Today, I was able to participate in #WakeUpLex to help spread awareness about domestic and sexual violence. DSV is an important issue that deserves our attention, and survivors deserve our support. Thank you to everyone who made today possible, and those who were able to participate!

“For her senior capstone, Roberts has been researching the East Tennessee State Asylum. It’s a memorialization project for the patients buried at the asylum, which is now known as Lakeshore Mental Health Institute.”

Kentucky lawmakers expected to pass legislation this session to protect ratepayers from new data centers. That did not happen, as such language was stripped from a bill shortly before it passed into law on the final day. #kyga26

More than 1 in 3 households in #WestVirginia struggle to pay their electric bills. State lawmakers introduced bills to freeze electricity rates and help vulnerable West Virginians, but none of them passed this year.

The EPA wants to roll back regulations on coal ash put in place to prevent disasters like the 2008 Kingston coal ash spill. “It’s infuriating,” said Jessica Waller-Downs, daughter of a late coal ash cleanup worker. "I don't trust anybody in the government anymore. I have no trust with them.”

😎 Want to learn more about solar energy in Southwest Virginia? Join the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia in Lebanon on Thursday, April 30, for a community meeting focused on solar energy educational and training opportunities in far Southwest Virginia. https://loom.ly/ZpoRbJg

Public lands in #Appalachia are under threat. The Trump admin wants to weaken protections — opening nat forests to coal mining & putting our land, water & communities at risk. Join our webinar on Tues 4/21 @ 6pm ET to learn more. RSVP ⬇️ https://appvoices.org/events/protecting-public-lands-webinar/#Appalachia

Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia has signed into law a bill to end tax exemptions for a slate of Confederacy-related organizations in the state.

Forest and Wetland Restoration on former coal mine sites has been shown to improve species diversity, especially for frogs and toads. Read more here: https://loom.ly/JA9gmsI #infrastructurewinswednesday #appalachia #coalmines #frogs

Residents should have the final say on if a facility develops in their community. At the same time, communities that are receptive to these projects should be equipped to maximize benefits while minimizing costs, mitigating harms, and conserving resources. ✍️ REGISTER @ loom.ly/_GAUMM0

Meanwhile, Trump and the GOP insist on using decomposed prehistoric microscopic marine organisms 😞

Repost from Mayra There were more protesters outside the Turning Point rally in Athens GA than event attendees.

A sweeping reorganization of the U.S. Forest Service signals that the agency is planning to lean heavily on states to help manage millions of acres of federal land, foresters across the West say. @stateline.org kentuckylantern.com/2026/04/15/r...

We're excited to share our vendor lineup for this year's Seedtime on the Cumberland festival! Good For Your Heart Farms will be offering locally grown berry jellies, pepper jellies, and salsas. Come see many great vendors at Seedtime 2026! Full vendor lineup: appalshop.org/seedtime2026

Our annual Seedtime on the Cumberland festival would be impossible without the generous support of our sponsors! Kentucky Natural Lands Trust is an accredited nonprofit that has protected over 57,000 acres of Kentucky wildlands since 1995. Visit knlt.org to learn more.

"Nothing is romanticized in this documentary, but the romance of the circus and its people is compassionately revealed … highly recommended.”— Choice Watch the film here: https://loom.ly/-is2VBk 📸 Appalshop, “One Ring Circus,” Andrew Garrison, 1987

Excellent crowd tonight at B.U.I.L.D.’s 2026 Nehemiah Action meeting at Central Bank Center! This coalition of 26 churches is using their collective power from diverse racial, economic, and denominational backgrounds to address serious issues and build a better Lexington for everyone!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will lift Biden-era regulations on hundreds of legacy coal ash sites nationwide. From @weku.bsky.social

In order to vote in the May 19 primary election, Kentuckians must be registered to vote by April 20 at 4 p.m. local time. From @hannahsaad.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social #kyga26

Today marks 5 weeks until Election Day, and @cherlynnforky.bsky.social's campaign is firing on all cylinders. Live in district and need a yard sign? We still have a few spots left. Click the link to be added to the list, and we'll deliver it when they're in! secure.ngpvan.com/QDI8CZLweUKb...

🏔️ ReImagine Appalachia is having a blast at the Appalachia Funders Network Gathering in Ashland, KY! This year’s gathering centers on how narrative, civic infrastructure, and investment can come together to create new regional opportunities! #AFNGathering #AppalachianFundersNetwork #Networking

> Eastern Kentucky is running out of people — and time kentuckylantern.com/2026/04/13/e... In the #BadEconomy, #USCensus data reveals for many counties, especially those defined by coal, population is dying off faster than new births. #KentuckyProud #population #GovDocs #Appalachia

A Spring Break Under the Stars: Colgate-Led Initiative Aims to Preserve Dark Skies in Appalachia | Colgate University share.google/ilS2KgHvybs1...

A thoughtful and excellent overview of Appalachia and why it matters.

Friendly reminder that if you want to help out the Dispatches From Appalachia in these lean times it would be greatly appreciated.

I find this to be upsetting because so many Americans who are into her as an idea don’t follow what she teaches nor do they honor or respect her culture. Like for example how many Americans on the left and right say they love Dolly and then endorsed what JD said about Appalachia

April showers being Mayapples. #mountainlife #Appalachia #wildingyourlife

"What follows is not a day-by-day recap but a thematic synthesis: of sacred spaces and secular drones, of the residency as a model for deep listening, and of the peculiar alchemy that turns a small city in Appalachia into a gathering place for music that rarely finds a home anywhere else."

This episode of Us & Them was honored by the VAPB for Best Podcast examines the hidden side of homeownership in Appalachia. Reporting from western VA, this episode explores what happens when owning a home doesn’t mean building wealth. wvpublic.org/wvpb-podcast...

From the Vault: Check out this classic Dispatch and show your support of The Dispatches From Appalachia by leaving a small tip! It's desperately needed.