Appalachians Want Respect! | Devil's Cut w Maryann Fletcher

Summary

Truth in the Barrel – Devil’s Cut Edition
Episode: “Appalachians Want Respect!” with Maryann Fletcher
Hosts: Amy McGrath & Denver Riggleman
Guest: Maryann Fletcher, Eastern Kentucky News Producer and Community Advocate
Date: May 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this Devil’s Cut edition, Amy McGrath sits down with Maryann Fletcher, a lifelong resident of Eastern Kentucky and former TV news reporter, to dig deep into the realities, challenges, and pride of Appalachia. The conversation covers media narratives, the tradition and resilience of Appalachian communities, healthcare and economic realities, and the importance of investing in the region’s future. Above all, the episode resounds with the assertion that “Appalachians do not want pity. They want respect.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Maryann’s Roots & Love for Appalachia

• Background: Maryann introduces herself as a product of various Kentucky counties, proud of her coal mining family heritage.
  • “I never really thought, oh, this little girl from a holler in Martin County could ever do something like that. But here we are.” (01:18, Fletcher)
• “Hollers” Explained: She uses the term “holler” to describe close-knit Appalachian clusters of homes—a defining aspect of local identity.
  • “It’s basically just like a cul de sac. It’s like a town inside a town almost. ... But you will hit a dead end at some point.” (02:20, Fletcher)

2. Tradition, Community & Media Representation

• Family Traditions: Evening meals, watching local news, and coal mining defined her upbringing and instilled a strong sense of tradition.
  • “When you say coal mining, I think of the word tradition.” (02:52, Fletcher)
• National Media Critique: Maryann believes the national press focuses on stereotypes and extremes, missing the community’s real strengths and stories.
  • “There’s no way that they would be able to even skim the surface of the talent and everything that we have here in these mountains. ... They’re going to focus on those extremisms.” (03:48, Fletcher)
• Undertold Stories: She highlights the resilience of “mom and pop” shops—family-run businesses that have persisted for generations.
  • “These people have four employees. It’s a dad, a mom, a brother, a sister, an uncle, an aunt. ... They come together every single day to open their doors for the community.” (04:39, Fletcher)

3. Healthcare Access Crisis

• Medicaid Cuts and Local Impact: Maryann and Amy discuss drastic federal Medicaid cuts and their outsized impact on rural Kentucky, including hospital closures and access to life-saving care.
  • “When you think of Medicaid cuts, it’s not just the hospitals. ... That drives down the population. ... It’s a matter of life and death.” (06:12, Fletcher)
  • “It’s scary to think that ... your loved one could be suffering from a stroke, a heart attack ... and the drive out could be upwards from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. ... People will die.” (07:19, Fletcher)
• Magnitude of Cuts:
  • “The law itself cuts over a trillion dollars from the Medicaid program over the course of 10 years. ... That hurts.” (07:52, McGrath)

4. Economic Transition & Community Resilience

• Pikeville as a Success Story: Pikeville stands out due to its relatively large population, medical center, university, and ability to attract businesses.
  • “We do look more attractive to these larger corporations and businesses.” (09:29, Fletcher)
• Diversity and Opportunity: The medical and education centers foster diversity and draw families and professionals.
  • “Here, it’s almost like we are a melting pot. And that’s incredible.” (10:28, Fletcher)
• Coal to Entrepreneurship: Families are finding new paths—transitioning from coal mining to opening gyms or learning new trades, reflecting adaptability.
  • “These coal miners ... are smart and they are capable of learning a new trick. ... Resilience coming through, and that’s kind of like the Appalachian thing.” (11:57, Fletcher)

5. What Keeps People in (or Leaving) Appalachia

• Strong Family Ties and Place Attachment: Family, community connection, and the region’s beauty keep many rooted, despite economic hard times.
  • “You see people that will rebuild in floodplain because they live next door to their grandma. Once again, the resilience of these people coming through.” (13:54, Fletcher)
• Challenges That Drive Some Away: Job scarcity and the need to relocate for work push families out, but distance from family in times of crisis is a deterrent.

