THE APPALACHIAN REGION The Appalachian Region includes all of West Virginia and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Region is home to more than 25 million people and covers 420 counties and almost 205,000 square miles. |
APPALACHIAN STATESLearn about ARC's investments in each Appalachian state. |
 NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTSIn the Region This Week: May 17
One ARC POWER project is building a model for sustainable employment for community health workers that benefits high-risk patients; improved infrastructure in Appalachian Georgia is spurring economic development; telepsychiatry program offers mental health services to rural students in New York. Read more and subscribe to ARC's weekly news snapshot. Legislative Update: House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2019 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill Containing $155 Million for ARC
Approved May 16, the bill provides a total of $155 million for ARC's nonhighway programs, of which $50 million is allocated for POWER Initiative activities to help Appalachian communities adversely impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector. Legislative update In Focus April 2018: Data Tools for Economic Development in Appalachia
Data is a key tool in planning for economic growth, helping leaders identify opportunities, make resource decisions, and build stronger action plans. ARC's quarterly newsletter In Focus looks at two new ARC data resources communities can use to develop more data-driven strategies: the "Chartbook," a topical overview of Appalachian socioeconomic and demographic data, and the Appalachian Overdose Mapping Tool. Read more and subscribe ARC Seeks Candidates for Financial Manager and Intermodal Transportation Program Analyst Positions
ARC is currently recruiting candidates for two positions: a financial manager who will oversee the development, maintenance, and integrity of the agency's accounting systems, and an intermodal transportation program analyst who will manage projects and initiatives that complement the success of the Appalachian Development Highway System and local access road program. Complete position and application information is available on the ARC Job Opportunities page. New Data Visualization Tool Enables In-Depth, County-by-County Look at Impact of Opioid Epidemic in Appalachia
Developed by NORC at the University of Chicago and ARC, the Appalachian Overdose Mapping Tool integrates overdose mortality rates for Appalachia's 420 counties with data on socioeconomic factors including unemployment, poverty, disability, and others. Press release ARC Releases FY 2017 State-by-State Investment Overview
The overview includes fact sheets detailing ARC's fiscal year 2017 economic development investments in each of the 13 Appalachian states, as well as a regional investment summary. Press release ARC Issues POWER Request for Proposals to Help Appalachia's Coal-Impacted Communities Diversify and Grow Local Economies
On February 1, ARC issued a request for proposals (RFP) for 2018 POWER Initiative funding to help coal-impacted communities in Appalachia diversify and strengthen their local economies. Priority areas for investment through the RFP include developing a competitive workforce, enhancing access to and use of broadband services, fostering entrepreneurial activities, and developing industry clusters. ARC is making up to $20 million available through the RFP. Press release ARC Announces Research Series Examining the Impacts of Declining Coal Production on the Region's Economy
The January 2018 research series An Economic Analysis of the Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem is the first comprehensive assessment of current and potential effects the changing coal industry can have on the Appalachian Region. The series' five reports explore some of the current and future economic effects of declining coal production on components of Appalachia's coal industry ecosystem, including production and employment, supply chain industries, transportation, electric power generation, and human capital. Press release Study Examines Disparities Related to "Diseases of Despair" in Appalachia
A new ARC-commissioned report analyzes the impact of "diseases of despair" on mortality within the Appalachian Region, focusing on increasing morbidity and mortality from three main causes: alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. The report was prepared by the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. Read the report |
UPCOMING EVENTSNetwork Appalachia Spring 2018 Meeting Community Colleges of Appalachia 2018 Annual Conference Appalachian Higher Education Network 2018 Annual Conference |