This week, a new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster. Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back. And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so good?
Appalachian Monster Game And Nelsonville Music Festival, Inside Appalachia
Main stage at the Nelsonville Music Festival. Scotty Hall/Nelsonville Music Festival
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A new roleplaying game gives folks in the workplace a chance to be a mythical Appalachian monster.
Also, southeast Ohio’s Nelsonville Music Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in June. We talk with the founder about what keeps people coming back.
And, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies for their community every week. What makes them so good?
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
People in the workplace often have to do team-building exercises. But instead of the stale old icebreakers, a team of university developers are using Appalachian cryptids. Bigfoot, the Flatwoods Monster and Moth-person are all part of the game called Monsters of Appalachia. It was developed by the Center for Transformational Play at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Host Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the center.
Rail Trails Connecting Appalachian Cities
Only four gaps remain in all of West Virginia to complete the 238-mile Parkersburg to Pittsburgh Corridor. The terminus of the Marion County rail trail in Fairmont represents one of those gaps.
Photo Credit: Chris Schulz/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Across the country, old railroads have been converted into multi-use trails for folks to get out and enjoy nature.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz has more on an ambitious vision to connect communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania by rail trail.
Pressure On Power Grids
An electrical substation sits off Poindexter Road in Louisa County, near Crossroads Community Church. Infrastructure maintenance and upgrades are one of many factors currently driving up electric bills in Virginia.
Photo Credit: Anjoleigh Schindler/WMRA
Northern Virginia is home to the biggest concentration of data centers in the world. It’s known as “data center alley.” And now, its power needs are affecting rural places throughout the region. As utility companies expand the power grid to keep up, new substations and transmission lines are being proposed. One project stretches across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Another extends through nine counties in Virginia. It’s drawing pushback from environmentalists and residents.
WMRA’s Anjoleigh Schindler reports.
Southeast Ohio Residents, Wildlife Experts Warn Against Fracking
Driving into the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area.
Photo Credit: Julie Grant/The Allegheny Front
An Ohio commission is accepting bids to lease thousands of acres of a remote, state-owned wildlife area for fracking.
The Allegheny Front’s Julie Grant visited the area and has more.
Flash Flooding In Dante, Virginia
James Mabry stands on his back porch that overlooks the creek along Saw Mill Hollow Road in Dante. In July 2025, an unexpected and unprecedented amount of rain caused flash flooding requiring evacuations and rescues in this small community. Access was difficult for the emergency crews who partnered amongst counties to respond. A bridge that connected him to the other side of the creek was washed away.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Klein-Davis/WVTF
A 2022 scientific paper suggests Appalachia could see nearly twice as many flash floods by the end of the century. Climate change is causing more extreme rainfall, and the town of Dante, Virginia is one of many places where flooding is getting even worse. Dante has had floods throughout its history.
Radio IQ’s Katie Burke spoke with an African American family whose ancestors came to work in the mines. They survived a flood last July.
Tick Season Could Be All-Year Round In Louisville
We’re seeing the effects of climate change in other, unexpected ways, too. We have seen a lot of ticks this year, and scientists say they’re likely to become even more prevalent because of climate change.
The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom’s Bill Burton and meteorologist Tawana Andrew regularly discuss the region’s climate and weather. This week, they’re talking ticks.
Rebuilding After EF4 Tornado Struck Somerset, Kentucky
Members of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Somerset cut the ribbon on their rebuilt building on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Photo Credit: Curtis Tate/WEKU
A year ago, an EF-4 tornado struck Somerset, Kentucky, damaging part of the city. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, WEKU’s Curtis Tate has more on efforts to rebuild a local church and an electric cooperative’s headquarters.
Nelsonville Music Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Tyler Childers and his band performing at the Nelsonville Music Festival in 2019.
Photo Credit: Joel Prince/Nelsonville Music Festival
This year, the Nelsonville Music Festival in southeast Ohio will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Over the years, the festival has hosted a who’s who of American music icons, like John Prine, Willie Nelson and Loretta Lynn, while also supporting regional artists.
Associate Producer Abby Neff sat down with director and founder Tim Peacock to talk about the festival.
A Passion For Pierogies In Wheeling, W.Va.
Making pierogies by hand is a long-time tradition in a small church in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Photo Credit: Will Warren/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Just about every culture has some version of the dumpling. China has the wonton. Italy, ravioli. And in India and Pakistan, samosas.
Different forms of dumplings have made their way into Appalachia, brought by immigrants who blended their recipes into the region’s cuisine. That includes folks from eastern Europe, who began arriving more than a century ago.
From our archives, Folkways reporter Will Warren went to a weekly pierogi making session in Wheeling, West Virginia, and brought us this story in 2024.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Mary Hott, David Odell and Dave Bing, Hello June and Blue Dot Sessions.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Jennifer Goren.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Monsters in the workplace? Maybe. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is developing a team building game using Appalachian cryptids like Bigfoot and the Flatwoods Monster. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Jessica Hammer, associate professor and director of the university’s Center for Transformational Play, to learn more.
America’s foster care crisis is serious for nearly 400,000 kids who rely on the system. In the latest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks into the shortage of licensed foster homes – and the wide range of agencies and nonprofit organizations who offer help navigating what can be a complicated system.
Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care, while a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a growing crisis. As May marks National Foster Care Month, this encore episode of Us & Them explores the lives of children, foster parents, and families navigating a system under strain.
