LONDON, Kentucky, July 7 -- The Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Carlton S. Shier, issued the following news release on July 6, 2021: A Bulan, Ky., woman, Linda Shepherd, 54, pleaded guilty on Monday, June 28, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hanly A. Ingram, to embezzling assets from a labor union. According to Shepherd's guilty plea agreement, from April 2011 to March 2018, she was employed as the financial secretary of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 14637, the union   more

MONTGOMERY, Alabama, July 9 -- Alabama Attorney General Steve T. Marshall issued the following news release: Attorney General Steve Marshall, along with 20 other state attorneys general, voiced opposition to President Joe Biden for unlawful regulatory guidelines recently issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Education forcing radical changes concerning sexual orientation and gender identity policies on nearly every employer and school across the  more

BOONE, North Carolina, July 10 (TNSPol) -- Appalachian Voices issued the following statement: * * * The Environmental Protection Agency has recommended to the Corps of Engineers that it not issue a stream-crossing permit currently under consideration for the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline. In a May 27 letter to the Corps, the EPA said that MVP has failed to show that muddy runoff from the project would not cause "significant degradation." The agency said that even temporary fills could  more

BOONE, North Carolina, July 8 (TNSRep) -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: A new report estimates that 633,000 acres on mines still held by coal companies in the East require some degree of reclamation, at an estimated total cost of $9.8 billion dollars. The report, which covers mines across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama, also found that reclaiming these mines over the next 10 years could provide 2,300 to 4,500 jobs annually.   more

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, July 8 (TNSOps) -- Chesapeake Conservancy issued the following joint news release on July 7, 2021, with Virginia Environmental Endowment and Commons: The Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE), Chesapeake Conservancy and The Commons released a new visual graphic computer platform called a "StoryMap" highlighting achievements in improving water quality of the James River in Virginia made possible by the Endowment's grant program, the James River Water Quality Improvement Pro  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, July 7 (TNSRes) -- East Tennessee State University issued the following news: Dr. KariLynn Dowling-McClay, an assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice at East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, has received an $11,998 ETSU Research Development Committee (RDC) Grant to study pharmacist-prescribed contraception (PPC) as a means of filling the gap in regional access to birth control in Appalachia and the southern U.S. "This is a nationwide issue w  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, July 8 -- Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued the following news release: In a letter to President Joe Biden, Attorney General Carr, along with 20 other state attorneys general, voiced opposition to the unlawful regulatory guidance recently issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Education. The new guidelines attempt to force radical changes on nearly every employer and school across the nation. "The administration is wil  more

STARKVILLE, Mississippi, July 9 (TNSOps) -- Mississippi State University issued the following news: Renovations are underway in downtown Starkville as Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation transforms a former bank building into "The Hub." The $1.4 million renovation of the 34,000-square-foot building located at the intersection of Main and Jackson streets began July 1 following Cadence Bank's relocation to a new branch on Russell Street. The building investment inclu  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, July 10 -- The North Carolina Department of Public Safety issued the following news release: Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Stephen Horton of Oxford to serve as the commissioner of the North Carolina State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision, effective June 17. Horton is the deputy compact administrator for the Interstate Compact for Juveniles at the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. "Mr. Horton has served as deputy compact administrator for the p  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, July 9 (TNSsro) -- The North Carolina Utilities Commission issued the following agenda entry for its July 12, 2021, Staff Conference: P1. APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATES OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO CONSTRUCT SOLAR FACILITIES EXPLANATION: The following applications are for amended certificates of public convenience and necessity for construction of solar photovoltaic (PV) electric generating facilities, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. Sec. 62-110.1 and Commission Ru  more

SANTA MONICA, California, July 7 (TNSPol) -- Rand issued the following commentary: * * * By Matthew D. Baird Economist; Co-Director, Center for Causal Inference; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School Shelly Culbertson Senior Policy Researcher Congressional debate over a first $580 billion infrastructure bill forced its focus onto roads, bridges, and wiring, and away from job training and workforce development. Renewing our nation's physical infrastructure is crucial. At the same time, exp  more

SCRANTON, Pennsylvania, July 7 -- Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release on July 6, 2021: U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) visited Johnson College with NEPA Alliance to announce a $75,000 federal grant for Johnson College through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to help them expand workforce training in skilled trades. The school will use the funds to establish a Mobile Training Laboratory to provide hands-on learning for high school student  more

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina, July 9 (TNSPol) -- The Southern Environmental Law Center issued the following news release: On Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service announced it is closing Max Patch to camping for two years due to chronic overuse and littering problems at the well-known bald. The Southern Environmental Law Center and other environmental groups commend local USFS decisionmakers for applying these temporary, commonsense restrictions. The camping ban will help reduce impacts to the high-el  more

WASHINGTON, July 8 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Sen. Maggie Hassan joined representatives from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), Dartmouth Outing Club and U.S. Forest Service last week to tour the section of the world-famous Appalachian Trail (A.T.) near Etna. The Senator scheduled this visit to observe the maintenance work being performed to conserve a maintained wildlife opening along the A.T. "Funding for the Appalachian Trail will help w  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, July 8 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release on July 7, 2021: U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $9,391,332 from the American Rescue Plan for 21 Head Start programs across West Virginia. This funding is distributed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will provide COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and families, provide summer programming and suppo  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, July 8 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release on July 7, 2021: U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $48,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to Grow Ohio Valley for a project to support the Upper Ohio Valley local food chain. This project will be matched with $73,850 in local funds and will be used to create a feasi  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, July 8 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release on July 7, 2021: U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $48,000 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to Grow Ohio Valley for a project to support the Upper Ohio Valley local food chain. This project will be matched with $73,850 in local funds and will be used to create a feasibility study an  more

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 8 -- Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III issued the following news: In a letter to President Joe Biden, Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, along with 20 other state attorneys general, voiced opposition to the unlawful regulatory guidance recently issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Education. The new guidelines attempt to force radical changes on nearly every employer and school across the nation. The le  more

OHKAY OWINGEH, New Mexico, July 8 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release on July 7, 2021: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $307 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 34 states and Puerto Rico. The investments being announced today follow President Biden's announcement last week of a Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework that will make the lar  more

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, July 7 (TNSJou) -- University of Virginia Health issued the following news release: More than a third of coal miners and former coal miners suffering from black lung disease struggle with depression, and more than one in 10 has recently considered suicide, a new study finds. The study is believed to be the first to examine mental-health issues in a large population of coal miners in the United States. Based on the troubling results, the researchers are calling for mo  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Last week, 13 conservation groups from across the nation expressed their support for Senator Steve Daines' bipartisan "Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act." Daines' bill will stop abusive syndicated conservation easements, save taxpayers billions of dollars and promote conservation in the United States. The groups include: Land Trust Alliance, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, the A  more