ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Jan. 3 (TNSPer) -- Gov. Larry Hogan, R-Maryland, issued the following news release: After being unanimously nominated last fall, Governor Larry Hogan was officially selected today to serve as the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) states' co-chair for 2022. As part of ARC's unique federal-state partnership structure, the states' co-chair works with the federal office of the ARC and fellow Appalachian state governors to invest in economic growth across the region's 423 co  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (TNSPer) -- The Appalachian Regional Commission issued the following news release: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has been selected to serve as the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) states' co-chair for 2022. As part of ARC's unique federal-state partnership structure, the states' co-chair works with the federal office of the ARC and fellow Appalachian state governors to invest in economic growth across the Region's 423 counties in 13 states. Governor Hogan will be servin  more

CINCINNATI, Ohio, Dec. 31 (TNSeve) -- The Geological Society of America has scheduled its 2022 Joint Section Meeting for April 7-8, 2022: According to the agency website: Technical Sessions T1. Actualistic Paleontology: Learning from the Modern to Better Interpret the Past Endorsed by SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology); Paleontological Society; GSA Sedimentary Geology Division; GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division. Yurena Yanes, Ezekiel King Phillips, and Catherine Nield.   more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Jan. 8 (TNSPer) -- Gov. Roy Cooper, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release on Jan. 7, 2022: Governor Roy Cooper announced a nomination and appointments to North Carolina boards and commissions. Gov. Cooper has nominated the following individual to the North Carolina Employment Security Board of Review: * Johnnie L. Finch, Jr. of Elizabeth City as a representative of employees. Finch is a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Joh  more

ROANOKE, Virginia, Jan. 5 -- Appalachian Power, an American Electric Power company, issued the following news release: Appalachian Power seeks to acquire or contract for 294 megawatts (MW) of solar and 204 MW of wind power over the next three years as part of its long-range plan to meet the renewable energy targets established by the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). Passed in 2020 by the General Assembly, the law requires the utility to file an annual plan with the Virginia State Corporation   more

BOONE, North Carolina, Jan. 8 (TNSPol) -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: On Wednesday, Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin announced his intention to appoint former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and coal industry lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as Virginia's next Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. While at EPA, Wheeler led a well-documented assault on environmental protections, aligning his agenda with the priorities of some of the country's biggest polluter  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 4 (TNSPol) -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release on Jan. 3, 2022: A new lawsuit filed today challenges West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approval of a key water-quality permit for the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. The lawsuit argues that WVDEP's approval violates the Clean Water Act. The suit was filed by lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates, on behalf of the Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, Chesapeake Cli  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 8 (TNSRep) -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release on Jan. 7, 2022: This morning, advocates for miners with black lung and their families released a new report outlining the critically important impacts of the black lung excise tax and the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund in West Virginia. The report comes days after the excise tax rate was slashed due to Congressional inaction, gutting funding for the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund that support  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47002) on Jan. 4, 2022, entitled "Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief" by transportation policy specialist William J. Mallett: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 What Is Public Transportation ... 1 Funding the Federal Transportation Program ... 2 How Are Federal Dollars Distributed and Spent? ... 4 Program Structure ... 5 Urbanized Area Formula Program (49 U.S.C. Sec.5307) ... 6 S  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL30959) on Dec. 28, 2021, entitled "Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations": * * * (Continued from Part 1 of 3) The information provided in this report was compiled from the Senate nominations database of Congress.gov, which spans the 97th Congress (1981-1982) to the present; data on departmental and agency websites; telephone conversations wi  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 6 (TNSOps) -- The Nature Conservancy issued the following joint news release: The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) announced that the 43,000-acre Ed Carter Unit of the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area (WMA) will be permanently protected after the sale of a conservation easement associated with the property. The easement, located in an area known as Ataya and as Tackett Creek, will also protect 179 miles of streams an  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued the following report (No. 33) entitled "Irrigation Organizations: Drought Planning and Response". The report was written by Steven Wallander, R. Aaron Hrozencik and Marcel Aillery. * * * Abstract Using data from USDA's 2019 Survey of Irrigation Organizations (SIO), this report provides an overview of drought planning and response by irrigation districts, ditch companies, groundwater districts, and oth  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (TNSOps) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation issued the following news release on Jan. 5, 2022: The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced more than $1.7 million in grants to restore forest and freshwater habitat in central Appalachia, including projects in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The grants will generate more than $1.9 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $3.6 million. The g  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 -- The National Labor Relations Board issued the following decision (Case No. 28-RC-285574) by Region 28 Director Cornele A. Overstreet: AKIMA GLOBAL SERVICES INC./1, Employer and UNITED GOVERNMENT SECURITY OFFICERS OF AMERICA INTERNATIONAL UNION AND ITS LOCAL 823, Petitioner and INTERNATIONAL UNION, SECURITY, POLICE AND FIRE PROFESSIONALS OF AMERICA (SPFPA) AND ITS LOCAL NO. 830, Intervenor DECISION AND DIRECTION OF ELECTION United Government Security Officers of America I  more

BLAIRSTOWN, New Jersey, Jan. 5 -- The Open Space Institute issued the following news release: The Open Space Institute (OSI) and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey (TLCNJ) today announced the conservation of additional land for a key western New Jersey preserve. Protection of the property, which lies along the Appalachian Mountain range, safeguards precious forests within the region that filter drinking water and store carbon. With its protection, the 57-acre property has now been added to TLC  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, issued the following news release on Jan. 6, 2022: U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded a $21,211 grant to the Village of Piketon to expand sewer service along US Route 23. This sewer improvement project will install 1,656 linear feet of sewer line to support business expansion plans, creating 15 new jobs. "Up-to-date sewer infrastructure is critical to the health and wellbeing o  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release on Jan. 4, 2022: U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $889,849 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for two projects at West Virginia University and one project at Fairmont State University. "From space exploration, to improving medical care, to creating opportunities in STEM fields, higher e  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $889,849 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for two projects at West Virginia University and one project at Fairmont State University. "The National Science Foundation is an important partner for the Mountain State, investing in groundbreaking research while also prov  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 4 (TNSPol) -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release: A new lawsuit filed today challenges West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approval of a key water-quality permit for the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. The lawsuit argues that WVDEP's approval violates the Clean Water Act. The suit was filed by lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates, on behalf of the Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, Chesapeake Climate Action Netw  more