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Health effects from exposure toxic algae include skin rashes, headaches, vomiting, pneumonia and more, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock/AI-generated)<br />

Toxic algae blooms are on the rise in WV, industrial farming a driving cause

Harmful algae bloom events are increasing, according to a recent analysis of EPA data from the advocacy group Environment America and have occurred …

The Congressional Budget Office projects the total cost of the 2018 Farm Act would be $428 billion over the five-year period between 2019 and 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Farm Bill extension could impact WV farmers

Despite the extension of the 2018 Farm Bill, many federal agriculture programs West Virginia farmers depend on won't be authorized to operate without …

Spending in local food systems, such as weekly farmer's markets, leads to thriving communities, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. (Adobe Stock)

Appalachian Region Focus of New Federal Food Business Grant Program

A new $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will boost the resources and assistance for farmers and food businesses in Appalachia…

Wheeling, W. Va., City Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum talks to advocates at the 2023 Rural Policy Action Summit, Omaha, Neb. (Michael Chameides)

WV Leaders Talk Farm Bill at Rural Policy Summit

Rural West Virginia communities are struggling to recover from decades of disinvestment, and some are counting on the next Farm Bill to help propel …

According to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 41% of rural renters are cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for housing. (Adobe Stock).

Local Governments Work to Address West Virginia’s Housing Crisis

In Parkersburg, West Virginia local government officials have an innovative plan to address the region's housing crisis - getting 50 families into …

For the academic year 2020-2021, more than 139,000 students enrolled in West Virginia colleges, according to 'collegeevaluator.com.' (Adobe Stock)

College Rankings: WV Schools Highlight Low Tuition, Specialized Programs

Each year, a number of publications release their rankings of top colleges and universities. While rankings can help folks understand a school's …

Veteran farmers Jason and Sky, inside one of the high tunnels they procured with the help of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.(Rebecca Haddix/USDA)

Black Farmers are Rebuilding Agriculture in Coal Country

By Natalie Peart for Yes! Media.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

West Virginia Agrarian Commons is fundraising to acquire farmland to preserve the Appalachia region's agrarian way of life. (Wikimedia Commons)

WV Group Aims to Acquire Former Coal Land for New Farmers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- To help the next generation of farmers, a West Virginia community farm group is raising funds to acquire land for future growers …

The U.S. Postal Service reported a $2.2 billion loss in the second quarter of 2020. (Adobe stock)

WV Small-Business Owners Decry Post Office Changes

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As congressional Democrats call for an investigation into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's recent cost-cutting measures at the U.…

Telehealth services used to be mostly available in rural areas like Appalacha, with limited access to health clinics, but COVID-19 has made them popular in other areas as well. (Adobe stock)

West Virginians Can Get Free COVID Symptom Checks Online

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The use of telemedicine is skyrocketing during the pandemic, and a new online tool is part of the trend, helping patients …

The emerald ash borer beetle is one of a few

The Time's Right to Inspect Outdoors for Invasive Pests

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- While most people continue to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's a good time …

A rural phone co-op expanded high-speed broadband in Appalachia, bringing hundreds of telework jobs to the region. (Adobe stock)

High-Speed Internet Key to Economic Recovery in Appalachia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A rural phone cooperative based in Appalachia has brought some of the fastest Internet in the United States to mountain …

Thousands of stream miles and wetlands could lose Clean Water Act protections under an EPA proposal to change the Waters of the United States rule. (Samuel Taylor for Birth Place of Rivers)

Comment Period Closing on Clean Water Act Rollback

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Today is the deadline for public comment on a plan to reduce the reach of the Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protect …

Before the state expanded Medicaid, rural West Virginians were much less likely to have health insurance than their urban peers. (Pixabay)

Research Confirms Medicaid Expansion Huge Boost for Rural WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new report says expanding Medicaid is really paying off for rural West Virginians. Rural areas typically have real …

The current agriculture bill, which impacts farm commodity prices and nutrition programs, expires Sept. 30. (Pixabay)

Farm Bill at the Wire; SNAP Work Rules a Big Snag

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Congress may not be able to finish the farm bill by the end of the month, when the old one expires. One deadlock is a …

A new study shows people might be able to regain more control of their privacy though community-owned internet providers. (Geralt/Pixabay)

Report: Community Internet Better for Protecting Privacy

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As Congress considers remedies for large-scale privacy breaches by Cambridge Analytica and Facebook, a recent report …

While West Virginia mineral owners often focus on getting a fair price from drillers for their natural gas, surface land owners are often more concerned about the impact of the big, industrial scale drilling operations. (WV Sierra Club)

After Changes, WV Surface Owners Group Supports Pooling Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After a contentious public hearing and changes by the House Judiciary Committee, a West Virginia surface owners group is …

