Written by AV's Intern Team
AV's Intern Team
Every year, Appalachian Voices is fortunate to assemble a phenomenal team of rockstar interns from numerous Appalachian and East Coast universities. Enjoy these posts from our interns.
Paying Tribute to a Beloved Daughter of Appalachia
Jean Ritchie, Kentucky-born folk hero, environmentalist and activist, died this June in her Berea, Ky. home at the age of 92.
Kentucky Flood Kills 4, Destroys 120 Homes
An Ohio Valley flood devastated parts of southern Indiana and eastern Kentucky, leaving behind 4 casualties and 120 homes destroyed.
No Reason to Fear the Weevil Outbreak
An outbreak of weevils — a small, black bug easily confused with the deer tick — stirred false alarm this summer.
Caught Between a Budget and a Hard Place
An Obama administration proposal would direct funds to workforce training and reemployment programs in the coal-bearing communities of Appalachia and increase the budgets of agencies focused on economic development, but regional politicians are slow to embrace the plan.
Court Ruling Sets Back EPA Mercury Standards
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not properly consider the price of a rule to curb mercury pollution and other toxic emissions from coal plants.
Fracking Investigations Stir Questions, Fines
Kentucky researchers prepare to test for fracking-induced earthquakes, a university fracking site stirs controversy in West Virginia, and suspicion rises that there may be natural gas beneath Stokes County, North Carolina.
N.C. Solar Snapshot
A 20-megawatt solar farm under construction near Biscoe, N.C., is projected to power the equivalent of 3,500 homes when it is completed in November.
Groups Test Boundaries of N.C. Solar Laws
In a direct challenge to North Carolina laws governing electricity sales, clean energy group NC WARN financed a solar project on a church roof and plans to sell the energy to the church for about half of Duke Energy’s solar rate.
Report Analyzes Economic Impact of Abandoned Mine Lands Program
A new report examines how federal funding to remediate abandoned mine lands could be implemented in a way that helps Appalachian communities struggling with coal’s decline.
Virginia Utilities Release Generation Plans
Appalachian Power Company and Dominion Power released their electric power generation plans this July. While APC released a comprehensive energy generation plan plotting the next 15 years, Dominion released a short-term plan with different options.
