Mountain Top Daily - 08/19/26

We'll look at a littleknown housing problem and one photographers's attempt to raise awareness. And a Pike County couple is charged with child abuse due to an unsafe and unsanitary home. I'm Robin Tilman and this is the Mountaintop Daily. The problem of homelessness is an issue most people are familiar with, even if one argues that not enough is done about it. But there is another housing crisis that receives practically no attention, and that is people who are forced to live in cheap motel because they are unable to afford rent or buy a home of their own. A Michigan photographer is on a journey to change that by bringing the problem to the public's attention through a pair of books, focusing on those living in motel throughout Appalachia. I caught up with her today as she visited Pikeville. Karen Lipowitz is a documentary photographer who's recently embarked on a 7,000mi journey to shed some light on the housing crisis. >> So about a year ago, I was on another project in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and decided for various reasons to stay at a Windom. I was fortunate enough to meet a couple of very interesting people who had been living there for months and decided to follow them for 4 days. So I, you know, went to work with them, rode the bus with them, shopped with them, ate with them, and really understood what I now know is to be a shadow housing market in typically lower budget motel and hotels throughout the country. Um, and I really intrigued me to understand that better. And um so then I decided to start examining housing throughout Appalachia. >> Lipoitz explained that those living in hotels is a much larger demographic than most people realize. >> Well, when we think of homelessness, we think of the person living under the underpass or um pushing a shopping cart. That's being unsheltered or unhoused and and homelessness. But housing insecurity is a much broader question and it's usually not very visible because those are the people who are living on couches in motel uh shelters and it's really part of a much larger question and problem. So the thing that surprises me most is when I come to a new city or sometimes I try to book in advance before arriving. I'm finding that I can't even get a reservation. They're full and they're full interminably. They're full for months on end. And that really speaks to the fact that there's a squeeze happening. People are not getting into apartments. People are not getting mortgages. So, I'm definitely seeing an increase in terms of where people have fewer fewer options of where to go. >> She said the majority of people she's met do not fit the stereotype. >> There are what you would consider the stereotype. There certainly are um influences with mental illness, addiction, um medical fragility is a big one, but it's also um more than half of the people who are unsheltered are work, you know, a traditional job. And 56% of people work at least one job, if not more. I would say at least half, if not more, of the people who I meet in these residences work full-time and sometimes two jobs. And and the issue with the motel is that they're not meant to be supportive housing. They're not meant to be um congregate housing. They're not meant to provide that next step. So what happens is that people come in because they need shelter because they need a place to live to raise their families. And they're spending in some cases upwards of two to three to $4,000 a month to stay in a motel because that's what it costs depending on the city. And there's never an opportunity to get out of that cycle. So, um, again, the people I met in Santa Fe were spending literally 100% of their income to live in a motel. >> Lipoitz's plan is to visit 30 cities throughout the most impoverished counties of Appalachia. >> So, I'm following the Appalachian Regional Commission's map of all the distressed counties over the 13 states that comprise Appalachia. I will be um staying is the I'm trying to stay in the most distressed communities. Um, I'm trying to vary it in terms of regional economy, red versus blue politics to try to understand really both the commonalities and and the differences in the and the context that that makes up Appalachia. >> Her findings will be presented in two different books as well as an immersive exhibit. >> So, it will be uh a 1200 square foot immersive exhibit built as a motel. You'll check in, you will go through, there'll be sounds and video and photography and kind of Easter eggs and it'll be a touchand feel kind of experience and we'll guide you through the experience of of living in a motel as as your only choice. >> You can follow her work at karen lipawitz.com/extendedstayappalache. A Pike County couple is facing child abuse charges after police say their three children were living in unsanitary conditions. Kentucky state police were called to a home on Regina Belchure Highway Tuesday to investigate a report of environmental neglect. Police say 41-year-old Timothy McDonald initially refused to allow a trooper inside, reportedly saying, "I'm embarrassed. It's bad." McDonald's wife, Lana Macdonald, also refused to allow police to enter the home. After officers discovered both parents had active arrest warrants, Timothy McDonald eventually allowed a trooper and social worker into the home. The report says the residence was heavily cluttered, had a strong odor of ammonia, and contained a refrigerator coated with