A Notice to Readers

Thank you for your readership of The Appalachian Voice publication. We are grateful to the 200-plus incredible volunteers who help us distribute 90,000 free copies of each issue across our region.

As you may know, The Appalachian Voice is produced by the nonprofit regional advocacy organization Appalachian Voices. We fight fossil fuels and the harm they pose to the people and places of Appalachia, and we advance energy efficiency, renewable power, and other solutions that create community wealth and sustain our region’s mountains, forests and waters.

As this work expands and places increased demands on our communications staff, we must ensure we continue to be good stewards of our financial resources. Due to this, The Appalachian Voice is shifting to a quarterly, seasonal schedule instead of a bimonthly one.

Stay connected between issues of the paper by subscribing to Appalachian Voices’ monthly e-newsletter at appvoices.org/sign-up, visiting our blog at appvoices.org/blog and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for your understanding as we make this shift! — The Appalachian Voice team

After 20 years, Letcher County prison proposal is still alive, though obstacles remain

A $605 million proposal for a federal prison on a former strip mine site in Letcher County, Kentucky, championed by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, refuses to die, despite local opposition, a lack of support from the executive branch and numerous other obstacles.

Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Erwin, Tennessee. Photo by Abby Hassler

The Washout and Rebuild

For nearly two years, residents of Unicoi County, Tennessee, have had to make do without a hospital after Hurricane Helene destroyed the rural hospital. Ballad Health, which owns the hospital, broke ground on a new location — in another floodplain — in August 2026.