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We Mapped Rural Data Center Development – and Opposition. Here’s What We Found
Though the majority of data centers are located in urban or suburban areas, rural communities face unique challenges in the data center development landscape.
Muskingum: The End of an Island Refuge’s Fossil Fuel Legacy
Throughout the Ohio River island’s history, flora and fauna have reacted and adjusted to human development like oil and gas wells. As humans abandoned the infrastructure, they’ve reclaimed their space.
Grammy Award-Winning Musician Tim O’Brien and the Next Generation of Appalachian Bluegrass
“Music kind of creates a community, and it’s an exalted position to be up on a stage and to be part of the thing that brings people together,” O’Brien said.
They Needed Treatment for Drug Addiction. The Company They Turned to May Have Used Them to Commit Fraud.
Many credit Addiction Recovery Care with playing a key role in their sobriety. But most also said they felt betrayed by the organization.
Q&A: The Photographer Documenting Appalachian Poverty, And Resilience
Maddie McGarvey has spent her career photographing rural Appalachia. She says she wants to bear witness to the struggle and resilience in forgotten pockets of the nation.
The AI Boom Has Plunged a Small Pennsylvania Town Into Chaos
“This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist’s weekly newsletter here.” “I don’t like to see anyone upset,” said Nick Farris of Provident Real Estate Advisors. He was sitting in the front of a crowd of roughly 150 inside Valley View High […]
As Federal Immigration Agents Descended on Minneapolis, Residents Deployed Mutual Aid to Protect Their Neighbors
Like neighbors mucking-out flooded basements in McDowell County, to public showings of solidarity across the rust belt, to miners striking in the 1920s — Minneapolis is leading in the long grassroots tradition of mutual aid to protect their community from the inside out.
More ICE Detainees Ordered Released by West Virginia Judges: ‘A Threat to Anyone’s Constitutional Rights is a Threat to Us All’
Three different federal judges have ordered four more immigrants picked up in January’s ICE raids released on constitutional grounds
In Virginia, People in Prison are Still Working For Pennies
Most U.S. states still allow prisons to pay people incarcerated there subminimum wage for their labor.
Are Data Centers the Next Frontier of Extraction in West Virginia?
Mingo County, West Virginia, was once thriving, but the coal industry’s decline left it one of the poorest counties in the US. Now, several data centers could be built in the region. Are data centers a new extractive industry, or will they provide a much-needed […]
Politics
As Federal Immigration Agents Descended on Minneapolis, Residents Deployed Mutual Aid to Protect Their Neighbors
Like neighbors mucking-out flooded basements in McDowell County, to public showings of solidarity across the rust belt, to miners striking in the 1920s — Minneapolis is leading in the long grassroots tradition of mutual aid to protect their community from the inside out.
More ICE Detainees Ordered Released by West Virginia Judges: ‘A Threat to Anyone’s Constitutional Rights is a Threat to Us All’
Three different federal judges have ordered four more immigrants picked up in January’s ICE raids released on constitutional grounds
The New Power Brokers: Big Tech, State Lawmakers, and the Grid
As opposition to data centers mounts locally in communities across the country, the decisive fights over AI’s infrastructure are unfolding in state legislatures.
Politically-Connected W.Va. GameChanger Program Receives Opioid Funds Amid Doubts from Experts
On a Tuesday afternoon, Michelle Allen is in her office in an empty Robert C. Byrd High School. Allen is the career and technical instructor at RCB and also runs GameChanger, the school’s prevention education club. In an empty classroom, Allen walks over to a […]
W.Va. Opioid Settlement Funds are Supposed to Reverse Years of Crisis. In Several Counties, They’re Being Used to Pay Regional Jail Bills.
In rural Wyoming County, West Virginia, Ann Reed is the sheriff’s department’s only social worker. Funded through a temporary grant from a local mental health center, Reed provides resources and care to individuals who experience substance use disorder on a daily basis. She assists the […]
W.Va. Counties Set the Rules for Opioid Funds — with No One Watching
For two hours every Thursday and Friday, Randall Brown gathers a handful of people in front of a whiteboard. They sit on a couch or armchairs on either side – the walls filled with colorful drawings while coffee brews in a nearby pot. These are […]
‘Not in the Political Appetite’: Despite Decades of Research, W.Va. Counties are not Spending Their Opioid Settlement Millions on Harm Reduction
On a warm summer day in late May, about 100 people are waiting for their turn to go inside the Neighborhood S.H.O.P., located in the annex of Bream Memorial Presbyterian Church on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia. Inside the S.H.O.P. – which stands […]
Mid-Ohio Valley Group Blends Religion, Politics to Affect Policy in Ohio and West Virginia
Quietly, over the past 15 years, small group Bible-study-style gatherings near Parkersburg, W.Va. have formed the foundation for a movement that punches above its weight in terms of political influence.
