NEW YORK, July 17 -- The Environmental Defense Fund issued the following news release on July 16: Environmental Defense Fund and a dozen other health and environmental groups told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that EPA has clear legal responsibility to regulate climate pollution from existing power plants - refuting legal challenges brought by the coal industry and its allies alleging that EPA has no authority to do so. "The law is crystal clear that EPA has both the authority  more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Environmental Integrity Project issued the following news: Three environmental groups took legal action against the operator of a West Virginia coal storage and loading facility for allowing stormwater contaminated with coal waste to pour into the North Branch of the Potomac River. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Environmental Integrity Project, and Appalachian Mountain Advocates sent a notice of intent to sue to the D. & L. Coal Company of Keyser, W.V. for violatio  more

FRANKFORT, Kentucky, July 14 -- Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky, issued the following news: Gov. Andy Beshear took another step in growing Kentucky's startup ecosystem, announcing KY Innovation - the commonwealth's office for entrepreneurial and small business support - has authorized an additional $2.6 million in funding to six public-private partnerships focusing on key regions throughout the state. Known as the Regional Innovation for Startups and Entrepreneurs (RISE) program, the six partne  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, July 10 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: National Park Service (NPS) Regional Director Gay Vietzke has named Rosalyn "Rose" Fennell as the new superintendent of Valley Forge National Historical Park, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail in Pennsylvania. Fennell will begin her new assignment on September 27, 2020. "Valley Forg  more

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 16 -- Policy Matters Ohio, a 501(c)3 non-profit and nonpartisan state policy research institute, issued the following news release: About 12 million Americans - including nearly 400,000 in Ohio alone - risk missing out on the federal stimulus payments provided through the recent CARES Act if they don't file a form to receive it, according to a report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Ohioans could lose out on about $358 million dollars, which -- if del  more

HAWLEY, Pennsylvania, July 15 -- Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced a $60,000 grant to Lackawanna College through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to support nursing education at the school's Lake Region Center campus. By 2024, the grant-supported program will enhance educational opportunities for prospective and current nurses, directly supporting the region's healthcare providers. Providing r  more

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, July 17 -- Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced a $742,450 grant to Lackawanna County from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to reconstruct and widen a 1.2-mile section of roadway and install two bus shelters to service the Stauffer Industrial Park, which supports 2,861 jobs across 17 businesses. Providing robust funding for ARC is consistently one of Cartwright's prioritie  more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following statement: The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $100,000 to the United Way of Southwest Virginia for its COVID-19 Relief Fund. * * * "At a time when need is greater but donations are down, the resources of charitable organizations are stretched thin. The Appalachian Regional Commission's $100,000 award to the United Way of Southwest Virginian is a timely and valuable contribution to its cause of helping our  more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following statement: The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $500,000 to the Town of Pulaski for sewer improvements. * * * "Water treatment is essential infrastructure, important for economic growth and the quality of life. The Appalachian Regional Commission's award of $500,000 to Pulaski for the upgrade of its wastewater treatment facility will assist the town as it moves forward." According to the Appalachian Regional  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: Congressman Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement announcing several USDA awards for Eastern and Southeastern Ohio. The Trump Administration announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $153 million to build and improve critical community facilities (release) to benefit nearly two million rural residents in 23 states. "These investments are a big deal for  more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- Rep. Tom Reed, R-New York, issued the following news release: The Problem Solvers Caucus officially endorsed the Great American Outdoors Act, a landmark conservation bill that will help ensure public lands are protected and preserved. The bipartisan legislation passed the Senate 73-25 and if signed into law would provide full, permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at a level of $900 million every year and address the approximately $20 billion m  more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-05) applauds Eastern Kentucky PRIDE for earning a $250,000 competitive grant from the Economic Development Administration for the new Kentucky Wildlands initiative to promote tourism in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. "For years, PRIDE volunteers have cleaned up our hillsides, lakes and streams to preserve the beauty of our Appalachian region. The Kentucky Wildlands initiative is t  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, July 14 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following op-ed, published in the Elkins Inter-Mountain: In an op-ed for The Elkins Inter-Mountain, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, discussed how her efforts through her senior role on the EPW Committee have been critical to securing West Virginia's future infrastructure funding and   more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded $500,000 in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding to improve the Town of Pulaski's wastewater treatment facility and support 340 jobs. "We are glad to know that these federal dollars will be put to use in Pulaski to improve wastewater infrastructure and increase capacity as Pulaski continues to grow," said the Senators. Currently, the T  more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: The Smithsonian American Art Museum has announced the appointment of 21 fellows in the 2020-2021 academic year. The museum's program hosts fellows appointed by the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships and Internships and grants its own awards for scholars and students to pursue research at the museum, including senior, predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the museum's   more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: The Smithsonian American Art Museum has announced the appointment of 21 fellows in the 2020-2021 academic year. The museum's program hosts fellows appointed by the Smithsonian Office of Fellowships and Internships and grants its own awards for scholars and students to pursue research at the museum, including senior, predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the museum's   more

BLACKSBURG, Virginia, July 14 -- VCOM - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine issued the following news: The Appalachian College of Pharmacy's (ACP) Board of Directors voted this week to align with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) under the Harvey Peter's Center Foundation's family of schools by joining its educational consortium. Earlier this year, the Foundation determined that it would support ACP in becoming a member. This alignment will further support each organ  more

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina, July 16 -- Warren Wilson College issued the following news: An upcoming exhibition at the Center for Craft will examine the foundational moments in the late 1800s and early 1900s that laid the groundwork for the thriving craft scene found in the Asheville region. This exhibition is the first of a series developed by Warren Wilson College for display in the Center's John Cram Partner Gallery, putting the national craft landscape in the context of the local Asheville c  more