Jun 9 Economy West Virginia Coal Plants Need Upgrades. Three States Will Decide Their Fate. They’ve towered over the region’s communities for decades. They generated the electricity for homes around the Ohio Valley. They burned coal, a fossil fuel Appalachia has in abundance. But three West Virginia coal-fired power plants owned by Ohio-based American Electric Power may be on borrowed time. The Mitchell Plant in Moundsville, the Mountaineer Plant in […] By Curtis Tate Jun 9 Economy West Virginia Coal Plants Need Upgrades. Three States Will Decide Their Fate. Curtis Tate
May 21 Coronavirus New Data Shows Ohio Valley’s Black Residents Lag In COVID Vaccination Rates Black and Hispanic Americans in the Ohio Valley are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 at a lower rate than are white Americans, according to data obtained by Kaiser Health News, which offers a more detailed view of vaccination progress among different groups. The data shows that vaccination rates vary across races and ethnicities in the Ohio […] By Suhail Bhat May 21 Coronavirus New Data Shows Ohio Valley’s Black Residents Lag In COVID Vaccination Rates Suhail Bhat
May 14 Infrastructure With Infrastructure Funding On Horizon, Beleaguered Martin County Looks To Raise Water Rates Again In December, Kathy Fletcher, a lifelong Martin County, Kentucky, resident and mother, found her water was shut off. When it came back on, something was wrong with it. Fletcher remembers that after she showered, her skin and nails felt completely dried out. The water smelled acrid, like chemicals. For years, Fletcher has been frustrated by […] By Katie Myers May 14 Infrastructure With Infrastructure Funding On Horizon, Beleaguered Martin County Looks To Raise Water Rates Again Katie Myers
May 7 Coronavirus Vaccinate U? Contrary To Health Advice, Most Area Schools Won’t Mandate COVID Vaccine Roughly a million students attend college around the Ohio Valley, and the student-age population has an especially high rate of coronavirus infection. That’s why some public health advocates say schools should require that students be vaccinated. However, a review by the Ohio Valley ReSource found that of 400 colleges and universities in Kentucky, Ohio, and […] By Corinne Boyer , Alana Watson and Suhail Bhat May 7 Coronavirus Vaccinate U? Contrary To Health Advice, Most Area Schools Won’t Mandate COVID Vaccine Corinne Boyer, Alana Watson and Suhail Bhat
Apr 30 Energy & Environment Power Switch: Solar Is Heating Up In The Ohio Valley St. Vincent’s Mission has been doing the work of feeding, clothing and sheltering the people of Floyd County, Kentucky, since 1968. “We believe that all persons have a God-ordained right to the basic needs of life in order to meet their full potential,” the mission states on its website. Recently, the mission looked for a […] By Katie Myers and Curtis Tate Apr 30 Energy & Environment Power Switch: Solar Is Heating Up In The Ohio Valley Katie Myers and Curtis Tate
Apr 16 Coronavirus Vaccine Hesitancy Hovers Over Ohio Valley Efforts To Get To Herd Immunity Phyllis Gibbs wasn’t sure until recently that she’d be here, just a few moments away from receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. “Do you feel sick today?” “Nope,” Gibbs said to the receptionist. “And you give consent for Pfizer to give you a shot today, correct?” “Absolutely.” Gibbs then walked over to one of […] By Liam Niemeyer , Corinne Boyer and Suhail Bhat Apr 16 Coronavirus Vaccine Hesitancy Hovers Over Ohio Valley Efforts To Get To Herd Immunity Liam Niemeyer, Corinne Boyer and Suhail Bhat
Apr 16 Energy & Environment Sen. Manchin, UMWA’s Roberts Talk Energy Transition West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin will take part in a discussion on Monday about the future of energy and coalfield communities. Manchin will participate in a one-hour event hosted by the National Press Club called “A Conversation on Energy Transition and Working Families.” Manchin, a former West Virginia governor, has a prominent role in Washington […] By Curtis Tate Apr 16 Energy & Environment Sen. Manchin, UMWA’s Roberts Talk Energy Transition Curtis Tate
Apr 14 Democracy & Civic Life Election Reform: Kentucky Makes Changes While WV and OH Remain The Same Election reform efforts to expand ballot access made little headway around the Ohio Valley, as only one state in the region made voting easier, according to a voting rights expert. Several state governments around the nation are making major changes to voting laws following the 2020 presidential election. Kentucky is the only state in the […] By Alana Watson Apr 14 Democracy & Civic Life Election Reform: Kentucky Makes Changes While WV and OH Remain The Same Alana Watson
Apr 2 Economy Ohio Valley Communities Wait For Guidance On COVID Funds The American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11 provided the nation with a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus, including funds to state and local governments, but local officials around the Ohio Valley say they aren’t yet sure just how the money can be applied. The aid package includes $350 […] By Alana Watson Apr 2 Economy Ohio Valley Communities Wait For Guidance On COVID Funds Alana Watson
Mar 26 Democracy & Civic Life Biden Picks Gayle Manchin, Wife of WV Senator, For Appalachian Regional Commission President Joe Biden has nominated Gayle Manchin, the wife of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission, the White House announced Friday. The commission was created in 1965 as part of an antipoverty effort under President Lyndon Johnson. It serves 420 Appalachian counties across 13 states from southern New York to […] By Curtis Tate Mar 26 Democracy & Civic Life Biden Picks Gayle Manchin, Wife of WV Senator, For Appalachian Regional Commission Curtis Tate