Day One: The Inauguration
On Jan. 20, tens of thousands of people flooded Washington, D.C. to watch the pomp and circumstance of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Local law enforcement agencies estimated that more than 200,000 people had tickets to the inauguration. This turnout follows an election where Trump […]
Inside Election Night As A Student Journalist
Student journalists with The Post, an independent, award-winning, student-run news publication on Ohio University, take readers inside covering election night.
Officials: Storm Damage, Misinformation Threaten North Carolina’s Election Integrity
Appalachian communities are still reeling from the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene. More than 230 people have died. Homes have washed away. And with major interstates likely to remain closed for months, many folks are struggling to access basic necessities. And while addressing immediate survival […]
In Appalachia’s Battleground States, Election Officials Worry About Cyber Security, Physical Threats and Misinformation
“Everything is a concern” when it comes to election security, according to the elections director in North Carolina.
Appalachia’s Young Voters Could Impact the 2024 Election
Although many feel apathetic about voting or lack the resources needed to cast a ballot, in some places, momentum is building among Appalachian youth.
Young Appalachians Want Better Intergenerational Political Conversations
Many young Appalachians, regardless of later political affiliation, can recall the childhood moments they learned how free they were to voice their own thoughts about contentious topics with family members. Julia Pritt, 24, originally from Hurricane, West Virginia, recalled her excitement the week gay marriage […]
The Number of White Nationalist Groups in Appalachia Is Rising — and the Surge Could Have Implications for Democracy
The number of white nationalist groups operating in Appalachia has increased, according to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The rise coincides with a national surge of far-right, anti-government and anti-LGBTQ+ groups, which the SPLC warns could undermine democracy heading into the […]
Not Just Coastal Elites: Here’s How Three Rust Belt Colleges Protested Israel’s War in Gaza
Originally published on June 2, 2024. Republished with permission from The Intercept, an award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism. Sign up for The Intercept’s Newsletter. Much of the national conversation around student protests against Israel’s war on […]
What My Appalachian Roots Taught Me About Union Organizing
Growing up less than a mile away from the site of the 1892 Homestead strike in Pittsburgh, a steadfast union city, I never thought my first picket line would be in Washington, D.C. On December 7, 2023, I spent my lunch break on the picket […]
W. Va. Bill Poses Legal Challenges for Faith-based Immigrant Services
Religious leaders say that a bill passed by the West Virginia House of Delegates this week could criminalize faith-based groups that provide assistance to undocumented immigrants. HB 5031 changes the definition of “human smuggling” in state code to transporting or harboring individuals who are known […]
Culture
Grammy Award-Winning Musician Tim O’Brien and the Next Generation of Appalachian Bluegrass
“Music kind of creates a community, and it’s an exalted position to be up on a stage and to be part of the thing that brings people together,” O’Brien said.
Fasnacht in Helvetia, West Virginia
After 58 years, Helvetia’s Fasnacht celebration continues to stand as a testament to the Swiss roots of its earliest participants, while also becoming part of a uniquely Appalachian tradition.
For My Indian-American family, West Virginia Will Always Be Home
“West Virginia” is never what people are looking for when they ask where my family is from. The first week of January, my dad and I drove five hours from our house in North Carolina to visit his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, for a […]
When Your Appalachian Music Roots Show Up on the National Stage, A Reflection on the Whizzbanger’s Ball
If there’s anything to be said about the inaugural Whizzbanger’s Ball at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia, it’s that it served as a long-awaited point of intersection for many. During William Matheny’s Saturday afternoon set, the guitarist, songwriter and frontman cracked […]
In North Carolina, A Sanctuary for Local Songwriters Emerges: The East Boone Listening Room
It’s 6:30 p.m. on a Friday night in Boone, North Carolina, and a hush falls over the East Boone Listening Room. “We spent many years trying to find a space like this in town,” says artist and songwriter Sarah DeShields. Boone, which is home to […]
Photo Essay: Exploring Trans and Queer Identity through Appalachian, Christian Iconography
As a queer and gender-nonconforming person navigating life in a region deeply entrenched in Christianity, I find myself straddling two worlds. While I don’t hold any religious beliefs, I cannot deny the profound impact that Appalachian and Deep Southern Christianity have on the queer experience. […]
Health
They Needed Treatment for Drug Addiction. The Company They Turned to May Have Used Them to Commit Fraud.