6. Federal Investment and Local Initiatives

• The Role of ARC and SOAR: Community projects (Appalachian Regional Commission, SOAR) bring vital infrastructure and economic opportunities.
  • “During the last administration, the federal government invested $40 million in a project called SOAR, Shaping Our Appalachian Region.” (16:34, McGrath)
  • “These new technology businesses ... require funding. And if that project doesn’t have funding ... it can’t happen.” (17:21, Fletcher)
• Concerns Over Cuts: Hosts and guest worry about current political efforts to cut back on these investments.
  • “We’ve invested in. That’s what we need to do for the future.” (18:09, McGrath)
  • “I wonder if the lawmakers in Washington truly understand the weight of their words and the things that they are voting on and against.” (18:40, Fletcher)

7. Education, Internet, and Modern Infrastructure

• Importance of Education: Maryann credits public school teachers for launching her path. Funding schools is seen as crucial.
  • “Teachers. ... They truly are training this next generation. ... That’s why funding these public schools are so extremely important.” (20:07, Fletcher)
• Internet Access: Many rural homes still lack reliable internet and cell phone service, affecting education, safety, and the economy.
  • “I had to put my razor phone upside down in my windowsill and point it a certain way just to get one bar. ... It should not be like that, especially to this day.” (21:23, Fletcher)
  • “100 years ago, FDR brought electricity to Appalachia. ... That electricity a hundred years later, guess what that is? That’s a better electric grid. That’s cell phone coverage. That’s high-speed Internet.” (22:05, McGrath)
• Call for Public Investment: The hosts argue that government action is required to build infrastructure and ensure equitable growth.

8. Media, Politics, and Community Pride

• Media Misinformation: Residents can struggle to distinguish between entertaining “talking head” shows and real news.
  • “People don’t know how to tell the difference between a talking head show and an actual news broadcast. ... Those are shows. They’re meant to be entertaining and engaging.” (26:48, Fletcher)
• Political Disconnect: There’s a reluctance to admit misgivings about voting decisions, linked to community pride. Many are focused on national “hot topics” rather than local issues like hospital closures.
  • “They see the hot topics of things that don’t even happen here and they focus more on ... It’s more engaging than the hospital closing.” (28:55, Fletcher)

9. What Outsiders Should Know About Appalachia

• Respect, Not Pity:
  • “Appalachians do not want pity. They want respect. And that’s it. We have the heart here. We have plenty of music, storytelling, and beautiful scenery. ... There’s so much more to look at other than Mountain Dew mouth.” (29:50, Fletcher)
• Welcoming Community: Newcomers often fall in love with the region’s beauty and strong sense of belonging.
  • “With the medical school and the college, we do see people from out of state coming in and they fall in love with this area. ... That’s the first step to ... gaining more population, starting new businesses, new jobs, the economic stimulation.” (31:13, Fletcher)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “When you say coal mining, I think of the word tradition.” (02:52, Fletcher)
• “These coal miners ... are smart and they are capable of learning a new trick. ... That’s the Appalachian thing.” (11:57, Fletcher)
• “People that keep people here. ... You see people that will rebuild in floodplain because they live next door to their grandma.” (13:54, Fletcher)
• “Appalachians do not want pity. They want respect. And that’s at the center of basically everything.” (25:53, Fletcher)
• “We are so deeply community oriented. I think that if people take a look at the heart that’s in it, they’ll fall in love with it too.” (29:50, Fletcher)
• “We have the heart here. ... There’s so much more to look at other than Mountain Dew mouth. ... I’m here to say that I do wear shoes out in public and I have most of my teeth.” (29:50, Fletcher, humor)

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Important Timestamps

• Maryann’s Background & Holler Life: 00:43–02:20
• Tradition & Coal Mining: 02:40–03:29
• National Media Stereotypes: 03:48–04:27
• ‘Mom and Pop’ Stories: 04:39–05:33
• Medicaid Cuts & Impact: 06:12–08:45
• Pikeville’s Success & Community: 09:11–10:47
• Economic Transition After Coal: 10:47–12:59
• Why People Stay or Leave: 12:59–15:22
• Federal Investment & Local Action: 15:22–18:40
• Education & The Role of Teachers: 19:28–21:03
• Broadband and Modern Infrastructure: 21:03–23:54
• Media, Politics, and Pride: 26:48–29:50
• Reframing Appalachian Identity: 29:50–31:57

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Summary Takeaway

This episode offers an authentic, passionate look at Appalachia and Eastern Kentucky through the eyes of someone living its realities. Maryann Fletcher urges outsiders to understand the region’s rich traditions, resilience, and the critical role of federal investment—not just as a matter of survival, but as a matter of respect. The community’s challenges are real, but so is its hope and pride for the future.

