Every Appalachian state has ample trail opportunities, from the Tanglefoot Trail in Mississippi, to South Carolina’s Swamp Rabbit Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Trails are incredible gateways for attracting outside visitors and increasing quality of life for community members. ARC partners have long worked to establish trail systems that…
West Virginia, though improving in many measures, has the most drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people of any other state. Fortunately, the Mountain State also has an incredible host of ARC partners, local leaders, and community members committed to overcoming this challenge. This list includes West Virginia University Research Corporation and the Institute for Community and Rural Health (WVU…
Investment in Action
Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Recipients will use funds to expand skilled workforce capacity for Appalachia’s Energy, Aerospace, Aviation, Automotive, and Petrochemical Industries Washington, D.C., March 2, 2021 – Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) announced five grant awards for the …
In 2016, the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIFund) partnered with the Hatfield McCoy Trail Authority and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College (Southern) to drive recreational tourism development in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. Through ARC POWER funding, the partners launched a revolving loan…
It’s been a full year since the nation’s first confirmed COVID-19 case. With federal plans to amp up vaccinations as soon as possible, it’s important to take a look at how Appalachian states are responding to, and in some cases leading, vaccination…
Individuals overcoming substance use disorder (SUD) often face a series of overwhelming obstacles when reentering their communities. Workplace stigmas around addiction, a lack of transportation to services and unsupportive living situations can all stand in the way of successful long-term recovery. To help individuals navigate these types of barriers,…
“About 80% of West Virginia businesses have 20 or less employees,” said Alyssa Keedy, the Advanced Career Education Coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Why is that the case? One reason is a disconnect between West Virginia workers and the skills needed by local employers. With many…
Region 4-Planning and Development Council Address 885 Broad Street, Suite 100Summersville, WV 26651 Executive Director John Tuggle Email jtuggle@reg4wv.org…
With only one in three adults physically active, West Virginia has high rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. These health outcomes directly affect workforce readiness and productivity, economic development, and overall quality of life in communities. To get West Virginians moving – and health trends moving in the…
The Appalachian Hatchery is an innovative advanced manufacturing incubator at Marshall University’s Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) in Huntington, West Virginia. Established in 2017 with a $1.5 million ARC POWER grant, along support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the Hatchery supports manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and business development in West Virginia’s southern most 20 counties –…
