Inside West Virginia's Empty River Towns

Mingo County, West Virginia is often defined by coal, poverty, and the opioid crisis, but life there is far more complex than the headlines suggest. In this video, we travel along the Tug Fork River through former coal towns and remote mountain communities to explore how the region has changed after decades of economic decline. Along the way, we speak with locals, visit reportedly haunted buildings, and document the people, struggles, and culture that continue to shape one of Appalachia’s most overlooked counties. Make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for Part 2, where we head deeper into the mountains to explore Dingess, an isolated community that reveals a different side of Mingo County. A special thank you to Danny Strakal and @SpiritWalkParanormal for showing us around The Old Hospital on College Hill, make sure to check them out!    / @spiritwalkparanormal   About Roca: RocaNews is an independent media company started by 3 friends in 2020. Our mission is to cover the news without bias or fear. We deliver daily news to 2M+ people via the products below. Our Products: ► Instagram:   / ridethenews   ► App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rocanew... ► Substack: https://rocanews.substack.com Our Series: ► The South:    • The South   ► Pakistan:    • Pakistan   ► East Coast:    • East Coast   ► Appalachia:    • Appalachia   ► Rust Belt:    • Rust Belt   ► The Southwest    • The Southwest   ► The UK    • UK   Want to help us report? ► Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/xPrUx 0:00 Intro 1:07 Back in Appalachia 1:37 Kentucky Side 2:13 West Virginia Side (Kermit) 5:04 Opioid Crisis 5:37 Journey to Williamson 5:44 Meeting Ernie on the way 7:51 Dwindling Economy 9:39 Hometown Values 11:45 Mountain Lawman 14:02 Williamson, West Virginia 14:17 Meet Clayton 19:26 Coal and Population Decline 20:12 Once a Boomtown 21:04 Haunted Hospital 23:41 Outro Episode 140 Subs: 781k subs #kentucky #westvirginia #appalachia