Key message:
“Appalachians do not want pity. They want respect.” (25:53 & 29:50, Fletcher)

Transcript

[A]

Welcome everyone to Truth in the Barrels. Devil's Cut edition. The Devil's Cut is where we go into a deep dive on one topic or just a deep dive that's off the beaten path of the news cycle where we're focused on lots of things all the time. But in Devil's Cut, we really want to dive in. And today we've got a great guest, Marianne Fletcher from eastern Kentucky. And Maryanne is somebody who's in the news business in eastern Kentucky. And, you know, we're going to talk about the region, what it's like to be in the news business and the future of Kentucky in that region. Welcome, Marianne.

[B]

Thank you, Amy. First off, thanks for having me. Like you said, my name's Marianne. I grew up here in Appalachia, was born in Loretta Lynn's hometown of Johnson County. I grew up in Martin county, lived in Perry county for a small stint and now I live here in Pike County. I was a TV news reporter and a producer for a couple of years and now I am lucky to be able to say I'm a stay at home mom so I can focus all of my energy and my time into not only my family, but these nonprofits that I'm just part of.

[A]

Yeah. Well, and that's wonderful. And you know, you have said when you were growing up that your family always made it a priority to watch the local news every evening. And that's kind of how you got involved in this, Is that right?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. So I come from a coal mining family. My dad was a coal miner and my brother was a coal miner. And you know, I truly didn't appreciate this next part. But my mom would make this four course meal every evening around six o'. Clock. We would sit down at the dinner table and watch the local news. And I kind of always saw that as something unattainable. I never really thought, oh, this little girl from a holler in Martin county could ever do something like that. But here we are.

[A]

Well, you know, for those folks who are listening who've heard the word holler before, what, what is that? What does that mean for people who may be outside Kentucky?

[B]

So it's basically just like a cul de sac. It's like a town inside of a town almost. And you never know, is it going to be three homes deep or is it going to be 30 homes deep? It's just one of those things. But you will hit a dead end at some point.

[A]

Yeah. Well, in your upbringing in your coal mining family, how did that sort of shape the way you see news or stories about your region.

[B]

So when you say coal mining, I think of the word tradition. I think of the traditions that we have here in Appalachia. I think of, you know, we have hillbilly days and you actually, you were here for that. We walked around and we spoke to some folks. And then I also think of some smaller traditions like the food that we have here, the soup, beans, the cornbread, the fried potatoes, things like that. Or as a lot of people say, fried taters. It's. It's things like that that I believe bring the traditions, keep them alive. And coal mining is just part of that story.

[A]

Yeah. Well, you've been in the media world and I'm sure you've watched the national media. Do you think the national media tells the full story of Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia, or do they tend to focus on the extremes or generalizations?

[B]

So I believe that there's no way that they would be able to even skim the surface of the talent and everything that we have here in these mountains. But as a news organization, I know that they are going to go for the extremisms, whether it's here in Appalachia, the crime in Chicago, who knows what in California, they're going to focus on those extremisms. Now, it's not an excuse at all, but, you know, I do understand from that perspective, they want views, and extreme gets the views, it gets the clicks, and it gets the money.

[A]

Yeah, it's about the money. You're right. Sadly. What are some of the stories that in eastern Kentucky, maybe that. That don't get covered enough?

[B]

My favorite, these mom and pop stores, you have these mom and pop restaurants, these retail stores that have been open for 50 plus. And, you know, you would think maybe they have 10 employees, maybe they have 15. No, typically these people have four employees. It's a dad, it's a mom, it's a brother, it's a sister, it's an uncle, it's an aunt. And they come together every single day to open their doors for the community. And the fact that they've been doing that for so long is. It's incredible.

