Appalachian + Mid-South Newsroom

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, LPM, WEKU-Lexington/Richmond, WKMS-Murray, WKU Public Radio, and WUOT.

A uniquely American musical style is getting a once-in-a-generation update

Justin Hicks

The “Sacred Harp” is the most popular songbook for music called “shape note singing.” This year, a new edition will be printed with dozens of modern compositions. Singers say this only happens once in a generation and they can’t wait.
Kentucky midwives say new state law will improve access to birthing centers

Sylvia Goodman

After years of advocacy, freestanding birth centers will soon be easier to open in Kentucky, as activists say many women go to neighboring Tennessee and Indiana for childbirth.
Finding art in nature with cicada Brood XIV

Justin Hicks

Brood XIV is emerging across Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. While the cicadas are annoying to some, they offer profound meaning to others.
The long-term impact of violent loss: Reflecting on the crimes and execution of Oscar Smith

Tasha A.F. Lemley

Ahead of Oscar Smith’s execution Thursday morning for the murder of his wife and two of her children, people close to the case have expressed a wide span of thoughts and emotions leading up to this day.
Louisville consent decree – not reforms – over, mayor says

Roberto Roldan

Louisville’s mayor and police chief sought to alleviate community concerns Wednesday following the Trump administration’s motion to quash planned federal oversight of policing reform.
Tennessee governor denies reprieve, ensuring executions by lethal injection amid legal challenge

Catherine Sweeney

Tennessee will execute Oscar Franklin Smith this week, while a lawsuit challenging the state’s new lethal injection protocol makes its way through the court system.
Reporter's notebook: Tornado cleanup in London, Kentucky

Justin Hicks

At least 19 people have died due to severe weather passing through Kentucky last weekend.
Timeline: Tennessee is planning its first lethal injection in years. How did the state get here?

Paige Pfleger

On Thursday, Tennessee plans to carry out its first execution since 2019 by means of lethal injection. It’s the fourth scheduled execution date since 2020 for Oscar Smith, who was convicted of killing his estranged wife Judith Smith and her two sons Jason Burnett and Chad Burnett in 1989.
Kentucky volunteers sort through rubble amid tornado damage in London

Justin Hicks

Volunteers are out en masse helping people recover from tornado damage in Kentucky as another round of strong storms looms.
Kentucky NWS office in Jackson was staffed amid severe weather, despite shortages

Shepherd Snyder

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Jackson, Kentucky, was fully staffed overnight as tornadoes descended on London and Somerset, despite staffing shortages.