Like many newspaper editors these days, Calvin Stovall has been working with a reduced staff and a tight budget. But when a gunman opened fire at an immigration center in his town of Binghamton, N.Y., population 45,000, the Press & Sun-Bulletin editor didn't let the cutbacks stop him and his reporters from doing their job. "It is easy for us to get hung up on that," said Stovall. "But we have had the people we needed to cover the story."
Since Friday's shooting, the paper's staff have been working around the clock to cover the story properly, with extra print and web content that includes a focus on the 13 victims, who include eleven immigrants, their English teacher, and an office worker. Local translators have helped the staff overcome language barriers in interviews, and journalists from papers also owned by Gannett Co. Inc. have joined the staff to help with coverage.
Stovall told Joe Strupp of Editor & Publisher that the tragedy points to why journalists do what they do: "The industry is really going through a lot right now, we know we play a very important role and this is a reminder of the very important role we play." (Read more; read the paper's Web coverage here)
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Ohio survey finds rural hospitals prone to layoffs
Ohio hospital layoffs are deeply affecting hospitals that serve rural areas, found a survey conducted by the Ohio Hospital Association. Of the hospitals anticipating laying off employees in the next six months, 41 percent serve primarily rural areas.
The OHA press release noted many of the concerns faced in rural communities across the nation: the lack of health care options that existed in many areas even before the economic crisis and the economic pressures that ripple through a town when a hospital -- often a major employer for a community -- starts cutting staff. (Read more)
The OHA press release noted many of the concerns faced in rural communities across the nation: the lack of health care options that existed in many areas even before the economic crisis and the economic pressures that ripple through a town when a hospital -- often a major employer for a community -- starts cutting staff. (Read more)
West Virginia officals ask National Register to drop Blair Mountain, citing property owners' objections
One week after Blair Mountain was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, state officials have asked that the West Virginia site be taken back off the list, citing uncounted objections from area property owners. The 1921 battle waged on the mountain was the largest armed conflict over labor issues in U.S. history.
"Efforts to preserve Blair Mountain date back to the early 1990s, when [United Mine Workers] officials and environmentalists teamed up to fight strip-mining proposed by non-union Massey Energy," writes Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette. "Three years ago, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Blair Mountain as one of America's 11 most endangered historic sites."
An area cannot be listed on the register if a majority of property owners object. Originally, state officials counted 22 objections out of 50 property owners , but now say that 30 objections were actually filed. (Read more)
UPDATE, April 9: Scott Finn of West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports state officials say they "missed several letters from objecting landowners. Those letters from objectors reveal a coordinated campaign by landowning and coal companies to gather signatures of property holders to oppose the nomination. Most are filled out as a form letter, simply stating that they are landowners and they object to the listing, and nothing else. Many are signed on the same date, and many have the same witness or notary public co-signing the document." (Read more)
"Efforts to preserve Blair Mountain date back to the early 1990s, when [United Mine Workers] officials and environmentalists teamed up to fight strip-mining proposed by non-union Massey Energy," writes Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette. "Three years ago, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Blair Mountain as one of America's 11 most endangered historic sites."
An area cannot be listed on the register if a majority of property owners object. Originally, state officials counted 22 objections out of 50 property owners , but now say that 30 objections were actually filed. (Read more)
UPDATE, April 9: Scott Finn of West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports state officials say they "missed several letters from objecting landowners. Those letters from objectors reveal a coordinated campaign by landowning and coal companies to gather signatures of property holders to oppose the nomination. Most are filled out as a form letter, simply stating that they are landowners and they object to the listing, and nothing else. Many are signed on the same date, and many have the same witness or notary public co-signing the document." (Read more)
Monday, April 06, 2009
Bird flu, not the bad kind, found on Kentucky farm
A Western Kentucky poultry farm that produces hatching eggs for Perdue Farms Inc. has been quarantined "following the detection of a non-pathogenic or low-pathogenic form of avian influenza" in the birds, reports Dave Russell of Brownfield Network.
“The state and federal government and Perdue are acting aggressively to contain and eliminate the disease,” State Veterinarian Robert Stout said. “There is no evidence that any infected poultry are in the human food supply as a result of this infection. We will do what is necessary to minimize the disruption to overseas trade.”
"Perdue plans to depopulate the 20,000 chickens in two houses on the farm, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is also conducting surveillance of backyard flocks within a 2-mile radius of the farm," Russell reports. "The strain poses minimal risk to human health and is not the high-pathogenic strain associated with human and poultry deaths in other countries."
“The state and federal government and Perdue are acting aggressively to contain and eliminate the disease,” State Veterinarian Robert Stout said. “There is no evidence that any infected poultry are in the human food supply as a result of this infection. We will do what is necessary to minimize the disruption to overseas trade.”
"Perdue plans to depopulate the 20,000 chickens in two houses on the farm, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is also conducting surveillance of backyard flocks within a 2-mile radius of the farm," Russell reports. "The strain poses minimal risk to human health and is not the high-pathogenic strain associated with human and poultry deaths in other countries."
Rural health centers often lack eye-care services
Add limited access to eye-care services to the list of rural health issues, says an analysis from George Washington University. The article from Ophthamology Times, “Assessing the Need for On-Site Eye Care Professionals,” says GWU found community health centers across the country are severely lagging in their access to comprehensive eye exams for rural and low-income populations.
Federally funded community health centers have improved some situations, but GWU reports that 70 percent of those centers do not offer on-site vision care services.The American Optometric Association is beginning to pay more attention to the disparity and has been working to expand access to eye-care through community health centers. The analysis listed several key barriers to providing on-site eye-care, including inability to afford space and equipment and difficulties with Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement. Read more here.
Federally funded community health centers have improved some situations, but GWU reports that 70 percent of those centers do not offer on-site vision care services.