[A]

Yeah, I feel that too. When you go and you visit the area, there's so many sort of mom and pop stores that everybody in the area knows about. But, you know, as visiting, you don't know, but everybody knows them, you know, and it's just a great place to visit.

[B]

Absolutely. That's where the locals go.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Now, you've reported in communities where healthcare access is Kind of already fragile. And I'm worried about what has been happening at the federal level and how it will impact eastern Kentucky. You know, when Medicaid funding is massively reduced and it has been massively reduced and we haven't seen, I mean, hasn't gone into total effect yet. But I'm, I'm worried about this in places like Eastern Kentucky. I mean, are you as well?

[B]

Absolutely. I mean, you've got to think when you think of Medicaid cuts, it's not just the hospitals, it's treatment facilities, it's therapy. It's these young professionals that will say, okay, well my business is not going to do well here. They take their business somewhere else. That drives down the population. And then you have communities that look unattractive to new businesses. So it's really a trickle down effect. Not to mention the long time drives to and from hospitals. I mean, you're going to see missed doctor's appointments, illnesses that become emergencies, things like that. It's a matter of life and death.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, we don't talk enough about hospitals closing and how far people will have to travel. We have certain areas that are already at higher risk for things like chronic diseases, things like addiction and that sort of thing. And then cutting funding, you know, really makes some of these problems even worse, right?

[B]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's scary to think that your loved one could be suffering from a stroke, a heart attack, where things truly do, I mean, seconds matter. And even if you do get that ambulance to your home within five to 10 minutes, the, the drive out could be upwards from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. If these local hospitals close an hour plus and people will die. I mean, it's, it's sad to say, but that's the harsh truth.

[A]

You know, we, we talk about this, this bill that was passed last summer a lot, but I, I, I think it's really important for people to understand the magnitude of the cuts that have been made in this, what some people call it the big beautiful bill, I call it the big ugly bill. But the law itself cuts over a trillion dollars from the Medicaid program over the course of 10 years. That, okay, we hear a lot of numbers for context for everybody that is larger than all previous Medicaid cuts ever combined. And it's a $38 billion federal cut to Kentucky's Medicaid program over 10 years. I mean, that is just. That hurts. That hurts. And I'm really worried about the effects of this.

[B]

Yeah, and understandably so. I mean, I feel like a Lot of people understand that. I grew up in Martin county, and the two closest hospitals to Martin county would be Louisa and Paintsville. Those shut down. I mean, you've got an hour plus drive. Thankfully, I live here in Pikeville with a hospital basically in my backyard. But, I mean, not everyone is that lucky.

[A]

Let's talk about Pikeville a little bit, because Pikeville has sort of been considered a success story in eastern Kentucky. You live there. What is it done differently in Pikeville than from other parts of eastern Kentucky?

[B]

I feel like the population is a huge driving factor in that. You know, we have more than 7,000 people and, you know, other places that may seem like the smallest, you know, population they could ever imagine, but we are surrounded by way smaller populations. And then you gotta think, what are these businesses looking for? They're looking for the numbers. They're looking for people that could come in and out every single day. So we do look more attractive to these larger corporations and businesses. You know, we have Kellogg's here, We get some chain restaurants like Drake's. And, you know, it's things like that that will bring not only the population up, but it'll bring tourism in and really help stimulate that local economy.

[A]

Well, and you also have the medical center and you have the university. I mean, that's. That's a very big help to the area as well.

[B]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, and it really helps with our diversity here as well. Um, you know, growing up in Martin county, it's not super diverse there. And here it's almost like we are a melting pot. And that's incredible to be surrounded by.

[A]

Yeah, it just that, you know, it brings out the culture of the region and also just, you know, celebrating diversity, which I just think is America. It really is. And we've talked a lot. When I go to places like Eastern Kentucky, the question always comes up about coal jobs. And it's a region that is so proud. And I always talk about the fact that coal powered not only Kentucky, but our entire country and really the world for over 100 years. And the country owes it back to the region in investment for a future that is sustainable and one that can grow. And so I want to ask you, what does economic transition actually feel like for families who used to rely on coal jobs? You know, what. What is. What does that look like for the future?

