Jul 3 Economy Judge Approves $5M Loan To Ailing Blackjewel Coal, But CEO Hoops Is Out Kentucky’s Attorney General said on Friday he is investigating complaints from miners who say they are not receiving pay following the fast-moving bankruptcy negotiations for Blackjewel mining, which employs some 1100 people in Central Appalachia. Attorney General Andy Beshear said in a statement he has received “numerous troubling complaints” related to the company, “ranging from […] By Brittany Patterson Jul 3 Economy Judge Approves $5M Loan To Ailing Blackjewel Coal, But CEO Hoops Is Out Brittany Patterson
Jun 28 Economy My Cold Kentucky Home: Coal Country Turning To Solar As Heating And Housing Costs Climb Joe Oliver and Tony Brown peered into the dark crawl space beneath a Letcher County, Kentucky, home. Already, they could see problems. The crawl space had been blocked off with just a thin sheet of plywood; the posts supporting the house rested on uneven blobs of poured concrete; the whole place reeked of mold. A […] By Sydney Boles Jun 28 Economy My Cold Kentucky Home: Coal Country Turning To Solar As Heating And Housing Costs Climb Sydney Boles
Jun 25 Economy New Economic Data Show Appalachia’s Struggles Amid Coal’s Decline An annual report from the Appalachian Regional Commission shows that while Appalachia is seeing some economic improvement, the heart of the region and its coal-producing communities are still struggling. Several counties in the Ohio Valley are moving in a negative direction in this year’s report. The ARC report evaluates the Appalachian region using county-level data […] By Becca Schimmel Jun 25 Economy New Economic Data Show Appalachia’s Struggles Amid Coal’s Decline Becca Schimmel
Jun 13 Economy Feds Cite Environmental Challenges, Stall East Kentucky Prison Project A federal agency confirmed Wednesday plans to withdraw its commitment to build a new prison in eastern Kentucky. “Given new information received, additional analysis should be undertaken to determine if there are significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns on the proposed action,” the BOP said in the email to the Ohio Valley […] By Sydney Boles Jun 13 Economy Feds Cite Environmental Challenges, Stall East Kentucky Prison Project Sydney Boles
May 31 Economy Powering Down: Ohio Community Reckons With Coal Plant Closure Brick buildings line the wide sidewalks of Main Street in downtown Coshocton, Ohio. On a recent spring day the dogwood trees are blooming. Bright red and white tulips dot the grassy public square, home to the local courthouse and a gazebo. There are barber shops, an optometrist, a florist, a railroad-themed steakhouse is open for […] By Brittany Patterson May 31 Economy Powering Down: Ohio Community Reckons With Coal Plant Closure Brittany Patterson
May 24 Economy ARC POWER Grant Recipients Meet To Discuss Economic Development Recipients of grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization, or POWER Initiative, gathered in Athens, Ohio, Wednesday and Thursday to share their experiences. Representatives from many of the 185 ongoing POWER projects shared how they’re using their funds to diversify the economies in communities hit by the decline […] By Aaron Payne May 24 Economy ARC POWER Grant Recipients Meet To Discuss Economic Development Aaron Payne
May 24 Economy Working Toward Recovery: Ohio Town Fights Addiction With Focus On Economy This is the second story in an occasional series exploring the links between addiction recovery and a recovering economy. Addiction specialists, business leaders, law enforcement officials and other community members gathered around tables at Shawnee State University to talk about two big challenges in Scioto County, Ohio: a shrinking economy and a growing addiction crisis. […] By Aaron Payne May 24 Economy Working Toward Recovery: Ohio Town Fights Addiction With Focus On Economy Aaron Payne
May 23 Economy Ohio Valley Farmers Unsure About New Trump Trade Aid Payments The U. S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday details of a second round of aid totaling $16 billion for farmers affected by the trade war with China. But some Ohio Valley farmers worry about the ongoing consequences of these payments and tariffs. As with the first round of tariff relief offered last year, farmers will […] By Liam Niemeyer May 23 Economy Ohio Valley Farmers Unsure About New Trump Trade Aid Payments Liam Niemeyer
May 22 Economy Survey Report Reveals Disparities In Appalachian Subregions A new report from the Appalachian Regional Commission shows that Central Appalachia lags behind other parts of the region in employment, household income, and other key measures. The data come from the American Community Survey, which is similar to the census and tracks county-level data over five-year periods. Researchers often use the survey to understand […] By Sydney Boles May 22 Economy Survey Report Reveals Disparities In Appalachian Subregions Sydney Boles