COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 9 -- AEP Ohio, an American Electric Power company, issued the following news release on Jan. 7, 2026: * * * AEP Ohio Proposes to Decrease Electric Rates for Customers in Settlement AEP Ohio today filed an agreement at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to decrease electricity distribution rates for its customers. The settlement, which must be approved by the PUCO, would decrease distribution rates by $58.7 million overall. The average AEP Ohio residential cust  more

BOONE, North Carolina, Jan. 8 [Category: Sociological] -- Appalachian Voices posted the following news release: * * * Appalachian Voices and Google collaborate to develop community resilience hubs in Southwest Virginia * NORTON, Va. Appalachian Voices and Google are excited to announce a collaboration to install solar and energy storage technology to create community resilience hubs in the towns of Duffield and Dungannon in Southwest Virginia. Google awarded grant funding to Appalachian Voic  more

BOONE, North Carolina, Jan. 6 [Category: Sociological] -- Appalachian Voices posted the following news release on Jan. 5, 2026: * * * Coal community groups urge Congress to reject proposed raid of abandoned coal mine clean-up fund Today, the House Appropriations Committee released an updated "minibus" appropriations bill with bipartisan support that includes a proposal to withdraw $500 million from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement's Abandoned Mine Land funds allocated   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 -- Rep. Riley M. Moore, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: * * * Congressman Riley M. Moore Delivers Major Wins for West Virginians in FY26 Appropriations Package * Washington, D.C. - Congressman Riley M. Moore (WV-02) today applauded the passage of the second package of Fiscal Year 2026 spending bills with a vote of 397 to 28. This package includes the FY 26 Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriati  more

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Jan. 9 -- East Tennessee State University posted the following news: * * * ETSU arts students take center stage at Martin Center * ETSU's Mary B. Martin School of the Arts Showcase returns Jan. 31 to the Martin Center for the Arts, featuring student performances, film, storytelling and visual art in a free public event. The lobby will pulse with visual art and live music. Inside the concert hall, students will command the stage with original compositions, theatrica  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced today that final agency actions have been reached regarding the construction of a 6.8-mile segment of Appalachian Corridor H. This segment, known as the Wardensville to Virginia State Line Project, has received an approved Finding of No Significant Impact. The West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH) will oversee the project in Hardy County. The route starts at the current 4-l  more

ALBANY, New York, Dec. 30 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * Governor Hochul Celebrates Landmark $3.8 Billion Investment in Water Infrastructure During SFY 2025 * Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the State's $3.8 billion investment in local water infrastructure projects during State Fiscal Year 2025. A newly released New York State Clean Water Funding Report shows that New York delivered $1.1 billion in water quality grants in a single fiscal year  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12528) on Jan. 8, 2026, by energy policy analyst Martin C. Offutt. Here are excerpts: * * * Recent Executive Action on Spending: Potential Impact on Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58) authorized and funded an $8 billion program on Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (Section 40314 and Division J, Title III, of IIJA) - networks of  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Jan. 9 -- The Nature Conservancy posted the following news: * * * Savage Gulf State Park Expanded by 670 Ecologically Significant Acres In the fall of 2024, TennGreen Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, and The Conservation Fund successfully acquired 670 acres of ecologically significant, forested land adjacent to Savage Gulf State Park in Grundy County. This collaborative conservation achievement has now taken its final step: the land has been official  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: * * * Secretary Rollins Announces New Slate of Political Appointments to USDA * (Washington, D.C., January 6, 2026) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced a new slate of presidential appointments to key positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). "Under President Trump's leadership, USDA is building a powerhouse team of Presidential Appointees deeply committed to upl  more

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio, Jan. 8 -- Shawnee State University issued the following news: * * * Shawnee State University Receives ARC Area Development Grant to Renovate Health Science Labs * Shawnee State University has been awarded an Appalachian Regional Commission Area Development Grant to support major renovations to its College of Health and Human Services laboratory spaces. The upgrades aim to enhance hands-on learning for students and address the region's healthcare workforce needs. The grant  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9 [Category: Financial Services] -- America's Credit Unions posted the following news: * * * Shutdown assistance, strategic planning are top-read blog stories * Highlighting the credit union difference each week, the America's Credit Unions blog features stories that show how credit unions change people's lives and support communities nationwide. A year-end wrap up blog post provides an overview of the most-read stories of 2025. Those stories include: 1. How credit unio  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 [Category: Environment] -- The Sierra Club posted the following news release: * * * Sierra Club WV Hosts First "Quilting for Community" Art and Educational Event at The Co-Op * MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - On Wednesday, January 7, Sierra Club West Virginia, alongside local quilter CJ Sews, launched the "Quilting for Community" project at Morgantown art gallery The Co-Op. Over 55 people attended the Kick-Off, the first of many scheduled bi-weekly communal quilting events throughout   more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky, Jan. 8 -- The University of Kentucky issued the following news: * * * CLIMBS researchers go global in finding hazard solutions through NSF's CLaSH initiative By Kevin Puckett, Center for Applied Energy Research Geologic hazards are complex, connected and continuous. Extreme precipitation can unleash catastrophic floods and trigger landslides that reshape landscapes and threaten communities. Landslide debris can block streams or surge into rivers, intensifying floods and   more