Many credit Addiction Recovery Care with playing a key role in their sobriety. But most also said they felt betrayed by the organization.
In Kanawha County, WV, Opioid Settlement Funding for Syringe Services Faces Barriers
In the early afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 17, emergency rooms in Charleston, West Virginia, began experiencing an influx of people in the throes of a drug overdose. By the following morning, some three dozen overdoses had been reported, many resulting in hospitalization and intubation. Emergency […]
Politically-Connected W.Va. GameChanger Program Receives Opioid Funds Amid Doubts from Experts
On a Tuesday afternoon, Michelle Allen is in her office in an empty Robert C. Byrd High School. Allen is the career and technical instructor at RCB and also runs GameChanger, the school’s prevention education club. In an empty classroom, Allen walks over to a […]
W.Va. Opioid Settlement Funds are Supposed to Reverse Years of Crisis. In Several Counties, They’re Being Used to Pay Regional Jail Bills.
In rural Wyoming County, West Virginia, Ann Reed is the sheriff’s department’s only social worker. Funded through a temporary grant from a local mental health center, Reed provides resources and care to individuals who experience substance use disorder on a daily basis. She assists the […]
W.Va. Counties Set the Rules for Opioid Funds — with No One Watching
For two hours every Thursday and Friday, Randall Brown gathers a handful of people in front of a whiteboard. They sit on a couch or armchairs on either side – the walls filled with colorful drawings while coffee brews in a nearby pot. These are […]
‘Not in the Political Appetite’: Despite Decades of Research, W.Va. Counties are not Spending Their Opioid Settlement Millions on Harm Reduction
On a warm summer day in late May, about 100 people are waiting for their turn to go inside the Neighborhood S.H.O.P., located in the annex of Bream Memorial Presbyterian Church on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia. Inside the S.H.O.P. – which stands […]
In Push to ‘Make Appalachia Healthy Again,’ Some Big Barriers to Health Go Ignored
West Virginia consistently ranks at or near the bottom among states for health outcomes. But despite a new focus on health, officials aren’t addressing the everyday barriers to healthy living.
In North Carolina, Helene’s Destruction Underscores the Value of Homegrown Rural Health Care
In a region where many suffer from chronic conditions that require long-term medical care, cultural awareness can help provide a a firm foundation for doctor-patient relationships.
Reclaiming and Revitalizing Resources in West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields
The demand for clean water in McDowell County is but one element of a groundswell of community-based activism to reclaim and revitalize resources.
In West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields, a Grassroots ‘Jubilee’
Davis and Ware want to use the church that once divided McDowell County into miners and management to reclaim what has been taken from them.
‘Life-changing Support’: In Rural North Carolina, a Program for Treatment of Substance Use Disorder Through Pregnancy and Beyond Offers Care and Counters Stigma
Project CARA works to get people into care and support them — with a goal of better outcomes for both the babies and their parents.
Meet a Doctor Inside a W.Va. Crisis Support Center Who Relies on Hope in Recovery
At the West Virginia University Crisis Support and Recovery Center, the staff takes hope seriously. H-O-P-E is even spelled out in the steel railing inside their living quarters.
Healthcare is Human: A Nurse on the Frontlines of an Addiction Crisis
Angie Gray has spent her entire career in public health nursing and says she knew long ago that West Virginia was vulnerable to many public health issues. Substance use disorder was becoming a problem in West Virginia as she advanced in her career, and its […]
Finding Solace in Stories: How Narrative Medicine Transformed an Appalachian Doctor’s Practice
In the 1990s when I started medical school, nobody warned me how my job was going to hurt me emotionally. Maybe it’s better they didn’t, as I might have been scared away. I must admit, there were a few omens I foolishly ignored early on. […]
Environment
Muskingum: The End of an Island Refuge’s Fossil Fuel Legacy
Throughout the Ohio River island’s history, flora and fauna have reacted and adjusted to human development like oil and gas wells. As humans abandoned the infrastructure, they’ve reclaimed their space.
