individuals from the criminal justice system and provide them with support and treatment with the largest sum — around $625,650 — going to the Berkeley County Diversion and Interdiction Project.
Seven organizations were granted funding for expanding access to transitional and recovery housing, with Southern WV Fellowship Home, Inc. receiving the largest share, $658,800. Ten child advocacy centers across the state are receiving funding, including North Star Child Advocacy Center in Parkersburg, which will receive $720,000 to expand operations.
“The holidays can be a challenging time for many, and we hope this announcement reinforces a message of hope, recovery, and progress for West Virginia communities,” said Matt Harvey, the foundation’s board chair and prosecuting attorney in Jefferson County.
Officials from 55 West Virginia counties signed on to a memorandum of understanding that allows money to be funneled through the West Virginia First Foundation and dictates how it can be spent. The state Legislature and Gov. Jim Justice gave it the green light earlier this year.
According to the agreement, the foundation is responsible for distributing just under three-quarters of the settlement money. Around a quarter will go directly to local communities and 3% will remain in trust.
The state is receiving money from each of its settlement agreements on a staggered schedule, with annual payments coming until at least 2036. The private foundation alone is expected to receive around $367 million over the next five years.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) announced that annual hunting, trapping and fishing licenses and stamps for the 2025 seasons are now available for purchase online at WVhunt.com.
“A West Virginia hunting and fishing license is your ticket to unforgettable adventures in the Mountain State,” said WVDNR Director Brett McMillion. “Whether you’re renewing your annual license and stamps or purchasing a lifetime license for your kids or grandkids, buying your hunting, trapping and fishing licenses and stamps has never been more convenient.”
Annual hunting, trapping and fishing licenses and stamps are valid for the calendar year and may be purchased online at WVhunt.com. To learn more about the WVDNR’s 2025 license products, visit WVdnr.gov/2025-license-guide.
WVDNR Promotes Gift the Outdoors Holiday Guide
In addition to encouraging hunters, trappers and anglers to renew their 2025 licenses and stamps early, the WVDNR is promoting digital gift certificates, online lifetime licenses and collectible license cards as part of its annual Gift the Outdoors holiday campaign.
The gift guide includes the following hunting, fishing and outdoors-related gift ideas:
- WVDNR Gift Certificates: Can be used to purchase licenses stamps and other hunting and fishing privileges.
- West Virginia Lifetime Licenses: A timeless gift for children and grandchildren providing a lifetime of hunting and fishing adventures.
- Wonderful West Virginia Magazine Subscriptions: This flagship publication of the WVDNR features immersive storytelling and breathtaking photos that celebrate the natural beauty of West Virginia.
To learn more about these holiday gift options, visit WVdnr.gov/gift-2024.
West Virginia has added a commitment from Eastern Michigan wide receiver transfer Oran Singleton.
Singleton is coming off a season where he hauled in 64 catches for 639 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had 23 rushing yards on 6 carries.
The Florida native started his career at Akron but transferred to Hutchinson C.C.
He has one year of eligibility remaining in his career.
WVSports.com will have more with Singleton in the near future.
The Massive Texas Restaurant That Can Serve 2,500 People At Once – Chowhound
Alabama can’t replace food stamps lost to theft, scams after congressional authorization expires
Alaskan-named snowplows revealed by state
How air pollution plays a role during Arizona’s deadliest months of the year
Applications available to catch gar | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Read the Full Matt Gaetz Report from the House Ethics Committee
GOP congressman charges Biden administration's foreign policy 'left the world in a worse off place'
Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital director pleads for help before it’s ‘too late’
What’s next for alleged CEO shooter Luigi Mangione after he pleads not guilty
Video: Our Photographer’s Look Inside New York’s Migrant Shelters
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789444/1258459915.jpg "OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change")
Technology1 week agoOpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says the way AI is built is about to change
-
Politics1 week agoU.S. Supreme Court will decide if oil industry may sue to block California's zero-emissions goal
-
Business1 week agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")
Technology1 week agoMeta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age
-
News1 week agoEast’s wintry mix could make travel dicey. And yes, that was a tornado in Calif.
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
Technology3 days agoGoogle’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps
-
Politics4 days agoIllegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country five times
-
News4 days agoNovo Nordisk shares tumble as weight-loss drug trial data disappoints