Mountain News & World Report

In this episode, we hear stories about the importance of clean water, a Letcher County walking program in conjunction with the Farmer’s Market that may help prevent Type 2 Diabetes, and in honor of Women’s History Month, from the Appalshop Archive we bring you audio from a Headwater’s episode circa 1980 featuring The Reel World String Band – an all women band.

In this episode we’ll hear about The STAY Project's Appalachian Love Fest in Harlan, KY on February 15th, 2020. Then, we’ll learn about how community groups in Wise County, VA are working with Montgomery Alabama based Equal Justice Initiative to acknowledge the history of lynchings in their county through research and public markers. And last, from the Ohio Valley Resource, we’ll learn about a recent report citing the Ohio Valley region as home to some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country.

In this episode we bring you a medley of local, regional, and national news: from voting predictions as caucus season begins, to an inaugural meeting between mine agencies in an attempt to tackle black lung. And, from the Appalshop Archive, in honor of Black History Month, we’ll bring you audio from the late blues musician, Nat Reese, performing live at the Seedtime on the Cumberland Festival in 1993.

In this episode (from August 22, 2019) we bring you the personal story of one miner living with Black Lung who recently travelled to Washington, D.C. to ask Congress to uphold the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. Then, from the Ohio Valley Resource we learn how HIV rates are on the rise in counties hard hit by the opioid epidemic while some community members still remain skeptical of harm reduction programs meant to curb the spread of infectious diseases. And, from WEKU’s Eastern Standard we hear about the history of the proposed Bunches Creek Dam that would have been situated just above Cumberland Falls.

In this episode (from July 25, 2019) we bring you updates and stories about changing regional & federal policies that could impact working families in central Appalachia. First, WMMT’s Sydney Boles speaks with Virginia congressman Morgan Griffith over his recent participation in a hearing on the black lung epidemic. Then, WMMT’s Mimi Pickering interviews Dustin Pugel, a policy analyst at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Pugel talks about the potential impact that changes to state and federal food assistance programs could have on families in eastern Kentucky.

In this episode (from July 11, 2019) we bring you a medley of local & regional news stories. First from the Ohio Valley Resource - Reporter Liam Neimeyer brings us a story about shifting federal law around “ephemeral waterways” and how that may impact waterways throughout the Ohio Valley. Then from OVR Reporter Becca Schimmel, we’ll hear about how laid-off employees of the now bankrupt Blackjewel coal company are seeking answers and back-pay. Then we’ll hear about Pikeville’s upcoming Pride Prom event, a fundraiser for Pikeville’s second ever Pride festival happening in the fall of 2019. We wrap this episode up with WEKU’s Tom Martin interviewing Brent Hutchinson, the director of the Hindman Settlement School about his recent selection as an Obama Foundation Fellow.

In this episode we explore environmental & economic pressures in the region, as well as learn about pre-diabetes and diabetes prevention. From the Ohio Valley Resource we learn about new communities where toxic fluorinated chemicals have been found in the water, how crashing hemp prices have some farmers worried, and about the challenges faced by some rural groceries in coal communities. Then, we'll hear about prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes prevention and about economic development efforts in Pound, VA.

In this episode we bring you stories about economic development initiatives in Harlan County, KY and Pound, VA. And, from the Ohio Valley Resource we’ll learn about innovative approaches to addressing the addiction crisis in our region.

In this episode we bring you stories on regional history, and innovative new approaches to meeting the healthcare needs of east Kentuckians. First, from Ohio Valley Resource Reporter, Brittany Patterson, we look back on Two Decades Of Resistance to Mountain Top Removal with the Coal River Mountain Watch. Then, WMMT's Sydney Boles brings us an interview with Bella Black about a project that gave young people in Letcher County, KY cameras to document potential causes of lung disease. And finally, Parker Hobson brings us the second in his series on diabetes and prediabetes in eastern Kentucky. Music on this episode features Jean Ritchie with a tune called Stream of Time from her album Sweet Rivers. Sweet Rivers was released by Appalshop’s own JuneAppal Recordings in 1981.

In this episode we’re talking about coal company bankruptcies, creative uses for abandoned mine lands funds, and diabetes prevention. First, we hear WMMT’s Sydney Boles interviewing Cornell University professor Josh Macey about the ways coal companies use bankruptcy to avoid cleaning up the land and paying employees. Then, from Ohio Valley Resource Reporter Becca Schimmel we learn about how Murray Energy’s bankruptcy could bring a collapse of coal miners’ pensions. And, from OVR Reporter Brittany Patterson we learn about Harlan County, Kentucky’s Portal 31 Coal Mine Tour. And last, for National Diabetes Month Parker Hobson brings us a story about pre-diabetes, and diabetes prevention.

