appalachia
U.S. House panel probes slow cleanup of ‘exploited’ coal mining sites
A U.S. House Natural Resources subcommittee examined the cleanup needs for regions transitioning away from coal production Tuesday, with witnesses representing coal workers and Native American communities saying energy companies should be responsible for returning the land to its pre-mining state. Much of the conversation at the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee hearing centered on […]
This rural county in Ohio has a COVID-19 case rate of zero
Vinton County in rural Southeast Ohio was the last county in the state to record a positive case of COVID-19. It also appears to be the first without any cases remaining — at least for the time being. The sparsely-populated Vinton County has not been as hard hit by the pandemic as in other places […]
Governor takes COVID-19 message to Appalachia
Over the past month, Gov. Mike DeWine has toured various parts of Ohio to warn about the spread of COVID-19 and encourage residents of each region to continue abiding by safety guidelines. On Monday, DeWine traveled to Huntington and Wheeling, West Virginia to address media outlets there which serve residents living in southern and eastern […]
Ohio’s Appalachian communities deserve investment. Start with the RECLAIM Act.
From Ashtabula to Athens, Boardman to Batavia, Ohio’s Appalachian communities can be places where working people and their families and neighbors, can live safe and healthy lives, while making family-supporting wages. But only if we stop letting Big Energy rig the political system against us. For too long, Appalachia has provided the raw materials for […]
Census responses are lower in poorer areas. Here’s what Ohio is doing about it.
Will the rich get richer? If census data collection ended today, they would. With few exceptions in Ohio, you can predict a county’s census response rate just by looking at how well-off its citizens are financially. Poorer counties tend to have much lower response rates than richer ones. With so much on the line — […]
State project to test self-driving cars still rolling forward
A project to test self-driving cars in rural parts of Ohio is still going forward as planned. The work is led by DriveOhio, public-private collaboration created by the Ohio Department of Transportation which researches transportation and mobility issues around the state. Organizers earned millions of dollars in federal grant money last year toward its driverless […]
COVID-19 in Appalachia: Communities coming together while staying apart
Note: This is the final story in a multi-part series detailing the effects of COVID-19 on Appalachian Ohio and how local residents, businesses and health professionals are responding to best serve their region. You can read earlier parts here: on business; on health and testing; and on telemedicine. Scott Hagan makes his living on the […]
COVID-19 in Appalachia: Testing slow, but coming to Southeast Ohio
Note: This is the second story in a series detailing the effects of COVID-19 on Appalachian Ohio and how local residents, businesses and health professionals are responding to best serve their region. Check back this week for the rest of the series. Coronavirus has made its way to almost all of Ohio’s 88 counties, but […]
COVID-19 in Appalachia: The state of businesses
Note: This is the first story in a multi-part series detailing the effects of COVID-19 on Appalachian Ohio and how local residents, businesses and health professionals are responding to best serve their region. You can read later parts here: on communities; on health and testing; and on telemedicine. When the Farrar brothers of Marietta were […]
Congratulations and donations follow Ohio native Burrow’s Heisman victory
The congratulations have come pouring in for Joe Burrow, the Louisiana State University quarterback and Athens native who on Saturday earned the 2019 Heisman Trophy. The award is given annually to college football’s top player. Burrow, a 2015 graduate of Athens High School, is the first Ohioan to win a Heisman since Columbus’ Troy Smith […]