what appeared to be dirt or black mold along with dead insects. Timothy and 39year-old Lana McDonald are each charged with secondderee criminal abuse. Their three children, ages 5, 11, and 16, were placed in protect protective custody. Coming up after the break, we'll speak with a community college president about how their school makes registration accessible to everyone. That's coming up when the Mountaintop Daily continues. But first, sports and weather. >> Abracadabra. How's it going, sports fans? I'm Destiny Faudy, and this is your Mountaintop Sports Recap. In case you didn't notice from the intro, we're making a few changes to the set. Things should be finalized by Friday, [music] so be sure to keep an eye out for our final decision. We know you're going to love it. It's that time of year again, guys. We want to see the season through your lens. Capture an amazing play, a perfect goal, a game-winning moment, or an unforgettable scene in the [music] stands. Then submit your photo at mountain-topports.com. You just click the Big Shot logo at the top of the page. It's as simple as that. [music] Each week, one photo or video will be crowned the Big Shot of the Week. And get this, the winner takes home $25 in cash, a family fourpack of movie passes, and a feature on Mountaintop Sports website and social media. So grab your phone, hit record, snap a photo, [music] and show us what makes sports in our region so special. You could be the next Big Shot of the Week. Thanks to Community Trust Bank and Kentucky Power. That's your Mountaintop Sports Recap. [music] Be sure to follow the Mountaintop Sports Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest in sports, or visit mountain-topsports.com. [music] Ned Pillarsdorf fights for the underdog in courtrooms where he advocates [music] for the most vulnerable. And in classrooms where atrisisk kids get a second chance, Ned doesn't just [music] talk about things. Ned shows up and people notice. He's the best pro bono [music] attorney in the nation. Now he's bringing his fight to [music] Washington. >> I'm Ned Pillarsf and I approve this message. We understand where you are and we know where you need connection. Friday [music] Night Lights, Tuesday night basketball, the marching band, the robotics team. And here's the funny thing. You'll probably see Appalachin Wireless supports all of them. And you know who you probably won't see? That's right, those big carriers. Because supporting our communities isn't something we do when it's convenient. [music] It's who we are. So, if you're thinking about switching, remember, where you spend your money, it matters. [music] So, keep it local and keep it connected because we are Appalachin Wireless. It's back to school throughout the mountains and community colleges are no exception. At Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, they realize their students come from all walks of life and have different needs. So, they work to offer class registration options that are beneficial for all. Nick spoke with the college's president about how they do that. >> Classes for the fall 2026 semester at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College are about to begin and general registration is still open. Students can also add more classes within the first week of the semester to round out their credit hours if necessary. Interim president Elizabeth Manuel tells us more. >> Students can register for fall semester 2026. Of course, there's still time for that. Uh there's still time to apply for certain financial aid, state and federal aid uh to help them with those courses. Um this week again staff are are um ready to support and assist students with the enrollment process, helping them with that financial aid, those applications. Um next week we will likely go into an extended registration for those classes where there are openings to allow students to either add a class to their schedule. Uh, in many instances, a student may have nine credit hours, but if they pick up one more uh class that would be worth three credit hours, that gets them to full-time. It not only helps them with their uh program of studying and completing that faster, it also helps them with financial aid. So, >> extended registration has proven to benefit students at Southern. Manuel says it's a great way to provide more opportunities for anyone wanting to attend. I do know that there are a number of students who do benefit from uh expanding that out beyond the general registration week just because you know maybe they've had some life changes in their family in a current job. And sometimes we see students who have who are traditional students who were planning on going to another college or university in the state or even out of state and for whatever reason that fell through. So, um, we've seen them come back and then they're looking to pick up, uh, classes at a community college. So, we've helped students in in that capacity. So, because of that extended registration, sometimes one week can help students um, who thought they may not have had an opportunity to enroll in the fall semester to give them that opportunity here at at our campus. >> Reporting for Mountaintop News, I'm Nick Colum. >> That will do it for this edition of the Mountaintop Daily. Be sure to check us out at 6 PM every weekday on Mountaintop TV, the Mountaintop TV app, and the Mountaintop News Facebook page. With your Mountaintop Daily, I'm Robin Tilman for Mountaintop News.