SNAP benefits help millions of low-income Americans put food on the table each month, including about 360,000 West Virginians. (Pixabay)

SNAP Cuts Possible as Congress Debates Farm Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Congress is expected to begin work soon on the $140 billion Farm Bill. But there are concerns that some conservatives are …

Nearly half of rural West Virginians do not have access to high speed Internet at home. (Pixabay)

Appalachians Could Lose Internet Speed Under FCC Plan

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to redefine broadband by lowering the standard for speed…

About a quarter million West Virginia students are fed in part through the farm-to-school program. (Pixibay)

Farms to School Food Links Growing Like a Weed

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Almost all West Virginia school districts get - or plan to get - food from local farms, and Congress may further boost the …

Researchers say conservation provisions in the U.S. Farm Bill have helped stabilize some wild bird populations. (Pixabay)

Some Wild Birds Get Boost from Farm Bill

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – While the Farm Bill is crucial policy for agriculture, it's also quite literally for the birds. The "State of the Birds 20…

Many chickens that are sold at the local feed store come from large factory farms. (Pixabay)

Backyard Chickens Bring Salmonella Concerns

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nearly a thousand people across the country have become ill this year from salmonella connected to backyard flocks of …

Critics say new pipelines from the Marcellus fields are unjustified by federal estimates of demand for gas. (Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition)

Challenges to Pipelines Continue Past FERC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – With federal regulators likely to approve two huge gas pipelines, opponents are looking to the states and courts. The …

Bees are important pollinators for plants and flowers, but in the past year, populations nationwide have dropped by one-third. (Pixabay)

Pesticide Rules and Bee Health; Final Chance for Comments

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Today is the final day for the public to comment on an updated assessment of four pesticides that environmental and food-safety …

A nonprofit solar co-op says solar power is now inexpensive enough to make economic sense for West Virginia farmers. (WV SUN)

WV Solar Ag CO-OP Helps Farmers Cut Their Power Bills

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A solar co-op is helping West Virginia farmers cut their energy costs. The agricultural co-op program, run by West Virginia …

The percentage of West Virginia children and adults covered by Medicaid in rural areas and small towns grew dramatically between 2009 and 2015. (WoodleyWonderworks/Flickr)

Medicaid "Huge" for Rural West Virginia Families

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new report underscores the importance of Medicaid for rural West Virginia families. According to the Georgetown …

Medicaid supports much of the health-care provided in West Virginia schools. (Mary Kuhlman)

Medicaid Cuts' Impact on WV School Health Care Cited

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Health care providers say a Republican bill that includes Medicaid cuts would threaten West Virginia's school health …

Trump administration moves that could undermine the naming of national monuments might affect West Virginia's push for a Birthplace of Rivers monument. (Samuel Taylor/Birthplace of Rivers)

Possible Public-Lands Rollback Sparks Suspicion in WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginians are likely to react with suspicion to Trump administration moves toward rolling back the national monuments …

The Obamacare replacement backed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price would be bad for rural areas, analysts say. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr/Wikipedia)

Obamacare Repeal Plan Looks Negative for Rural States Such as WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Congressional Budget Office figures show the main GOP replacement for Obamacare would have a negative impact on rural areas…

Critics say the agency that regulates natural-gas pipelines has a favorable bias toward the industry. (MarcellusPipeline.org)

Pipeline Regulator Accused of Bias, Being Too Close to Industry

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – A spate of proposed gas pipeline projects has drawn sharp criticism from environmental advocates, who say the federal …

A coalition of groups known as the National Rural Assembly is working to harness the energy of young people in less-populated areas. (WV Dept. of Tourism)

Creative Job Alternatives for Young People in Appalachia

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Part of the future for young people in Appalachia could be homegrown, according to a coalition of groups working to build …

Conservationists want the presidential candidates to pledge to keep public lands, including national forests, in public hands. (Samuel Taylor/BirthPlaceofRivers.com)

Asking Presidential Candidates for Pledge to Protect Public Lands

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A long list of conservation groups is calling on the presidential candidates to pledge to keep public lands in public hands…

Federal regulators are moving forward with several huge gas pipeline projects, despite criticism that natural gas is fast becoming an outmoded power source. (Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition)

Pipelines Inch Forward, Despite Questions of Need, Climate Impact

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Federal regulators are moving forward with huge pipeline projects across West Virginia and Virginia, although opponents say …

A new homesteading law for Appalachia could help bring agriculture and hope to the coalfields. (WV Division Of Tourism)

Appalachian Homestead Act Designed to Bring Hope to the Coalfields

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Could homesteading, giving people free land for agricultural and other uses, bring some hope to central Appalachia? Jim …

