The Appalachian Voice
Train Fire Sparks Evacuations, Water Concerns
A train carrying a carcinogenic chemical derailed near Maryville, Tenn., leading to the evacuation of 5,000 citizens and fish deaths that might be linked to the spill.
Read MoreFarmer Education Programs Blossom
Two North Carolina projects aim to help young and aspiring farmers make connections in the business.
Read MoreN.C. Legislature Addresses Environment
Several bills with environmental ramifications have passed the North Carolina General Assembly, with provisions that affect water and air quality as well as the rights of whistleblowers.
Read MoreStar Parks Shine in the Appalachian Region
In July, Staunton River State Park in Scottsburg, Va., became the fourth park in central and southern Appalachia to receive an International Dark Sky Park designation — a marker of a prime destination for stargazing.
Read MorePaying 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.
Read MoreKentucky 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.
Read MoreNo 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.
Read MoreCaught 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.
Read MoreCourt 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.
Read MoreFracking 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.
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