Dec 22 Economy Burned By Coal: Coalfield Communities Facing Electricity Price Hikes One evening this past November, angry customers and public officials filled a high school auditorium in Hazard, Kentucky, and took turns pleading with three members of the state’s public service commission. Angie Hatton, a state legislator representing Letcher and Pike counties, presented the situation in historical terms. “This community that for two centuries has been […] By Benny Becker Dec 22 Economy Burned By Coal: Coalfield Communities Facing Electricity Price Hikes Benny Becker
Dec 19 Energy & Environment Mine Health Expert Concerned About Review Of Coal Dust Rule The Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget has announced a review of an Obama-era rule that protects coal miners from exposure to the dust that causes black lung disease. That has some health and safety advocates concerned. The review comes amid a tide of regulatory rollbacks by the Trump administration and at a time […] By Benny Becker Dec 19 Energy & Environment Mine Health Expert Concerned About Review Of Coal Dust Rule Benny Becker
Dec 8 Economy Changing Course: “Tiny House” Project Tackles Big Problems In Coal Country The sound of power tools blends with teenage chatter as students clamber around, under, and over a trailer bed that they’re busy turning into a home. They’re part of a project called “Building It Forward,” which has vocational classes building tiny houses as a way of gaining practical skills and new confidence. Just a few […] By Benny Becker Dec 8 Economy Changing Course: “Tiny House” Project Tackles Big Problems In Coal Country Benny Becker
Nov 22 Economy Changing Course: A School Cooperative Aims To Remake Coal Communities Betsy Layne High School serves rural Floyd County in the eastern Kentucky town of Stanville, population 206. Students there produce a video program called “Bobcat Banter” where they usually talk about sports and student life. But early last year “Bobcat Banter” introduced some special guests. “We’re here with Mr. and Mrs. Gates from the Gates […] By Jeff Young , Mary Meehan and Benny Becker Nov 22 Economy Changing Course: A School Cooperative Aims To Remake Coal Communities Jeff Young, Mary Meehan and Benny Becker
Nov 7 Agriculture Striking Migrant Farm Workers Win Settlement After about three weeks on strike, a group of migrant workers employed at a tobacco farm in Gerrard County, Kentucky have reached a settlement with the farm’s owner. The workers came from Mexico under the H2A visa program, which allows foreign nationals to enter the U.S. for temporary or seasonal farm work. The Department of […] By Benny Becker Nov 7 Agriculture Striking Migrant Farm Workers Win Settlement Benny Becker
Oct 18 Agriculture On Strike: Migrant Workers On Visa Program Claim Unfair Pay Workers on a tobacco farm in Garrard County, Kentucky, are entering the third week of a strike over claims that they have not received the pay guaranteed by a federal work visa program. The strike is part of a movement across the South and Midwest to organize migrant laborers who enter the country legally to […] By Benny Becker Oct 18 Agriculture On Strike: Migrant Workers On Visa Program Claim Unfair Pay Benny Becker
Sep 25 Economy A “Like” From Zuck: Facebook Founder Visits Rural Kentucky Schools Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in West Virginia and Kentucky over the weekend to see some innovative ways that schools are using new technology. Zuckerberg has been traveling the country working on his New Year’s resolution to speak with people in every state. On Sunday, he met with educators and students from across […] By Benny Becker Sep 25 Economy A “Like” From Zuck: Facebook Founder Visits Rural Kentucky Schools Benny Becker
Aug 29 Economy Coal Country Tech Job Program Heads For New Round Last summer Melissa Anderson was unemployed and trying to keep her Pike County, Kentucky, home from falling into foreclosure. “I built it,” she said. “And, you know, for me to lose that home would have been devastating.” Anderson was among more than 800 people who applied for a little more than 50 trainee positions with […] By Benny Becker Aug 29 Economy Coal Country Tech Job Program Heads For New Round Benny Becker
Jul 18 Economy Country Connection: Rural Residents Ask FCC To Improve Internet Access More than two million people across the Ohio Valley live in areas that lack any option for fast and reliable internet service. This week some of them had a chance to tell a member of the Federal Communications Commission what that means for their work, studies, and everyday life. The Appalachian Connectivity Summit in Marietta, […] By Benny Becker Jul 18 Economy Country Connection: Rural Residents Ask FCC To Improve Internet Access Benny Becker
Jun 2 Economy Without A Net: Rural Residents Band Together For Internet Service Nearly half of the people living in rural parts of United States don’t have access to broadband internet, the high speed connection required for common uses many of us take for granted. Government and survey data show that in 65 counties across Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia, the majority of residents don’t have access to broadband […] By Benny Becker Jun 2 Economy Without A Net: Rural Residents Band Together For Internet Service Benny Becker