The latest episode of Save Our Towns takes us back to St. Paul, Virginia, the first town we followed for a year. Back then, mayor Kyle Fletcher was intent on turning a historical building into a boutique hotel. Now that dream has been realized with the opening of the Western Front Hotel. After years of… Continue Reading Season 4, Episode 7

Season 4, Episode 6
In this month’s Example of Awesome, we take a look at Pikeville, Kentucky. Envisioning a future beyond strip mining, city officials took a risk on building a new industrial park — and filled it within just 10 months. The Pennington Gap update delves further into the study performed by researchers from Virginia Tech’s Institute for… Continue Reading Season 4, Episode 6

Season 4, Episode 3
In this month’s episode of Save Our Towns, we visit Vinton, Virginia, where a brand new library is boosting business downtown. Meanwhile, town leaders in Pennington Gap, Virginia, discuss how critical it is for the hospital to reopen in Lee County. In Maxwell’s Number, we learn some eye-opening facts about coal’s decline, while author Jo… Continue Reading Season 4, Episode 3

Season 3, Episode 5
In Bramwell, West Virginia, town leaders have cashed in on the Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail, while Cleveland turned to demolition in order to build the town back up. Graduate student Maxwell Vandervliet highlights a pending government grant that will help rehab former coal mining sites in his monthly segment, and T. Allan Comp champions the VISTA/Americorps… Continue Reading Season 3, Episode 5

Season Two, Episode 4
While many Southwest Virginia towns have historically depended on the coal industry for jobs, residents of Appalachia, Virginia, made their voices heard after the tragic death of a child and may have helped preserve their town in the process. This month, we skip our update from Pearisburg to bring you feedback from Roanoke, where attendees… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 4

Season Two, Episode 3
In our third episode of the season, we see how Pocahontas, Virginia–a town of less than 400 residents–is using an exhibition coal mine to reclaim its place in coal mining history. We hear more from Pearisburg mayor Robert Dickerson about the importance of the town’s Farmers’ Market, while Tarah Kesterson of Virginia’s Department of Mines,… Continue Reading Season Two, Episode 3