Footpaths, bike trails and car tours guide tourists and locals alike through the region’s natural and cultural heritage. The spending that accompanies the use of such trails has helped revive local economies. But wage levels remain a challenge. Second in a series, Read part one  EDITOR’S NOTE: Jacob Stump grew up […]

This article was originally published by The Conversation.  President Donald Trump recently ordered Energy Secretary Rick Perry to take “immediate steps” to stop the closure of coal and nuclear power plants. And according to a draft memo that surfaced the same day, the federal government may establish a “Strategic Electric Generation […]

Southwest Virginia turned an unused railroad right of way into a critical part of a regional tourism powerhouse. Jacob Stump, a native of the region, begins a series on how those changes have affected the economy and culture of this Central Appalachian area. EDITOR’S NOTE: Jacob Stump grew up in […]

President Donald Trump delivered remarks to a dinner crowd Tuesday in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and a golf tournament at a resort owned by Gov. Jim Justice. In a half-hour speech delivered to active-service military, veterans and state Republican Party notables, […]

This article was originally published by The Conversation.  is currently working on the 2018 farm bill, a massive piece of legislation enacted about every five years. One of its key elements is crop insurance, which helps protect farmer income in times of volatile production – for example, when crops are damaged […]

The Ohio Valley’s auto manufacturing industry is growing increasingly nervous about the Trump administration’s trade policy. First came tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, key materials for vehicle makers. Now the Commerce Department is looking into taxes on imported automobiles and automotive parts. Both are ominous signs for an industry […]