[B]

So you really gotta think we cannot have all of our eggs in one basket, you know, and that. That rings so true to this area. We had a lot of coal mining to coding type of jobs to pop up A lot of our coal miners either were at the retiring age. Like my dad, he spent more than 40 years in the coal mines. And then you have people like my brother who actually, when he was laid off from the coal mines, he started a series of 24 hour fitness gyms. So it's really, it's so diverse. These coal miners, I feel like they get a bad rep sometimes, but truly they are smart and they are capable of learning a new trick. They are capable of, you know, I feel like the resilience coming through and that's kind of like the Appalachian thing. I feel like people around here are so resilient and they want to put food on the table for their family.

[A]

And you know, we're looking, we're all looking to try to get, you know, better jobs, better quality jobs. I, I hear from folks when I, when I go visit, we want to, we want to keep our families here, you know, and so I'll ask you, you're, you're, you're somebody who lives there, you grew up there, you love the region because it is so gosh darn beautiful. It really is. But what keeps people in eastern Kentucky and what is causing people to leave? Because I do find people here in Kentucky and, and around the country who, when I, when I meet them and we, we chit chat, you know, I'll be in another state and I'm from Kentucky and they'll say I'm from eastern Kentucky. And I'm like, why did you leave? You know, so tell us, what do you think?

[B]

Yeah, so it's the people that keep people here. Truly at the end of the day, you know, you see people that will rebuild in floodplain because they live next door to their grandma. It's, it's things like that. Once again, the resilience of these people coming through. They, they love each other and they want to keep each other near. I also have some family who, they were coal miners, still coal miners. They had to uproot their family, move hours and hours away to Indiana to continue their coal mining career. But when you have family here and the unthinkable happens, a death happens, a serious illness happens, and you have that long drive ahead of you. A lot of people say it's, it's not worth it. When you can say goodbye to someone, those hours are just not worth it. So that's, that's why a lot of people stay here and you got to take a look. Like you said, it's a gorgeous region. We have gorgeous, gorgeous mountains, we have trails, we've got ATV trails, hiking trails, four wheelering. I mean, there's so, so much rich, just environment here. And that's just. That plays just one of the roles in keeping the people here.

[A]

And you know, I learned a lot on the campaign trail and my travels around Kentucky. And one of the things that the federal government has been able to do for many years is through the Appalachian Regional Appalachian Regional Commission, and that has been able to get federal funding back into the area to support projects that really grow the economy there. And have you been involved with any projects, infrastructure or businesses that have dealt with the. They call it the arc.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. So it's kind of like one of those things where I am vice president of our Main street board, so I connect with our downtown business owners and they tell me, they talk about their struggles, they tell me about things that they need. And as a organization, we try to help them out as much as we can. There's not an end all, be all that we can possibly help, but we do our best. It's kind of one of those things where neighbors taking care of neighbors type of thing.

[A]

Yeah. And when I talk about investments that that's, you know, a way to do that. You know, during the last administration, the federal government invested $40 million in a project called SOAR, Shaping Our Appalachian region. And that was in Pikeville. And it was to connect Eastern Kentucky residents to resources for training for good jobs of the future. And I'm worried that we're cutting a lot of those programs that really hurt or help Kentucky. And, and that's, that's also why I'm a somebody that really speaks out against a lot of what frankly Republicans do, which is cut some of these programs that, you know, really help us here.

[B]

Oh, 100%. So we do have this SOAR Expo where you have all of these businesses that come through, all of these new technology businesses that come through. They do require funding. And you have people coming in, taking a look at these businesses, saying, hey, you know what? Actually this really piques my interest. This is something I would like to do, and then they get on board with that. But if that project doesn't have funding, then, you know, it can't happen. And sadly, money is so extremely important. It's not just about the want to do things. You do have to have that, that federal or that backing, that money backing.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, you know, in 2022, the Commerce Department awarded a over $2 million grant to the Pikeville Medical center for new equipment that was part of the American Rescue plan. That, you know, that went to coal communities. And here we go, having, you know, folks get into office right now who are trying to basically overturn all of that. And I'm like, why? You know, we've invested in. That's what we need to do for the future.

