Nov 8 Economy Portal 31: How A Closed Mine Opened New Prospects For One Coal Town Devin Mefford is sitting in the squat metal buggy of a modified mantrip, the train-like shuttle coal miners use to travel underground. Mefford is dressed for work, in a hardhat and a navy shirt and pants with lime green reflective stripes. It’s a uniform his father and grandfather — both Kentucky coal miners — would […] By Brittany Patterson Nov 8 Economy Portal 31: How A Closed Mine Opened New Prospects For One Coal Town Brittany Patterson
Oct 11 Agriculture Grassroots Growing: Hemp Farmers Form Cooperatives Amid Growth And Uncertainty Tony Silvernail swings a heavy machete at a stalk of bushy hemp and chops the plant near the root, grabbing the five-foot-tall shoot with his sun-weathered hand. It’s an unusually hot October day on his farm, Beyond The Bridge LLC, tucked in the hills outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. But the heat doesn’t faze Silvernail, sporting […] By Liam Niemeyer Oct 11 Agriculture Grassroots Growing: Hemp Farmers Form Cooperatives Amid Growth And Uncertainty Liam Niemeyer
Oct 4 Economy Rethinking Retraining: Why Worker Training Programs Alone Won’t Save Coal Country Bobby Bowman mined coal in West Virginia for 12 years before his employer shut down. “I don’t think that mine will ever open again,” he said. Bowman lives in Welch, in the south of the state, where he worked at the Pinnacle Mine, which shut down almost exactly one year ago, putting him and about […] By Becca Schimmel Oct 4 Economy Rethinking Retraining: Why Worker Training Programs Alone Won’t Save Coal Country Becca Schimmel
Oct 3 Economy Blackjewel Miners Likely to Receive Pay in DOL Deal The Department of Labor and a company associated with Blackjewel agreed this week to put nearly $5.75 million toward coal miners left unpaid in the company’s chaotic bankruptcy. The July 1 bankruptcy of one of the nation’s largest coal companies left 1,100 coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia out of work and without […] By Sydney Boles Oct 3 Economy Blackjewel Miners Likely to Receive Pay in DOL Deal Sydney Boles
Sep 30 Health Water is Unaffordable for Nearly Half of Martin Countians, Report Finds A new report finds nearly half the residents of Martin County, Kentucky, cannot afford water service. Local activists with the Martin County Concerned Citizens are ringing alarm bells about water affordability as the beleaguered county faces another likely water rate increase in the coming months. Since the ReSource first reported on its water crisis two […] By Sydney Boles Sep 30 Health Water is Unaffordable for Nearly Half of Martin Countians, Report Finds Sydney Boles
Sep 27 Economy Meet The Coal Town Betting Big On Outdoor Recreation Standing on the breezy outlook at Flag Rock Recreation Area, Norton City Manager Fred Ramey is taking in the panoramic view of downtown Norton, Virginia. The brick building-lined streets are framed by the verdant, rolling Appalachian mountains. Jagged, brown scars from mountaintop mining operations can be seen in the distance, reminders of the region’s history […] By Brittany Patterson Sep 27 Economy Meet The Coal Town Betting Big On Outdoor Recreation Brittany Patterson
Sep 13 Economy SOAR At Six: Group’s Lofty Goals For Coal Country Meet Challenges On The Ground In a conference hall in Pikeville, Kentucky, this September, Gov. Matt Bevin led an eager audience in a countdown. When the audience reached “One!,” a map on the screen behind the governor lit up with the promise of a high-tech future. After years of delay and scandal, major portions of the commonwealth’s “middle mile” of […] By Sydney Boles Sep 13 Economy SOAR At Six: Group’s Lofty Goals For Coal Country Meet Challenges On The Ground Sydney Boles
Sep 4 Energy & Environment While “Zombie” Mines Idle, Cleanup And Workers Remain In Limbo The sound of metal banging against metal broke the calm on the high mesa separating Colorado’s Paradox and Big Gypsum valleys. An old rusted headframe marked the entrance to an abandoned uranium mine that, from a distance, looked as if its workers were simply off on a lunch break. Jennifer Thurston, a local environmentalist, paused […] By Mark Olalde and Joe Yerardi Sep 4 Energy & Environment While “Zombie” Mines Idle, Cleanup And Workers Remain In Limbo Mark Olalde and Joe Yerardi
Sep 4 Energy & Environment Idle Lands: Justice Coal Group Top User Of Loophole Allowing Mine Lands To Sit Idle Standing at an overlook on the top of Black Mountain — the tallest point in Kentucky — the wooded Appalachian mountains stretch on like a sea of green for miles. For many, this mountain is synonymous with the coal industry. It straddles the state line separating Harlan County, Kentucky and Wise County, Virginia, two communities […] By Brittany Patterson Sep 4 Energy & Environment Idle Lands: Justice Coal Group Top User Of Loophole Allowing Mine Lands To Sit Idle Brittany Patterson
Aug 30 Energy & Environment Meet The Little Green Clover That Beat The Odds The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is moving to take a rare species of plant found in the Ohio Valley off of the endangered species list. Amid controversial proposals to change the law protecting rare species, the Running Buffalo Clover is an example of a successful recovery. It would join about 2.5 percent of threatened […] By Glynis Board Aug 30 Energy & Environment Meet The Little Green Clover That Beat The Odds Glynis Board