In the 1990s, Elliot County, KY was declared the poorest county in the nation. But rather than going the usual route and focusing efforts on recruiting outside companies to come in, leaders took a different approach to the problem, and looked to build on their own strengths. Two decades later these efforts led by the […]
Fishermen in the Northeast have been making a transition from work as cod fisherman — an industry that has been part of the region’s heritage for generations. Brendan Smith shared valuable lessons on what has been a sometimes difficult transition for these folks at the Appalachia’s Bright Future Conference.
Over 4,000 eastern Kentucky miners have lost their jobs since 2011, and many fear these coal jobs aren’t coming back. Now folks in the coalfields are asking the question, what comes next? Scholars at Appalachian State University think there are lessons to be learned from South Wales, a major coal producing region which faced a […]
All Appalachians know our region is rich in music – but this doesn’t always translate in to money for local residents. Yet the Crooked Road, southwestern Virginia’s heritage music trail, is working to change that. In recent years, through careful planning focused on local culture and decision making, this project has helped the region’s traditional […]
