Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Long-closed section of the Appalachian Trail reopens two years after Helene
Blue Ridge Public Radio: A section of the Appalachian Trail, closed since Helene, has reopened. Iron Mountain Gap, on the Tennessee-North Carolina line, was rerouted for over a year to remove dead trees felled during Hurricane Helene.
ATLANTA
Georgia dad, convicted after giving his son the gun used in school shooting, seeks new trial
Georgia Public Broadcasting: Colin Gray was convicted earlier this year of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. In a court filing Wednesday, his attorneys argued the jury’s guilty verdict is not supported by the evidence and is “contrary to law and the principles of justice and equity.”
BALTIMORE
Baltimore County residents frustrated by timeline to replace collapsed Carroll Road Bridge
WBAL-TV Baltimore: The Carroll Road Bridge collapsed last October under a septic truck, and residents in northern Baltimore County say the prolonged wait for its replacement has disrupted their daily lives and left them frustrated. “It really has changed the way I conduct my life,” said Fran Burns, who owns a horse farm near the bridge site.
Voices: Without housing on South, West sides, Chicago’s Black communities won’t grow
Alden Loury writes for the Chicago Sun-Times: “As Black communities lose their people, they’re struggling to hold on to other precious resources. Grocery stores, pharmacies and other vital institutions are boarding up or packing up and leaving just as fast as Black residents.”
CINCINNATI
Going on a snake hunt: Ohio conservationists work to restore native rattlesnake population
Cincinnati Public Radio: Ohio is home to two native rattlesnakes: the timber rattlesnake and the massasauga. Also known as the “swamp rattler,” the massasauga is known for its triangular, wedge-shaped head along a small thick earth-colored body that ends in a grooved rattle.
CLEVELAND
Ohio’s direct democracy under fire in data center battles
Cleveland.com: Residents from two Ohio communities went to the Ohio Supreme Court this summer after local officials blocked their attempts to put proposed data center developments on the November ballot.
COLUMBUS
Ohio Supreme Court sides with Ashville residents trying to overturn data center agreement
Ohio State Public Media: The agreement lays out EdgeConneX’s financial obligations to the village and exempts it from Ashville’s data center moratorium. Council passed the resolution as an emergency, making it effective immediately.
DETROIT
Gavin Newsom says national support “crucial” for Democrats to win Michigan’s U.S. Senate race
Michigan Advance: California Gov. Gavin Newsom came to Oakland County to support a pair of Democratic candidates hoping to flip swing seats in the Michigan House, and also said he plans to meet with progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Monday in an effort to boost the support El-Sayed is receiving from outside of Michigan.
INDIANAPOLIS
Indiana refugee advocates face a state investigation. A federal judge is blocking it
Indianapolis Public Media: Attorney General Todd Rokita sent Exodus Refugee Immigration a civil investigation demand last September. It sought information from Exodus about its clients, partners and donors through claims of potential labor-trafficking and interference with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
LOUISVILLE
One of Kentucky’s oldest state parks to get nearly $7 million in upgrades next year
Louisville Public Media: The effort is part of the larger network of upgrades going on at several Kentucky State Parks, including Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. During the work, Pine Mountain will remain open and the on-site cottages will be rented.
MILWAUKEE
Wisconsin’s 2026 primary for governor hits the home stretch
Wisconsin Public Radio: Four Democratic candidates — Francesca Hong, David Crowley, Joel Brennan and Kelda Roys — remain in the 2026 primary for governor, all vying to face Republican Tom Tiffany in the general election
MORGANTOWN
West Virginia governor says public school funding formula needs work, spending may not be the answer
West Virginia Watch: Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s team laid out his office’s ideas for revamping West Virginia’s school funding formula, a decades-old equation that has been linked to public schools’ dire financial situation.
NASHVILLE
Williamson County voter turned away at polls during Tennessee primary
WSMN 4 Nashville: Williamson County woman and her husband were turned away from their assigned polling location during the Tennessee primary after a back-to-school event displaced voting operations at Thompson’s Station Elementary and Middle School.
PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia’s Photo Lounge shows what summer looked like before Instagram
Philadelphia Public Radio: The exhibition is a window into what vacation snapshots looked like before Instagram, such as Wendy Goldberg’s family photo on the beach from 1976, when Goldberg was 7 years old and her family had just bought a vacation condo in Ventnor, New Jersey.
PITTSBURGH
A new invasive plant threatens Pennsylvania forests. Here’s how you can help.
WESA Pittsburgh: Land managers and invasive species experts are working to slow the spread of wavyleaf basketgrass, but they say public awareness and participation in an event in August are critical to protecting the state’s forests.
WHEELING
Heritage Music Blues Fest wraps up successful 25th year
WTRF.com: The three-day festival has become one of Wheeling’s biggest summer music events. It featured over thirty of the top blues artists from across the nation, playing on two separate stages.
YOUNGSTOWN
Rockabilly Ruckus weekend raises money for veterans
WKBN 27 Youngstown: The Rockabilly Ruckus returned for a weekend of fun to raise money for the It’s About the Warrior Foundation – which gives veterans and their families a stable support system.
