Jul 9 Economy West KY TV Station Tells Employees They Need Permission To Get Coronavirus Tests A west Kentucky television station manager told his employees they need his permission before getting tested for coronavirus, after an employee at the station tested positive for infection by the virus. Some employees of the station’s parent company, Paxton Media Group, say that policy discourages them from getting a test. Health and legal experts say […] By Liam Niemeyer Jul 9 Economy West KY TV Station Tells Employees They Need Permission To Get Coronavirus Tests Liam Niemeyer
Jul 9 Economy KY Judge Strikes Down Beshear’s Coronavirus Health Orders For Some Farm Businesses A Kentucky judge’s ruling Thursday limits Gov. Andy Beshear’s authority to issue emergency orders mandating coronavirus safety measures — a ruling Beshear called “dangerous and devastating” and promptly pledged to appeal. Scott Circuit Court Judge Brian Privett issued a temporary restraining order preventing Beshear’s administration from enforcing COVID-19 restrictions for the state’s 548 agritourism businesses. […] By Liam Niemeyer Jul 9 Economy KY Judge Strikes Down Beshear’s Coronavirus Health Orders For Some Farm Businesses Liam Niemeyer
Jul 7 Economy Ohio Valley Coal Companies Get Tens Of Millions In Paycheck Protection Loans More than 50 Ohio Valley coal companies received loans totaling as much as $119 million through the Paycheck Protection Program meant to keep people employed during the pandemic’s economic downturn. Congress passed the PPP in March to help businesses keep employees on the payroll and out of unemployment lines. The data released by the Small […] By Sydney Boles Jul 7 Economy Ohio Valley Coal Companies Get Tens Of Millions In Paycheck Protection Loans Sydney Boles
Jul 2 Economy RECLAIM Act To Boost Coal Communities Passes House As Part Of Infrastructure Bill The House of Representatives Wednesday passed a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that includes two provisions that would specifically help coal-reliant communities in the Ohio Valley. The bill, called the Moving Forward Act, includes funding for roads and bridges, rural broadband, drinking water system repairs, renewable energy, and affordable housing, all of which Democrats say would […] By Sydney Boles Jul 2 Economy RECLAIM Act To Boost Coal Communities Passes House As Part Of Infrastructure Bill Sydney Boles
Jun 29 Economy Advocacy Groups Unveil Plan for a 21st Century Coal-County Economy Environmental and economic advocacy groups from coal-producing parts of the country unveiled a policy agenda on Monday to help coal-reliant communities make a transition to a more sustainable future. The plan includes items that have long been on the wish list for groups like Appalachian Voices and the Just Transition Fund, both of which were […] By Sydney Boles Jun 29 Economy Advocacy Groups Unveil Plan for a 21st Century Coal-County Economy Sydney Boles
Jun 26 Economy Coal Towns Were Counting On Tourism For New Jobs. Then Coronavirus Hit. On a recent sunny weekday, Bill Currey proudly walks among 30 neatly stacked, brightly colored plastic kayaks. Birds chirp merrily, and the soothing sounds of the meandering Coal River permeate the background — nature’s version of a white noise machine. For the tanned Currey, who also owns an industrial real estate company, being here, on […] By Brittany Patterson Jun 26 Economy Coal Towns Were Counting On Tourism For New Jobs. Then Coronavirus Hit. Brittany Patterson
Jun 17 Economy Ohio Valley Farmers Receive More Than $100 Million So Far In COVID-19 Relief Ohio Valley farmers have received more than $100 million so far in federal relief payments to offset the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with potentially more payments on the way. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance program plans to distribute up to $16 billion in direct payments to farmers, with farmers […] By Liam Niemeyer Jun 17 Economy Ohio Valley Farmers Receive More Than $100 Million So Far In COVID-19 Relief Liam Niemeyer
Jun 9 Economy Appalachian Program Feeds Families As The Pandemic Economy Places More In Need It’s a sweltering hot Monday in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and the kitchen at Community Agricultural Nutritional Enterprises, or CANE, is buzzing with activity. In an industrial kitchen that was once a high school cafeteria, Brandon Fleming is chopping onions and sliding them into a massive aluminum tray of beans. Once the beans are in the oven, […] By Sydney Boles Jun 9 Economy Appalachian Program Feeds Families As The Pandemic Economy Places More In Need Sydney Boles
Jun 4 Economy Ohio Valley Weekly Unemployment Claims Down Slightly To 82K As the Ohio Valley continues its phased-in reopening, unemployment insurance claims are down slightly compared to the week before. The region is still reporting high levels of unemployment assistance applications. At least 82,011 people in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia joined those seeking help during the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The data […] By Becca Schimmel Jun 4 Economy Ohio Valley Weekly Unemployment Claims Down Slightly To 82K Becca Schimmel