This week, before emancipation, Appalachia provided pathways to freedom for enslaved people trying to escape bondage. A new project identifies more than two dozen previously unknown underground railroad sites. Also, the Fly Around Music & Arts Festival in North Carolina was inspired by the hard work that followed Hurricane Helene. And, a ballad about floods recorded a generation ago still provides solace for people today.
Miner Killed In Nicholas County To Be Laid To Rest
Rescuers found the body of mine foreman Steve Lipscomb six days after an accident left him trapped in the Rolling Thunder coal mine in Nicholas County. Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
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Steve Lipscomb, 42, of Elkview, West Virginia, died in a mine accident in Nicholas County. He was trapped helping the men on his crew escape after a wall in the Rolling Thunder mine was compromised, causing the mine to flood. His body was recovered last Thursday.
A preliminary accident report from the Mining Safety and Health Administration lists the accident as an inundation.
Steve Lipscomb
Courtesy of Hafer Funeral Home
A memorial service to honor Lipscomb’s life will be held on Nov. 22, 2025, at Herbert Hoover High School.
Lipscomb graduated from Hoover in 2001, where he was a member of the football and wrestling teams.
Just after 9/11, Lipscomb enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was among the first wave of Marines to enter Fallujah, Iraq, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He was awarded a Purple Heart for his actions after being severely injured by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq.
He began his underground mining career in 2006 with Massey Energy (Alpha Natural Resources) working his way up to become a foreman in 2015.
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