Iowa 1st rural state to legalize same-sex marriage; most-rural Vermont the first via a legislative vote
The Iowa Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage write is significant because Iowa is a state with significant rural population (39 percent in the 2000 census), a fact not lost on several news outlets. UPDATE, April 7: Iowa's rural culture is more traditional than that of Vermont, where the legislature enacted same-sex marriage today over a gubernatorial veto.
"When it was only California and Massachusetts, it could be perceived as extremism on the coasts and not related to core American values," Brown University sociologist John Logan told The Associated Press. "But as it extends to states like Iowa, and as attitudes toward gay marriage have evidently changed, then people will look at it as an example of broad acceptance." (Read more)
Iowa's largest newspaper notes the state's status as a bellwether. "I think it’s significant, because Iowa is considered a Midwest state in the mainstream of American thought," Richard Socarides, former adviser to President Clinton on gay rights issues, told Jeff Eckhoff and Grant Schulte of The Des Moines Register. "Unlike states on the coasts, there’s nothing more American than Iowa. As they say during the presidential caucuses, 'As Iowa goes, so goes the nation.'"
But critics say the decision was not one the Iowa Supreme Court should have made. The court "stepped out of its proper role in interpreting the law," says Doug Napier, a lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund in Arizona. The state's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act "was simple, it was settled, and overwhelmingly supported by Iowans. There was simply no legitimate reason for the court to redefine marriage." Opponents are planning to challenge the decision with a constitutional amendment, but, unlike California's speedy referendum process, any amendment to the Iowa constitution cannot occur until at least 2012. (Read more) Other articles note the expected economic benefits Iowa may see, reactions to the ruling and a profile of the judge who authored it.
UPDATE: The Vermont veto was overridden with the minumum 100 votes needed in the state House. The state is the first to enact same-sex marriage with legislation rather than court action, notes the Burlington Free Press.
"When it was only California and Massachusetts, it could be perceived as extremism on the coasts and not related to core American values," Brown University sociologist John Logan told The Associated Press. "But as it extends to states like Iowa, and as attitudes toward gay marriage have evidently changed, then people will look at it as an example of broad acceptance." (Read more)
Iowa's largest newspaper notes the state's status as a bellwether. "I think it’s significant, because Iowa is considered a Midwest state in the mainstream of American thought," Richard Socarides, former adviser to President Clinton on gay rights issues, told Jeff Eckhoff and Grant Schulte of The Des Moines Register. "Unlike states on the coasts, there’s nothing more American than Iowa. As they say during the presidential caucuses, 'As Iowa goes, so goes the nation.'"
But critics say the decision was not one the Iowa Supreme Court should have made. The court "stepped out of its proper role in interpreting the law," says Doug Napier, a lawyer for the Alliance Defense Fund in Arizona. The state's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act "was simple, it was settled, and overwhelmingly supported by Iowans. There was simply no legitimate reason for the court to redefine marriage." Opponents are planning to challenge the decision with a constitutional amendment, but, unlike California's speedy referendum process, any amendment to the Iowa constitution cannot occur until at least 2012. (Read more) Other articles note the expected economic benefits Iowa may see, reactions to the ruling and a profile of the judge who authored it.
UPDATE: The Vermont veto was overridden with the minumum 100 votes needed in the state House. The state is the first to enact same-sex marriage with legislation rather than court action, notes the Burlington Free Press.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Mont. governor backs horse-slaughterhouse bill, except section that would limit suits by Montanans
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has partially vetoed a bill that would allow construction of a house slaughterhouse in the state. He removed a section that would have limited the power of Montana citizens "to bring a legal challenge to a license approving a horse-slaughter facility," reports the Helena Independent Record.
"Supporters have said a slaughter plant not only would bring needed investment and jobs to Montana, but also would provide a place for people to dispose of unwanted horses, which most Montanans consider livestock," writes Mike Dennison of the Billings Gazette. "Opponents argued that a horse-slaughter plant is not the type of development Montana needs, noting that such plants have been shut down in other states across the nation." (Read more)
"My proposed amendments do not prevent the licensing and operation of a horse slaughter facility in Montana,” wrote Schweitzer, a Democrat. “My amendments retain those aspects of HB 418 that clarify existing law to ensure that a horse slaughter facility, if licensed to operate in Montana, conforms to Montana’s current laws pertaining to all livestock slaughter facilities. My amendments are focused on eliminating what I believe is the unnecessary and potentially harmful special treatment that would be granted to one particular industry." (Read the letter)
If a legislative majority rejects the governor's amendments, as the sponsor wants, Schweitzer will get the original bill "for an up-or-down veto," the Independent Record reports. (Read more)
"Supporters have said a slaughter plant not only would bring needed investment and jobs to Montana, but also would provide a place for people to dispose of unwanted horses, which most Montanans consider livestock," writes Mike Dennison of the Billings Gazette. "Opponents argued that a horse-slaughter plant is not the type of development Montana needs, noting that such plants have been shut down in other states across the nation." (Read more)
"My proposed amendments do not prevent the licensing and operation of a horse slaughter facility in Montana,” wrote Schweitzer, a Democrat. “My amendments retain those aspects of HB 418 that clarify existing law to ensure that a horse slaughter facility, if licensed to operate in Montana, conforms to Montana’s current laws pertaining to all livestock slaughter facilities. My amendments are focused on eliminating what I believe is the unnecessary and potentially harmful special treatment that would be granted to one particular industry." (Read the letter)
If a legislative majority rejects the governor's amendments, as the sponsor wants, Schweitzer will get the original bill "for an up-or-down veto," the Independent Record reports. (Read more)
Low-power FM stations give rural communities their own voices; bill would open up frequencies
Low-power FM radio stations serve many vital functions for small rural communities. Local organizations get out the word about their services, let people know about opportunities in the area, build support and participation for community projects, and warn residents about potential emergencies. "Already there are about 800 low-power FMs on the air, mostly in small towns and rural areas," Kate Blofson writes for the Daily Yonder. "Many are community stations, adding a welcome breath of participatory local radio to the airwaves."
