100 Days in Appalachia | Appalachia Matters

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.

‘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 infrastructure is expected to reach […]

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.

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.

Culture

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.

Hell or High Water

‘Hell or High Water’: Southern W.Va. Three Weeks After the Flood

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.

Mid-Ohio Valley Group Blends Religion, Politics to Affect Policy in Ohio and West Virginia

Appalachia

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.

Religion

Muslim convert bridges divide between Christians and Muslims in Appalachia

Bob Jones is a sixth generation West Virginian and a Muslim convert. He feels at home in Appalachia at the intersection […]

Simple gifts: Tweets are cheap, but a bowl of soup speaks volumes

When the conversation gets heated and political tempers flare, it’s time for a new approach: neighborliness. People who live in […]

Generation Zeitgeist

A booth set up by Knoxville Abortion Justice Alliance.

Appalachian Tennessee Abortion Providers Are Still Fighting to Provide Care

Amid abortion bans across Southern Appalachia, it’s harder than ever for abortion providers in Tennessee to offer services.

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.

Ethan Herx/The Post. Two student journalists sit on either side of a coffee table with their laptops on it. A television showing election night news is mounted on the wall between them.

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.

Environment

A Political Power Play Overruled West Virginians in the Path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. They Still Feel Betrayed.

In the wake of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin promising his vote for a major climate change bill in exchange for the pipeline’s remaining permits, people in the project’s path are torn on their next steps.

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.

Kimberly Holley, a member of the Tennessee Task Force One, looks out the window at the devastation massive flooding has caused on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, near Hazard, Kentucky. Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP Photo

Kentucky Flooding Tests Faith-based Disaster Response in Appalachia as Church Membership Declines

In eastern Kentucky, they waited for the rain to stop. “I’ve never heard that much rain that hard in my […]

Health

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.

‘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.

Left, U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C. is seen during a voting rally for democratic candidate Kathy Manning at Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. Right, in this March 2, 2020, file photo, state Rep. Attica Scott, D-Louisville, speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky. Felony rioting charges were dropped Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, against the Kentucky lawmaker and others arrested last month during protests demanding justice for Breonna Taylor. Photo: Gerry Broome and Bryan Woolston/AP Photo

These Appalachian Lawmakers are Working to Protect Black Mothers in the Region and Beyond

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced its Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System in 1987, the number of pregnancy-related […]