MCDOWELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders returned to the mountain state Sunday for a town hall event in Welch.

The town hall was being filmed for a MSNBC special segment, which will be nationally televised. It was held at Mount View High School.

Coal, healthcare, jobs and the opioid epidemic dominated most of the conversation.

Sen. Sanders says he was most impacted by the discussions surrounding what a rampant drug problem has done to McDowell County and across the state.

"When I saw so many hands that went up for people who had lost loved ones as a result of the opioid crisis, that is just chilling. That is just incredible," he says. "We need to give the young people opportunities so that drugs are not what they are seeking out."

In small town America, times are hard in areas like McDowell County. Jobs are hard to come by, too, and division is strong, even though nearly 75 percent of the county voted for the same candidate, President Donald Trump.

"How do we overcome the divisions of this election and join together as a community? I don't have the answer. I don't know if Bernie does, but it's a question I'd like to ask," Miles Goosens tells WSAZ. Goosens was born and raised in McDowell County but now lives in neighboring Virginia. He drove nearly three hours for Sunday's town hall.

"A senator and a prominent politician is interested, in some ways more than our own representatives in being here and bringing the spotlight to McDowell County and its problems," Goosens says. "I'm glad to see that there's a forum here that's going to look at all sides of the issue."

In an interview, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders but also placed some of the blame on the current administration.

"There's something wrong in America when we have so much poverty, and we have a billionaire President who proudly tells us he pays nothing in income tax. That's wrong," said Sen. Sanders.

This was not the first time the senator has visited McDowell County. He visited the county while campaigning or president.

He was initially scheduled to visit McDowell County back in February, but the event was cancelled after the West Virginia National Guard decided Sen. Sanders could not use the National Guard Armory, where the event was set to take place.

At the time, the West Virginia National Guard released the following statement: "U.S. Department of Defense policy does not permit the use of military facilities for political and election events and specifically includes town hall meetings as an example of such activities. The West Virginia State Armory Board has a similar policy.

Once the details of the proposed event were shared with the Adjutant General's office on Friday afternoon, it became apparent that it would run afoul of DOD and State Armory Board policy and the request could not be accommodated."

During the town hall, several people said they feel overlooked and behind the time.

"Applachia's been neglected for basically 50 years, since Lyndon Johnson. It's a bi-partisan neglect," says Goosens.

For local residents, the national spotlight means validation, a voice and an invite to a conversation few are willing to have and even fewer to listen.

The MSNBC special: "All in with Chris Hayes" Heads to McDowell County airs Monday March 13 at 8 p.m.