2015 — (Dec/Jan)
A Fondest Farewell
It is with much fondness and appreciation that we bid farewell to one of the longest-running staff members at Appalachian Voices. Susan Congelosi (nickname: The Uzi) joined the organization in 2000, becoming only the second staff member in the fledgling nonprofit’s history. Over the past 15 years, as our Controller Susan was responsible for overseeing…
Read MoreCommunity Networking for Coal Ash Cleanup in N.C.
Our North Carolina team continues to work directly with those most impacted by coal ash. In November, we helped organize the second statewide gathering of ACT (Alliance of Carolinians Together) Against Coal Ash, a powerful grassroots group of residents living near current or proposed coal ash dumps. In Stokes Co., outside of Duke’s Belews Creek…
Read MoreCoal Ash Management Continues to Challenge Region
Legal challenges continue in North Carolina, as new contamination from coal ash is identified in Tennessee.
Read MoreWelcome to New Staff
Leigh Kirchner, Development Coordinator Join us in welcoming two new members to the Appalachian Voices team! Leigh grew up in beautiful Rockbridge County in the heart of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where her roots go back many generations to a Monacan Indian on one side and German settlers on the other. A first-generation college student, she…
Read MoreCompetition in Solar Power Challenges Utilities
Utility companies in North Carolina and Virginia attempt to block third-party solar power from gaining a foothold in their coverage areas.
Read MoreRallying Against Climate Change
In October, we worked with our community partners to organize a rally in downtown Charlottesville, Va. This demonstration was part of the National Day of Action in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference schedule to take place in Paris in December. More than 150 residents gathered to ask their representatives to stop the…
Read MoreSouthwest Virginia’s New Economy Forums
In October, Appalachian Voices partnered with Virginia Organizing to host eight community forums in the coalfield counties of southwest Virginia. More than 130 residents participated in the forums, sharing their ideas about how to move the economy of their communities forward. We are excited to continue this conversation. In the coming months, we will publish…
Read MoreFormer Coal Executive Guilty of Conspiracy to Violate Mine Safety
Don Blankenship was convicted of conspiracy to violate federal mine safety standards, following an investigation into the causes of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion that killed 29 miners.
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