Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
NC governor unveils 10-year plan for Helene recovery, modeled after WWII’s Marshall Plan
WRAL.com: The report was published just before Stein is set to depart on a multi-day tour of western North Carolina, two years after Helene became the most destructive storm in state history.
ATLANTA
Major tire company to expand in Northwest Georgia
Georgia Public Broadcasting: A global leader in tire production will invest $1.2 billion to expand in Georgia, bringing 1,000 jobs by 2033, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office. “This historic investment will expand Pirelli’s footprint with roughly five times more positions than they currently employ across the region,” Kemp said in a statement.
BALTIMORE
Parkinson’s disease symposium in Maryland to focus on finding meaning in daily life
Maryland Matters: Thousands of Maryland residents live with Parkinson’s disease, a chronic condition for which there is no cure. The University of Maryland Parkinson’s Disease symposium takes place with a focus on “finding meaning in daily life with chronic conditions.”
Protesters rally against Trump’s upcoming visit to Chicago area for golf tournament
Chicago Sun-Times: The rally was near the Medinah Country Club, where Trump is expected to make an appearance this Sunday during the final round of the President’s Cup. The visit comes just over a year after Operation Midway Blitz first launched in the Chicago area.
CINCINNATI
Springfield pastor out on bond, but Haitian immigrants are increasingly being detained by ICE
Cincinnati Public Radio: From the beginning of January this year until July 26, Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents detained 26 Haitians from across Ohio, according to Ohio Immigrant Alliance. They have been held in Seneca County Jail, Correction Center of NW Ohio, Mahoning County Jail and Butler County Jail.
CLEVELAND
Voices: Risky Cleveland lakefront art project is dead. That’s a good thing
Ideastream Public Media: Destination Cleveland, the city’s convention and tourism agency, said late Wednesday in an email that a controversial lakefront public art proposal developed by MSCHF, a for-profit New York company that calls itself an art collective, is officially dead.
COLUMBUS
Federal government to invest more than $100 million in Ohio’s electric grid to boost energy capacity
Ohio State Public Media: The federal government announced at an event in Columbus that it will invest $130 million to upgrade existing transmission lines, matched with the same amount of private investment from companies like First Energy and American Electric Power.
DETROIT
Clerks reiterate Michigan elections are “safe, secure, fair” as absentee voting begins
Michigan Advance: As absentee ballots for November’s general election begin to be mailed out to Michigan voters , clerks and election advocates urged Michiganders to feel confident in the safety and security of the state’s election system and those who administer it.
INDIANAPOLIS
Department of Energy invests in improving Indiana’s energy grid
Indianapolis Public Media: Indiana is receiving millions of dollars from the federal government to help improve the energy grid – and how the state transmits power to surrounding states.
LOUISVILLE
Kentucky governor backs black lung bill in Congress
Kentucky Lantern: Gov. Andy Beshear asked Kentucky’s congressional delegation in a letter to throw their support behind a bill amending the Black Lung Benefits Act to “provide adequate benefits for miners suffering from black lung disease.”
MILWAUKEE
New dark money GOP group dominates Wisconsin political spending
Wisconsin Public Radio: The Republican Party of Wisconsin and other GOP advocacy groups have already led this year’s political spending according to the ethics commission, but First Amendment LLC’s first report shows it’s now the biggest spender in 2026 politics.
MORGANTOWN
Voices: West Virginians don’t need to be taught the value of work
Ellen Allen writes for West Virginia Watch: “West Virginians know what it means to get up early, drive a long way to a job, work a second shift, care for a child or aging parent, go to school, volunteer in their community or keep working when they don’t feel their best because the bills still have to be paid.”
NASHVILLE
As Tennessee attorney general seeks abortion records, a nonprofit pushes back in court
Nashville Public Radio: Earlier this month, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a request for information to Abortion Care Tennessee and said the state was investigating the group’s “advertisement and promotion of mail-order abortion-inducing drugs.”
PHILADELPHIA
Here are 5 “artifacts” in the Museum of the Philadelphian, an ode to residents’ gritty reputation
Philly Voice: Today marks the opening of a pop-up in Fishtown that’s dedicated to the people who helped cultivate Philly’s culture. The Museum of the Philadelphian at 454 E. Girard Ave. is a 300-square-foot space that’s packed with items that represent moments in Philly lore.
PITTSBURGH
Lucky for Pittsburgh, INEZ chose music. And she definitely knows how to hold a mic.
WESA Pittsburgh: For Pittsburgh R&B artist INEZ, everything about her formative years pointed toward a career in music. It just took a while for her to take the hint. She grew up in a musical family in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood — a veritable incubator for Black Pittsburgh musical talent.
WHEELING
Uncle Kracker coming to Wheeling to headline Eats & Beats Festival
WTRF.com: The third annual Eats and Beats Festival will return to Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack on Saturday, Oct. 10, followed by a concert from Uncle Kracker. The free festival will run from 1 to 9 p.m. in the Wheeling Island parking lot. It will feature food trucks, vendors, carnival rides, games, live greyhound racing and music.
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown, Liberty unveil long-term vision for Belmont Avenue corridor
WFMJ 21 Youngstown: Residents, business owners, property owners and other community stakeholders got a look at those possibilities during an open house for the Belmont Avenue Corridor Study, a joint effort between the City of Youngstown and Liberty Township.
