Daniel Johnston recorded songs in his parents' basement in rural West Virginia that would eventually inspire artists such as Kurt Cobain, Beck, Wilco, and Sonic Youth. In this award-winning episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay explores the life, art, and enduring legacy of the late singer-songwriter and visual artist whose creative genius and struggles with bipolar disorder made him one of America's most influential outsider artists.
The cover of A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail by Mills Kelly.
Courtesy of Mills Kelly/Arcadia Publishing
Mills Kelly knows an awful lot about the Appalachian Trail (AT). While he’s never attempted a thru-hike, the lifelong hiker has covered hundreds and hundreds of miles of the trail. He’s also a trail scholar. He shares its history on The Green Tunnel Podcast.
He’s also written several books about the trail, including his most recent. It’s called A Hiker’s History of the Appalachian Trail. Producer Bill Lynch recently spoke with Kelly about his life with the AT.
Acupuncture May Ease Alpha-Gal Syndrome
Acupuncturist Jessica Dodds holds up an alpha-gal vial she uses to assess allergy severity.
Photo Credit: Christine Phelan Kueter/WMRA
Nobody loves ticks. The bloodsuckers have a reputation for spreading Lyme disease, but that’s not all. They can also infect people with Alpha Gal Syndrome, a red meat allergy.
Symptoms of the allergy range from a rash to crippling gastro-intestinal upset. It has even very rarely led to death. Sometimes the allergy fades over time, but sometimes it doesn’t, and there is no cure.
But as WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports, some are getting relief through acupuncture.
Depopulation In Appalachian Coalfields
In this Oct. 16, 2014 photo, fog hovers over a mountaintop as a cut out of a coal miner stands at a memorial to local miners killed on the job in Cumberland, Kentucky.
Photo Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman
The population inAppalachia’s coal-producing counties has declined since the boom of the 1950s. As the coal industry mechanized and shrunk, jobs went away, and young people did, too. Now, a series of population estimates show things might get even worse.
Journalist Jim Branscome grew up in southwestern Virginia and has been following this story. Host Mason Adams spoke with Branscome back in the fall.
Ambulance Crews In Rural Tennessee Administer Antibiotics On Site
Paramedics in Hawkins County have been administering Zosyn, a penicillin antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body, to treat septic patients in ambulances since last year. The program is made possible through a partnership between Hawkins County EMS and Ballad Health, a major hospital operator in the region.
Photo Credit: Pierce Gentry/WPLN News
Untreated infections are one of the most frequent causes of death in the United States. Getting lifesaving antibiotics is a challenge in rural areas that don’t have easy access to hospitals.
For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, reporter Pierce Gentry tells us about an effort in Hawkins County Tennessee to find a solution.
A Community Rallies Around Cuz’s Barbeque
Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque was selected in 2019 by World Restaurant Awards as one of the top under-the-radar restaurants in the world.
Photo Credit: Connie Bailey Kitts/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Food in Appalachia is a blend of the food from all the other places people came from to get here. In West Virginia, we have pepperoni rolls because about 100 years ago, Italians working in the coal mines wanted an easy lunch.
Different food ideas show up all the time.
At Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in Tazewell County, Virginia, you get local mountain flavors, but with an Asian inspired twist. There are items on the menu like Morel mushrooms, cheesy egg rolls and country ham caprese.
In 2022, Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts and her family stopped in at Cuz’s for dinner and brought us this story.
Environmental Engineer Turned “Water Healer”
Carol Parenzan is an environmental engineer and former riverkeeper who is starting a new chapter as The Water Healer.
Courtesy Photo
The Susquehanna River is one of the world’s oldest rivers. It’s also one of its most threatened. The Susquehanna has been named America’s most endangered river multiple times. More than a decade ago, Carol Perenzen became its inaugural riverkeeper. She helped connect people to their river and advocated for its protection. Now Perenzen has a new project.
The Allegheny Front’s Kara Holsapple has more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Eric Vincent Huey, Mary Hott, Hello June and John Inghram.
Mason Adams is our show host. 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 Editors Jennifer Goren and Zander Aloi.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
Daniel Johnston recorded songs in his parents' basement in rural West Virginia that would eventually inspire artists such as Kurt Cobain, Beck, Wilco, and Sonic Youth. In this award-winning episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay explores the life, art, and enduring legacy of the late singer-songwriter and visual artist whose creative genius and struggles with bipolar disorder made him one of America's most influential outsider artists.
The late singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston grew up in West Virginia and came onto the indie music scene in the 1980s. Last year, Johnston was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and he’s featured in the next episode of Us & Them. In this award-winning show, host Trey Kay learns about Johnston’s legacy which was partly shaped by his challenges with mental illness.
The Public Service Commission of West Virginia is currently conducting public comment hearings concerning developer NextEra Energy’s application to construct a new 107.5-mile-long transmission line from Pennsylvania through West Virginia to Virginia. WVPB spoke with NextEra about the project.
