WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSOps) -- The Defenders of Wildlife issued the following news: 146 organizations called on Congress to fund specific programs administered by U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that conserve and recover species headed for extinction. The Earth is facing the sixth mass extinction, with overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrating exceptionally rapid loss of biodiversity over the last few centuries that is expected to continue or accelerate unless tr  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service issued the following news: For her outstanding contributions to research on crop responses to global climate change, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Lisa A. Ainsworth is the agency's Distinguished Senior Research Scientist of the Year for 2021. Ainsworth, research leader for the ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit in Urbana, Illinois (Midwest Area), is one of many ARS research  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 16 -- Gov. Roy Cooper, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on April 15, 2021: Governor Roy Cooper announced new appointments and nominations to boards and commissions across North Carolina. Gov. Cooper has nominated the following individuals to serve on the North Carolina State Board of Education: * Eric C. Davis of Charlotte as representative for the 6th educational district. Davis served as an Airborne Ranger combat engineer officer in the Unit  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources issued the following testimony by Ted Boettner, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, as part of a virtual hearing entitled "Building Back Better: Creating Jobs and Reducing Pollution by Plugging and Reclaiming Orphaned Wells" on April 15, 2021: * * * My name is Ted Boettner. I am a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, and I live and work in Charleston, West Virgini  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued the following testimony by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, as part of a hybrid member's day hearing on policy priorities on April 14, 2021: * * * Thank you, I come before the committee today in support of designating US-74 from Columbus, North Carolina to Kings Mountain, North Carolina as a future interstate and to advocate for codifying this designation in the upcoming surface transportation reauthoriza  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee issued the following testimony by Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, as part of a hybrid member's day hearing on policy priorities on April 14, 2021: * * * Thank you Chairman DeFazio for your leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and on each of the COVID-19 relief packages we passed. Most recently, the American Rescue Plan that is simply an amazing achievement on behalf of the American people. As Congress begins it work o  more

HUNTINGTON, West Virginia, April 17 (TNSOps) -- Marshall University issued the following news release: The Marshall University Lewis College of Business and Brad D. Smith Schools of Business and their Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (iCenter) hosted the third annual West Virginia Innovation and Business Model Competition (WVIBMC) finals earlier this week. The statewide competition is open to all students enrolled in a two- or four- year institution of higher education in Wes  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, April 17 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory issued the following news: NETL leaders participated in the recent kickoff meeting of the Advanced Welding Workforce Initiative (AWWI) to discuss how the new program will provide workers with needed technical skills to fill good-paying jobs in the energy sector and emerging industries across Appalachia. "The need for welders with advanced technical skills is critical to operate and servi  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, April 14 (TNSOps) -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: The East Tennessee State University Appalachian Studies program is set to launch an online magazine later this spring. Appalachian Places will continue the program's long literary tradition of highlighting the people, places, issues and themes relating to the Appalachian region. The new magazine will help continue that tradition by following the example of its print-version forerunner, Now   more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following statement on April 12, 2021: * * * The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) today awarded $500,000 for the restoration of the Millwald Theatre in Wytheville. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: "The Millwald Theatre is an important asset for economic development in Wytheville. "ARC's award of $500,000 for its restoration will be a tremendous benefit for the project and, ultimately,   more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee issued the following testimony by Camgian Chairman and CEO Gary D. Butler as part of a hybrid hearing on the Endless Frontier Act on April 14, 2021: * * * In my previous career, I worked here in the Beltway for a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based advanced technology research and development firm, leading applied research programs funded by organizations such as DARPA. In 2006 I made the decision to move to Mississip  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, issued the following news release on April 15, 2021: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $679,236 in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding for improvements to health and wellbeing services for New Yorkers living in the Southern Tier. The ARC is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focused on 420 counties acro  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-New York, issued the following news release on April 16, 2021: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $679,236 in Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding for improvements to health and wellbeing services for New Yorkers living in the Southern Tier. The ARC is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focused on  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has approved $500,000 in grant funding for the Millwald Theatre Restoration and Economic Revitalization project. The funding will be used to renovate and reopen the 15,000-square-foot theatre, attract an estimated 47,000 visitors annually, and bolster 20 businesses in downtown Wytheville, Virginia.   more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, issued the following news release on April 13, 2021: U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has approved $500,000 in grant funding for the Millwald Theatre Restoration and Economic Revitalization project. The funding will be used to renovate and reopen the 15,000-square-foot theatre, attract an estimated 47,000 visitors annually, and bolster 20 businesses in downtown Wythevi  more

WACO, Texas, April 15 (TNSAwa) -- The American Football Coaches Association issued the following news on April 14, 2021: Morningside's Steve Ryan highlights today's announcement of the 2021 Spring AFCA NAIA Regional Coach of the Year winners. The AFCA recognizes five regional Coach of the Year winners in each of the Association's five divisions: Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III and NAIA. The winners are selected by active members of the  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, April 16 -- Gov. Ralph S. Northam, R-Virginia, issued the following news release on April 15, 2021: Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Lawrence Brothers, Inc., an industry leader in battery tray fabrication and manufacturing of motive power trays, ground support systems, and transformer components, will invest $3.2 million to expand its operation in Tazewell County. The company will upgrade and modernize machinery and equipment to increase capacity and double produc  more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The White House issued the following news release on April 12, 2021: NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE: Robert T. Anderson, of Washington, to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, vice Daniel Habib Jorjani. Michael A. Brown, of California, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, vice Ellen M. Lord. Robin Carnahan, of Missouri, to be Administrator of General Services, vice Emily Webster Murphy. David H. Chipman, of Virginia, to be Dire  more