Written by Abby Hassler
Abby Hassler
Abby is a digital storyteller who grew up in East Tennessee and joined the communications team in December 2024. Before coming to Appalachian Voices, she spent ten years in strategic communications, academia and journalism. Recent roles include the Director of Creative Strategy of a strategic communications firm focused on clean energy, clean tech and economic development, and Executive Producer of a podcast about clean energy news in Tennessee.
Feeling Powerless on Their Own Property
Many landowners, neighbors and community advocates are contending with the massive buildout of methane gas — dubbed “natural gas” by the fossil fuel industry — in Tennessee. This huge increase in gas infrastructure is driven in large part by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
In ‘All These Ghosts,’ Silas House Explores ‘Timesickness,’ Deep Grief, Hope in Dark Times
In his first full-length poetry collection, “All These Ghosts,” Silas House, an award-winning Appalachian author and former poet laureate of Kentucky, grapples with deep personal grief and “timesickness,” or the deep longing for a time, place or spiritual state that no longer exists.
Navigating Long-Term Hurricane Helene Recovery: A Day-in-the-Life of a Disaster Case Manager in Cocke County, Tennessee
Chrissy Miller is a disaster case manager in Cocke County, Tennessee, who helps survivors of Hurricane Helene access resources, fulfill unmet needs, develop recovery plans and try to make sense of difficult situations. For Miller, who was also impacted by the storm, it’s hard to rein in the scope of her work.
![“The hooded warbler is what I call my spark bird, which is [the bird that] gets you into birding,” Fox says. “You see a bird, and it gets you wondering what it is, and then suddenly you discover there's this whole world of birds that you didn't know about.” Photo by Kelly Fox](https://appvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/HoodedWarbler-1024x682.jpg)
Spotting Fall Warblers at Seven Islands State Birding Park
Birding enthusiasts may be able to spot these 36 New World warbler species at Seven Islands State Birding Park in Kodak, Tennessee, this fall migration season.
‘We Certainly Have a Long Way to Go’
On the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene, communities reflect on the challenges they still face on the long road to recovery. The storm caused significant destruction, but it also exacerbated existing issues. New instances of housing insecurity and mental health concerns bubble to the surface every day — and will for months and years to come. For those doing the arduous work of long-term recovery, it feels never-ending.
‘King of the Darters’ Removed from Endangered Species List
The Roanoke logperch, a striking, large freshwater fish found in a handful of watersheds in Virginia and North Carolina, is no longer on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species list. It’s a sign of the fish population’s improvement. But some individuals and environmental and conservation organizations see its removal from Endangered Species Act protections — rather than moving from “endangered” to “threatened” status — as premature.
Continuity of Connection: Museum Exhibition Features Contemporary Native Artwork About Indigenous Mounds
A new exhibition, “Homelands: Connecting to Mounds through Native Art,” at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, features contemporary art from four of the 11 Native nations with ancestral ties to UT land.
The Long Trail Back: Public Lands Recovery After Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene devastated many of Appalachia’s most beloved natural areas. Thanks to federal, state and local partners and volunteers, many of these outdoor spaces have reopened. But full recovery is far from over. Current and looming federal budget cuts and policy changes have made already challenging land restoration work even more arduous.
Snapshots of Disaster Recovery
In this issue, we shared snapshots of disaster recovery, including a West Marion Resilience Hub and updates on the Virginia Creeper Trail.
‘Nobody Is Coming to Save Us:’ Building McDowell County, West Virginia, After February Floods
Before Feb. 15, the worst floods to hit the town of Welch in McDowell County, West Virginia, were in 1977, followed by 2001 and 2002.
