Episode 1:
Damascus, Virginia, provides our first Example of Awesome in the season four opener, and we introduce Pennington Gap, the town we’ll be following for a year.
Episode 2:
Embracing the use of clean energy is the goal in Boone, North Carolina, where town leaders made national headlines after resolving to end the use of fossil fuels by 2050.
Episode 3:
In Vinton, Virginia, town leaders discovered that locating a new library downtown would provide a boost for other businesses.
Episode 4:
In Williamson, West Virginia, popularly known as the “Heart of the Billion Dollar Coalfield,” town leaders are investing in life after coal.
Episode 5:
In search of the town’s most marketable claim to fame, residents of Jonesborough, Tennessee, sought out the help of a consultant. In the end, the answer was obvious: positioning the town as the “Storytelling Capital of the World.”
Episode 6:
More than a decade ago, city officials in Pikeville, Kentucky, envisioned a future beyond strip mining. Leaders took a risk on a huge investment that paid off — an industrial park that was filled within 10 months.
Episode 7:
When we last visited St. Paul, Virginia, town leaders were intent on transforming one of its historic downtown buildings. Their persistence paid off with the recent opening of the Western Front Hotel.
Episode 8:
Huntington, West Virginia, has not been immune to the opioid crisis that rages throughout Appalachia — but the response of its mayor has earned national recognition.
Pennington Gap Wrap-up:
Take a look back over the past year of progress in Pennington Gap, Virginia.