A new report calls for restricting the use of antibiotics in factory-farmed animals to curb the global spread of infections. (Uberpurser/Wikimedia Commons)

Report: U.S. Should Use Fewer Antibiotics in Agriculture

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A new report calls for banning or restricting the use of antibiotics in farm animals to curb the global spread of …

Critics say the federal agency with the power to allow pipeline like those proposed for the region is oriented not to take into account the concerns of people along the route. (Rick Webb - Dominion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition)

FERC Called "Biased Against Local Concerns"

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The federal agency that approves or denies gas pipelines is oriented against the concerns of landowners and communities…

Food activists such as Bradley Wilson fear a new bill intended to require that SNAP benefits only be used for more healthy options could have unintended consequences on places such as farmers' markets. (WVFOODLINK)

SNAP Bill Could Have Unintended Consequences on WV Farmers Markets

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A bill at the Legislature to require food benefits be used for healthy options could have unintended consequences - including …

A legal push is underway to force the EPA to close a sizable loophole in the regulation of hazardous waste from oil and gas drilling. Credit: Bill Hughes/Earthworks.

Legal Push to Get EPA to Finally Regulate Oil and Gas Waste

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The EPA has largely failed to regulate waste from oil and gas drilling, even though the agency admitted the hazardous …

Pipeline opponents want regulators to thin out duplicate pipeline proposals that would run through from Marcellus and Utica gas fields to markets on the east coast. Photo by the Dominion Monitoring Coalition.

"Regulators Should Choose Between Duplicate Gas Pipelines"

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Opponents of pipeline construction want federal regulators to say which of several near-identical natural gas pipelines …

A National Wildlife Federation poll shows hunters and anglers are willing to put aside their political differences in support of greater EPA protections for clean water, including small headwaters and wetlands. Photo courtesy of Trout Unlimited.

Hunters, Anglers Strongly Support EPA Clean Water Policy

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – A national poll of hunters and anglers has found overwhelming support – even among conservatives – for what …

The Obama administration plan to cut emissions at coal-fired power plants would affect 11 plants in West Virginia. Conservationists are hailing the move, while the coal industry and its allies are threatening legal challenges. Photo credit: Greg Stotelmyer.

Will Clean Power Plan Chart West Virginia's Energy Course?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – President Obama has finalized plans to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants by 32 percent by 2030. …

A federal court has cleared the way for a six state plan to clean the Chesapeake Bay. Photo courtesy National Park Service.

Cleaning Up Farm Runoff Crucial to Chesapeake Bay

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. – A federal court victory has cleared the way for what conservationists say needs to happen on farms within the Chesapeake …

West Virginia is meeting most of its commitments in cleaning up Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Conservation groups say future progress can come from farms. Photo by Kelly Donaldson and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

WV Making Progress On Bay & Waterways Cleanup Plan

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia mostly is meeting its commitments to clean up Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, according to the Environmental …

PHOTO: The EPA's new rule clarifies which waterways are covered by the Clean Water Act. Conservation groups in West Virginia think it could be especially important for rural areas. Photo courtesy West Virginia Dept. of Tourism.

Controversial New Federal Water Rule Hailed in WV

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – The Obama administration has released a new rule clarifying which waterways are covered by the Clean Water Act. Many West …

$PHOTO: A new study of online records for just three states found fracking companies committed an average of two-and-a-half violations of drilling rules a day. Photo courtesy of the Sierra Club.$

Study Finds Frackers Average at Least Two Violations a Day

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - On average, fracking companies commit more than two-and-a-half drilling violations a day, according to a new study drawn from …

PHOTO: A Virginia court decision could slow the huge pipelines aiming to bring Marcellus gas to southeastern markets. Photo by www.marcellus-shale.us

Legal Delays Could Be Problem for Huge Gas Pipelines

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A Virginia county court case may slow construction of big proposed natural-gas pipelines - a delay opponents say the pipelines …

PHOTO: More landowners are going to court to oppose huge pipelines intended to carry Marcellus and Utica natural gas to eastern markets. They say they are concerned in part about construction impacts like those see here in a pipeline out west. Photo courtesy of Appalachian Mountain Advocates.

More Landowners Resisting Gas Pipelines

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Huge pipelines intended to carry Marcellus and Utica natural gas to eastern markets are running into spreading resistance …

PHOTO: A witness who had to flee Monday's huge train derailment and explosion in West Virginia says it has changed how he looks at rail shipment of crude oil. Photo courtesy Office of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.

Crude Oil Blast “Could Have Been Right By My House”

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — A witness who fled Monday's train derailment and massive fire says he can't help but wonder now if he and his neighbors …

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WV: Rural/Farming