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The Appalachian Voice

Coal Companies Point Fingers as Local Residents Contend With Flood and Home Damage

Autumn leaves dot the surface of a creek that seems to have a dark discoloration.

Geysers, dry wells, damage to buildings and strange slime in creeks have residents near Wolf Pen, West Virginia, looking for answers. Meanwhile, coal companies dodge accountability by blaming each other.

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Three Towns in Southwest Virginia Pursue Redevelopment of Blighted Buildings

Paint peels from the sides of a dilapidated brick building.

Brownfields revitalization programs are helping rural Appalachian towns combat blight to rejuvenate their economies.

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Solar Apprenticeship Program Benefits Southwest Virginia

A young man in a blue jacket stands between two older men wearing gray t-shirts. the roof of the brick building behind them is covered in solar panels.

A youth solar apprenticeship program is changing lives and accelerating the switch to green energy in Southwest Virginia.

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How Max Patch Bald is Finally Healing

A couple sits atop the grassy summit of Max Patch, taking in the views under a beautiful blue sky dotted with white cumulous clouds.

After overuse forced the closure of Max Patch Bald, efforts by the U.S. Forestry Service and trail groups to restore the area show dramatic progress.

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‘Invaded, Disregarded and Dismissed’

Four women of various ages are standing on a slope in a forested area. Trees are bare except for evergreens and the ground is littered with fall foliage in browns and dull reds. The women are wearing cool weather clothes and one looks like she is speaking toward the camera while leaning one arm against a tree trunk.

Bent Mountain neighbors monitor Mountain Valley Pipeline construction amid rising concerns over degraded pipes and a rushed completion deadline.

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Castle in the Sun

“Kids look at it, and they see a castle,” says Scott Miller, executive director of Just For Kids Advocacy Center, of the nonprofit organization’s new Beckley, West Virginia, headquarters. That castle is now solar-powered by a 14-panel ground array, which was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 25.

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Endangered Tiny Tarantula Faces Habitat Loss

An endangered, tiny tarantula living in moss in the Appalachian Mountains is losing more of its habitat.

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10 New Spider Species Discovered in Appalachia

A tan spider with dark markings on its back pulling a large, white egg sac behind it, is seen from a side angle

Researchers have discovered 10 new spider species that have adapted to the subterranean habitat of Appalachian caves.

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Activists Rally Over Pending Fracking on Ohio’s State Lands

Fracking rig

A governor-appointed commission could begin approving fracking leases on Ohio’s state lands as early as next month. A rally to oppose the leases will be held Friday, Oct. 27 at noon at the Ohio Statehouse.

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Bewitched Botany

Dried stalks and seed pods stand out against trees and a blue sky mottled by clouds.

Discover the sinister beauty of four toxic plants that call the mystical Appalachian Mountains home: pokeweed, dolls’ eyes, climbing nightshade and jimsonweed.

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