I'm in Western PA, so I know of which you speak. My great grandfather died in a mine in what is now a tree lined sub-division. My grade school was a half a mile from an active coal mine in the Pittsburgh suburbs, but any trace of that has disappeared as well. We used to give the kids whose dads worked in the mine crap for some reason, like mill workers were better or something. Here in the Paris of Appalachia, smack and fentanyl are popular in certain quarters, but the shot and the beer culture is still going strong. The remaining bars are jammed again.

You have to admit that hillbillies are really hard to help. Don't tell them what to do, and Lord don't get on their bad side. They are honest people. If they think you are f'ed up, they will tell you so. A six year old will tell you so. Jellico's little historic downtown looks nice. I love country towns like that. It looks clean and well maintained, so someone cares.