Making Connections News

Even if diabetes runs in your family, if you find out that your own A1C, or blood sugar level, is in the diabetes range, that doesn’t mean your future with diabetes is set in stone. Fannie Callahan, of Lee County, KY, is living proof. 
Despite having a family history of diabetes, when Fannie found out her A1C had crossed over into the diabetes zone, she jumped into action, changing what she ate every day and starting to go out walking as often as she could. Before long, her A1C had fallen back down into a safer range, and, she says, she just felt better in general. In this episode we visit with Fannie, as part of our ongoing storytelling series Prevent Diabetes EKY, and hear about her diabetes journey— including how, even if she’s exercising more, she still makes time to watch basketball.

On March 9, 1976, the Scotia mine in Eolia in Letcher County, KY, exploded killing fifteen coal miners. On March 11, the mine blew up again, killing eight miners and three federal inspectors. The Scotia mine was owned by Blue Diamond Coal Company in Knoxville, TN This Making Connections News episode features a discussion on April 5th, 2025, with some of the members of the Westmoreland Mine Rescue Team who were the first to enter the mine to attempt rescue and recovery. They were then called back to enter the mine after the second explosion. Brian McKnight, professor of history at the University of Virginia at Clinch Valley, led the panel at the Harry M. Caudill Library in Whitesburg. Rescue team members David Breedlove, Gerald Tate, Allen Wolfe and J.R. Kimberlin share vivid and at times painful details of their experiences. At the time of the disaster they worked at Westmoreland mines located in Wise County, VA.

Diabetes is a very serious disease that can lead to loss of limbs, heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, blindness, and death. Kentucky has the 9th highest death rate from diabetes in the nation. The good news is that Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or managed. Individuals with prediabetes can cut their risk of getting type 2 diabetes IN HALF by losing weight, eating healthy food and being more active. People with diabetes can get help from health care providers and take these same steps to manage their diabetes and even put it in remission. Individuals with prediabetes can cut their risk of getting type 2 diabetes IN HALF by losing weight, eating healthy food and being more active. People with diabetes can get help from health care providers and take these same steps to manage their diabetes and even put it in remission. Listen in to hear some inspiring stories from East Kentucky folks who are doing just that, and the programs that are helping them.

Delving into the WMMT archive to hear from two amazing Appalachian women artists, poet Nikki Giovanni and folk singer/songwriter Jean Ritchie. Nikki Giovanni died on December 9th, 2024, at age 81. A native of Knoxville, TN, she is a celebrated African American poet, writer, and activist who gained prominence in the 1960s during the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements. Since 1987 Giovanni has taught at Virginia Tech and lived in Blacksburg, VA. She came to see herself as one of the Affrilachian poets and her writing on race, love and justice have significantly influenced Appalachian poetry. Giovanni is the narrator and the subject of one of the 15 interviews included in “Tell It On The Mountain: Appalachian Women Writers,” a series created by WMMT producer Maxine Kenny that first aired in 2015. That interview is shared in this episode. The program concludes with a feature on internationally recognized folk singer and songwriter Jean Ritchie, who was born in Viper, KY in 1922. This story comes from “Southern

This program features a special selection of conversations with Appalachian African Americans. There's no Appalachian history without Black history. Despite so many of the stereotypes about this region, African Americans have long been a vital part of the fabric of mountain communities. As part of a project called AppalHealth, we've been conducting oral history interviews with Black East Kentuckians, talking to people both about their lives and experiences in general, and also asking folks in particular about their experiences with healthcare. The interviews were led by Appalshop's Tiffany Sturdivant, and Tiffany will take things from here.

This Making Connections News edition of WMMT's Mountain Talk shares some good news from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Appalachia for Letcher County kids and their parents. Then Conan Cao, summer intern at Appalachian Citizens Law Center, describes the prevalence of black lung disease in his native China and the US, and offers some thoughts on the hopes of local folks in both countries. The episode ends with Hazel Dickens’ powerful rendition of her song “Black Lung.” Listen to Mountain Talk on WMMT on Thursday at 6 pm, with encore broadcasts Mon at 10 am and Tuesday at 11 am.

