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.
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‘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 […]
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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.
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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.
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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.
Read MoreReligion
‘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.
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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.
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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.
Read MoreGeneration Zeitgeist
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 […]
Read MoreNot 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 […]
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‘Hopeless’ Appalachian Youths Prepare to Vote in 2024
Isabella McMillian, an 18-year-old philosophy major in Boone, North Carolina, is proud of her identity as an Appalachian. She loves […]
Read MoreEnvironment
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.
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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.
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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 […]
Read MoreHealth
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.
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‘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.
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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 […]
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