Are Data Centers the Next Frontier of Extraction in West Virginia?
Mingo County, West Virginia, was once thriving, but the coal industry’s decline left it one of the poorest counties in the US. Now, several data centers could be built in the region. Are data centers a new extractive industry, or will they provide a much-needed […]
‘Hell or High Water’: Southern W.Va. Three Weeks After the Flood
On February 15, 2025, a catastrophic flood ravaged McDowell County, West Virginia, and much of the state’s southern coalfields. At least three people were reported dead due to the flash flooding, with dozens more reported missing and more than 700 rescued. Damage to housing and […]
What Arabia Can Teach Appalachia About Floods
Yemen is probably not the first place one thinks of when thinking of Appalachia and its damaging flooding. But maybe it should be.
The Green Smelter: Century Aluminum Promises Kentucky’s Next Big Economic Boost, But with Some Risk
In the 1980s, in the United States, coal and aluminum production were each thriving industries. The production of primary aluminum depended, at that time, on plentiful, inexpensive coal – and the rich mines of Appalachia supplied it. Coal production in Kentucky reached a peak in […]
From Flooding to Fires: Appalachia’s Recreation Industry Faces Climate Change Challenges
The impacts of climate change are steadily and exponentially being felt here in Appalachia just as they have across the globe, and environmental activists, scientists and outdoor enthusiasts alike find themselves in a race to counter the climate curve in the region. The discussions in […]
Religion
‘In the Boat Together’: Post-Helene, Faith Communities Have Been Central to NC’s Long-Term Recovery
In the year since the storm devastated parts of western North Carolina, religious congregations have provided food, housing and supplies — as well as a shared sense of community.
Mid-Ohio Valley Group Blends Religion, Politics to Affect Policy in Ohio and West Virginia
Quietly, over the past 15 years, small group Bible-study-style gatherings near Parkersburg, W.Va. have formed the foundation for a movement that punches above its weight in terms of political influence.
Reclaiming and Revitalizing Resources in West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields
The demand for clean water in McDowell County is but one element of a groundswell of community-based activism to reclaim and revitalize resources.
In West Virginia’s Southern Coalfields, a Grassroots ‘Jubilee’
Davis and Ware want to use the church that once divided McDowell County into miners and management to reclaim what has been taken from them.
‘A Crisis of Truth:’ Trauma, Disinformation and the New Apostolic Reformation’s Effect on Our Politics
Many find healing from trauma in religion. But that trauma can also be used by religious leaders to activate political action.
What is the New Apostolic Reformation? How a Religio-Political Movement is Affecting U.S. and Appalachian Politics
Here’s some context and clarity about the relationship between dominion theology and the NAR, the “apostles” and “prophets” who lead this movement, and what it all means for our politics.
Appalachia Was a Spiritual Center of Election Denial in 2020. Some in the Region Are Already Calling on God to Intervene in This Year’s Presidential Election.
Once again, there are “prophetic summits,” revivals and prayer gatherings asking God to intervene in politics.
W. Va. Bill Poses Legal Challenges for Faith-based Immigrant Services
Religious leaders say that a bill passed by the West Virginia House of Delegates this week could criminalize faith-based groups that provide assistance to undocumented immigrants. HB 5031 changes the definition of “human smuggling” in state code to transporting or harboring individuals who are known […]
Community
Five Years After It Became a National Park, There’s a Growing Divide In West Virginia’s New River Gorge
Many long-time West Virginians see the divide between their reality of the area — a community that still faces long-standing infrastructure and quality-of-life issues — and the version accessible to tourists.
In Jonesborough, TN, the Town’s Big Festival is Back After Helene Canceled It Last Year
Local businesses say the National Storytelling Festival — and other tourism — is helpful, but not a substitute for a local customer base.
100 Days in Appalachia Coverage of Tucker County Power Plant Wins Report for America Award
Reporter Laura Harbert Allen’s coverage of the debate surrounding a proposed power plant in Tucker County, West Virginia, has been honored by Report for America. The nonprofit that places reporters in newsrooms around the country selected Allen’s story as the first place winner in the […]
From the Editor: “We’ve Seen The Future, It Looks Like Young Appalachia.”
I’ve been thinking about our efforts since 2016 to collectively rewrite a different future, one where Appalachia, especially young Appalachia, is fully cognizant of the dystopia and hopeful nonetheless.