A Bridge, Naturally
It’s not the only natural stone arch found in nature, but it is the first one I’ve ever walked across! We spent one hot and humid Saturday visiting the Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade, Kentucky. Read more
Life Lessons
July 10, 2009 by Julie
Filed under People and Places
Growing up on a farm in rural Ohio, Jared Rowley would daydream about city life and one day going to college. It was a dream not shared by his parents. So after high school graduation, Jared was on his own. He made his way to Ohio University, but college life was far from what he imagined it would be. Read more
Saving Berea
July 5, 2009 by John Sanders
Filed under People and Places
After graduating from high school in rural Kentucky, Natasha Smith applied to and was accepted by the University of Kentucky. She would be one of the first in her family ever to attend college. There was only one problem: her parents had to provide for nine children and couldn’t afford even Kentucky’s in-state tuition. Read more
A Miner’s Story
June 28, 2009 by Julie
Filed under People and Places
George “Aaron” Leath was born and raised in Harlan County, Kentucky – the heart of the US coal mining industry.
His father is a coal miner.
His grandfather is retired from working the mines. An oxygen tank in the living room is a reminder of years underground; Black Lung disease has ravaged his chest and makes it difficult for him to breathe. Read more
Willing and Able
June 23, 2009 by Julie
Filed under People and Places
Looking for work these days can be a challenge for anyone. In the past year Harlan County, Kentucky has already seen a coal mine and several department stores shut down, and there are rumors of future layoffs at area coal mines.
With fewer places hiring and fierce competition for limited spaces, imagine what it must be like for people who are already perceived as disadvantaged because of a physical, mental or emotional disability? Read more
Blazing Trails: From Coal Mines to ATV Tourism in Kentucky
June 18, 2009 by John Sanders
Filed under People and Places
In rural southeastern Kentucky, the hills have always provided. Timber harvesting employed thousands when it began in earnest after the Civil War. Not long after, massive mines began to define this area as “coal country.”
Until late in the twentieth century, those industries gave this part of Kentucky much of its identity and livelihood. Today, both are in decline and employ a fraction of the workforce they saw at their peak. Read more
Stronger than Sallet
The sign posted along Highway 119 proudly announced the 54th Annual Poke Sallet Festival would be coming to downtown Harlan, Kentucky on June 4-6th. This prompted an immediate Internet search on my BlackBerry. Read more
