Democracy & Civic Life Archives - Ohio Valley ReSource

Jan 15

Democracy & Civic Life

Black Lives In Red States: Art And Life Converge For Two Women In A Tumultuous Year

Jessalyn Brown met Kyra Higgins through theater. “I saw her on stage and I was just like, ‘This girl is so good!’ She was just amazing.” So when it came time for Brown, 21, to direct a play for her senior project at Kentucky’s Georgetown College, she knew she wanted Higgins, 22, to be in […]

By Sydney Boles

Jan 15

Democracy & Civic Life

Black Lives In Red States: Art And Life Converge For Two Women In A Tumultuous Year

By Sydney Boles

Jan 8

Democracy & Civic Life

After ‘Dark Day’ In Washington, Ohio Valley Lawmakers And Residents Who Were There Take Stock

Owensboro, Kentucky, pastor Brian Gibson spoke at an event in Washington, D.C., Tuesday that combined religion with support for President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the election. “How many of you all believe that the people we elected are going to do what’s right tomorrow?” Gibson asked the crowd at Washington’s Freedom […]

By Jeff Young , Alana Watson , , Liam Niemeyer and Corinne Boyer

Jan 8

Democracy & Civic Life

After ‘Dark Day’ In Washington, Ohio Valley Lawmakers And Residents Who Were There Take Stock

Jeff Young, Alana Watson, , Liam Niemeyer and Corinne Boyer

Dec 14

Democracy & Civic Life

Billboard In Western Kentucky Town Calls For School District Superintendent’s Termination

A new billboard in a western Kentucky town calls for the termination of a local school district superintendent after an old photo of the school official in blackface resurfaced. The billboard in Paducah, Kentucky shows a picture of Paducah Public Schools Superintendent Donald Shively in blackface and states “race is not a costume.” The billboard […]

By Liam Niemeyer

Dec 14

Democracy & Civic Life

Billboard In Western Kentucky Town Calls For School District Superintendent’s Termination

Liam Niemeyer

Dec 11

Democracy & Civic Life

A Blackface Photo Resurfaces, And A Kentucky Town Confronts Its Racial Trauma

Holiday light displays are spread out across Bob Noble park in Paducah, Kentucky, lighting up the barren trees at night for the community to drive by. The park has long been a gathering place for the small city, with performances at an amphitheater and swimming during the summer. Shirley Massie, 76, sits at one the […]

By Liam Niemeyer

Dec 11

Democracy & Civic Life

A Blackface Photo Resurfaces, And A Kentucky Town Confronts Its Racial Trauma

Liam Niemeyer

Dec 4

Democracy & Civic Life

Despite Voting Restoration Thousands Are Still Disenfranchised In The Ohio Valley

After more than a decade, Kentucky resident Guy Hamilton-Smith voted this year for the first time in the state. Even though he didn’t vote in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, sending his ballot through the mail was still an emotional moment. “Not being able to vote for many years was like a really big […]

By Alana Watson

Dec 4

Democracy & Civic Life

Despite Voting Restoration Thousands Are Still Disenfranchised In The Ohio Valley

Alana Watson

Nov 19

Democracy & Civic Life

Ohio Valley Divide: Vote Analysis Shows Bluer Cities, Deeper Red Rural Places

President-elect Joe Biden received a bigger turnout in the Ohio Valley in 2020 than Hillary Clinton did in 2016. So did his opponent Donald Trump. In an election that saw historic levels of voting nationwide, Democrat Biden added 3.2% to Clinton’s 2016 vote share in the Ohio Valley while Republican Trump improved 2.4% on his […]

By Suhail Bhat

Nov 19

Democracy & Civic Life

Ohio Valley Divide: Vote Analysis Shows Bluer Cities, Deeper Red Rural Places

Suhail Bhat

Nov 13

Democracy & Civic Life

What Biden’s Plan For “Building Back Better” Could Mean For The Ohio Valley

David Meinschein’s teachers, staff and students have sacrificed a lot this year amid the staggering challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. He opens the door heading inside Ballad Memorial High School’s basketball gymnasium — known locally as the “Green Palace” for its school colors. The school’s emptiness is another reminder of COVID-19’s impact. But as assistant […]

By Liam Niemeyer

Nov 13

Democracy & Civic Life

What Biden’s Plan For “Building Back Better” Could Mean For The Ohio Valley

Liam Niemeyer

Nov 5

Democracy & Civic Life

Ohio Valley Lawmakers React to Trump’s False Statements Undermining The Election

Polls had barely closed in the U.S. when President Donald Trump falsely alleged voter fraud and claimed prematurely to have won the election, saying “We will win this, and as far as I’m concerned, we already have won it.” The results of the election had not yet been called, and the counting of legally cast […]

By Sydney Boles

Nov 5

Democracy & Civic Life

Ohio Valley Lawmakers React to Trump’s False Statements Undermining The Election

Sydney Boles

Nov 5

Democracy & Civic Life

Ex-Massey Energy CEO Draws Thousands of Votes For President In Closely Contested States

Former coal executive Don Blankenship, who went to prison for his role in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in West Virginia, drew about 55,000 votes Tuesday as a third-party candidate for president, including thousands of votes in closely contested states. While not a significant amount in comparison to the more than 140 million Americans […]

By Brittany Patterson

Nov 5

Democracy & Civic Life

Ex-Massey Energy CEO Draws Thousands of Votes For President In Closely Contested States

Brittany Patterson

Nov 4

Democracy & Civic Life

2020 Voter Turnout Increased As Ohio Valley States Expanded Voting Options

Much of the Ohio Valley saw historic levels of voter turnout in the 2020 election, as election officials expanded voting options to reduce the risk from coronavirus. Compared to the 2016 election, voter turnout for the 2020 general election increased slightly in Kentucky and Ohio, while West Virginia — which had some of the nation’s […]

By Alana Watson and Suhail Bhat

Nov 4

Democracy & Civic Life

2020 Voter Turnout Increased As Ohio Valley States Expanded Voting Options

Alana Watson and Suhail Bhat