[B]

I wish I had the answer to why, honestly. I mean, it's heartbreaking. And I do wonder if the lawmakers in Washington truly understand the weight of their words and the things that they are voting on and against. I wonder that if it was part of their family that would be affected by it. It shouldn't be something where, oh, it doesn't affect me. It doesn't exist or it doesn't matter, no, things do happen, and it shouldn't be a this doesn't affect me type of role. You know, it's one of those things where I wonder where the heart is. And honestly, common sense.

[A]

Common sense, that's right. And what I love about you and your story is we're similar in that when we were younger, the job that we wanted or that we looked at at one point kind of felt maybe unattainable. And there were some barriers. And, you know, talk to us about journalism growing up, your dad being a coal miner, and, you know, it's like, what. What changed for you? How. What was the point where you're like, I can, I can do this. I can be a news reporter on tv.

[B]

Absolutely. So one word. Teachers. My public school teachers gave me that confidence. And as cliche as it sounds, they truly are training this next generation. They're giving them the confidence in order to follow their dreams, as cliche as it is. So that's why funding these public schools are so extremely important. We want to keep those around. They're helping. You know, you got to think the Internet, we've got social media, things like that have increased exponentially since I was in school. So kids are able to get online, see new jobs that's not around here, and say, maybe I could do that. So they see the new jobs, they learn how to do the new jobs, and as they grow up and they get older, they could bring those new jobs here.

[A]

Yeah, especially if we have the infrastructure. And I talk about 21st century infrastructure, Internet, cell phone coverage, you know, once you, you have that stuff, jobs, you know, a lot of jobs can open up because a lot of jobs, you, you, you just need a connection, right?

[B]

Absolutely. And it's not just jobs either. Do you want to live somewhere where you have no cell phone service? I know that I truly wouldn't because you never know what could happen in a time of an emergency or you're trying to get a hold of someone and they don't have cell phone service. It's insane when I explain to other people that aren't from around here. Yeah, I grew up and I didn't have cell phone service. You know, I had to put my razor phone upside down in my windowsill and point it a certain way just to get one bar. And it should not be like that, especially to this day, it shouldn't.

[A]

And I look at this as something that government can actually help with 100 years ago, and it was 100 years ago FDR brought electricity to Appalachia. And at that time, no one said, well, wait a second, let's let the private sector do that and if it's profitable, they'll invest. And if it's not, then it's not worth it. We didn't do that. We had a government that said, this is a public utility. This is a good thing. This is going to lift everybody up and we're going to invest in it. And they did with public works projects and things like that. And boy, it was a world success story. We lifted every. We lifted so many people out of poverty, we created so many new jobs, we got so many people more connected with at that time, the modern world, better health, better education, all of that because of electricity that we did together as a country and invested in each other and the future. That electricity a hundred years later, guess what that is? That's a better electric grid. That's cell phone coverage. That's high speed Internet for the kids, for our children. If you are in a school that doesn't have high speed Internet, I mean, even a home that doesn't have it, you, you are, you are not keeping up. It's harder for you to keep up. And I just feel like we owe that to this region in Kentucky and really all places in America that don't have this 100%.

[B]

I mean, you know, these kids these days, they have these Chromebooks and a lot of them, they take them home, but they don't have Internet at home. So they have to drive out to public libraries. Who. I mean, those public libraries could be 20 to 30 minutes away, depending on how far they live up in these hollers, they're going to the local McDonald's just to use the Wi Fi. And that's not something that should ever be a question.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, and that's something that we can do together, you know, and it is also Something that will help the communities and help businesses want to come and invest in the area. If you already have some of those public goods in place. And when I talk about investment, that's what I mean. I don't think that we should be waiting for some private entities to come in, because, gosh, how many years has it been? We can do this.

[B]

Absolutely. I mean, the word that keeps popping up, resilience. It's the people around here. You take a look during a natural disaster, you have neighbors helping neighbors. You have people who don't know each other saying, hey, can I bring you a spaghetti dinner? Hey, can I bring you this, that and the other just to help. So the fact that these people, they. They have the heart for it, they want to succeed, they want to platform their families to where they're not worried about their next meal or where their children will have, you know, Internet. How are they going to be able to do their homework? Things like that, it's. It's ridiculous.

