Feb 19 Agriculture Here Comes The Sun: Solar Moves In, And A Farm Community Wonders About Its Future The golden hue of the sunset shines across the sky and through the window as a woman drives down Van Meter Road in central Kentucky’s Clark County, passing by green rolling hills and hay bales. In her social media video from early September, Adreanna Wills points out white signs in yards along the way, displaying […] By Liam Niemeyer Feb 19 Agriculture Here Comes The Sun: Solar Moves In, And A Farm Community Wonders About Its Future Liam Niemeyer
Dec 21 Energy & Environment Judge Denies Former CEO’s Move to Liquidate Blackjewel Coal A federal bankruptcy judge has denied a petition from former Blackjewel coal executive Jeff Hoops to liquidate the company. The decision means the reorganization of the company will continue under Chapter 11 bankruptcy as former employees, creditors and state agencies seek to recover millions owed by the company. Hoops cited “permanent negative cash flow” at […] By Sydney Boles Dec 21 Energy & Environment Judge Denies Former CEO’s Move to Liquidate Blackjewel Coal Sydney Boles
Dec 14 Economy Blackjewel Coal Alleges ‘Intentional, Willful’ Self-Dealing By Former CEO Allegations of financial misconduct by Blackjewel’s former CEO have surrounded the company’s bankruptcy case since it began last July. But a December 10 court filing lays out specific allegations against ousted CEO Jeff Hoops: webs of shell companies and secret royalty schemes that allegedly enriched Hoops at the expense of coal miners, the environment, and […] By Sydney Boles Dec 14 Economy Blackjewel Coal Alleges ‘Intentional, Willful’ Self-Dealing By Former CEO Sydney Boles
Dec 2 Economy Blackjewel Coal Moves To Liquidate, Leaving Millions Unpaid To Workers And Regulators The convoluted bankruptcy of coal company Blackjewel has hit another turn of events as the company’s former CEO moved to liquidate the company. A federal judge is considering a motion submitted last week to convert the bankruptcy from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7. That would mean that instead of exiting bankruptcy as a new company […] By Sydney Boles Dec 2 Economy Blackjewel Coal Moves To Liquidate, Leaving Millions Unpaid To Workers And Regulators Sydney Boles
Nov 23 Health Lawmakers, Union Urge Mine Safety Regulators to Act on Silica Dust A group of Ohio Valley senators says a watchdog agency’s recent report shows that federal regulators must do more to protect coal miners from silica dust, an especially toxic form of dust created when mining equipment cuts into rock layers near coal seams. In a Monday morning press release, six Democratic senators, including Joe Manchin […] By Sydney Boles Nov 23 Health Lawmakers, Union Urge Mine Safety Regulators to Act on Silica Dust Sydney Boles
Nov 3 Energy & Environment Coal Education Group Pivots to Entrepreneurship An eastern Kentucky nonprofit that has long promoted coal to school kids is now promoting innovation and entrepreneurship instead. Pikeville-based CEDAR Inc. was founded in 1993 with the purpose of “improving the image of the Coal Industry.” It did this through programs like the annual Coal Fair and a coal education curriculum provided to qualifying […] By Sydney Boles Nov 3 Energy & Environment Coal Education Group Pivots to Entrepreneurship Sydney Boles
Oct 28 Energy & Environment Advocates Say Citizen Mining Complaint Process Weakened By Rule Change Environmental and community advocates in Appalachian coal communities are concerned about a new federal rule, finalized this week, that is changing the process that allows citizens to file complaints about polluting coal mining operations. The Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement said in a Tuesday press release that the changes […] By Brittany Patterson Oct 28 Energy & Environment Advocates Say Citizen Mining Complaint Process Weakened By Rule Change Brittany Patterson
Oct 25 Energy & Environment Ohio Valley Coal Mine Executive Bob Murray Dead at 80 Robert E. Murray, the founder and former president and CEO of Murray Energy Corp., formerly the largest privately-held underground coal company in the country, has died. He was 80 years old. Murray’s death was reported Sunday evening by television stations WTOV9 in Steubenville, Ohio, and WOWK in Huntington, West Virginia. According to the news outlets, […] By Brittany Patterson Oct 25 Energy & Environment Ohio Valley Coal Mine Executive Bob Murray Dead at 80 Brittany Patterson
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
Oct 19 Energy & Environment Bob Murray Announces Retirement From Coal Company He Founded After applying for black lung benefits, Robert Murray, founder and former president of the now-bankrupt coal company Murray Energy Corp., announced Monday he was leaving the business after more than 60 years in the industry. Murray Energy emerged from bankruptcy protection last month as American Consolidated Natural Resources (ACNR). The 80-year-old Murray was named chairman […] By Brittany Patterson Oct 19 Energy & Environment Bob Murray Announces Retirement From Coal Company He Founded Brittany Patterson