A Secret City In East Tennessee, Inside Appalachia

We take a look at how the U.S. government built a secret city in East Tennessee during World War II to work on the atomic bomb.

Also, almost everybody has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace it? 

And, we hear from a cabinetmaker on the physicality of poetry.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• Bombshell Explores Secret U.S. City In East Tennessee Used To Develop Atomic Bomb
• Fracking Generates Radioactive Waste In Pennsylvania
• Losing A Unicorn Coffee Mug
• W.Va. High School Runs State’s Only Student Slaughterhouse
• Influenza On The Rise In W.Va.
• How To Get On Medicaid If You Are Pregnant
• Poet And Cabinet Maker Talks Creating With Words And Hands

Bombshell Explores Secret U.S. City In East Tennessee Used To Develop Atomic Bomb

In August 1945, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities. The bombings effectively ended World War II, but also caused catastrophic destruction, and killed at least 150,000 people. These powerful new weapons were developed by a government program called the Manhattan Project that had research sites across the U.S., including in Appalachia. 

Oak Ridge was a secret city in East Tennessee that played a key part in developing nuclear weapons. A new film from American Experience on PBS explores that history. It’s called Bombshell, and it details how the U.S. manipulated the public about the bomb’s development and deployment.

Host Mason Adams speaks with author Greg Mitchell, who appears as an expert in the film.

Fracking Generates Radioactive Waste In Pennsylvania

Natural gas drilling has boomed since fracking became a common practice. But fracking has the side effect of generating radioactive waste. A recent investigation into Pennsylvania’s gas industry found lax oversight.

The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant brings us this story.

Losing A Unicorn Coffee Mug

Our Folkways stories come in all shapes and sizes. Often, they’re stories about passing knowledge to new generations. Sometimes, a Folkways story can be about something that was lost and then found.

In 2024, Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brought us this story, about a potter who lost her mojo and the woman who helped her get it back. 

W.Va. High School Runs State’s Only Student Slaughterhouse

Our Folkways stories showcase people passing on knowledge and skills to others. Some of those skills play a crucial role in local economies, like butchering animals for food.

As WVPB’s Chris Schulz reports, one West Virginia high school is addressing that need through training at a student-run slaughterhouse.

Influenza On The Rise In W.Va.

This year’s flu season has been particularly brutal. Cases and hospitalizations are surging around the world, and that may be because of a mutated strain that’s more immune-resistant. So far, West Virginia has been spared the worst of it. But as WVPB’s Maria Young reports, flu cases in the state are on the rise.

How To Get On Medicaid If You Are Pregnant

If you’re newly pregnant and haven’t been able to afford health insurance, there’s a good chance you qualify for Medicaid. 

The government insurance program has a special application process for those who are pregnant. 

Reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer discuss navigating what can seem like an unapproachable health system. It’s part of a new series from the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom called “Health Q.”

Poet And Cabinet Maker Talks Creating With Words And Hands

Steve Scafidi has spent nearly 40 years dividing his time between writing poems and restoring old furniture. The West Virginia poet and cabinetmaker is the author of five collections of poetry, including his latest, The Appalachian Sea.

Producer Bill Lynch caught up with Scafidi to talk poetry and working with his hands.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Erik Vincent Huey, Blue Dot Sessions, Paul Loomis and Hello June.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. We had help this week from folkways editor Jennifer Goren. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.