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Charleston's West Side​

By Hope Talbert, Jed Sammons, Miles O'Reilly and Tara Suter

In the feverish heat of late spring, hundreds of people stand outside of the A More Excellent Way Life Center Church, braving the intense humidity just for the chance at something many take for granted – food. 
Picture of Andre Nazario, left, and his nephew Jamaal Davis

By Duncan Slade

On a recent weekday afternoon, over 200 students, parents, teachers and community members gathered in the West Side Middle School auditorium and experienced brief unplanned displays of the imagination of children in a comedy improv performance.

By Jed Sammons

In early April, the city of Charleston, West Virginia began imposing tougher fines on the owners of properties listed on the vacant structures registry. The city has added a $1,000 fine for properties that have been on the registry for six months on top of the previous $1,000 fine that was assessed at 12 months. Additionally, the $10 per day fine that was charged after a property was on the list for more than 12 months has jumped to $20.