In Emmettsburg, Iowa, local folks started their own station after one moved to a larger town. "KEMB-LP covers high school sports, festivities like the county fair and recent St. Patrick's Day celebration, local meetings, and summertime municipal band concerts," Blofson reports. "The station plans to expand its coverage, to air city council and county supervisor's meetings." (KEMB photo shows Brent McAllister and Rick Jones)
The Local Community Radio Act, (HR 1147) introduced by U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Lee Terry, R-Neb., would lift restrictions on low-power FM, opening up more frequencies for it. Cheryl Marshall of WMMT in Whitesburg, Ky., a full-power, non-profit station, says that in her southeastern Kentucky region, there is no effective emergency communications system, so "local radio often steps in," writes Blofson. "She affirms the important role local radio plays in communicating with citizens about all kinds of public issues -- of safety, health, and the environment." And because the stations have low power, equipment and operating costs are relatively low. (Read more)
In Emmettsburg, Iowa, local folks started their own station after one moved to a larger town. "KEMB-LP covers high school sports, festivities like the county fair and recent St. Patrick's Day celebration, local meetings, and summertime municipal band concerts," Blofson reports. "The station plans to expand its coverage, to air city council and county supervisor's meetings." (KEMB photo shows Brent McAllister and Rick Jones)The Local Community Radio Act, (HR 1147) introduced by U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Lee Terry, R-Neb., would lift restrictions on low-power FM, opening up more frequencies for it. Cheryl Marshall of WMMT in Whitesburg, Ky., a full-power, non-profit station, says that in her southeastern Kentucky region, there is no effective emergency communications system, so "local radio often steps in," writes Blofson. "She affirms the important role local radio plays in communicating with citizens about all kinds of public issues -- of safety, health, and the environment." And because the stations have low power, equipment and operating costs are relatively low. (Read more)
Tests after coal-ash spill suggest long-term risks
According to state and federal agencies, air and water samples taken near the coal ash spill at Kingston, Tenn., "have shown no significant health risks," reports Dave Flessner of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "But some soil and water samples closest to the ruptured sludge pond taken soon after the spill showed elevated levels of toxic materials, including arsenic, mercury and selenium."
A hundred days after the spill, the Tennessee Valley Authority is bringing in medical experts to asses long-term health risks. There are growing signs that those risks could be significant. "Avner Vengosh, a professor of earth and ocean sciences at Duke University, who has studied the Kingston ash spill, said part of the Emory River showed arsenic levels more than 100 times greater than what is acceptable in drinking water," writes Flessner. Dr. Vengosh said other samples of the river downstream showed elevated levels of mercury."
"Many people fear that they are poisoning their family by staying where they are," Sarah McCoin, of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network, told the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. "TVA is not listening to us. It’s as if they don’t care."
A separate report by the Environmental Integrity Project says "TVA records over the past decade indicate heavy metals have been detected around all six of the TVA coal plants that use wet ash disposal," writes Flessner. Eric Schaeffer, a former EPA official who heads the EIP, said "TVA plants are routinely discharging toxic metals at levels that are predicted to damage aquatic ecosystems or make fish unsafe to eat." (Read more)
A hundred days after the spill, the Tennessee Valley Authority is bringing in medical experts to asses long-term health risks. There are growing signs that those risks could be significant. "Avner Vengosh, a professor of earth and ocean sciences at Duke University, who has studied the Kingston ash spill, said part of the Emory River showed arsenic levels more than 100 times greater than what is acceptable in drinking water," writes Flessner. Dr. Vengosh said other samples of the river downstream showed elevated levels of mercury."
"Many people fear that they are poisoning their family by staying where they are," Sarah McCoin, of the Tennessee Coal Ash Survivors Network, told the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. "TVA is not listening to us. It’s as if they don’t care."
A separate report by the Environmental Integrity Project says "TVA records over the past decade indicate heavy metals have been detected around all six of the TVA coal plants that use wet ash disposal," writes Flessner. Eric Schaeffer, a former EPA official who heads the EIP, said "TVA plants are routinely discharging toxic metals at levels that are predicted to damage aquatic ecosystems or make fish unsafe to eat." (Read more)
Stimulus funds can be used to build new schools
Schools will have flexibility in using stimulus money on school construction projects, according to guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Education. While the stimulus only explicitly allowed room for modernization and repairs on existing schools, the guidelines say that "districts may spend recovery funds on any activities authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act and other statues — including the federal impact-aid program, which authorizes funds for building new schools," write Stephen Sawchuck and Erik W. Robelen for Education Week.
Critics say construction of new schools could quickly deplete the $44 billion allotted for education. But Education Secretary Arne Duncan says that flexibility is needed in creating a stronger educational system. “There’s a need to do renovation and rehabilitation,” he said. “You have areas that are significantly overcrowded, and children jammed into buildings. That doesn’t work.” (Read more)
Rural schools often face the most challenges in constructing new school buildings. Lack of funds and pressure from state governments to consolidate districts often result in little support for schools with outdated or overcrowded facilities. But a 2002 study by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a non-profit educational group, found that despite these pressures, the more personalized education available through smaller school districts often made them a better investment than larger schools. (Read more)
Critics say construction of new schools could quickly deplete the $44 billion allotted for education. But Education Secretary Arne Duncan says that flexibility is needed in creating a stronger educational system. “There’s a need to do renovation and rehabilitation,” he said. “You have areas that are significantly overcrowded, and children jammed into buildings. That doesn’t work.” (Read more)
Rural schools often face the most challenges in constructing new school buildings. Lack of funds and pressure from state governments to consolidate districts often result in little support for schools with outdated or overcrowded facilities. But a 2002 study by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a non-profit educational group, found that despite these pressures, the more personalized education available through smaller school districts often made them a better investment than larger schools. (Read more)
Cattle rustling goes up as the economy goes down
Some farmers are finding that the economic crisis is having another affect on their livelihood: the number of cattle reported missing in 2008 was up significantly from 2007, indicating that cattle rustling is on the rise. "It’s a big spike," said Jim Arnott, sheriff in Greene County, Missouri, where cattle rustlers have struck 10 times since October. "Usually we’ll go a year or two with no thefts, but it’s really picked up. In these economic times people are taking desperate measures, whether it’s stealing, or whether they’re trying to come up with money through insurance fraud."
