CHARLESTON, South Carolina, Dec. 4 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news joint release on Dec. 3: The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC), Appalachian Voices, and the Sierra Club today filed a settlement with Bluestone Coal Company that will hold the company responsible for releasing illegal levels of toxic selenium pollution into the Tug River from its Red Fox coal mine located in McDowell County, West Virginia. The settlement compels Blue  more

HICKORY, North Carolina, Dec. 4 (TNSAwa) -- Catawba Valley Community College issued the following news release: Chanler Watts, a Challenger high school and CVCC graduate, was honored for his four years of service with SkillsUSA, including four years as a CVCC's SkillsUSA chapter officer and two years as SkillsUSA North Carolina vice president and president. "I am very honored to receive this award regarding my time as President for SkillsUSA North Carolina Postsecondary," Watts said. "The over  more

IRVING, Texas, Dec. 1 -- ExxonMobil, an international energy company, issued the following news release: ExxonMobil has completed a review of its forward business plans and will prioritize near-term capital spending on advantaged assets with the highest potential future value, including developments in Guyana and the U.S. Permian Basin, targeted exploration in Brazil and Chemicals projects to grow high-value performance products. * Capital and exploration investments of $16-$19 billion in 2021  more

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, Dec. 4 (TNSPer) -- The University of Louisville issued the following news release: A Kentucky native with experience in leading academic affairs on both traditional college campuses and health sciences centers will become the next executive vice president and university provost at the University of Louisville. Lori Stewart Gonzalez, Ph.D., vice chancellor for academic, faculty and student affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, will assume  more

CLEVELAND, Ohio, Dec. 4 (TNSRep) -- The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis issued the following news release: Even after cutting their capital expenditures (capex) by more than one-third from the previous year, nine shale-focused gas producers in Appalachia spent a half-billion dollars more during the third quarter on drilling and building projects than they earned from selling oil and gas. Capex investments during the third quarter were the lowest in at least six years, acc  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Dec. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news on Nov. 30: Since joining NETL in 2009, Senior Economist Justin Adder has played a major role demonstrating the importance of the Lab's research while also navigating new trends in power generation and other industries connected to America's fossil fuels, such as how the advent of abundant natural gas fundamentally changed the domestic energy sector, as part of the  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Dec. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news: As a new graduate of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, NETL's Anthony Armaly has acquired valuable tools and perspectives and created an expanded network of contacts to promote and implement Lab initiatives across Appalachia. Armaly became one of 40 fellows on Nov. 19 to graduate from the inaugural class of the institute, a leadership and economic development  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation issued the following news release on Nov. 30: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $510,000 in grants to restore, protect and enhance native fish species of conservation concern across the United States. The grants will leverage $2.02 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $2.53 million. The grants were awarded through Bring Back the Natives, a partnership between NFWF, the  more

MISENHEIMER, North Carolina, Dec. 2 (TNSAwa) -- Pfeiffer University issued the following news: Dr. Elizabeth Fain, the founding director of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program at Pfeiffer University, has been named a Roster of Fellows awardee by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The Roster of Fellows award is among the most prestigious honors that AOTA can confer on an occupational therapist (OT). Fain is scheduled to receive it in April at the 2021   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Rep. David McKinley, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W.Va) applauded the House passage of the National Heritage Area Act, which establishes, for the first time, standard criteria for designating new National Heritage Areas and creates a uniform process for maintaining existing ones. McKinley was a lead sponsor of the bill. "The National Heritage Area Act will allow us to continue to celebrate and promote W  more

HARTFORD, Tennessee, Dec. 1 -- Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release on Nov. 30: United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today said a $6 million federal grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to construct 50-75 miles of mountain bike trails in Cocke County will help encourage more people that visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to come through Cocke County. "This is a huge investment from ARC. Cocke County is one of the most econom  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release on Nov. 30: Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the Major League Baseball (MLB), USA Baseball and MLB Draft League decision to transition the Morgantown Black Bears into the MLB Draft League. This follows the recent announcement that Bluefield and Princeton will be joining the rest of the Appalachian League in the MLB Prospect Development Pipeline. "Today's announcement is wonderful news for  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Dec. 4 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release on Dec. 3: Today, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC), Appalachian Voices, and the Sierra Club filed a settlement with Bluestone Coal Company that will hold the company responsible for releasing illegal levels of toxic selenium pollution into the Tug River from its Red Fox coal mine located in McDowell County, West Virginia. The settlement compels Bluestone to t  more

NATRIUM, West Virginia, Dec. 1 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release on Nov. 30: Today, the Sierra Club and Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition entered into a proposed consent decree settlement agreement with Eagle Natrium, LLC that would resolve the groups' claims that the company violated its permit limits for discharges of mercury into the Ohio River from its chlor-alkali facility located in Natrium, West Virginia. If approved by the court, the settlement will compel Eagle Nat  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, Dec. 2 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release: Last week, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) rejected Appalachian Power's proposal to increase the basic service charge and pre-charge then stockpile consumers money to subsidize the retirement of its uneconomic coal plant's even though Appalachian Power has not locked in retirement dates. The Sierra Club actively fought against the proposed coal amortization rider, providing key witnesses arguing tha  more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Dec. 4 (TNSAwa) -- The University of Kentucky issued the following news: Central Kentucky growers Mark and Velvet Henkle of Henkle's Herbs and Heirlooms will receive the 2020 Bill Best Award for Food and Farm Stewards from the University of Kentucky's Food Connection at 10 a.m. EST Dec. 4. The award presentation will be part of a virtual First Friday on Facebook Live and YouTube. The honor is named after Bill Best, collector and preserver of heirloom beans, author and dir  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, Dec. 3 (TNSPer) -- The Virginia Association of Realtors issued the following news release on Dec. 2: On the evening of December 1st, Virginia REALTORS(R) installed Beth Dalton as the association's President for 2021. This installation was conducted through a virtual ceremony in which the association's 2021 officers and directors were also installed. Beth Dalton has been deeply involved in the real estate world since obtaining her sales license in 2003. She earned the Rookie  more

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, Dec. 1 (TNSRes) -- The University of Virginia issued the following news release: Southwest Virginia is salamander central. Some 40 species in the Plethodontid family call the southern Appalachians home, making these ancient mountains a global hotspot for the lungless amphibians. These cryptic - or highly secretive - creatures play an important role in the local ecology, and in some areas, salamanders are the most abundant vertebrates in the forest. For a self-profess  more

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia, Dec. 2 -- West Virginia University issued the following story: Faculty and students in the West Virginia University Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design are leading an effort to help state communities overcome some obstacles -- and thrive. Funded by a new two-year grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Fulcrum Project connects 20 communities with WVU teams to complete identified projects that will enhance local economies and   more