Our Community Heroes: Community Strong Participants
Our Community Heroes for May are the 112 residents of Clinchco, Dante, Dungannon, Pennington Gap and Pound, Virginia who came together for the third round of listening sessions for the Community Strong project. In the first two sessions held last year, community members discussed the future of their towns, identified potential projects and enjoyed fellowship with other energized and engaged residents.
In the third and final round, participants of each community discussed plans for community improvement that resulted from former sessions and helped refine and shape those plans for implementation. The Trump administration has terminated a federal grant to pay for implementation of many of these projects, but Appalachian Voices is appealing the Environmental Protection Agency's decisionwhile also seeking alternative funding for these projects.Photo: Community Strong participants meet in Clinchco.
In Pennington Gap, a future pizzeria has received $10,000 from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority to help its dream become a reality. Outsiders Pizzeria and Bar will be both a restaurant and a community gathering place for live music, featuring a bar and stage.
Buchanan County to receive funding from $50 million Helene package
The Virginia General Assembly approved funding for Buchanan County from a $50 million Hurricane Helene state funding package after the county experienced severe flooding this year.
SWVA businesses eligible for $5,000 for digital presence
A Virginia-based organization is offering up to $90,000 in funding for businesses in Tazewell and Buchanan Counties to improve their digital presence. Each business can receive $5,000 from the Locus Rural Business Digital Growth Innovation Grant Program for costs associated with investments in website creation and maintenance, digital sales and more.
Temporary solution proposed for Creeper Trail in Damascus
After suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Helene, parts of the Virginia Creeper Trail remain in disrepair. A trail group from Johnson County has proposed a solution to the problem — connecting the trail with the nearby Iron Mountain Trail.
Everyone deserves a safe and healthy workplace, including our nation’s coal miners, who work in a dangerous field. Unfortunately, black lung disease continues to ravage coal mining communities, despite regulations that are supposed to make their job safer.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Healthprovides free, confidential screenings for black lung disease and supports black lung clinics across the country. But Elon Musk’s DOGE gutted NIOSH offices, including the team helping coal miners.
