BOONE, North Carolina, June 3 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: Southwest Virginia's coal-bearing region is significantly closer to reaping the benefits of rooftop solar on businesses, nonprofits, schools and other government buildings. The Virginia State Corporation Commission on Friday issued an order updating guidelines for its renewable energy pilot program for third-party power purchase agreements (PPAs). The order comes in response to legislative changes in April al  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, June 3 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Alumni of East Tennessee State University, current students curious about what the university was like in yesteryear, and other interested folks can now access several years' worth of yearbooks thanks to the Archives of Appalachia in ETSU's Center for Appalachian Studies and Services. The Archives is in the ongoing process of digitizing all of the university's yearbooks and making them available onlin  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, June 5 -- Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication issued the following news: A Carnegie-Knight News21 investigative report, "State of Emergency," won the prestigious 2020 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award. It was the fifth RFK Award the Cronkite School has won - the most of any journalism school in the country. As part of an eight-month investigation, 37 journalism students from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass   more

LONDON, England, June 4 -- Environmental Science-Processes and Impacts, a peer-reviewed journal from the Royal Society of Chemistry that says it features environmental chemical sciences, published research articles, including the following topics, in its May 2020 edition: * How the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill reshaped our understanding of crude oil photochemical weathering at sea: a past, present, and future perspective * Emerging investigator series: critical review of photophysical models f  more

FORT WAYNE, Indiana, June 2 -- Indiana Michigan Power, a unit of the American Electric Power, issued the following news release: With summer on the horizon and temperatures getting warmer, Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) customers can control their energy use in a number of ways to reduce cooling costs. Making homes more energy efficient this summer can involve something as simple as closing curtains and doing laundry later in the day. They can also include longer-term steps such as using "smart"  more

CLEVELAND, Ohio, June 5 -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release on June 4: The Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex being built in Beaver County, PA faces a combination of risks that weaken its anticipated financial performance. Given the critical importance of the complex to the host communities and the state, Shell has an obligation to acknowledge the project's potential shortfalls. Its public partners, who have opened their doors an  more

FRANKFORT, Kentucky, June 2 -- Kentucky Power, a unit of American Electric Power, issued the following news release on May 29: With the economic situation worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky Power is proposing a three-step plan to help customers who have fallen behind in their electric bills. The plan includes a bill credit to eliminate past due balances for customers, a new Flex Pay program giving customers more control over their monthly electric costs and a plan to lessen the impact   more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, June 3 -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: East Tennessee State University has named Michael Meit, a nationally respected leader in rural health, as the director of research and programs at the ETSU Center for Rural Health Research. Meit will step down as co-director of the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis at the non-partisan and objective research organization NORC at the University of Chicago, but he will retain his senior fellow role   more

CHICAGO, Illinois, June 3 -- The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago issued the following news release: East Tennessee State University has named Michael Meit, a nationally respected leader in rural health, as the director of research and programs at the ETSU Center for Rural Health Research. Meit will step down as co-director of the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis at the non-partisan and objective research organization NORC at the University of Chicago, but he  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 4 -- Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, issued the following news release on June 2: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Dr. Amy Acton, MD, MPH, provided the following updates. OHIO DISPARITY: Governor DeWine announced today that he is intensifying efforts in Ohio to improve issues of health and economic disparities, racism, and inequity. "I am seeking dialogue to solve these problems and seeking strategies for the implementation of reforms," said Governor DeW  more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, June 5 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release on June 4: Congressman Andy Barr is pleased to announce that Clark County has been designated part of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). Today's announcement will equip Clark County with additional federal resources and increased intelligence sharing and coordination between federal and state law enforcement partners with the County to curtail high level drug operations, traffi  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, issued the following news release: Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and 11 of his colleagues introduced the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act in the House of Representatives. The landmark bill, companion legislation to a bill expected to be taken up in the Senate next week, would permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provide funding for the long-overdue maintenance backlog at Acadia National Park. "Public lands h  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Rep. Anthony Brindisi, D-New York, issued the following news release: Congressmen Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) and Antonio Delgado (NY-19) announced a six figure Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Broome County Council of Churches. The $150,000 grant will be matched with local dollars and bring the total funding of the project to $300,000. This partnership project will allow for community groups to open a 5,000 square foot food market. The project is made po  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-New York, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Antonio Delgado (NY-19) and Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) announced a six figure Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant for the Broome County Council of Churches. The $150,000 grant will be matched with local dollars and bring the total funding of the project to $300,000. This partnership project will allow for community groups to open a 5,000 square foot food market. The project is   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, June 2 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following statement after the White House announced a policy Section 401 of the Clean Water Act: "Section 401 of the Clean Water Act has been abused by liberal state governments for years to politically attack the fossil fuel industry. "The policy announced today means West Virginia producers could finally have a fair shot at selling affordable natural gas to consumers in New England and elsewhere arou  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the allocation of $11,785,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for projects to improve communities across West Virginia. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Manchin advocated for an increase in ARC funding to directly benefit rural states like West Virginia. "The ARC supports projects across West Virginia that improve our st  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, June 6 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $10,082,592 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support Head Start programs across West Virginia. "Our children deserve to be on their best footing as they begin their education. Programs like Head Start provide our chil  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, June 6 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $10,082,592 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support Head Start programs across West Virginia. "As a longstanding supporter of Head Start programs, I know early education is an essential part of our children's lives and will ensure   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, June 6 -- Gov. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release on June 4: Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia Department of Commerce Secretary Ed Gaunch recommended 12 projects, totaling over $11.7 million in grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Investment Program. The West Virginia Development Office administers the state's ARC program, which is a partnership of federal, state, and local participants providing financial and technical   more