Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Hurricane Isaias strengthens, set to bring heavy rain to western North Carolina
Blue Ridge Public Radio: Isaias is now the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. It is projected to stay well west of the Carolinas, but it will still bring heavy rain to the area over the weekend.
ATLANTA
Woof! Animal welfare advocates want Georgians to know their state lawmaker’s record on pet issues
Georgia Recorder: The dogs and cats in your life don’t get a vote on Nov. 3, so they’re counting on you to get it right. That’s the message from the Georgia Pet Coalition, a nonpartisan group of Georgia humans who advocate state and local governments on behalf of the state’s companion animals.
BALTIMORE
Poll: Gov. Moore’s approval rating low as Marylanders concerned about state’s direction
WBAL-TV Baltimore: The final part of the UMBC Institute of Politics Poll before the midterm elections asked residents about the direction of the state and Gov. Wes Moore’s approval rating. It also asked about the state’s economic outlook and the impacts of data centers and artificial intelligence.
Family of Silverio Villegas González seeks damages over fatal ICE shooting near Chicago
Chicago Sun-Times: Villegas González’s family filed a formal complaint against the feds on Thursday, taking the first step toward suing the federal government over his death. An attorney for the family said they expect to seek “a very large sum of money.”
CINCINNATI
Opening Ceremony kicks off first night of BLINK festival in Cincinnati
WLWT 5 Cincinnati: This year’s opening festivities will look a little different, instead of a parade, they’ll kick off with a massive block party filled with art, music, performances and hands-on creative experiences. The event will culminate with a ceremony to “turn on the lights” with the help of local marching bands and a local child through a new community-wide coloring contest.
CLEVELND
Candidates for Ohio governor, secretary of state stumble upon dead body
Cleveland.com: Don Kissick and Tom Pruss were shooting a campaign video along the Maumee River, across from downtown Toledo, when a teenage boy approached them and said he thought he had spotted a body in the water.
COLUMBUS
Two transgender elected officials in Ohio support Acton despite her statements on transgender girls
Ohio State Public Media: Two openly transgender elected officials in Ohio recently released a joint statement in support of Democratic candidate for governor Amy Acton, even though both remain concerned about comments Acton made this summer regarding transgender girls in sports.
DETROIT
Detroit dad in custody after 11-year-old shot by sibling with unsecured gun, Detroit police say
CBS Detroit: The father of an 11-year-old who was shot by a sibling with an unsecured gun on Wednesday on Detroit’s west side is in custody, police said. Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison says the child, who was shot in the face with a handgun, was taken to a hospital and is in critical condition.
INDIANAPOLIS
‘Things aren’t getting better for people.’ Latest report on Indianapolis’ eviction crisis
Indianapolis Public Media: Executive Director of FHCCI Amy Nelson says this new report, ‘Marion County’s Top Evictors,’ expands on an earlier one this year. Both encourage more tenant protections. She says Indianapolis is in an eviction crisis.
LOUISVILLE
Urban, rural hospitals closing at similar rates, study finds
Kentucky Lantern: Urban hospitals are closing at roughly the same rate as rural ones, and the shuttered hospitals are more likely to have served communities with high poverty rates and fewer transportation options, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA.
MILWAUKEE
Obama endorses David Crowley for Wisconsin governor
Wisconsin Public Radio: Less than a month away from Election Day, former President Barack Obama announced his endorsement of fellow Democrat David Crowley in Wisconsin’s race for governor. “There is nobody better to lead Wisconsin forward. So, vote David Crowley for governor,” Obama said in a video Crowley shared on social media.
MORGANTOWN
“Historic” grant will help West Virginia State University build Agriculture Complex
West Virginia Watch: West Virginia State University has received a $26.5 million federal grant that will help the school build a new 40,000-square-foot Agriculture Complex. The new complex will house lab space for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and the school’s Purdy School of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
NASHVILLE
Judge orders that Christa Pike execution evidence be preserved
Nashville Public Radio: The Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville ordered Tennessee prison officials to preserve all evidence in connection with last week’s botched lethal injection of Christa Pike, including log books, medical waste and all messages sent or received by officials associated with the execution attempt.
PHILADELPHIA
Philly tenants are fighting to limit AI in property management. Here’s why
Philadelphia Public Radio: Advocates want to bar property managers from using AI for maintenance requests, which they say can misrepresent those requests and leave tenants without an accurate paper trail.
PITTSBURGH
Airfares are rising at Pittsburgh International, and higher costs may be here to stay
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: As the war between the United States and Iran keeps jet fuel prices high, Pittsburgh International’s customers are footing the bill with their plane tickets. The airport is dealing with higher airfares to many of its most popular destinations, including New York City, Boston and Chicago.
WHEELING
WTRF.com: ormer West Virginia University basketball player Kerr Kriisa has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a case involving an alleged scheme worth millions of dollars. Kriisa, a 25-year-old Estonian national, admitted using a fake identity to seek money from a victim.
YOUNGSTOWN
Trump coming to Youngstown for midterm rally
WFMJ 21 Youngstown:Trump will be joined on Oct. 12 by Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who is facing a competitive race against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown to retain his Senate seat.