Harm Reduction specialists, law enforcement, business people, faith leaders and directly impacted Kentuckians relayed personal experiences and offered policy advice during Dream.org's first event in their Public Health Is Public Safety campaign, which took place April 19, 2023 at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in eastern Kentucky. The campaign goals are to bring together communities across Kentucky to work for more effective drug policies, substance abuse recovery programs and harm reduction efforts. About 75 people attended the meeting which was organized by John Bowman, who lives in eastern Kentucky and is Dream.org’s Kentucky Campaign Coordinator. Dream.org is a national organization working for criminal justice reform, climate solutions, and job opportunities for people in places that are often overlooked. Substance abuse continues as a serious public health crisis in Kentucky. In fact, 2021 saw a 14.5% rise in drug overdose deaths. Harsh penalties for drug-related felony offenses enacted during the War o

Feb. 26, 2023 was the 51rst anniversary of the Buffalo Creek Flood, a coal mining disaster that killed 125 people and left 4000 homeless in this Logan County, WV community. This episode features audio from "Buffalo Creek Revisited," a 1985 documentary film produced by Mimi Pickering that looks at the impact of the disaster ten years after the flood, a story that is particularly relevant as many are questioning how, or if, Eastern Kentucky will recover after the devastating floods of July 2022. That is followed by a powerful remembrance of the disaster by survivor Billy Jack Dickerson from the 50th anniversary event held at Man High School on Feb 26, 2022.

In Sept. 2022, the Bureau of Prisons announced that it was reviving a plan to build and operate a federal correctional institution and prison camp in Letcher County, KY, an area that was devastated by flooding on July 28, 2022. This episode shares the comments, both pro and con, that members of the public delivered to Bureau of Prisons representatives regarding bringing this facility to the county. Plans for a prison originated in 2006 when Congress authorized a study for a high security facility which was eventually approved for a site in Roxanna, KY, in 2018. However, that plan was withdrawn in 2019. Now the Bureau of Prisons is proposing a medium security prison and work camp and began the process of creating a Draft Environmental Impact Statement with a public meeting on November 17 at Letcher County Central High School. One hundred-fifty people signed in at the high school and another 54 were attending by way of the internet. While some supporters said they thought the prison would bring jobs and econo

November is National Diabetes Month and our Making Connections News show at 6 pm tonight is sharing stories of eastern Kentuckians who are making lifestyle changes to prevent or slow down type 2 diabetes. Many are participating in Diabetes Prevention Programs that are supporting their efforts, even during COVID! One in seven Kentuckians have been diagnosed with diabetes. It is estimated that 1 in 3 have elevated blood sugar levels that could lead to diabetes and may not know it! Listen up and find more stories and information at www.preventdiabeteseky.org, a project of Appalshop CMI and the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

This episode is looking to the future with interviews with Diane Wilson about her book “The Seed Keeper,” and Brian Anderson, the leader of the Biden Administration effort to make sure coal communities are not left behind in the transition to cleaner energy. Thanks to Everywhere Radio from the Rural Assembly and AppalachAmerica for sharing these interviews. Diane Wilson (Dakota) sat down with Rural Assembly Program Associate Tyler Owens during Rural Women Everywhere to talk about Wilson’s most recent book "The Seed Keeper," which follows a Dakota family's struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most. During this conversation Wilson and Owens explore where Wilson finds her inspiration, the importance of continuing a tradition of storytelling, and the importance of connection to the earth. Diane Wilson is a writer, speaker, and editor, who has published two award-winning books, as well as essays in numerous publications. Next AppalachAmerica host Jeff Young asks

A potpourri of topics on this episode, beginning with a look at the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program which has the potential to increase broadband access for millions of Americans. From there environmental reporter James Brugger talks with Tom Martin, from WEKU's Eastern Standard, about his research on lagging strip mine reclamation, and Diabetes Prevention Educator Mary Beth Castle shares her own journey towards better health. The program ends with an interview with Kentucky musician Naomi Judd originally broadcast on KET.

