Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Vice President JD Vance to headline Republican midterm rally in Greensboro
ABC 11 Asheville: Vice President JD Vance is set to headline a Republican rally today at Greensboro’s Koury Convention Center as the party works to energize voters ahead of Election Day.
ATLANTA
Georgia school system abruptly bans Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye”
Georgia Recorder: The novel tells the tragic story of a young Black girl dealing with racism, poverty and abuse. Georgia Library Media Association advocate and retired school librarian Nan Brown said the district appears not to have followed the proper procedure under a 2022 law which created pathways for removing books that start with guardian complaints and must follow a review process.
BALTIMORE
11 people, including 2 teens, injured in Baltimore shootings over weekend
CBS Baltimore: A 17-year-old and an 18-year-old were among 11 people injured in shootings across Baltimore over the weekend, according to police. All 11 victims are expected to survive.
Music venue expected to be centerpiece of $7 billion development project near United Center
Chicago Sun-Times: Renderings were released for the 6,000-seat Music Hall, which broke ground earlier this summer. It’s part of the 1901 Project, funded by United Center owners, to redevelop the area around the arena into a mixed-use neighborhood.
CINCINNATI
Cincinnati native Kelsey Mitchell breaks the WNBA’s single-season scoring record
WLWT Cincinnati: A Cincinnati native just broke one of the WNBA’s top records. Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell became the league’s top single-season point scorer, accumulating 1,034 points over 41 games.
CLEVELAND
Did closing coal power plants cause spike in Ohioan’s electric bills? Claim fizzles under scrutiny
Cleveland.com: Nearly eight in 10 recently told Bowling Green State University pollsters they wanted to pause data center construction, but Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted says a big culprit is power plant closures.
COLUMBUS
Ohio now has over 125 active moratoriums on data centers. See where they are.
10TV Columbus: Many villages and small townships don’t publish ordinances or meeting minutes online, making the true count likely even higher as more developments happen every day.
DETROIT
Knock It Off! El-Sayed condemns harassment of Haley Stevens after “gallows” rhetoric
Detroit News: Michigan Senate Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed is calling for an end to the harassment of his former Democratic primary rival, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens.
INDIANAPOLIS
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful celebrates 50 years with major projects, fundraising
Indianapolis Public Media: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful is celebrating 50 years in the city and aims to raise about $4 million through a campaign to fund community-focused projects in Indianapolis. They plan to use that money for a small number of flagship projects as well as funding for upkeep on existing green spaces.
LOUISVILLE
Feds take on Kentucky cockfighting with multiple indictments
Kentucky Lantern: Federal authorities have charged five people in Kentucky in connection with cockfighting in cases that show the state remains a key player in the illegal activity, according to animal-welfare groups.
MILWAUKEE
Milwaukee election officials warn of third-party voter registration mailers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The City of Milwaukee Election Commission says it has received “hundreds of phone calls and emails” about mailers that contain partially filled voter registration forms and recommends voters ignore them if their registration is current.
MORGANTOWN
Audit reveals many financial, inventory missteps in West Virginia arts department
West Virginia Watch: The West Virginia Department of Tourism is correcting widespread financial mismanagement, including inappropriate cash-handling activities, that occurred within the Department of Arts, Culture and History.
NASHVILLE
No shade: Half of Nashville’s parks have less than 33% tree canopy cover
Nashville Public Radio: The summer heat is hard to escape at many of Nashville’s playgrounds and trails. Half of Nashville’s parks have less than 33% tree canopy cover, according to a new report from the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps.
PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia Public Radio: The reinvestment is the largest in department history and will fund improvements to the passenger experience, including upgrades to terminal spaces and passenger systems. The program, known as Transform PHL, is funded through airline revenue, federal and state dollars, and facility charges.
PITTSBURGH
WESA Pittsburgh: York Imperials, also known simply as “Yorks,” have a longstanding reputation as trusty processing apples. So while they probably won’t reach your fruit bowl this fall, some may already be tucked inside your pantry or fridge in the form of sauce, juice, vinegar, cider, or butter.
WHEELING
WVU Medicine Black & White Gala raises funds for pediatric care, cancer complex
WTRF.com: WVU Medicine and the Medical Park foundation are raising funds for the Pediatric Center at Wheeling Hospital, and the Saint Joseph Regional Cancer Complex in downtown.
YOUNGSTOWN
Baking contest brings joy, apple pies to Johnny Appleseed Festival
WFMJ 21 Youngstown: Glenn McMillan, apple pie judge coordinator, said this year was the first to include both “traditional” and “non-traditional” categories to enter. “My favorite part is just seeing the reaction of the judges, the amount of pies that come, and you obviously know a lot of these people, so it’s really fun,” McMillan said.
