A few weeks ago, I found myself driving through Grayson, Kentucky, the kind of small-town stop you don’t always plan but often ends up staying with ... Read This Post
Communities
Protect REAP, a federal program rural Kentucky can’t afford to lose
This op-ed ran in several Kentucky papers in May 2026. Over the past several decades, rural Kentucky has faced significant changes. In Eastern ... Read This Post
Childcare Solutions Marked into Kentucky Law
As the Kentucky General Assembly winds down for the year, new legislation could reshape childcare access across Eastern Kentucky. What began in ... Read This Post
New Data Center Protections & New Issues in Kentucky
Last November, we wrote about the possibility of large data centers coming to Kentucky. Utilities like LG&E and KU had projected a major increase ... Read This Post
An Update on Mountain Association’s Disaster Recovery Work
In 2022, the mountains of Eastern Kentucky experienced a rainfall event like no other. On the night of July 26th, a band of heavy rain ... Read This Post
Mapping Floods Together: How Community Knowledge Is Shaping a More Resilient Future in Floyd County
Throughout the mountains, floods have long shaped people’s lives. Yet as extreme weather becomes more frequent, traditional tools for understanding ... Read This Post
Bills in the KY Legislature with Utility Bill Impacts
The 2026 Kentucky General Assembly is actively considering several significant bills that directly impact every Kentuckian who pays a ... Read This Post
Childcare Solutions Gaining Momentum in the Kentucky State Legislature for 2026
The future of Kentucky’s economy depends on reliable, affordable care for children and working families, a truth that is now gaining broader ... Read This Post
Charging Ahead: Barbourville Celebrates 225 Years with New Energy
From its horse-drawn street cars to a new Electric Vehicle charger station at its City Hall, Barbourville, Kentucky’s downtown has officially seen it ... Read This Post
Energy Costs & Data Center Development in Kentucky
Kentucky’s utilities are preparing for what they believe could be a large increase of new energy demand from data centers. These large facilities ... Read This Post
Eastern Kentucky communities enact vacancy ordinances
Across Eastern Kentucky an impactful movement is gaining momentum: the fight against downtown vacancy and blight. Towns are enacting vacancy ... Read This Post
Meanwhile in Appalachia
At the end of March, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Appalachian Studies Conference in Cookeville, Tennessee. The beginning of 2025 has ... Read This Post
