Yesterday a new film about McDowell County went live, and for once the story isn't about what we've lost, it's about what we still have. The documentary "McDowell County, WV – Those Who Stayed", now streaming on YouTube (watch here), shines a light on neighbors who refused to leave and are building something out of what's left.

The camera lingers on places we know, Welch, Kimball, Powhatan, Berwind, Keystone, and the people who have kept them alive. These aren't outsiders parachuting in to tell a sad story. It is locals showing what survival and reinvention look like in a county that has been written off too many times.

One of those voices is Jason Tart, the man behind T&T Organics and the nonprofit EDGE, Economic Development Greater East. Out in a field that used to be coal country, Tart says, "We're growing more than crops, we're growing hope." His work in sustainable agriculture is opening doors for youth mentorship and food sovereignty, proving our ground can yield more than just black rock.

Another moment takes us inside the Kimball World War I Memorial Building. Once left to rot, it now stands restored as the nation's only memorial to African American veterans of the Great War. It has become a cultural center again, drawing visitors and pride back into Kimball. "This place honors our past while inspiring our future," one community leader says in the film.

The project is the work of filmmaker Lucas, who set out to shift the story of southern West Virginia. The documentary represents a celebration of the community and leadership that outsiders usually miss.

Of course, the film doesn't hide the hard truths. Population is still shrinking. Families still boil water. Paychecks don't stretch like they used to. But it turns the spotlight toward the people who are staying and shaping what comes next. As one voice in the documentary puts it, "We're not just staying, we're shaping what's next for Appalachia."

Watching Those Who Stayed, I thought of the folks I see week after week in church halls, food lines, or down at the courthouse, keeping this place alive with grit alone. We've had our fill of headlines about poverty, closures, and decline. This film feels different. It reminds us there are still reasons to stay, reasons to fight, and maybe even reasons to dream.

If you've got an hour this week, give it a watch. It isn't strangers telling our story this time, it is us. And it feels good to see McDowell County on the screen for something other than loss.