Missouri has been hit particularly hard, writes Malcolm Gay in the New York Times, becaise it has many smaller livestock operations that don't always have someone watching the cattle. Also, the state has no "brand law," requiring owners to register brands with the state. But other areas are also feeling the effect. Nearly 200 cows were stolen from an auction market in South Dakota last month, and Wyoming officials say that from 2007 to 2008, the number of cows reported stolen rose from 90 to 225.
The job of recovering the stolen animals is made even more difficult by time constraints. "Down here, a sheriff lives or dies by whether he keeps the cattle thefts down," said Sheriff Joey Kyle of Christian County, Mo. "But there are no serial numbers on hamburgers." (Read more)
Missouri has been hit particularly hard, writes Malcolm Gay in the New York Times, becaise it has many smaller livestock operations that don't always have someone watching the cattle. Also, the state has no "brand law," requiring owners to register brands with the state. But other areas are also feeling the effect. Nearly 200 cows were stolen from an auction market in South Dakota last month, and Wyoming officials say that from 2007 to 2008, the number of cows reported stolen rose from 90 to 225.
The job of recovering the stolen animals is made even more difficult by time constraints. "Down here, a sheriff lives or dies by whether he keeps the cattle thefts down," said Sheriff Joey Kyle of Christian County, Mo. "But there are no serial numbers on hamburgers." (Read more)
Community-supported agriculture growing in Ky.
Kentucky has seen community-supported agriculture thrive, thanks in part to its "near-perfect environment" of rural areas and metropolitan areas, says a sustainable agriculture lecturer at the University of Kentucky. Mark Keating says Kentucky has approximately 35 CSA partnersships, though it started in the state only five years ago.
"Community-supported agriculture is a subscription-based program where consumers buy 'shares' in a farm's output," writes Carol Spence for UK's College of Agriculture. "This entitles them to season-long regular deliveries of freshly harvested produce or other farm products, such as meat or dairy products." They can range from large-scale operations, pooling produce from a number of farms, to small ones drawing from one farm. (UK photo)
Since CSAs tend to crop up in urban areas, they provide an opportunity to bridge the urban-rural divide. "It's such a personal thing, and yet it's such a communal thing," says Keating. "The degree to which customers will support their farmer and the length they will go to support the farmer is really exceptional." (Read more)
"Community-supported agriculture is a subscription-based program where consumers buy 'shares' in a farm's output," writes Carol Spence for UK's College of Agriculture. "This entitles them to season-long regular deliveries of freshly harvested produce or other farm products, such as meat or dairy products." They can range from large-scale operations, pooling produce from a number of farms, to small ones drawing from one farm. (UK photo)Since CSAs tend to crop up in urban areas, they provide an opportunity to bridge the urban-rural divide. "It's such a personal thing, and yet it's such a communal thing," says Keating. "The degree to which customers will support their farmer and the length they will go to support the farmer is really exceptional." (Read more)
Congress rebuffs Obama on a farm subsidy limit; he meets with a key rural Democrat to mend fences
President Obama knows he made a mistake in proposing to cut off farm subsidies to households with sales of more than $500,000 a year, an idea that didn't survive in the budget resolutions the House and Senate passed this week, reports David Rogers of Politico.
Obama "hurt himself strategically by coming forward with what the administration now admits was a poorly conceived plan," Rogers reports. "Critics argued that this would affect even moderate-sized Midwest producers, and to help preserve rural support, the House resolution leaves the farm program intact, with none of the changes proposed by the White House." The Senate called for money-saving changes in crop insurance, which Obama had proposed.
Rogers reports that Obama met at the White House last Friday with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who "had opposed the president’s stimulus bill in February but backed the budget despite continued anxiety over the projected deficits."
Obama "hurt himself strategically by coming forward with what the administration now admits was a poorly conceived plan," Rogers reports. "Critics argued that this would affect even moderate-sized Midwest producers, and to help preserve rural support, the House resolution leaves the farm program intact, with none of the changes proposed by the White House." The Senate called for money-saving changes in crop insurance, which Obama had proposed.
Rogers reports that Obama met at the White House last Friday with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who "had opposed the president’s stimulus bill in February but backed the budget despite continued anxiety over the projected deficits."
The White House and allies in the farm community were worried “we were getting off crosswise with the president and agriculture, and that would be a problem long-term if we got off on the wrong foot,” Peterson told Politico. “The president got to understand where I was coming from, got to know me.”Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilscak has hinted that the debate on subsidies is just beginning. "Let's see where things end up," Vilsack said during an interview with Reuters last week. He said deficit hawks in Congress would press for cuts and there are many ways to reach the goal of focusing farm subsidies on family farmers. (Read more) At the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture this week, Vilsack chose to focus his remarks on topics other than the potential fight over subsidies. He commented on a plan to buy food from struggling industries to be used in the federal food nutrition program. This plan includes $30 million in walnuts, $20 million in pork and $2 million in lamb. The plan also includes buying excess milk for the program to help ailing dairy farmers. Other topics discussed were the food safety net programs, civil rights in the USDA and the food safety system. To read his comments click here. Looking to aviod a potential confrontation the cap on subsidies the secretary stayed relatively mum, saying that, "The 2008 Farm Bill to cap farm subsidies was only a starting point, not a line in the sand," reports the Bemidji Pioneer. (Read more)“The only thing I can justify out of this is they’re being honest,” Peterson said of the high deficits. “When I go home, I’m going to catch hell about this. But we’ve been asking for an honest budget, and I didn’t vote for most of this stuff that created this deficit.”
