The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom is the essential news source for people in and of Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia. NPR and Member stations in Appalachia and the Mid-South launched a collaboration aimed at strengthening local news coverage and amplifying more stories from this region to the rest of the country. The Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom includes West Virginia Public Broadcasting, WPLN and WUOT in Tennessee, LPM, WEKU-Lexington/Richmond, WKMS-Murray and WKU Public Radio in Kentucky.
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President Donald Trump’s administration has promised financial relief for soybean farmers when the federal government reopens. The hardwood lumber industry, which has been struggling with impacts from Trump’s first term, wants to be included. -
Kentucky utility regulators could approve a rate increase for Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities customers. They’ve approved new power plants to meet the electricity demands of data centers. Customers may not have known about the hidden cost they’re paying for two coal plants. -
For thousands of years, pearls have been a prized gemstone used to craft jewelry and other adornments. But North America has just one freshwater pearl farm that cultivates the shiny objects, located at Kentucky Lake in western Tennessee. -
Kentucky Public Radio analyzed quotes from the state’s health insurance marketplace and found premium increases ranging from 60% to 600% compared to 2025. -
A new book from a Kentucky native details the last public hanging in the United States, which took place in Owensboro 1936, and examines it through the lens of lynch culture in America. -
During the Biden administration, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration created a safety rule long-sought by black lung associations. Days before it could be enforced, a lawsuit froze enforcement and little has changed since. -
As leaves trade their lush green for crunchy browns, oranges and yellows, there’s no shortage of ways to get out and enjoy the crisp autumn air in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. -
Tennessee’s the University of the South, known as Sewanee, is frequently recognized for its natural beauty, including its 20-mile Perimeter Trail. -
Fall brings with it many changes, but perhaps none more striking than the turning of the leaves. West Virginia officials are working to make sure leaf peepers visiting the state maximize their autumn experience. -
After the federal government shutdown cut staffing and services at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, local governments and nonprofits in the region stepped up to foot the bill and keep the park open during the peak fall season.
