Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
North Carolina high schoolers show improvements in mental health
Asheville Citizen-Times: After years of focus on behavioral health, it appears that North Carolina high school students are doing better. That’s according to the 2025 North Carolina High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which was presented to the State Board of Education this week.
ATLANTA
Lawmakers say data loss is keeping hurricane-harmed Georgia farmers from insurance payments
Georgia Recorder: Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene unleashed flooding and fierce winds across the South, some Georgia farmers say they still haven’t received compensation for damages, despite efforts from both sides of the political aisle.
BALTIMORE
Counties scramble to respond to data centers, setting moratoriums, a ban
Maryland Matters: Currently, 13 Maryland counties have enacted temporary data center moratoriums, with two voting last week, and more counties are considering a pause.
Chicago man gets “time served” in gun turn-in case that angered former U.S. Education Secretary
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Chicago Sun-Times: Nakia Smith, a volunteer in Duncan’s anti-violence group, made a deal with Cook County prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for not going to prison. Smith says he was trying to turn in a gun at a police station when he was arrested in 2023.
CINCINNATI
Two Cincinnati breweries can resume THC beverage sales after judge blocks Ohio ban
Local 12 Cincinnati: Two Cincinnati breweries will be allowed to continue their THC beverage sales locally after a temporary restraining order was issued against an Ohio law that banned the manufacture and sale of intoxicating hemp products.
CLEVELAND
Max Miller remains on Ohio ballot despite deadline to withdraw, vows to stay in race
Cleveland.com: U.S. Rep. Max Miller remains on the November ballot despite Monday’s deadline to withdraw, and he’s betting his political survival on the same playbook he says worked for Donald Trump a decade ago.
COLUMBUS
What happens inside an Ohio data center?
NBC4 Columbus: More and more communities have been pushing back against data centers and while the activity inside of them is largely invisible, NBC4 got an inside look at a local data center.
DETROIT
The Romantics, Detroit band that gave New Wave a rock ’n’ roll swagger
Detroit News: Their inaugural album contained the classic hit “What I Like About You,” written by Palmar, Skill and Marinos, who was the band’s drummer and lead vocalist on the 1979 track.
INDIANAPOLIS
Tariff refunds arrive for some Indiana companies
Indianapolis Public Media: In Indiana, companies paid over $3.3 billion in tariffs — the 14th highest amount in the nation, according to We Pay the Tariffs, a grassroots coalition advocating against the import tax. Nationally, U.S. companies paid an estimated $166 billion.
LOUISVILLE
Kentucky legislators legalized hunting bobcats at night. Experts worry about “overharvesting”
Kentucky Lantern: The Kentucky legislature changed state law through Senate Bill 39 to allow for the nocturnal hunting of bobcats and beavers.
MILWAUKEE
Candidates make closing pitches ahead of Wisconsin primary for governor
Wisconsin Public Radio: Candidates running for Wisconsin governor made their final pitches to voters Monday in the run-up to Wisconsin’s primary election. Four Democrats are vying to compete against U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the presumptive Republican nominee, in November.
MORGANTOWN
West Virginia Democrats renew calls for special session to address education crisis
West Virginia Public Broadcasting: West Virginia House Democrats have renewed their request for Governor Patrick Morrisey to call a special session to alleviate the financial crisis facing the state’s public school system. They first called for a special session in July.
NASHVILLE
Veteran Republican lawmakers lose Tennessee House races
Tennessee Lookout: Two veteran Republican Tennessee lawmakers from East Tennessee lost re-election bids while a first-term Democratic state House legislator from Memphis fell in last week’s primary election.
PHILADELPHIA
Could self-driving buses be coming to Philly?
Billy Penn: The Center City legislator is writing a bill that would require any transit vehicle that uses an automated driving system, and weighs more than 10,000 pounds, to have a licensed driver on board.
PITTSBURGH
Visit Pittsburgh claims 2026 NFL Draft impact of $177 million but withholds supporting studies
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Pittsburgh’s tourism agency said the 2026 NFL Draft generated about $177 million in economic impact across the region, but the claim could not be independently verified because the agency declined to release the two studies upon which it based its assessment.
WHEELING
Flood Watch issued for Ohio Valley
WTRF.com: Over the next week, the area could receive 2 to 4 inches of rain, with some locally higher amounts possible. Most of this could fall over the next 2 days, thus the flood watch was issued through Wednesday morning.
YOUNGSTOWN
CPR training kits delivered to Youngstown community
WFMJ 21 Youngstown: “In a heartbeat, you could be the difference… With these kits, we are turning everyday people into lifesavers through simple actions like learning CPR,” said Gabbi Roszman, the community impact director for the American Heart Association in Northeast Ohio.