Thursday, April 02, 2009
One last idea from Archie Green, via the Mt. Eagle: Pay writers, photographers to document our times
When he died last month, Archie Green, advocate for hard-working Americans, was trying to get Congress to create a modern version of the Federal Writers Project and other government programs that documented life during the Great Depression. The Mountain Eagle of Whitesburg, Ky., picked up the ball with an editorial this week.
"Times and techniques have changed, but Archie Green's vision is timeless and timely," the crusading weekly says. "One of the ways we got through the Depression was by learning that we’re all in this together. One of the ways we’ll get through the present mess is by rediscovering that truth and recording the evidence. To twist an ancient saying around, when someone plants a tree (on an old unreclaimed strip mine, let’s say) someone else should be there to record it: otherwise we’ll never hear the sound of solidarity or see the evidence of recovery." (Photo by John Vachon of cantaloupe cooperative planting in Indiana, 1940, for Farm Security Administration, via Indiana University)
The paper likens Green to the character of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, anticipating his death and wishing for a mystic legacy: "It don't matter. I'll be all around in the dark — I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look — wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build — I'll be there, too."
The Eagle doesn't make articles available online to non-subscribers until two weeks after publication, but the editorial is posted here, on the site of the Instutute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.
"Times and techniques have changed, but Archie Green's vision is timeless and timely," the crusading weekly says. "One of the ways we got through the Depression was by learning that we’re all in this together. One of the ways we’ll get through the present mess is by rediscovering that truth and recording the evidence. To twist an ancient saying around, when someone plants a tree (on an old unreclaimed strip mine, let’s say) someone else should be there to record it: otherwise we’ll never hear the sound of solidarity or see the evidence of recovery." (Photo by John Vachon of cantaloupe cooperative planting in Indiana, 1940, for Farm Security Administration, via Indiana University)The paper likens Green to the character of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, anticipating his death and wishing for a mystic legacy: "It don't matter. I'll be all around in the dark — I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look — wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build — I'll be there, too."
The Eagle doesn't make articles available online to non-subscribers until two weeks after publication, but the editorial is posted here, on the site of the Instutute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.
Cigarette makers cut tobacco growers' contracts
Tobacco farmers who signed contracts with cigarette makers late last year have been surprised in the last month by the companies' unilateral reductions in the amount they will buy, and in some cases outright elimination of their contracts.
"In the last several months, the tobacco economy has changed dramatically," Kara Keeton reports for The Farmer's Pride, a Kentucky newspaper. "The global economic downturn, increasing foreign supplies of lower quality tobacco, tax increases, smoking restrictions, health issues, shifts to smokeless tobacco products, increasing availability of imports, movement of cigarette production overseas, and possibly anticipated FDA regulation are reducing domestic needs" for burley tobacco, Kentucky's main variety and the one used in cigarettes.
David Sutton, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA, the largest cigarette maker, said, “When you get into a challenging environment as we are in, we have to continually look at those forecasts and make adjustments on what we will have to buy from growers.” Keeton reports that Philip Morris has four levels of cuts -- none, 10 percent, 30 percent and 100 percent -- based on "quality of the leaf and delivery of contracted pounds" in prior years.
Companies began contracting with growers before the federal tobacco program of quotas and price supports was repealed in 2004, but the end of price supports eliminated most burley auctions and left growers at the mercy of the companies, as they were before the program began during the Great Depression. “We knew this was coming; we didn’t know when,” Kentucky grower Ray Tucker of Shelby County told The Farmer's Pride. (The paper does not post stories online, but Keeton's article is on the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues site, here.)
The Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association buys leaf, but is unable to offer contracts, and the auction market is pure risk without price supports, Keeton notes, quoting University of Kentucky tobacco economist Will Snell: “Unlike other crops that might have access to safety net measures of the Farm Bill or futures markets, tobacco farmers have no way to manage price risk other than through contractual agreements, primarily with multinational tobacco companies. At this time there is limited communication within the industry, no market news to report prices received, no federal grading, and minimal public data and analysis for growers.” For Snell's detailed advice to growers, click here.
Emery Dalesio of The Associated Press notes, "For generations, tobacco growers were a protected class, as lawmakers across the South defended the golden leaf as stridently as politicians from Michigan and New York do automakers and Wall Street. It remains a huge business: The tobacco crop in North Carolina alone, where farmers produce nearly half the value of the entire U.S. output, was worth $686 million last year. But lawmakers don't look out for Big Tobacco as they once did." (Read more) AP fails to explain the main reason: Since the program was repealed, there are many fewer tobacco farmers. Their individual crops are larger, but their small numbers give them little political clout. Kentucky, which once has more than 50,000 growers, now has about 5,000.
"In the last several months, the tobacco economy has changed dramatically," Kara Keeton reports for The Farmer's Pride, a Kentucky newspaper. "The global economic downturn, increasing foreign supplies of lower quality tobacco, tax increases, smoking restrictions, health issues, shifts to smokeless tobacco products, increasing availability of imports, movement of cigarette production overseas, and possibly anticipated FDA regulation are reducing domestic needs" for burley tobacco, Kentucky's main variety and the one used in cigarettes.
