Eastern redbuds are blooming all across the forests of #Appalachia
#Bloomscrolling

I started writing a #blog this year to document the #stories behind the stories & to Change the Narrative on #Appalachia and #Appalachians.

I am poor at marketing the blog but the fabulous Amy Johnson Crow promoted my latest entry about Appalachian #Dialect and #Language.

Fun trivia: The #video in the blog kicked off my intiative to Change the Narrative.

To read the blog & watch the short video:

https://ancestryroads.blogspot.com/2025/04/52-ancestors-week-14-language.html

A #subscribe would be great too.

My #dogwood tree is finally in bloom. It has been a family tradition to own Dogwoods. In #Appalachia, I've grown up by the time table of their blooms and #Easter.

"On February 15, 2025, a catastrophic flood ravaged McDowell County, West Virginia, and much of the state’s southern coalfields. At least three people were reported dead due to the flash flooding, with dozens more reported missing and more than 700 rescued. Damage to housing and infrastructure is expected to reach millions of dollars.

This latest flood follows similarly destructive bouts of flooding in the region in 2016, 2002, 2001 and 1977. While much of southern West Virginia is especially vulnerable to flooding due to the state’s topography along with the long-term ramifications of strip mining and timbering, McDowell County faces additional challenges. The county ranks first in the WV Social Vulnerability Index, a socio-economic resiliency indicator, revealing which communities are less likely to recover from a flood disaster quickly and fully. McDowell is the eighth poorest county in the country. Because 60% of the land is owned by corporations and insurance in flood zones is expensive, fewer than 3% of residential structures have flood insurance. This is one of the lowest flood insurance penetration rates in the state.

In press conferences since the flooding, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has stressed that his administration is looking to help where they can, as well as warning that these recovery efforts can take time. He also said that his administration will conduct a thorough review of both the response and recovery efforts to find ways to improve if and when the next disaster strikes.

But West Virginia officials have a history of ignoring and underfunding protection plans, as well as many other needs in the state’s southern coalfields. And economic factors mixing with polycrises such as addiction, isolation, lack of potable water, and limited access to affordable and nutritious food has led to a pessimistic mindset which community leaders say it’s hard to break from.

“What this place needs is hope,” Alicia Vest of Matoaka Outreach says about her hometown of Matoaka, just over the county line in Mercer County. “[Growing up] it was so full of life, [but] as the coal mine shut down, life kind of stopped and it got stuck in a hole.”

In the weeks following the flood, Trump-appointed EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to eliminate 65% of the agency’s budget as well as plans to scale back or eliminate 31 previously enforced regulations including clean water protections for rivers and streams. Prior to announcing plans to dismantle FEMA just this week, Trump has issued executive orders calling for state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role in national resilience and preparedness.” While critics — both in West Virginia and across the country — have acknowledged the need for reform, many worry that this slash-and-burn approach may leave communities like McDowell, who cannot fund a full recovery on their own, even more vulnerable."

'Hell or High Water': Southern W. Va. Three Weeks After the Flood
https://youtu.be/Bt7ljhv90LQ

Anytime and Anywhere I see someone wearing a #WestVirginia #University shirt (heck, any WV shirt), I walk right up to them, face-to-face and say....

'Cue Country Roads.

While this might seem bizarre to most, to West Virginians and #Appalachians, this usually gets you a free drink.

Worked twice when I was in #NewOrleans.

If you know, you know. #Appalachia

https://youtu.be/hMBKT7rGgQs

"On March 7-9 of this year, the neo-fascist American Freedom Party (AFP) held what it billed as its “National Convention” at a location that organizers kept secret from the public. Participants later said that it was in West Virginia without specifying where, however they did post photos from the conference online. A close examination of these images reveals that the conference took place at the Berkeley Springs Castle, which is owned by the people who ran the now-defunct white nationalist website VDARE."

A Fascist Gathering in West Virginia
https://alasbarricadas.noblogs.org/post/2025/03/31/a-fascist-gathering-in-west-virginia/

"In early October, TOSHA and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation revealed they were investigating the circumstances that led to the deaths of the employees. Some people who were working at Impact Plastics on Sept. 27 told News Channel 11 they were forced to stay at the facility for too long.

TOSHA released a summary of its investigation into Impact Plastics on Wednesday, which concluded with no citations recommended and a declaration that the deaths that occurred were not work-related."

TOSHA: No citations for Impact Plastics, Helene deaths weren’t work-related
https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/hurricane-helene/tosha-no-citations-for-impact-plastics-helene-deaths-werent-work-related/

I've been participating in Amy Johnson Crow's #Genealogy #52ancestors #Blog Challenge for 2025.

This week is about #Language. And, my biggest issue with language is explaining that #Appalachians are not poorly educated or lazy due to the way they speak and their #dialect.

Check out the blog & #video for some common sayings.

https://ancestryroads.blogspot.com/2025/04/52-ancestors-week-14-language.html

#Appalachian #Music #Short of the Week:

Dock Boggs, #Musician, #Songwriter, and #CoalMiner #Appalachia

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DiRjeNQtYjI

Signs of #spring in #appalachia #Bloomscrolling

How Police Let One of America’s Most Prolific Predators Get Away
https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/03/31/how-police-let-one-of-americas-most-prolific-predators-get-away