In this week’s episode of Inside Appalachia we hear a roundup of some of our region’s news, from recovery efforts in Kentucky following devastating tornadoes, to how infrastructure funding from Congress could benefit communities in Appalachia. We’ll also hear from teenagers in Western North Carolina share poetry about how they see themselves and their identities. 

Communities Rally To Support Tornado Victims 

Parts of Kentucky, Tennessee and four other states are in recovery mode following deadly tornadoes last weekend that left a trail of devastation. Among the towns hardest hit was Bowling Green, Kentucky. In this episode we hear a story by WKYU’s Lisa Autry about the impacts the tornado had on this community, and efforts to help those who are suffering. Jennifer Capps, executive director at American Red Cross of South Central Kentucky, said it’s the worst local disaster she’s seen in her career.

Infrastructure Funding For Appalachia

The bipartisan infrastructure bill that became law last month has billions of dollars in it for roads, bridges, airports and transit systems in the Ohio Valley.

The law also addresses some of the region’s other pressing needs.

The $1 trillion infrastructure law has the potential to deliver big improvements to Appalachia. It will help reclaim abandoned mine sites, putting laid-off coal miners back to work.

Children In Appalachia At High Risk Of Serious COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect Appalachia, with case numbers on the rise yet again. That includes children who are being hospitalized with serious cases of the disease. As Corinne Boyer reports, children in Appalachia are at a higher risk of developing a serious case of COVID, because of a high rate of childhood obesity. 

Helping Teens Express Identity Through Poetry Writing Series

Who am I? It’s a question that teenagers wrestle with everywhere, as they discover their identities. In this episode we hear a series of stories, called Storycraft, produced by Blue Ridge Public Radio in Asheville. This summer, BPR teamed up with a nonprofit, Asheville Writers In The Schools and Community. Together, they hosted a series of workshops with teenagers and asked them the question: ‘Who Am I?’ The teenagers wrote poems based on the prompt, and we hear three of these in this episode. 

Breonna Taylor’s Life Honored In App Called ‘Breonna’s Garden’

We also learn about a media project that honors the life of Breonna Taylor, who was shot by Louisville police in March 2020. Artists designed a digital app to function as a space for Taylor’s loved ones and community members to find solace. WFPL reporter Stephanie Wolf takes us into the augmented reality artwork, “Breonna’s Garden.”

Crystal Good Aims To Change Media Landscape Through ‘Black By God’

Sometimes, spending time away from your home makes you fully appreciate how much you love it, despite its downsides. It also helps you to see a place where you can try to make a difference. That’s what Crystal Good did. She’s a writer and entrepreneur who grew up in West Virginia but recently spent about two years in California.

Last month, she returned home with an ambition to change the state’s media landscape. Good says she knows it’s a gamble to launch a business in the midst of a pandemic, not to mention a media project at a time when newsrooms across the country are collapsing. But she feels like it’s important, something she has to do.