Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Meet the wildlife cinematographer filming Asheville’s bears for a global audience on the BBC
Blue Ridge Public Radio: Hayes Baxley is an Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer whose work has taken him from the Arctic to the Amazon. This summer, his assignment is in his hometown of Asheville, where black bears roam the same streets he does.
ATLANTA
Voter registration forms sent to dead Georgians, pet dog prompt state investigation
Atlanta News First: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced an investigation into third-party organizations that have mailed voter registration paperwork to people who are dead or can’t vote.
BALTIMORE
US Olympian canoeist pleads not guilty to charges of damaging Reflecting Pool
Maryland Matters: Bethesda resident is being scapegoated for Trump’s failures, his attorney says; prosecutors claim to have ‘a lot of evidence’ in the case
CHICAGO
ICE arrests are on the rise again in Chicago. Here’s what immigrants need to know
Block Club Chicago: Immigration arrests and sightings of ICE agents have increased in recent weeks. “This is a time when the community needs to come together to protect ourselves,” an organizer said.
CINCINNATI
Ohio senator threatens Cincinnati federal aid over ‘wasteful DEI’ program
Cincinnati.com: Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno sent a letter last week to Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval threatening possible federal action over a “potentially illegal and wasteful DEI Procurement Ordinance” that City Council adopted in June.
CLEVELAND
Federal government kicks in $25 million for Browns Brook Park stadium roadwork
Cleveland.com: Brook Park’s plans for more than $80 million in roadway and pedestrian path improvements around the new Browns stadium site won a $25 million federal grant this week.
COLUMBUS
Ohio to see $749 million in political ad spending in midterm elections
Columbus Dispatch: Political ad spending in Ohio is soaring to record levels, a new report shows, as tight Senate and governor races become some of the most competitive in the country ahead of the 2026 midterms.
DETROIT
Washington, D.C.’s ‘shadow senator’ calls on Michigan governor to remove National Guard troops
Michigan Advance: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office gave no indication that it was planning to bring home its National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C. for the America250 celebration of the nation’s milestone anniversary event – and at least one elected official is calling on the governor to do so promptly.
INDIANAPOLIS
Data center developer shrinks east side project days before final vote
Indianapolis Public Media: Georgia-based data center developer DC Blox initially proposed a $2 billion data center campus with three buildings, up to a total of 420,000 square feet, that could house up to 56 diesel generators.
LOUISVILLE
Kentucky Lantern: Democratic U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Louisville is urging the city’s investor-owned electric utility to ensure that electricity ratepayers don’t bear the costs of hyperscale data centers, saying he’s opposed to data center construction in the city.
MILWAUKEE
Appeal denied in case against father of Madison school shooter
Wisconsin Public Radio: Jeffrey Rupnow, 44, is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor in addition to two counts of intentionally giving a dangerous weapon to someone under 18, all felonies.
MORGANTOWN
Federal judge denies West Virginia request to pause child welfare lawsuit
West Virginia Watch: U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin denied a request by Attorney General J.B. McCuskey for a stay in the case as the state asked the United States Supreme Court to weigh in. If the judge had granted the stay, it would have delayed a potential trial in the case, which was first filed in 2019.
NASHVILLE
WSMV 4 Nashville: The tag includes a website URL linked to Patriot Front, a white supremacist hate group. People who know the property owner say he did not put the graffiti there and did not approve it.
PHILADELPHIA
What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ
ABC 6 Philadelphia: Drivers pulled up to the pumps at one of the new Freedom Fuel gas stations as the privately owned network began offering gas prices below the national average at locations across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey.
PITTSBURGH
Michelin Guide inspectors visit Pittsburgh to find and rate the best restaurants
WESA Pittsburgh: Anonymous restaurant inspectors are currently eating their way through the Steel City, detailing their bites, confirming their suspicions, and writing up reviews; but we won’t know their thoughts until the guide’s release next year.
WHEELING
Flood Watch in effect for portions of the Ohio Valley
WTRF.com: According to NWS, possible heavy rainfall totals of 1 – 2 inches, possibly up to 3, falling on top of already saturated grounds could lead to possible flash flooding in the watch area.
YOUNGSTOWN
Boardman teachers’ union considers strike options
WKBN 27 Youngstown: The union for Boardman teachers is in support of a strike authorization if contract talks fail. Vince Carnevale, a Boardman Education Association union negotiator, said 81% of members voted on Wednesday and Thursday, and 94% of voting members supported a strike authorization vote.
