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 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
Jul 24 Economy No Pay, We Stay: A Look Back at the 2019 Protest that Rocked Appalachia It’s a quiet, foggy morning on Highway 119 in Cumberland, Kentucky. A railroad track runs along the highway, and here, Sand Hill Bottom Road crosses the tracks and turns to the right, leaving a rough triangle of gravel spattered with trash. You can hear crickets chirping, birds twittering, cars passing on 119. A billboard advertises […] By Sydney Boles Jul 24 Economy No Pay, We Stay: A Look Back at the 2019 Protest that Rocked Appalachia 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 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
Feb 12 Energy & Environment Coal Community Leaders Urge Congress To Include Them In Climate Action Economic development leaders from the Ohio Valley’s coal communities used a Congressional hearing on climate change Tuesday to say that their communities must be central to conversations about climate solutions. Testifying at a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on climate change and energy transitions, Peter Hille, president of the Berea, Kentucky-based Mountain Association for Community […] By Brittany Patterson Feb 12 Energy & Environment Coal Community Leaders Urge Congress To Include Them In Climate Action Brittany Patterson