2019 — October/November Archives

When Coal Companies Go Bankrupt, Who Cleans Up the Mess?

By The Appalachian Voice | October 11, 2019 |

Blackjewel and Revelation Energy’s July bankruptcy announcement is the latest in a long string of bankruptcies plaguing the coal industry. But this bankruptcy is different, and the troubles it brings could be a sign of more problems to come.

The Black Lung Association Responds to the Deadly Disease’s Rise

By Kevin Ridder | October 11, 2019 |

The Black Lung Association has a storied history of fighting for miners’ rights to occupational healthcare. Today, that fight continues as rates of the disease continue to climb.

Workers Push for Pay After Bankruptcy

By Kevin Ridder | October 11, 2019 |

After Blackjewel and Revelation Energy declared bankruptcy in July, the companies retroactively withdrew paychecks from their former employees’ bank accounts, triggering a nearly two-month long protest and several court battles.

Pushing Back Against Plastics

By AV's Intern Team | October 11, 2019 |

Check out 10 ways to reduce your plastic footprint, and learn why the fight against plastic is connected to the petrochemical industry’s plans to expand in Appalachia.

Giants of the Smokies

By Contributing Writers | October 11, 2019 |

Exploring the old-growth forest at Albright Grove.

Bankruptcies Highlight Concerns with Black Lung Benefits Fund

By Willie Dodson | October 11, 2019 |

black and white graphic with skeleton wearing miner hat, text reads "black lung kills"

Coal company bankruptcies are putting the federal Black Lung Disability Trust Fund in further jeopardy.

The Intelligence of Slime Mold

By Hannah Gillespie | October 11, 2019 |

This brainless, single-celled organism is able to solve surprisingly complex puzzles and is even able to memorize and anticipate changes in its environment.

Play Bears Witness to Knoxville’s Red Summer, 100 Years Later

By Contributing Writers | October 11, 2019 |

“Red Summer,” a performance by The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc., highlights an episode of racial violence in Knoxville, Tenn., that occurred after a Black man was falsely accused of murder in 1919.