WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSres) -- The American Geophysical Union issued the following news release: * * * Woody vegetation has increased by 37% over the last 30 years in the eastern United States, fueling the rise in large wildfires. Texas and the Appalachian Mountains took the biggest hits * * * The eastern U.S. has more trees and shrubs than three decades ago. This growth, driven by processes such as tree and understory infilling in unmanaged forests, is helping fuel wildfires, contributing   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Appalachian Regional Commission issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * The awards will advance Appalachia's capabilities to establish a regional energy hub for hydrogen produced from natural gas feedstocks. * * * Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded nearly $4.7 million to three projects through its Appalachian Regional Energy Hub Initiative. The awards will support activities to implement a hydrogen energy hub from natural gas  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Dec. 20 -- Ballad Health, a community health improvement organization, issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * New agreement with Cigna expands access in Appalachian Highlands * * * Ballad Health announced today it has reached an agreement with Cigna Healthcare for new agreements that ensure in-network access for consumers covered by Cigna to all Ballad Health hospitals, facilities and physicians. These new agreements apply to Cigna Commercial plans  more

BOONE, North Carolina, Dec. 18 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: KINGSTON, Tenn. -- The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Appalachian Voices, has appealed the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's air permit for the Tennessee Valley Authority's proposed Kingston Gas Plant, saying state regulators broke the law by providing an air permit that would allow TVA to construct the power plant without meeting standard pollution control requirements   more

EMORY, Virginia, Dec. 19 (TNSres) -- Emory and Henry College issued the following news: * * * Four Emory & Henry students recently presented their research related to community based substance abuse prevention at a symposium in Washington, D.C. * * * By Dirk Moore The students were among a select group of university student researchers who presented at the symposium hosted Dec. 6-7 by the Appalachian Collegiate Research Institute. The students - Erin Ryan, Vivian Vanderpool, Lydia Schrock a  more

BOONE, North Carolina, Dec. 17 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: RICHWOOD, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and Appalachian Voices sued South Fork Coal Company today for ongoing violations of the federal Clean Water Act and Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act at five coal mines in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The groups are being represented by Appalachian Mountain Advocates based in Lewisburg, West Virginia. The suit identifies numerous viol  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 [Category: Environment] -- The Sierra Club issued the following news release: KINGSTON, Tenn. For the 16th anniversary of the devastating Kingston Coal Ash Spill, families and allies of cleanup workers, including the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices, set up billboards commemorating the heroic cleanup workers whose health has been impacted by the exposure to coal ash. Following the coal ash spill on December 22, 2008, when 1.1 billion U.S. gallons of coal ash poured into   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following news release: The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Virginia Tech a $1,294,605 grant. The funding for this project will support preliminary research into the establishment of a leading hydrogen innovation hub in Virgina based on hydrogen production from natural gas feedstocks through catalytic methane decomposition (CMD). U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: "Southwe  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Virginia, issued the following news release: The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Mount Rogers Planning District Commission a $100,000 grant. The funding will support disaster recovery efforts and technical assistance to 14 communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: "This ARC grant for $100,000 helps Mount Rogers Planning District Commission coordinate disast  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Rep. Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12) has been selected to serve as Chairman of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) by Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11). HEAT, founded in 2011 by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, is a coalition of House Republicans tasked with championing and promoting commonsense, America First energy policy priorities. These include initiatives to unleash affordabl  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that the Senate passed his bipartisan Outdoors for All Act, legislation that would expand outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities across the nation. The bill passed today as part of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now he  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release: Senators Susan Collins and Alex Padilla (D-CA) announced that the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan Outdoors for All Act, legislation that will expand outdoor recreational opportunities in low-income communities across the nation. The bill passed today as part of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which previously passed the U.S. House of Representatives and n  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release on Dec. 16, 2024: The U.S. Postal Service today announced more stamps it will release in 2025. This is a partial list, with additional subjects to be announced in the coming weeks and months. These designs are preliminary and may change. * * * Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture The Postal Service strives to tell the stories of all Americans on its stamps, and issuing stamps that honor the living cultur  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * President Biden and Vice President Harris Are Delivering for Rural Communities Over the past four years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken action to ensure rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity. One year ago, President Biden visited a family farm in Northfield, Minnesota to kick off the "Investing in Rural America" event series, spurr  more