In this episode we bring you stories about WV Senator Joe Manchin's pledge to defend coal miners' pensions, Bev May & Nell Fields' research into respiratory health in eastern Kentucky coalfields, and an interview with Geonovah - a 23 year old hip-hop artist from Big Stone Gap, VA.

In this show we learn about the history of Letcher County’s Bookmobile. And, we’ll celebrate American Archives Month by listening back to an oral history interview from the Appalshop archives. Last, but not least from the Ohio Valley Resource & the Center for Public Integrity we’ll hear about the intersection of pollution, climate change, and floods in Central Appalachia.

In this episode we’ll hear stories of eastern Kentucky’s second ever pride festival, hemp growers in the region forming cooperatives, a memorial dedicated to miners who’ve died of black lung in Letcher County, and some results of a survey by a group called “What’s Next EKY."

This episode is chock full of local & regional history! We’ll hear about a celebration of Carr Creek Kentucky history through a dinner performance based off a poem by Margaret Humes Collins. Then, we’ll hear historian Ron Eller’s thoughts about what works and what doesn't in terms of development in the region. And finally, we’ll learn about a celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Johnson City Sessions recordings by Columbia Records taking place October 2019.

In this episode we bring you stories about challenges to rural healthcare in the region, the last Neon Days Festival, and mine lands sitting idle across the country. First, Appalshop's Tayna Turner & Taylor Pratt spoke with women leading the 141-day-long-and-still-going-strong 24/7 peaceful protest outside Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, TN. They are there to publicly oppose Ballad Health’s decision to close the neonatal intensive care unit (or NICU) and to downgrade other services. Then, WMMT's Rachel Garringer spoke with Dr. Sam Quillen at Neon Days 2019 about the history of the festival, the town, and the uncertain future of small-town festivals. And finally, from Ohio Valley Resource reporter Britanny Patterson we learn about mine lands sitting idle across the region. Music on this episode features Music on this episode features Anna & Elizabeth with a tune called “The Very Day I’m Gone” from the JuneAppal Album by the same title which features songs of Addie Graham performed by contempora

In this episode we hear from Director Jenifer Hixson of The Moth about their upcoming live-storytelling event on the Appalshop stage September 13, 2019. Plus, we'll hear Jacob Carruba of Harlan County telling a story live at The Moth's Appalachian Debut also on the Appalshop stage in May 2018. Then from the Ohio Valley Resource we learn about a rare plant that’s making a come back by moving OFF of the endangered species list. Glynis Board brings us the saga of the Running Buffalo Clover. And last, but not least, Sydney Boles brings us an interview with Scott Shoupe - a former Harlan County miner who quit mining to receive training in the energy efficiency industry instead. Shoupe shares reflections on the mining industry and the Blackjewel bankruptcy situation.

In this episode we bring you interviews from the Blackjewel Miners Blockade in Harlan County, KY, an interview with Kentucky artists Ken Swinson & Lacy Hale about printmaking & collaborative zine-making, and in honor of International Cat Day on August 8th... a story about...CATS!!!

In this episode we bring you stories about Benham, KY’s recent re-launch of an energy efficiency program “Benham Saves"; the Hemphill Community Center & Black Sheep Bakery's June 21, 2019 celebration of their brand new solar panels! And updates about Central Appalachian organizing around the RECLAIM Act - proposed federal legislation that would more rapidly release funding from the 2.5 billion dollar Abandoned Mine Lands Trust Fund for regional reclamation & redevelopment projects.

In this episode we're exploring local history and regional news. First, WMMT’s Ohio Valley Resource Reporter Sydney Boles sets out to learn the history behind the RC Cola signs around Whitesburg. Then, from the WMMT archives, we revisit a story about the Houndog Hookers, rug makers from Blackey who grew to national notoriety during the 1950s and 60s. And finally from the Ohio Valley Resource, some recent regional news.

This episode previews multiple upcoming events in Letcher & Perry Counties in late May and early June 2019: -a film screening of "Coal's Deadly Dust" followed by a panel discussion hosted by long-time NPR Reporter Howard Berkes at Appalshop on May 31st -a Healthy Communities Forum hosted by the Foundation For a Healthy Kentucky at CANE Kitchen on June 6th, -a weekend of free healthcare in Hazard, KY June 8-9 with the Remote Area Medical Clinic - and Appalshop's 33rd annual Seedtime on the Cumberland Festival, June 7-8, 2019 under our brand new solar pavilion!