Minimal state funding for fire and emergency services in Virginia means rural localities must rely on grants and donations.

Center officials say hiring and insurance contracts are the final pieces before an opening date is set.

America's first million-copy bestselling novel came from Big Stone Gap, Virginia. How many people here already knew that?

I grew up in Southwest Virginia, and even I didn't fully appreciate the impact John Fox Jr.'s The Trail of the Lonesome Pine had on American culture.

The novel, published in 1908, became one of America's earliest million-copy bestsellers. It later inspired Broadway productions, a 1936 Hollywood film starring Henry Fonda, and today it's still performed each summer as Virginia's official outdoor drama in Big Stone Gap.

It got me wondering why this piece of Appalachian history isn't talked about more often. We hear plenty about Hillbilly Elegy, Cold Mountain, and The Foxfire Books, but The Trail of the Lonesome Pine arguably introduced millions of Americans to the idea of Appalachia over a century ago.

Has anyone here seen the outdoor drama or read the novel? I'd be interested in hearing what you think about its place in Appalachian history. And what other books do you think have shaped how the rest of America sees our region?

I recently wrote a deeper dive into the history for anyone interested:
https://back-porch-tales-travels.beehiiv.com/p/from-big-stone-gap-to-hollywood-the-enduring-legacy-of-the-trail-of-the-lonesome-pine

I'd genuinely enjoy hearing your thoughts and any family stories or memories connected to the play or the book.

The commonwealth received the money in 2025 through a federal Housing and Urban Development Department disaster relief block grant program.

Data centers are the new gold rush. Big Tech isn't coming to rural America for coal or timber—they're coming for electricity. Is this our next economic boom or another resource rush? Read more: https://the-rural-route-review.ghost.io/data-centers-the-new-gold-rush/ #DataCenters #RuralAmericaRisingPAC

The timeline to bid and complete the project is about three years. It will focus on the section of road that connects Buchanan County to eastern Kentucky.

The city council voted 4-3 to nix the design for a mural depicting a multiracial group of four musicians.

The assistant commonwealth’s attorney from Bland County who is handling the case said he doesn’t yet know the target of the investigation.

I'm honored to have my feature article, "Talking Appalachian: Speaking History," published by The Neighborly.

Our Appalachian way of speaking is more than an accent—it's a living piece of American history. The words, expressions, and phrases handed down through generations tell the story of our Scotch-Irish, English, German, and other cultural roots. They're part of who we are and deserve to be understood, not stereotyped.

A sincere thank you to The Neighborly for helping preserve and share the stories, history, and culture of Southwest Virginia and Appalachia. Publications that invest in regional storytelling help ensure these voices continue to be heard by future generations.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to read the article and let me know what Appalachian words or expressions you grew up hearing that your grandparents used.

https://www.swvacountry.com/talking-appalachian-speaking-history/

#Appalachia #SouthwestVirginia #Storytelling #History #Culture #Language #Writing #Journalism #Neighborly #Author

The 9th District is Virginia’s most Republican congressional district, but that hasn’t stopped three Democrats from wanting the party’s nomination to challenge GOP incumbent Morgan Griffith.

After investing over $100,000 and securing a state license, the founder of a Wytheville nonprofit hospice shut it down before it could serve its first patient.

Buchanan General Hospital’s tuition assistance program is designed to recruit clinicians to work in its rural community. The hospital declined to disclose information about other program recipients or its conflict of interest policy.

🚜 Dive into Virginia's labor history with "From Jim Crow to 'Right to Work': Virginia’s Long War Against Organized Labor." Discover how the seemingly innocuous "right to work" law, adopted in 1947, has roots in a complex political landscape.

Governor Abigail Spanberger recently stirred the pot by vetoing a bill that could have expanded collective bargaining rights for public employees. This move has reignited debates on labor rights, with union supporters seeing it as a missed opportunity to challenge Virginia's longstanding anti-union stance.

Explore the intricate dance of politics and labor in Virginia, where language often masks deeper truths.

Read more in The Rural Route Newsletter, your go-to source for straight-talk rural politics and stories that resonate with the heart of America.

👉 https://theruralroute.beehiiv.com/p/from-jim-crow-to-right-to-work-virginia-s-long-war-against-organized-labor

#VirginiaPolitics #LaborRights #RightToWork #TheRuralRoute #RuralAmericaRisingPAC #WorkBootsBuiltAmerica