David Sutton, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA, the largest cigarette maker, said, “When you get into a challenging environment as we are in, we have to continually look at those forecasts and make adjustments on what we will have to buy from growers.” Keeton reports that Philip Morris has four levels of cuts -- none, 10 percent, 30 percent and 100 percent -- based on "quality of the leaf and delivery of contracted pounds" in prior years.Companies began contracting with growers before the federal tobacco program of quotas and price supports was repealed in 2004, but the end of price supports eliminated most burley auctions and left growers at the mercy of the companies, as they were before the program began during the Great Depression. “We knew this was coming; we didn’t know when,” Kentucky grower Ray Tucker of Shelby County told The Farmer's Pride. (The paper does not post stories online, but Keeton's article is on the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues site, here.)
The Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association buys leaf, but is unable to offer contracts, and the auction market is pure risk without price supports, Keeton notes, quoting University of Kentucky tobacco economist Will Snell: “Unlike other crops that might have access to safety net measures of the Farm Bill or futures markets, tobacco farmers have no way to manage price risk other than through contractual agreements, primarily with multinational tobacco companies. At this time there is limited communication within the industry, no market news to report prices received, no federal grading, and minimal public data and analysis for growers.” For Snell's detailed advice to growers, click here.
Emery Dalesio of The Associated Press notes, "For generations, tobacco growers were a protected class, as lawmakers across the South defended the golden leaf as stridently as politicians from Michigan and New York do automakers and Wall Street. It remains a huge business: The tobacco crop in North Carolina alone, where farmers produce nearly half the value of the entire U.S. output, was worth $686 million last year. But lawmakers don't look out for Big Tobacco as they once did." (Read more) AP fails to explain the main reason: Since the program was repealed, there are many fewer tobacco farmers. Their individual crops are larger, but their small numbers give them little political clout. Kentucky, which once has more than 50,000 growers, now has about 5,000.
Ariz. weekly tells well the story of rural physicians
The story of recruiting doctors to rural areas is an old one, but as long as the need exists, it's worth telling. Pete Aleshire of the Payson Roundup in Arizona, one of the nation's larger weekly newspapers (circulation 18,000), does a nice job of introducing the issue in human terms:
He adds, "People living in rural areas generally have more medical problems, which reflects higher poverty rates — which in 2000 ran at 14 percent in rural areas and 11 percent in urban areas. Moreover, people living in rural areas are less likely to have medical coverage, which means their doctors more often find themselves treating patients without insurance."
For the whole 1,500-word story, click here.
Midnight phone calls.Aleshire also gives the basic data: "While 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas — only 9 percent of the nation’s doctors practice in those areas, according to a study of rural medicine published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Worse yet, only 3 percent of students in medical school say they intend to practice in a rural area."
Lack of specialist backup.
Ever-present patients.
Big city wives.
Oh, the challenges of being an up-to-date doctor in a small town.
Of course, then there’s the great relationships with your patients, the tight-knit medical community, the community connections, the nice house, the acreage and fishing just down the road.
Ah, the joys of rural medicine.
He adds, "People living in rural areas generally have more medical problems, which reflects higher poverty rates — which in 2000 ran at 14 percent in rural areas and 11 percent in urban areas. Moreover, people living in rural areas are less likely to have medical coverage, which means their doctors more often find themselves treating patients without insurance."
For the whole 1,500-word story, click here.
EPA says it needs another year to see if vehicles can stand more ethanol in gasoline
The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it will take another year of testing to determine whether higher levels of ethanol can be blended into gasoline without harming engines, Tom Doggett reports for Reuters.
Currently, ethanol makes up 10 percent of blended gasoline, but the industry is pushing for a higher share, arguing that federal law requires increasing percentages of renewables in the nation's energy mix. A petition from 53 ethanol manufacturers proposes raising the blend to 15 percent. In opposition, "Oil refiners want the government's biofuels mandates suspended, citing the limits on how much ethanol can be blended into gasoline," Philip Brasher writes for the The Des Moines Register. Charles Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, told Brasher, "We're using as much corn as this country can for fuel." Read more here.
Drevna was among witnesses at a Senate committee hearing. To read the prepared testimony or watch a Webcast of the hearing, click here.
Currently, ethanol makes up 10 percent of blended gasoline, but the industry is pushing for a higher share, arguing that federal law requires increasing percentages of renewables in the nation's energy mix. A petition from 53 ethanol manufacturers proposes raising the blend to 15 percent. In opposition, "Oil refiners want the government's biofuels mandates suspended, citing the limits on how much ethanol can be blended into gasoline," Philip Brasher writes for the The Des Moines Register. Charles Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, told Brasher, "We're using as much corn as this country can for fuel." Read more here.
Drevna was among witnesses at a Senate committee hearing. To read the prepared testimony or watch a Webcast of the hearing, click here.
Center identifies top 10 rural health concerns
As the national debate over health care reform begins to heat up, the Nebraska-based Center for Rural Affairs has released a "Top Ten" list of rural issues that need to be considered when determining the path health care will take in the U.S. Among the issues discussed in the report, "Making Health Care Work for Rural People": coverage that is "universal, continuous and affordable," options for small businesses and the self-employed, improved emergency services in rural areas, and better access to health care providers. Where are these issues present in your community? (Read more)
Coloradans fight to keep their water out of bottles
In the Western U.S., where water is often sparse, bottled-water companies are facing opposition as they try to tap local springs. In a scene replayed in communities across the country, residents in rural Chaffee County, Colo., are battling with Nestle Waters North America, which wants to bottle 65 million gallons of water from an aquifer near Salida, pop. 5,300, each year.
"I'm afraid they will pump and pump until they suck it dry," Michele Riggio, a Salida resident who has led the fight against Nestle, told DeeDee Correll of the Los Angeles Times. While Nestle says it plans to replace the water with water purchased from nearby Aurora, residents are skeptical, wondering what will happen if the area faces a drought. Opponents also say that the company's trucks will affect traffic on narrow mountain roads.
