CUMBERLAND, Maryland, Feb. 23 (TNSGra) -- Allegany College of Maryland issued the following news release: Six 2020 or newer gas, diesel, and electric vehicles were add to Allegany College of Maryland's automotive technology fleet thanks to a $149,714 Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Innovation Grant. "It's the biggest and best news that Auto Tech has ever received," said Ray Hunt, director/instructor of the college's automotive technology program. The new vehicles were purchased   more

BOONE, North Carolina, Feb. 25 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) for partnership in the Southwest Virginia 2021 Residential Solar Program. The program will provide solar installation services for homeowners in the coalfield region. The workgroup is facilitating this program as part of its mission to utilize the development of solar energy as a means of utility bill reduction and economic cata  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Feb. 25, 2021: A federal grand jury in Kentucky returned an indictment Wednesday charging two doctors for their alleged involvement in conspiracies to illegally distribute opioids and commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Drs. William Lawrence Siefert, 67, of Dayton, Ohio, and Timothy Ehn, 48, of Union, Kentucky, orchestrated their alleged illegal prescribing and health care fraud consp  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 -- The Center for a New American Security issued the following news release: The (CNAS) is pleased to announce that Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr., USA (Ret.), former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), has joined CNAS as an Adjunct Senior Fellow. "We are delighted to welcome General Ashley to the Center," said Carrie Cordero, CNAS Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow. General Ashley's extraordinary wealth of experience and leadership at the highest level  more

LOS ANGELES, California, Feb. 25 -- The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association issued the following news release on Feb. 23 2021: The Los Angeles Philharmonic today announced the details of the second season of Sound/Stage, beginning Friday, March 5, 2021, with new episodes released through June 25, 2021. With Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel acting as host, the free online series features new performances by the LA Phil; Oscar and Grammy Award-winning artist, activist, author and actor   more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Feb. 25 -- The North Carolina Utilities Commission issued the following order approving revised public notice (Docket No. E-34): In the Matter of Application by New River Light & Power Company for Approval of Purchased Power Adjustment and Coal Ash Cost Recovery Factors ORDER APPROVING REVISED PUBLIC NOTICE BY THE CHAIR: On February 15, 2021, the Commission approved at Regular Staff Conference the November 5, 2020 request by New River Light and Power Company (NRLP) f  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Feb. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news: Alison Fritz, a second year Ph.D. student at Stanford University and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow at NETL, recently won Best Poster in presenting her research into rare earth element (REE) extraction at the 2021 winter meeting of the Critical Materials Institute (CMI). Nearly 200 people from more than 45 institutions met virtually  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 -- The Open Space Institute issued the following news release on Feb. 22, 2021: The Open Space Institute (OSI), in partnership with the Orange County Land Trust (OCLT) and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC), today unveiled a new, long-term trail and open space connectivity plan and roadmap with recommendations to conserve open space and support accessible outdoor recreation in New York's western Hudson Highland region, a fast-growing and heavily visited area in   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following opening statement on Feb. 24, 2021, at a hearing entitled "Building Back Better: Investing in Transportation while Addressing Climate Change, Improving Equity, and Fostering Economic Growth and Innovation": * * * "Thank you, Chairman Carper, for your leadership and partnership on today's hearing to kick-off the process for the surface tran  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Feb. 26 (TNSRep) -- The West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy issued the following news release on Feb. 25, 2021: The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) released a report today showing that the ReImagine Appalachia (RA) blueprint could create 41,100 new jobs statewide in West Virginia. The report, released in partnership with West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, WV Rivers Coalition, and Energy Efficiency WV, comes after a year of huge economic losse  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-California, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act," which included an amendment by Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragan to enact the Outdoors for All Act. The Outdoors for All Act establishes the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program in federal law. The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program supports funding for urban parks in unde  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- Rep. Paul D. Tonko, D-New York, issued the following news release on Feb. 26, 2021: Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-WV) cheered House passage of their National Heritage Areas Act, H.R. 1316, today as part of H.R. 803, the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act. This bipartisan legislation streamlines the existing patchwork system for U.S. Heritage Areas by providing formal guidance to the local partnerships that maintain them throu  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 -- Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, issued the following news release: Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX-25) voiced his frustration and displeasure with the Small Business Administration's (SBA) handling of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program. The SVOG was authorized by the Congressman Williams' bipartisan Save our Stages Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on December 27th, 2020. "Nearly two months since becoming law, the SBA still has not made the  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following statement on Feb. 24, 2021: * * * U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) applauded the decision by West Virginia Power to join the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for the 2021 season. Since November 2019, Senator Manchin has worked tirelessly to protect West Virginia's baseball teams after the restructuring of Minor League Baseball (MiLB) over the last year. "West Virginia Power has given West Virginia families c  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release on Feb. 26, 2021: U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and U.S. Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) announced today the city of Pikeville will receive $92,200 to create a strategic plan to increase medical research and advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing in the region. The federal funding, distributed by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), was made a  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release on Feb. 25, 2021: Investors representing $244.9 billion in assets under management sent PDF icon letters to ten of the biggest banks in America urging them to stop funding the controversial fracked gas Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) due to the "climate, financial, and reputational risks" associated with it. The letters also highlight how MVP is misleading investors and the public by claiming the project is 92% complete, wh  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Feb. 26 -- The Trust for Public Land issued the following news release on Feb. 25, 2021: The Trust for Public Land, the Hanover Conservancy and the town of Hanover announced the creation and permanent protection of the Mink Brook Community Forest, a new 254-acre space that will be owned by the town and will serve Upper Valley residents. "Mink Brook Community Forest will be a huge asset to the residents and visitors of Hanover, offering access to miles of recreational  more

GREENSBORO, North Carolina, Feb. 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina issued the following news release on Feb. 22, 2021: United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin today announced that he has resigned his position as head of the United States Attorney's Office in the Middle District of North Carolina, effective February 28, 2021. "The last three years have witnessed incredible accomplishments by the team at the U.S. Attorney's Office," said U.S. Atto  more

NEW YORK, Feb. 27 -- The Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres issued the following news on Feb. 26, 2021: US consumer, faith, health, labor, human rights, development and other civil society groups urged the White House to support an emergency COVID-19 waiver of World Trade Organization (WTO) intellectual property rules, so that greater supplies of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostic tests can be produced in as many places as possible as quickly as possible. The pandemic cannot be   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 -- The White House issued the following readout of the first interagency working group on coal and power plant communities and economic revitalization on Feb. 26, 2021: * * * National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy convened and co-chaired the first meeting of the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization as outlined by President Biden's January 27 executive order on tackl  more

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee, Feb. 24 -- The University of Tennessee's Chattanooga Campus issued the following news release: A team from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is part of a conservation initiative that has launched a $5.25-million fund to support land protection and climate-change work in the region. The fund is guided by a map created by a group at UTC who spent three years on the project. Charlie Mix is director of the UTC Geographic Information System (GIS) and Interdisciplina  more