A W.Va. City Reviving, Appalachia Remembers JFK, Biking for Lyme Disease

A southern West Virginia town works to revitalize itself.

Appalachia remembers John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

A bicyclist pedals across the country raising awareness of Lyme disease.

And a Kentucky writer discusses his latest book.

Ky. SOAR Conference: An initiative that begins next month on improving the economy of Eastern Kentucky will not be successful without the support of the people who live in the region. That’s according to the two individuals who are spearheading the effort called SOAR or “Shaping Our Appalachian Region,” Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and Governor Steve Beshear talked about it during a joint interview on PIKE TV.

Princeton, W.Va. Revival: Meanwhile some folks in a Southern West Virginia town are rolling up their sleeves to create a better a reality for people there. The goal is to turn the main street in Princeton into a safe place to socialize, shop, and grow. As West Virginia Public Radio’s Jessica Lilly found out, residents basically decided to stop complaining about the rundown reality, and do something to change it.
 

JFK Anniversary: Friday was a day of reflection and remembrance for many. It was 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The killing shocked the nation and world, and to this day, people still talk about it. We have two reports, from West Virginia Public Radio’s Ben Adducchio and Kentucky Public Radio’s Emil Moffatt. And we revisit a 1979 interview with a Kentucky man who worked with President Kennedy and was in Dallas that day.

Lyme Disease Ride: 24-year-old John Donnally from New Jersey got on his bike in San Fransisco this past September and he’s been peddling across the country, stopping along the way to talk with people with Lyme Disease and other tick borne illnesses. Donally just made his way through West Virginia and West Virginia Public Radio’s Glynis Board caught up with him on the phone to talk about the trip and the disease.

Parkinson’s research: A team of doctors at the University of Kentucky will investigate new treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease.   As WEKU’S Stu Johnson reports, it potentially could reverse the brain damage done by Parkinson’s.