Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Open burning discouraged in western North Carolina due to “very high” wildfire risk
WLOS Asheville: Outdoor burning is discouraged this week as continued dry conditions increase wildfire concerns. The North Carolina Forest Service has most of western North Carolina at a “very high” risk level for wildfires.
ATLANTA
Health experts encourage vaccination as influenza-like illness arrives early in Georgia
Georgia Public Broadcasting: “We’re on track to have an early season,” said Dr. Fiona Havers, a professor in the Emory University School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases. “It’s a little bit hard to say how severe it will be, but we’re seeing more flu than usual at this time of year.”
BALTIMORE
Report: Women see gains, but still struggle to stay in Maryland workforce compared to men
Maryland Matters: “Women, especially Black women, were over-represented in departments that experienced large-scale layoffs, like the Department of Education. National estimates suggest that by August 2025 … cuts had reduced Black women’s federal employment by 25%,” said the report, released earlier this month.
Mayor Johnson budget seeks to reopen city mental health clinic next year
Chicago Sun-Times: Johnson plans to lean on funds generated from the social media tax to create permanent city funding for the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program.
CINCINNATI
Springfield residents to march 40 miles, demand end to “cruel” policies
Cincinnati.com: Members of the Springfield Haitian community plan to walk more than 40 miles to the Ohio statehouse to demand an end to “cruel immigration policies.”
CLEVELND
Cleveland among hardest-hit cities as Ohio faces steep drop in housing affordability
Cleveland.com: Buying a home has become increasingly out of reach for working families across Ohio, while rising rents and a shortage of affordable apartments are leaving more people struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
COLUMBUS
Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda discusses plans for new Timashev Technology Tower
Ohio State Public Media: “It is our realization of our vision for the innovation district at Ohio State on our west campus, but also more broadly, a realization of our vision, for Ohio State being the incubator and the ground center to spur the next generation of companies and the innovation economy for the state of Ohio. And so we’re very excited about this project.”
DETROIT
Abdul El-Sayed courts Upper Peninsula voters in Michigan US Senate race
Detroit Public Radio: More than 500 people showed up to support the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. It was the first stop on a three-event day that culminated in a 1,200 person rally in Marquette that evening.
INDIANAPOLIS
Indiana will bring nuclear energy to the grid under new agreement
Indianapolis Public Media: Indiana signed an agreement Monday with the goal of bringing six gigawatts of nuclear energy to the grid. Gov. Mike Braun signed a memorandum of understanding with a Canadian-based engineering company, AtkinsRéalis.
LOUISVILLE
Louisville dance group supports wellness in veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries
Louisville Public Media: Seven out of 100 military service members will have post-traumatic stress disorder in their lifetime, according to the National Center for PTSD. A 2025 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that physical activity can improve overall sleep, anxiety and sadness attributed to PTSD.
MEMPHIS
This Tennessee town made a pact with ICE: $1 a day for every person held in detention
MLK 50 Memphis: For the town, the stakes around the federal lockup had always been economic and simple. Prison workers lunched in nearby restaurants. Local utilities powered the detention facility.
MILWAUKEE
More Wisconsin lawmakers receive “suspicious” substances by mail
Wisconsin Public Radio: Sens. Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Tammy Baldwin both posted online saying that the packages and substances inside matched similar packages that have been sent to politicians and elections officials across the country.
MORGANTOWN
West Virginia Public Service Commission makes power rule a goal, not a mandate
West Virginia Watch: The West Virginia Public Service Commission, which oversees water, gas, sewer and electricity utilities, determined a clause in the law that called for power plants to run at 69% capacity is aspirational, rather than mandatory.
PHILADELPHIA
Congenital measles cases are a growing concern in Pennsylvania, health officials warn
Philly Voice: As Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak escalates, state health officials are warning about a rise in measles cases during pregnancy and the state’s first congenital measles cases in decades.
PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh International opens airside outdoor terrace
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The 1,000-square-foot terrace is positioned across from the Dick’s Sporting Goods display near Concourse D. The terrace features benches, tables and chairs, as well as plants native to Western Pennsylvania.
West Virginia House District 2 voters to choose between Viola and Day on Nov. 3
WTOV 9 Wheeling: Voters in West Virginia House of Delegates District 2 will decide on Nov. 3 who will represent them in Charleston, with Republican Tony Viola and Democrat Daniel Joseph Day both seeking the seat.
YOUNGSTOWN
Valor Energy acquires Youngstown computing facility for possible data center project
WFMJ 21 Youngstown: Valor Energy, an automobile transaction company pursuing a transformation into digital infrastructure, has purchased an 18-megawatt computing facility in Youngstown for a possible AI data center project.
