Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
$2.8 billion: Pigeon River Gorge I-40 repairs nearly triple original estimate
Blue Ridge Public Radio: The reconstruction of Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge is expected to take longer and cost more than originally planned, with the current price tag standing at $2.8 billion — nearly triple the initial estimate of $1 billion.
ATLANTA
Georgia continues to rank near the bottom of nation on worker’s rights
Georgia Recorder: The state’s top leaders often tout Georgia’s credentials as “the best place to live, work and raise a family,” but this year’s rankings — which span all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico — place Georgia near the bottom of the list.
BALTIMORE
Violent ICE encounter in Frederick prompts calls for investigation
WBAL-TV Baltimore: “We were attacked. Our community was physically attacked by federal law enforcement officers,” Frederick City Council President Cesar Diaz said. “In the past, we’ve seen them come in, they do something, they kidnap someone and then they leave. This time, they stuck around.”
Lincoln’s blood-stained gloves from his assassination resurface in California museum
Chicago Sun-Times: After being auctioned last year, blood-stained gloves Abraham Lincoln had when he was assassinated and that once were showcased at his presidential museum in Springfield have now turned up about 2,000 miles away in southern California.
CINCINNATI
Ohio US senators target other states licensing some immigrant drivers
Cincinnati Public Radio: Ohio’s two U.S. senators, Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, want federal government intervention to block other states from issuing driver’s licenses to immigrants living in the U.S. without legal authorization.
CLEVELAND
Amy Acton assists at medical emergencies day after Canfield Fair attack
Cleveland.com: Acton’s appearance in Cleveland comes one day after a man with two guns tried to attack Acton at the fair, knocking multiple people over, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. She was not injured.
COLUMBUS
Ohio farmers urged to inspect soybean fields for “red crown rot” which can destroy crops
Ohio State Public Media: The issue is caused by a soil-borne fungus that can persist in fields for years. Researchers hope to get early detection and an accurate diagnosis to stop the problem from spreading.
DETROIT
2026 Mackinac Bridge Walk draws 34,000, up from last year and near a recent high
CBS Detroit: The Bridge Walk has been an annual Labor Day tradition since 1958, with the exception of 2020, and this year marked the 68th walk. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer led this year’s walk. Because her term as governor ends in January, it was her final Bridge Walk in that role.
INDIANAPOLIS
ICE protests held in Indianapolis after increase in reports of arrests
Indianapolis Public Media: Protesters gathered Saturday to make their presence known after increased activity from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was witnessed across Indianapolis this past week. They met near the federal agency’s west side office.
LOUISVILLE
Voices: Wendell Berry’s death should be his revival in our culture
Jason Bailey writes for Kentucky Lantern: “Wendell Berry sought an economy that linked the soul and the household to the land, community and everything beyond. If we want to avoid “The World-Ending Fire,” the title of another Berry book, we might well listen to his words “lest the dead die a second and more final death.”
MEMPHIS
Memphis wrestling legend “Superstar” Bill Dundee dies at 82
Action 5 Memphis: Dundee was born in Scotland, raised in Australia, and began wrestling in the Memphis territory in 1974. He was known as one half of one of the most iconic duos in pro wrestling, with his friends-to-foe rivalry with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
MILWAUKEE
Democrats fire up western Wisconsin voters as November election nears
Wisconsin Public Radio: The party leaders talked to voters about lowering grocery prices and making healthcare more affordable. And they urged residents to turn out their family and friends to vote.
MORGANTOWN
WVU Medicine faces class action lawsuit in camera investigations
WAJR Morgantown: West Virginia University Hospitals and West Virginia United Health System have been named in a class-action lawsuit over hidden cameras found in staff bathrooms at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.
PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia sees one of its warmest summers on record
Philadelphia Public Radio: The city’s temperature has topped 90 degrees Fahrenheit 40 times so far this year. On average, Philadelphia sees 90-plus-degree days 30 times per year, said Sarah Johnson, a warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
Pennsylvania fines Shell $15 million for air pollution from its Beaver County plastics plant
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The agency says between 2023 and August 2026, Shell’s plant, called an ethane cracker, exceeded limits on visible emissions set by its state-issued air permit on more than two dozen occasions.
WHEELING
$2.4 million awarded to help West Virginia residents stay healthy, working
West Virginia Public Broadcasting: “The goal behind these dollars is to not only expand these workforce clinics, but to make sure that we’re improving outcomes for people that are in employer-based care as well,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said.
YOUNGSTOWN
2 teens charged after shooting incident near Canfield Fairgrounds
WKBN 27 Youngstown: Three total juveniles were taken into custody, but a 15-year-old and 13-year-old are facing charges of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, carrying concealed weapons and inducing panic.
