Early trauma affects our psychological and physical health and nearly half the children in the U.S. under 18 have experienced trauma. Research continues to help us learn more about the impact of childhood neglect and abuse. In fact, when a child experiences a traumatic event, the consequences can last a lifetime. Childhood trauma can create poor health outcomes later in life.
Atlanta, Georgia isn’t included in the Appalachian Regional Commission, but a lot of Appalachians have moved to Atlanta for work, bringing with them their culture.
After the American Civil War, droves of Appalachian workers migrated to a mill town in the middle of Atlanta, eventually called Cabbagetown.
A Dog Day Afternoon
Dogs are our constant companions. They protect us, keep us company and even provide a set of eyes when we can’t see. Now, therapy dogs are going into schools to help counsel and comfort stressed students.
This year, West Virginia launched the Friends with Paws pilot project in state public schools. Liz McCormick takes us to Welch Elementary in McDowell County to meet the very first dog sent out as part of that program.
The Mothman
There are plenty of cryptids across Appalachia — but the most famous, by far, is West Virginia’s Mothman.
Since his first sighting in 1966, the Mothman has grown into a pop culture, appearing in books, comics and video games. A new movie, “Return of the Mothman,” is out now. Bill Lynch spoke with the film director Herb Gardner about why people are still interested in the Mothman.
Hungry For Humans
The Mothman isn’t the only monster from the mountain state. Earlier this year, Folkways reporter Clara Haizlett reported on Hungry for Humans, a board game that matches West Virginia’s favorite cryptids with some of its favorite places to eat.
Mediums And Spiritualism In Western Virginia And West Virginia
Spiritualism is a metaphysical idea that people can communicate with the dead. It first rose to prominence in America in the mid-1800s and has gone in and out of style over the following generations.
Scott Worley collects spooky stories and gives ghost tours in southern West Virginia. He told us about what spiritualism looked like in West Virginia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Lucero, Tyler Childers, The Company Stores, Larry Groce, and Del McCoury.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.
On this West Virginia Morning, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced last week it would postpone delivery network changes that would downsize the Charleston Processing and Distribution Center. But this news hasn’t remedied months-long tensions between local workers and USPS officials. As Jack Walker reports, union representatives are now filing grievance claims for some workers.
On this West Virginia Morning, the Mountain Valley Pipeline failed a water pressure test in Virginia earlier this month and the Pipeline Safety Trust is urging federal regulators to take a close look at the failure. Also, in this show, we hear about radioactive waste in the Marcellus Shale fields, one of the country's largest natural gas producing formations.
Tennessee photographer Stacy Kranitz is attracting attention for her visceral photos of life in Appalachia and the South. Sometimes her photos are hard to look at, but they’re always compelling. That’s the case with a project published earlier this year. ProPublica’s story, “The Year After a Denied Abortion,” follows a young family in Tennessee.
On this West Virginia Morning, West Virginia’s mechanism for funding emergency shelters shifted earlier this year to an application-based system. As Chris Schulz reports, that change has proved a boon for some – and a problem for others.