skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, December 26, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

3 shot and 1 stabbed at Phoenix airport in apparent family dispute on Christmas night, officials say; CT Student Loan Reimbursement Program begins Jan. 1; WI farmer unfazed by weather due to conservation practices; Government subsidies make meat cost less, but with hidden expenses.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The authors of Project 2025 say they'll carry out a hard-right agenda, voting rights advocates raise alarm over Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and conservatives aim to cut federal funding for public broadcasting.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

From the unprecedented election season to the latest environmental news, the Yonder Report looks back at stories that topped our weekly 2024 newscasts.

Virtual summit on sustainable manufacturing, federal funds for Appalachia

play audio
Play

Wednesday, January 3, 2024   

Pennsylvania's Appalachian region needs opportunities to bolster its economy, which will be the topic of a virtual summit in mid-January. The goal is to ignite Appalachia's revitalization by bringing together key advocates for two days of strategic discussions.

Of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, 52 are nestled in Appalachia.

Dana Kuhnline, program director for ReImagine Appalachia, said the summit's first-day theme is "Make it in Appalachia," and what it will take to turn the Ohio River Valley into a hub for sustainable manufacturing.

"What can we manufacture in Appalachia?" Kuhnline outlined. "How can we reuse shuttered facilities, like closed steel facilities and shuttered coal plants? And what are sustainable products that Appalachia could become a hub for, that we could make in this region?"

She added manufacturing in the region would not only create good jobs and help build the local economy, it could help the state with its goal of curbing climate change. Manufacturing already contributes nearly 10% of jobs in Pennsylvania, employing more than 564,000 people.

Day Two of the summit will focus on federal funding opportunities, and how Appalachian communities can take advantage of them. Kuhnline pointed out Congress has passed a number of bills in the last couple of years, paving the way for new investments.

"There's a lot of new money for land remediation -- cleaning up old coal mines, cleaning up orphan oil and gas wells," Kuhnline explained. "There's going to be a whole funding stream set aside for improving environmental issues; that includes replacing lead pipes. There's also money for increasing the number of trees and urban improvement projects."

She noted the Inflation Reduction Act includes clean energy tax credits, with an emphasis on reaching disadvantaged populations and communities with environmental justice concerns. The ReImagine Appalachia Virtual Strategy Summit is Jan. 16 and 17 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, both days.

Disclosure: Reimagine Appalachia contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, and Sustainable Agriculture. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A 2023 report from Michigan Traffic Crash Facts showed 62 snowmobiles were involved in crashes on public roadways, resulting in two fatalities and 41 injuries. (gentho/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Winter conditions across Michigan are fickle and The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging everyone to prioritize safety while enjoying t…


Environment

play sound

A diverse group of Southwest Wisconsin farmers are using federally funded conservation programs to help improve their farms' soil health and resilienc…

Social Issues

play sound

Mainers are encouraged to be on the lookout for increasingly sophisticated scams during the holiday season. Fake emails appearing to be from …


According to the March of Dimes, 15.4% of Wyoming women did not have a birthing hospital within 30 minutes of home last year, compared to a U.S. average of 9.7%. (MANUEL/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Evanston Regional Hospital is discontinuing its labor and delivery services next week, citing a "steady decline of demand." It is the fourth Wyoming …

Environment

play sound

By Leilani Marie Labong for FoodPrint.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the FoodPrint-Public News Service …

Education Data reported there are 507,200 student loan borrowers in Connecticut, with an average debt amount of $36,672. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

Connecticut is launching its Student Loan Reimbursement Program Jan. 1. The program was created through legislation passed by the state's General …

Social Issues

play sound

This week, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 people with federal death row convictions to life sentences without parole. Groups …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A new federal rule aims to close a loophole allowing coal companies to walk away from their obligations to pay disability benefits and health insuranc…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021