WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service issued the following news: A first-of-its-kind hybrid hemlock, which is not vulnerable to the insect hemlock woolly adelgid, has been developed by the Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) U.S. National Arboretum. Traveler, as the new variety is named, is a cross between the Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis) and the native Carolina hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana). The new tree has the native hemlock's handso  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Appalachian Regional Commission issued the following news release: The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced an investment of $300,000 to The Industrial Commons, in Morganton, North Carolina, to purchase materials and coordinate staff to manufacture needed medical safety gear to fulfill product demand across the Appalachian Region and the nation. The Industrial Commons, and its enterprise the Carolina Textile District, are engaging nearly 600 sewers across   more

BOONE, North Carolina, April 16 -- Appalachian Voices issued the following news release: The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved a rate increase request from Old Dominion Power, which will add about $20 to average residential monthly bills in its Southwest Virginia service effective May 1. The move came despite a plea from the region's state legislators that the commission consider the record unemployment numbers and economic downturn in its decision. The rate increase will boos  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 17 -- The North Carolina Department of Commerce issued the following news release: The North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) approved 17 grant requests to local governments totaling $6,570,274, N.C. Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland announced. The requests include commitments to create a total of 377 jobs. The public investment in these projects will attract more than $23 million in private investment. "Communities across our state are going th  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, April 15 -- The National Association of State Energy Officials issued the following news: On April 12, 2020, Governor Northam signed two signature energy bills into law: the Virginia Clean Economy Act (HB 1526/SB 851) and revisions to the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act (HB981/SB 1027). The laws advance several goals originally proposed by the Governor's Office through Executive Order Forty-Three - Expanding Access to Clean Energy and Growing the Clean Ene  more

OAK RIDGE, Tennessee, April 14 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory issued the following news release: Sometimes conducting big science means discovering a species not much larger than a grain of sand. This happened for Evin Carter, a research associate and wildlife ecologist at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who helped discover a new species of cave snail just outside the Oak Ridge Reservation, an area that includes ORNL and parts of the   more

NEW YORK, April 17 -- PEN America issued the following news release: The companies providing tablets and e-readers in U.S. prisons and jails should waive all fees for incarcerated people to access content on these tablets, as well as fees for educational and other programs to communicate with incarcerated students, for the duration of the pandemic. A coalition of free expression and criminal justice reform groups made that demand in a letter today to the CEOs of Aventiv Technologies Inc. (the p  more

HONESDALE, Pennsylvania, April 18 -- Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pennsylvania, issued the following news release on April 17: U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright welcomed the release of $148,750 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to the Wayne Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) to expand broadband internet access in Wayne County. "This is a big win for the residents of Wayne County," said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. "Too many households and businesse  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has placed a heavy financial burden on families and businesses alike, but some much-needed relief has already arrived. Congressman Hal Rogers secured funding through the CARES Act and other federal legislation to help sustain jobs and provide stimulus funding during this national crisis. This week more than 80 million Americans received Economic Impact Payments   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. James McGovern, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) joined Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) in leading 26 House Members in writing to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee urging a moratorium on the approval and construction of new natural gas pipeline projects and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export facilities during the coronavirus pandemic in order to protect  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) led 26 House Members in writing to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee urging a moratorium on the approval and construction of new natural gas pipeline projects and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export facilities during the coronavirus pandemic in order to protect the public health and the environme  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, issued the following news release on April 15: Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) led 26 House Members in writing to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Neil Chatterjee urging a moratorium on the approval and construction of new natural gas pipeline projects and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export facilities during the coronavirus pandemic in order to protect the public health   more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, April 16 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $9,398,776 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for airports across West Virginia through the Coronavirus Air, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which was signed by President Trump on March 27th. "Though the economic impact of t  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, April 15 -- 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, announced the potential for $66,559,082 from the U.S. Department of Education for Higher Education Institutions West Virginia. Specifically, the funding, which was made possible following President Donald J. Trump's signing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securit  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, April 16 -- 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, announced $9,398,776 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for airports across West Virginia through the Coronavirus Air, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) which was signed by President Trump on March 27th. "West Virginia airports are vital to the state'  more

RICHMOND, Virginia, April 15 -- The Virginia State Corporation Commission issued the following news release: The State Corporation Commission (SCC) invites comment from the public on an application by Appalachian Power Company for a triennial review of the company's rates, terms and conditions for the provision of generation, distribution and transmission services. The company requests an increase in its annual revenue requirement of $65 million, a five percent increase in overall revenues. Th  more