Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Agriculture and farming celebrated at North Carolina Mountain State Fair
WLOS Asheville: The North Carolina Mountain State Fair is bringing families together for rides, fair food and entertainment, but officials say there is another important part of the annual event: highlighting Western North Carolina’s agricultural community.
ATLANTA
Georgia Recorder: Kemp, who is set to finish his second and final term in January, is one of Georgia’s most popular political figures, and a July Morning Consult ranking of governors’ approval ratings placed Kemp at No. 5.
BALTIMORE
Baltimore plan would send mental health professionals to 911 calls, cutting police involvement
WBAL-TV Baltimore: Baltimore city leaders announced a proposal to create a new department that would send mental health professionals to respond to nonviolent 911 calls, aiming to reduce police involvement in such situations.
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President Trump endorses Darren Bailey in Illinois governor race — “Pritzker’s a disaster”
Chicago Sun-Times: Trump says he’s “all for Bailey” once again in the Illinois governor race, handing Republican firebrand Darren Bailey an endorsement that’s unlikely to do the former downstate legislator many favors as he tries to court Chicago-area moderates in his rematch against incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker.
CINCINNATI
“A financial lifeline”: Rural pharmacists hope federal funds can bridge healthcare gaps
Cincinnati Public Radio: The Ohio Department of Health recently announced that $2 million from the Trump administration’s Rural Health Transformation fund will go to the Ohio Pharmacy Association. The group aims to create a Health Information Exchange network that allows pharmacies to have access to patient medical history.
CLEVELAND
Cleveland officials report drop in violent crime as typically violent summer months end
Cleveland.com: Cleveland logged 66 criminal homicides through August this year, down from 117 during the same time period in 2023, officials said. Felonious assaults also dropped from 2,031 in 2023 to 1,761 this year and robberies fell from 1,229 to 740, according to city numbers.
COLUMBUS
Columbus weighs rate hike for high-volume water users
NBC4 Columbus: The city of Columbus wants its biggest water users to pay more. A new rate proposal could change how Columbus charges massive industrial customers, including data centers. Large industrial customers need a lot more water capacity than a home or small business.
DETROIT
9 Detroit properties face demolition, 101 damaged due to tornado
Detroit Free Press: Detroit officials have identified at least 101 properties damaged by a tornado that struck the city’s east side hard earlier this month, with nine of the structures potentially requiring emergency demolition.
INDIANAPOLIS
Michigan wins coal plant case, but Indiana’s plants still remain open under federal order
Indiana Capital Chronicle: Two Indiana coal-burning power plants remain open under an order from the Trump administration. But a federal appeals court ruling could change that in the future.
LOUISVILLE
He’s baaaack! Mitch McConnell returns to Senate after three months away
New York Times: Senator Mitch McConnell, the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican and former leader, had been absent for more than 13 weeks after a health incident, fueling questions about his ability to continue serving.
MILWAUKEE
Wisconsin’s Line 5 pipeline returns to service with bypass around gas leak site in Iron County
Wisconsin Public Radio: The news comes after the Wisconsin DNR asked Enbridge last week to stop working to build the bypass around the site of the gas leak because the company did not have state approvals.
MORGANTOWN
West Virginia lawmakers try to find compromise on controversial anti-child abuse bill
West Virginia Watch: A group of West Virginia lawmakers spent the summer reworking a controversial piece of anti-child abuse legislation that sent the House of Delegates into chaos this year during debate over protecting children versus parents’ rights.
NASHVILLE
Fly the Dolly skies: Nashville’s airport unanimously advances renaming plan
Nashville Public Radio: Since the passing of Tennessee icon Dolly Parton, officials ranging from members of Nashville’s Metro Council to Gov. Bill Lee have been united: they all want to rename Nashville’s airport to honor the late country music legend and philanthropist.
PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia protesters demand city leaders prevent data center development
Philadelphia Public Radio: About 100 protesters gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall to demand a moratorium on data centers, which are needed to power the rapid growth of artificial intelligence.
PITTSBURGH
After multiple delays, superload delivery to Homer City data center to begin tomorrow
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The delivery of superloads from the Armstrong Terminals in Gilpin to the data center project near Homer City in Indiana County was expected to start delaying traffic last week.
WHEELING
Spider-Fest draws hundreds to Wheeling for exotic animal showcase
WTRF.com: Hundreds of spider enthusiasts, curious families and even some looking to overcome their fear of those furry, eight-legged creatures, all came together for the third annual Spider-Fest.
YOUNGSTOWN
Warren indecency case involving former shrine appointee continued
WKBN 27 Youngstown: Anthony Spinosa and Kenneth Kopp were in court Kopp and Spinosa are both charged with misdemeanor public indecency. Kopp is facing an additional drug paraphernalia charge, and Spinosa is additionally charged with procuring.
