NPR and Member stations in Appalachia and the Mid-South have launched a collaboration aimed at strengthening local news coverage and bringing more stories from this region to the rest of the country. The new Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom is a collaboration between West Virginia Public Broadcasting, WPLN and WUOT in Tennessee, LPM, WEKU, WKMS and WKYU in Kentucky.
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A Biden administration rule lowered the amount of toxic dust workers in mines and quarries can be exposed to, but a lawsuit and new Congress could upend it. -
For much of central Appalachia, 2024 was a year marked by drought conditions followed by intense, catastrophic rain. For many places it was also the hottest year on record. Scientists say extremes like these are likely symptoms of a changing climate. -
A giant salamander typically found in central Appalachia called the hellbender is on the way to being endangered. The bizarre-looking creature can only live in very clean water, which is getting harder to find. -
Tennessee’s Department of Agriculture says they lack the funding to help farms wrecked by flooding in East Tennessee. -
Last week, Kentucky Public Radio reporter Justin Hicks went to parts of east Tennessee to help report on the aftermath of Helene. KPR’s managing editor Ryan Van Velzer sat down to debrief on the moments that stuck out to Hicks from his time on the ground. -
At least two residents were killed and thousands are without water in east Tennessee's Greene County following tropical storm Helene. -
Last year saw the most mine deaths in nearly a decade. The rise was especially acute in surface mines. Now, there’s increased efforts to emphasize above ground mine safety just as much as underground safety. -
In a three-part series, Kentucky Public Radio explored the state's ambitious plan to create seven new housing developments. Most are on former strip mines. For it to work, they'll have to surmount some complex challenges.
