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Harpers Ferry is a historic West Virginia city and international tourist hub. But four years ago the national park and surrounding town were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On this week’s episode of Inside Appalachia, we talk about the American Dream and what it takes to reach it in Appalachia. We hear from JD Vance, author of the new bestselling book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, which is about his time growing up in a rust belt town in Ohio, and in Jackson, Kentucky. In this episode, we’re going to hear stories about the working class here in Appalachia and talk about some larger battles they’re fighting today.
This episode of Inside Appalachia takes a deeper look at the American Dream and the fight to reach it here in Appalachia.
Extended Interview with JD Vance:
West Virginia vs. the EPA
In the case called West Virginia vs the EPA, coal states are fighting for jobs in court. But will a victory in the case bring back coal?
Retired Miners Fight for Benefits
Fighting for their benefits isn’t something that union coal miners thought they would have to do since the government promised them “cradle to grave” benefits if they got off the picket lines and went back to work. Now, coal miners who helped keep the country’s lights on are worried that their retirement benefits could go dark due to industry bankruptcies. United Mine Workers retirees are pushing for a bill called the the Miner’s Protection Act. The bill would shore up their pension and health benefits, but the clock is ticking on a key vote.
Protesting Kentucky Prisons
With the mining industry in sharp decline some coalfield counties are hoping new prisons can generate jobs. Eastern Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District is already home to three federal penitentiaries and could soon see construction of a fourth in Letcher County. While politicians are quick to support a “take what you get” mentality, some residents are fighting for jobs that don’t benefit from incarcerated humans.
Fighting Stereotypes
West Virginia native, Ramona Lampel, has been fighting for decades to change negative stereotypes about Appalachia through her art collection.
We had help producing Inside Appalachia this week from The Ohio Valley ReSource, and Harper Collins Audio.
Music in this show was provided by The Hillbilly Gypsies, Andy Agnew Jr., Larry Groce Ben Townsend, Larry Groce., and Hurray for the Riff Raff, as heard on Mountain Stage.
Our producer is Roxy Todd. Our editor this week is Suzanne Higgins. Our audio mixer is Zander Aloi.
We’d love to hear from you. You can e-mail us at feedback@wvpublic.org. Find us on Twitter @InAppalachia or @JessicaYLilly.
On this West Virginia Morning, tourists from around the world visit Harpers Ferry each year to immerse themselves in U.S. history. But the number of visitors fell in 2020, as public health restrictions ramped up nationwide. Jack Walker visited the town to learn how things have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Across the nation, there are more and more local news deserts; communities with no local newspaper, television or radio station to cover what’s going on. When a small town paper like The Welch News in McDowell County, WV, can’t compete and shuts down, losing those local eyes and ears can affect accountability. No one is there to watch over things. Local news also provides a sense of cohesion and identity for a community. What happens when it’s gone? This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.
On this West Virginia Morning, it has been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department. We speak with the superintendent of state police for an update.
On this West Virginia Morning, political analysts say the two Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming May primary election give voters some particular, and troubling, food for thought. The candidates themselves say voters need to focus on the positives, not the negatives.