[A]

Yeah. When you think about the future of Eastern Kentucky, are you more hopeful or are you concerned?

[B]

I'm definitely more hopeful. I feel like the people in this region, Appalachians, don't want pity. They want respect. And that's at the center of basically everything.

[A]

I talk about investments in this region being done by things like the Infrastructure act during the last administration, the Recovery act, and now we see these guys in Washington trying to get rid of all that. We see that these guys in Washington literally cutting people off of health care and gutting, trying, you know, putting our rural hospitals at risk of closure, downsizing, hurting people. And I. I'm like, do folks make the connection between these things or how do you see this?

[B]

I think it's just one of those things where they almost are too proud to say, maybe I was wrong in that voting booth. That's just kind of a section of that pride that they have here. And we are seeing time and time again, a lot of people are kind of raising their eyebrows at the gas prices and the oil prices and the tariffs and things like that. But I think a lot of issue here specifically is people don't know how to tell the difference between a talking head show and an actual news broadcast. And that's probably one of my biggest pet peeves is you don't. You don't understand. You see it from both sides. Talking head shows, those are shows. They're meant to be entertaining and engaging. And these putting these hot words out there, they're meant for the eyes and the ears. You take a look at our Local news, you've got an unbiased look at things and people tend to just kind of overlook stuff like that because it's not as engaging as the person screaming at the camera from both sides.

[A]

It's entertainment, I guess, you know, and, and, and that's something that happens everywhere. The people are glommed off on the entertainment. And I think that's also why they're drawn to the extremes, maybe fearful of something that really isn't a major issue at all. And skip the things that really are major issues. I mean, I would think that, you know, you know, if a hospital where I live that is now 10 minutes away goes away and I have to drive an hour, that that's a big deal. And, you know, hopefully folks will kind of see that and do something about it, you know, but for some reason,

[B]

they just don't see that core issue. They, they see the hot topics of things that don't even happen here and they focus more on. It's more engaging than the hospital closing. Yeah, it kind of, it is disheartening.

[A]

Yeah. But we keep, we keep trying. And you're out there with all the things that you do volunteer wise in Pikeville, you're still very much a part of the community, even though you may not be on the TV screens so much anymore, but you're out there. That's so important. If, if someone had never been to Pikeville or eastern Kentucky or even to Appalachia at all, what's the one thing you wish they understood before forming an opinion about the area?

[B]

I'll go back to. Appalachians do not want pity. They want respect. And, and that's it. We have the heart here. We have plenty of music and storytelling and beautiful scenery. I mean, there's so much more to look at other than Mountain Dew mouth. And these people don't wear shoes. You know, I'm here to say that I do wear shoes out in public and I have most of my teeth. So not so much a Mountain Dew girlie, I am a Dr. Pepper girl. But it's just one of those things where we are so deeply community oriented. I think that if people take a look at the heart that's in it, they'll fall in love with it too. My son's getting ready to start kindergarten. He's been in a preschool for the past couple of years. And with the medical school and the college, we do see people from out of state coming in and they fall in love with this area no matter where they are from. And they're like, you Know what? I do want to raise my children here. And that's the first step to, you know, gaining more population, starting new businesses, the new jobs, the economic stimulation. I love to hear it.

[A]

Yeah, I love it, too. And I love the beauty of the region. I mean, you drive around there and it's just so gorgeous and wildlife and it's just a really great quiet place to be. So I encourage everybody to. To go check out. There's so many things to do. Of course, you got Red River Gorge a little bit further north, but it's. It's gorgeous. And hopefully there will be more investment in the future so that, you know, we can really capitalize on tourism and. And good jobs. And I really appreciate you coming on and talking to us about the region, and it's been a great conversation.

[B]

Absolutely. I appreciate you having me on. I will always take an opportunity to talk so, so brightly about this region. You know, we are a Kentucky trail town, officially. Governor Beshear came in in 2024 and named us that. And that's a recognition that we do not take lightly. So I appreciate you for giving me this platform to be able to talk about the region and the people in it.

[A]

Well, wonderful to have us on. This has been a great Devil's Cut edition, talking about eastern Kentucky and Appalachia and with Marianne Fletcher, folks. Tune in next time on Truth in the Devil's Cut.

[C]

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