On this episode Whitney Kimball Coe from the Rural Assembly shares a conversation with Anthony Flaccavento, a farmer in southwestern VA, as well as an author, political candidate, and most recently co-founder of the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative. This interview comes from the Everywhere Radio podcast produced by the Rural Assembly. Following that are remembrances from three folks who spoke at a memorial for bell hooks held at Berea College on April 14th. bell, who was born Gloria Jean Watkins in Hopkinsville KY, died dec 15, 2021. She came back to Kentucky to serve as Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies at Berea College in 2004 and from that point on made her home there. The international outpouring of grief and love for bell hooks that came with her passing may have surprised many in this region and state who were unaware that such a renowned figure lived amongst us. Linda Strong Leek who was Berea College Provost before becoming provost at Haverford College in Philadelphia, introduce

Kentucky has the 4th highest death rate from diabetes in the US. In recognition of March 22nd's Diabetes Alert Day, stories from eastern Kentuckians who have reduced their risk of diabetes through participation in National Diabetes Prevention Programs or through lifestyle changes made on their own are shared. One in 7 Kentuckians has diabetes, that’s over 13% of adults, and 17% in Appalachian Kentucky. Another 11% of Kentuckians have prediabetes, a condition that is often unrecognized but which can be prevented or slowed with diet and exercise. These stories come from Prevent Diabetes EKY, an online source of information and resources to assist in preventing or slowing down diabetes.

Feb. 26, 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo Creek Flood in Logan County, WV. 125 people were killed and left 4000 homeless when a poorly constructed coal waste dam collapsed at the head of Buffalo Creek. This program features the soundtrack of Mimi Pickering’s film about what happened and why, and a follow up focusing on the efforts to rebuild the communities after the disaster. Both films, The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man and Buffalo Creek Revisited, are available for rent or purchase from Appalshop.

The Black Lung Benefits Disability Trust Fund has lost $22,400,000 since the excise fee supporting the fund was slashed at the end of 2021. At a January 14 press conference, leaders from the National Black Lung Association, Appalachian Voices and the Appalachian Citizens Law Center call on Congress to take immediate action to restore the fee supporting  the Fund. The Fund provides benefits and life-prolonging health care coverage for miners disabled by this deadly disease. The excise fee supporting the Fund was cut by more than half when the Build Back Better bill failed to pass at the end of 2021. At the press conference regional representatives presented a letter signed by over 65 organizations calling on Congress to take action to restore the excise fee. On January 20th, Rep Bobby Scott (VA) and Rep. Alma Adams (NC) introduced the Black Lung Benefits Disability Trust Fund Solvency Act of 2022 to extend the Coal Excise Tax for 10 years. They were joined by original cosponsors Rep. John Yarmuth (KY) and Rep

In this episode, Daily Yonder producer Xandr Brown celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the disruptor that he was; Appalachian advocates call for Congress to quickly restore the excise fee supporting the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and miners’ health care; speakers at a ReImagine Appalachia Summit see potential for job creation, sustainable economic growth, and clean energy with an influx of federal funding targeted towards the region.

This episode begins with a first-hand account of the economic challenges facing towns and counties in Central Appalachia, but then celebrates the positive impact the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is going to have on the region. Also included is a report on Build Back Better, a bill, that if passed by Congress, would invest in our human infrastructure – that is children, students, families, health care, community wellbeing and more. Featured are Marley Green from Appalshop, Dustin Pugel who is Senior Policy Analyst with the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, and Rebecca Shelton, Research Director at Appalachian Citizens Law Center.

Three amazing Appalachians talk about their efforts to make their communities – be they local, regional or statewide – better places to live and thrive. Attorney John Rosenberg, who just turned 90, is the founding director of the Kentucky office of Appalachian Research & Defense Fund – AppalRed – and a founder of the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center. He spoke with Tom Martin of WEKU’s Eastern Standard as part of AppalRed’s 50th anniversary. Jerry Fultz is the mayor of Wayland, KY. Fultz and other community leaders are doing big things to keep this small town going. Lou Wallace describes her community improvement efforts as a concerned citizen and then local official in Virginia’s Wise and Russell Counties. Hard work, persistence, and cooperative spirit has resulted in many projects that are successfully revitalizing St. Paul and neighboring communities along the Clinch River in southwestern Virginia.

WV’s Battle of Blair Mountain happened 100 years ago, but what’s it’s significance for working people today? That’s the topic explored in this Making Connections News episode by historians, authors, artists, activists who make the case that understanding what the miners and their families were fighting for will help us all understand the challenges that working people are facing today. This Aug. 19 webinar was presented by the Battle of Homestead Foundation as part of the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial. #Blair100