3.05.2009

Take me Home, Country Roads.

I live here. Jealous?

Decades later, the state is still battling some of the core problems underlying those stereotypes. More than 40 percent of the state’s older adults are toothless—the highest rate in the nation, according to the CDC. Nearly a third of all adults have lost six or more teeth. And because the state's Medicaid and Medicare programs do not generally reimburse for dentures or routine care for adults, and rates of dental insurance are low, West Virginians often end up living without teeth or with painful decay that looks all too much like the plastic "hillbilly teeth" still sold for Halloween. Compounding both the image and health issues, the state has the nation's highest rate of chewing-tobacco use and is among the top three states for tobacco use in general. Meanwhile, Huntington has the less-than-stellar honor of being the nation's unhealthiest city—a place where 50 percent of adults are obese. And, while the high-school graduation rate (72 percent) is two points above the national average, close to a fifth of the state lives in poverty.

Another excerpt

The annual Road Kill Cook-Off in Pocahontas, for instance, features dishes you're unlikely to see at your local restaurant, including intestine-challenging "flat cat," "bumper bruised bear" and "deer schmear fajitas." The mere mention of it puts a hard edge in the governor's voice. "Are they still running that s––– down south?" he asks an aide in disbelief, before adding: "Well, I tell you what, if you see [the organizer], kill the son of a bitch."


You can read the whole article here.

There are some high points.

Thanks to Phil for the article.

No comments:

Post a Comment