Oct 23 Democracy & Civic Life From Appalachia To Wyoming: Youth From Coal Country Discuss The Future After Coal On a recent Saturday, over Zoom, a group of seven high schoolers from Wyoming, eastern Kentucky and West Virginia gazed at an image of a gleaming, pale blue, coal-fired power plant. “OK, so this one really interested us,” said Sarah Belcher, a senior from eastern Kentucky. “So we noticed your all’s coal facilities, they’re really […] By Brittany Patterson Oct 23 Democracy & Civic Life From Appalachia To Wyoming: Youth From Coal Country Discuss The Future After Coal Brittany Patterson
Sep 18 Agriculture Back To The Land: The Future Challenge And Opportunity Of Appalachian Agriculture A line of blue and yellow pop-up tents stand along the North Fork of the Kentucky River during a sunny September weekend in downtown Whitesburg, Kentucky, and Valerie Horn is doing her part to keep the Letcher County Farmers Market rolling. Pumpkins and watermelons fill tarps laid out on the ground next to a farmer, […] By Liam Niemeyer Sep 18 Agriculture Back To The Land: The Future Challenge And Opportunity Of Appalachian Agriculture Liam Niemeyer
Jan 27 Energy & Environment New Protections Proposed For Imperiled Crayfish Species The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is proposing new protections for two threatened species of crayfish found in the Appalachian coalfields. Under the new proposed rule, set to be published Tuesday in the Federal Register, the agency will designate 445 miles of streams in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia as “critical habitat” for the Guyandotte […] By Brittany Patterson Jan 27 Energy & Environment New Protections Proposed For Imperiled Crayfish Species Brittany Patterson
Jan 17 Economy Grocers In Rural Coal Country Struggle To Stay In Business There’s a picture frame on the wall next to the customer service desk in the IGA in Inez, Kentucky. Inside the frame is a scrap of beige meat-counter paper, on which a man named Derle Ousley sketched the layout for an ad announcing the opening of his very first grocery store. “Inez Supermarket Grand Opening,” […] By Sydney Boles Jan 17 Economy Grocers In Rural Coal Country Struggle To Stay In Business Sydney Boles
Dec 14 Economy Census Data Show Some KY Counties Among Nation’s Poorest New data from the Census Bureau show eastern Kentucky is still struggling with poverty and lagging far behind national and state averages in terms of income. The Bureau’s latest American Community Survey shows Bell, Harlan and McCreary Counties have some of the lowest median household incomes in the United States. Of counties with 10,000 residents […] By Jeff Young and Alexandra Kanik Dec 14 Economy Census Data Show Some KY Counties Among Nation’s Poorest Jeff Young and Alexandra Kanik
Nov 30 Energy & Environment Fracking’s Next Boom? Petrochemical Plants Fuel Debate Over Jobs, Pollution More than 100 people braved freezing temperatures to both listen and have their say in front of Ohio environmental officials at a recent hearing in Belmont County, Ohio. For the three dozen or so people who testified, the stakes were high. The hearing at Shadyside High School focused on a nearly 300-page, densely technical, draft […] By Brittany Patterson Nov 30 Energy & Environment Fracking’s Next Boom? Petrochemical Plants Fuel Debate Over Jobs, Pollution Brittany Patterson
Dec 7 Economy “Poverty Tour” Brings United Nations Expert To Ohio Valley Law professor Philip Alston is a United Nations expert on extreme poverty. In his position as a U.N. Special Rapporteur he reports on places where pervasive poverty and human rights issues intersect, places such as Haiti, south Asia and central Africa. His latest work, however, is taking him to parts of the U.S., including the […] By Nicole Erwin Dec 7 Economy “Poverty Tour” Brings United Nations Expert To Ohio Valley Nicole Erwin
Jul 14 Energy & Environment Paradise Cost: Coal, Natural Gas, And The True Price Of Power Thanks to singer-songwriter John Prine, Paradise Fossil Plant might be the only coal-fired power plant that has a household name. “Paradise,” Prine’s 1971 ballad, drew on boyhood memories from the small town of Paradise, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, to relay the environmental and social costs of our dependence on coal. “Mr. Peabody’s coal train,” he […] By Glynis Board Jul 14 Energy & Environment Paradise Cost: Coal, Natural Gas, And The True Price Of Power Glynis Board
Jun 6 Economy Trump To Talk Infrastructure In Ohio Valley, Where Investment Is Badly Needed With a speech planned for Cincinnati’s Ohio River waterfront, President Donald Trump has chosen a fitting venue to talk about infrastructure improvements. The Ohio Valley is home to aging highways, bridges, and dams, poor drinking water systems, and weak internet service for many rural residents. A report from the American Society of Civil Engineers found […] By Jeff Young and Becca Schimmel Jun 6 Economy Trump To Talk Infrastructure In Ohio Valley, Where Investment Is Badly Needed Jeff Young and Becca Schimmel