What is Southern Appalachia’s place in U.S. history and identity - and in particular - the country’s politics? Voting patterns in the region have stayed remarkbly stable in presidential elections in recent decades - certainly in comparison to the rest of the region known as Appalachia - but the region's significance in those races may be a bit overstated.

This episode is Going Deep's 50th show! Well...at least this version of the show. John and Marcia started Going Deep when they were in West Lafayette, Indiana. In this episode, we trace how they made their way to Asheville, and look back at the guests and issues that have really stuck with them since Going Deep started coming out of Blue Ridge Public Radio's studios. (Music featured includes P Flunked Fun by Podington Bear)

It was 1957 when Dr. Levern Hamlin Allen headed to what was then called Western Carolina College . Allen remembers the long drive to Cullowhee from her where she was living in Charlotte in those days. “Oh 1957 that was a long time ago. When I look at the pictures of how tiny I was,”says Allen. Allen needed just 9 credit hours to be certified as a special ed teacher in North Carolina since she got her teaching degree in Virginia. She went on to be a speech and language pathologist. She says many

Asheville’s new police chief is resigning after less than two months on the job. The city announced this morning in a press release that police chief Chris Bailey is stepping down for ‘personal reasons.’

The state of North Carolina loosened up restriction on alcohol sales in legislation that took effect this month. One area that's stirred up a bit of confusion pertains to sales of mixed drinks. While the definition of "a bar" remains unchanged, a new rule allowing distilleries to sell cocktails on-site has muddled the situation.

Western North Carolina has four seats in the state senate. Two of those will be open seats in next year’s election, including the one that represents the state’s westernmost counties.

The Franklin Town Council unanimously approved a special use permit to build a new Angel Medical Center. BPR was at the meeting. HCA Healthcare will build the new facility off of Hunnicutt Lane and Center Court Drive in Franklin. The f or-profit company purchased the hospital as part of its acquisition of t he Mission Health system . “The facility will really be based on what Franklin and Macon County need.” That’s Angel Medical Center CEO and CNO Karen Gorby. She presented the most recent plans

The 2019 NFL season starts without one of the league's star players. Two weeks before the season was set to begin, Andrew Luck announced his retirement from the game after just seven seasons. The 29-year-old Indianapolis Colts quarterback's decision stunned the sport and fans. This episode sifts through the reaction - including booing from fans - to look at the physical and mental toll the sport takes on NFL players, before concluding with a beatifully thought-provoking response from Marcia to

The Appalachian Regional Commission is holding its annual s ummit this week in Asheville. The federal organization funds projects in 420 counties in 13 states from Mississippi to New York – including in Western North Carolina. The Appalachian Regional Commission was created in 1965 to work on economic development and infrastructure projects such as highways in the region. Richard Starnes is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Carolina University. The Asheville native studies

The complex identity of Southern Appalachia pervades film, literature and academia, but the stereotypes portrayed in those disciplines even extend to the region’s best-known export – music – and its most famous instrument.