Budget Blowback

Front page news

The “America First” budget proposed by President Donald Trump in March 2017 would slash funding to many programs that Appalachian residents depend on.

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ARC Develops New Community Capital Bank to Invest in Appalachia

By Chelsey Fisher The Appalachian Regional Commission opened a new bank called Appalachian Community Capital in June to increase loans and other capital that small businesses in Appalachia receive. Industry analyses have shown that over the past several years, banks across the nation have instituted tighter credit requirements for small-business lending and reduced their risk-taking…

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Agritourism Grows in Appalachia

By Brian Sewell Think of it as an extended growing season, where the opportunities arising from a region’s agricultural wisdom and the influx of tourists and conscious consumers are ripe for the picking. By marketing experience and education, not just products, Appalachian farms of every kind are going beyond the friendly transactions at the farmers…

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A Double-Edged Sword

By Jesse Wood The expansion of global markets and its effect on Appalachia has been a lopsided, double-edged sword, particularly for the furniture and lumber industries. While exposure to foreign markets has checked inflation and opened the door to an array of new customers, it has crippled the Appalachian furniture manufacturing workforce because of cheaper…

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Energizing the Clean Economy

Political speeches, the nightly news and newspaper headlines are filled with reminders of the battered economy and the millions unemployed or underpaid. But as energy efficiency and renewable technologies advance, more domestic jobs are created that foster a sustainable economy, save money at home, and benefit human health and the environment. It’s an ambitious goal,…

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It’s Sad to Say, Fracking’s Here to Stay

A new series of proposed natural gas pipelines will give many states better access to natural gas reserves of the Marcellus Shale, a formation of sedimentary rock that covers much of the Appalachian Basin. The pipelines will connect to larger interstate lines to reach more customers in the northeastern United States and possibly Canada. The…

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