Nestle says the opposition is more philosophical than practical. "It's more a debate about corporations, who owns the water, and what is the best and highest use of water," said Bruce Lauerman, a natural-resources manager for the company. Noah Hall, professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and an expert in water law, told Correll that more communities are opposing such plans: "By the nature of its business--taking water out of the ground and putting it in a bottle and selling it--Nestle is a lightning rod for opposition wherever they go." (Read more)
"I'm afraid they will pump and pump until they suck it dry," Michele Riggio, a Salida resident who has led the fight against Nestle, told DeeDee Correll of the Los Angeles Times. While Nestle says it plans to replace the water with water purchased from nearby Aurora, residents are skeptical, wondering what will happen if the area faces a drought. Opponents also say that the company's trucks will affect traffic on narrow mountain roads.Nestle says the opposition is more philosophical than practical. "It's more a debate about corporations, who owns the water, and what is the best and highest use of water," said Bruce Lauerman, a natural-resources manager for the company. Noah Hall, professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and an expert in water law, told Correll that more communities are opposing such plans: "By the nature of its business--taking water out of the ground and putting it in a bottle and selling it--Nestle is a lightning rod for opposition wherever they go." (Read more)
On Obama's Day 1, EPA focused on mountaintop removal, objecting to King Coal Highway permit
The Environmental Protection Agency began stricter scrutiny of mountaintop-removal strip mining on the Obama administration's first day in office, objecting to a permit for a major coal company's mine that would help create a path for the proposed King Coal Highway in southern West Virginia.
"On Jan. 20, EPA Region 3 officials in Philadelphia sent a letter ... objecting to issuance of a valley fill permit for Consol of Kentucky’s Buffalo Mountain Surface Mine," reports Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette. "I’ve posted the letter here and a copy of the Corps’ public notice on that permit here."
The King Coal Highway, from Huntington to Bluefield, would be build in part through mountaintop-removal mining. "The project is a favorite of most local and state politicians, and a move to further delay it would be unpopular with some powerful folks," Ward writes. "EPA says it does not believe that the Corps can issue this permit unless and until it conducts a detailed Environmental Impact Statement to weight the potential environmental damage." (Read more)
"On Jan. 20, EPA Region 3 officials in Philadelphia sent a letter ... objecting to issuance of a valley fill permit for Consol of Kentucky’s Buffalo Mountain Surface Mine," reports Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette. "I’ve posted the letter here and a copy of the Corps’ public notice on that permit here."
The King Coal Highway, from Huntington to Bluefield, would be build in part through mountaintop-removal mining. "The project is a favorite of most local and state politicians, and a move to further delay it would be unpopular with some powerful folks," Ward writes. "EPA says it does not believe that the Corps can issue this permit unless and until it conducts a detailed Environmental Impact Statement to weight the potential environmental damage." (Read more)
Scientists say groundwater can be used to store greenhouse gas, but water wars are starting
Scientists have found that underground water can be used to store the main greenhouse gas, but Tara Lohan of The Nation reports that "The battle for control over the world's dwindling freshwater resources has already begun." Most of her story is about conflicts in Asia, but she also reports on tension between the U.S. and Mexico over the Colorado River and its recharge of groundwater.
The study about groundwater storage of carbon dioxide was done by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester. For a story by Michael Kahn of Reuters, click here.
The study about groundwater storage of carbon dioxide was done by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester. For a story by Michael Kahn of Reuters, click here.
Mainers want to repeal school consolidation law
Maine legislators heard from rural residents upset over a loss of control over their schools, as they re-evaluated a 2007 law consolidating school services. If history is any indication, the state will probably face a referendum in November on repeal of the law.
The law was aimed at saving money, but "referendum supporters see consolidation as an assault on local control, especially in rural areas known for moose-crossing signs and vast forests separating small towns," writes Associated Press reporter Glenn Adams. "They say the law has failed to deliver savings to local districts." Rep. Peter Edgecomb, who sponsored a bill to reform the law, called consolidation was a "strong-armed tactic that has no place in our rural state."
Supporters of consolidation, including Gov. John Baldacci, say that the bill has saved $36 million each year by eliminating duplication of services. The bill reduced 94 school administrative units to 24. (Read more)
The law was aimed at saving money, but "referendum supporters see consolidation as an assault on local control, especially in rural areas known for moose-crossing signs and vast forests separating small towns," writes Associated Press reporter Glenn Adams. "They say the law has failed to deliver savings to local districts." Rep. Peter Edgecomb, who sponsored a bill to reform the law, called consolidation was a "strong-armed tactic that has no place in our rural state."
Supporters of consolidation, including Gov. John Baldacci, say that the bill has saved $36 million each year by eliminating duplication of services. The bill reduced 94 school administrative units to 24. (Read more)
Enviros draw lines in West for energy development
Environmental groups want vast swaths of the rural West off-limits to energy projects. They "fear that a boom in solar and wind energy could endanger wildlife," report Peter Henderson and Bernie Woodall of Reuters. "The western United States is home to sunny deserts and windy plains -- but also many endangered or threatened species."The "Path to Green Energy" maps (right) were produced by the National Resources Defense Council and the National Audubon Society. They include many areas that would likely be off-limits to development, such as parks, but also include proposed wilderness areas and "areas that are key wildlife habitats -- where environmentalists might put up a fight with developers," Reuters reports.
The maps were developed with funds from Google Inc.'s philanthropic arm, google.org. They are available here via Google Earth, the basic version of which is downloadable for free.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Biden, Vilsack visit N.C. to tout help for rural areas
"Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Eastern North Carolina today to announce $1.76 billion in stimulus funding to help an estimated 15,000 rural families buy homes across the country," reports The News & Observer of Raleigh. "The visit comes as economies of rural communities are plummeting -- and much faster than the rest of the country," according to data reported here.
Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Faison, N.C., to highlight $635,000 in economic stimulus money being used to expand a rural health clinic, one of many such examples around the nation, and Pikeville, where a volunteer fire department got a $50,000 grant and $1 million loan for a larger station that can house ladder trucks. For the story, photos and videos, click here. UPDATE, April 2: The firehouse grant was approved during the Bush administration, Mark Johnson of The Charlotte Observer reports. (Photo by Corey Lowenstein)
"We're here to try to make rural America stronger, and this is just one of many examples across this great nation," Biden said. "We understand that the health of small towns like yours is essential for our nation's well-being, as well as it is to help big cities like Charlotte and other cities. It's essential -- it's essential -- that small towns, rural towns be healthy, and are growing, and have access to everything that is needed for the well-being of their citizens."
The trip was the latest in which Biden or President Obama have visited states that turned Democratic in last year's election and are key to their re-election prospects in 2012. In fact, as Chuck Todd of NBC News notes, the president and first lasy beat Biden to the Tar Heel State. Biden's remarks included a political aside, according to a White House transcript: "As I was getting out of the car, the President called me from Europe, from the G20 meeting, to discuss another matter. . . . He said, 'Joe, where are you? Where did I get you?' 'Well,' I said, 'I'm in eastern North Carolina.' He said, 'We won there, didn't we?' (Laughter.) No, actually, that's not what he said. He said, 'Tell everybody I said hello.'" For the White House press release, click here.
Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Faison, N.C., to highlight $635,000 in economic stimulus money being used to expand a rural health clinic, one of many such examples around the nation, and Pikeville, where a volunteer fire department got a $50,000 grant and $1 million loan for a larger station that can house ladder trucks. For the story, photos and videos, click here. UPDATE, April 2: The firehouse grant was approved during the Bush administration, Mark Johnson of The Charlotte Observer reports. (Photo by Corey Lowenstein)"We're here to try to make rural America stronger, and this is just one of many examples across this great nation," Biden said. "We understand that the health of small towns like yours is essential for our nation's well-being, as well as it is to help big cities like Charlotte and other cities. It's essential -- it's essential -- that small towns, rural towns be healthy, and are growing, and have access to everything that is needed for the well-being of their citizens."
The trip was the latest in which Biden or President Obama have visited states that turned Democratic in last year's election and are key to their re-election prospects in 2012. In fact, as Chuck Todd of NBC News notes, the president and first lasy beat Biden to the Tar Heel State. Biden's remarks included a political aside, according to a White House transcript: "As I was getting out of the car, the President called me from Europe, from the G20 meeting, to discuss another matter. . . . He said, 'Joe, where are you? Where did I get you?' 'Well,' I said, 'I'm in eastern North Carolina.' He said, 'We won there, didn't we?' (Laughter.) No, actually, that's not what he said. He said, 'Tell everybody I said hello.'" For the White House press release, click here.
Number of statehouse reporters down by one-third in six years, American Journalism Review finds
Reflecting what has been reported here for some time, American Journalism Review has "found a staggering loss of reporting firepower at America's state capitols," Managing Editor Jennifer Dorroh writes, reporting on the magazine's fifth count of statehouse reporters and the first since 2003.
"The tally found only 355 full-time newspaper reporters at the nation's state capitols, a 32 percent decrease from just six years ago," Dorroh reports. "It discovered that 44 statehouses have fewer full-time reporters than they did six years ago. The number of full-time reporters remained the same in four states and increased modestly in two."
While the reductions are not surprising, given what has happened to newspapers in the last few years, they come at a time when more watchdog journalism is needed, Dorroh notes: "The gutting of America's capitol press corps comes just as a large portion of the federal stimulus package becomes the responsibility of state governments." Issue coverage is a problem, too:
However, AP usually cannot function as a watchdog on individual legislators or area delegations, long an area of specialty for statehouse reporters from smaller papers. And even those that still have reporters often find them stretched thin. "Following layoffs in November, [Walter] Jones is the lone statehouse reporter for Morris Communications' four Georgia dailies, whose readership does not overlap," Dorroh writes, quoting him: "There are four legislative delegations to watch. Trying to keep up with all of them is not going to leave a lot of time for statewide watchdog stuff." (Read more)
"The tally found only 355 full-time newspaper reporters at the nation's state capitols, a 32 percent decrease from just six years ago," Dorroh reports. "It discovered that 44 statehouses have fewer full-time reporters than they did six years ago. The number of full-time reporters remained the same in four states and increased modestly in two."
While the reductions are not surprising, given what has happened to newspapers in the last few years, they come at a time when more watchdog journalism is needed, Dorroh notes: "The gutting of America's capitol press corps comes just as a large portion of the federal stimulus package becomes the responsibility of state governments." Issue coverage is a problem, too:
When reporting on health care reform in Connecticut, "I and a couple reporters had the story to ourselves," says Ted Mann, a statehouse reporter for The Day of New London. "The smaller the room gets, the easier it is for the government to go around the press and avoid answering questions they don't want to answer."One bright spot, relatively speaking, may be The Associated Press. It "has a robust presence at many capitols, although it, too, has cut back at some," Dorroh reports, quoting AP Managing Editor Michael Oreskes: "We view statehouse coverage as essential and are acutely aware of our increasing responsibility at state houses as others are forced by hard times to reduce their presence. We have about 85 fulltime state house reporters and expand this significantly during legislative sessions. We have added more people this year than in past years for the reasons I described."
However, AP usually cannot function as a watchdog on individual legislators or area delegations, long an area of specialty for statehouse reporters from smaller papers. And even those that still have reporters often find them stretched thin. "Following layoffs in November, [Walter] Jones is the lone statehouse reporter for Morris Communications' four Georgia dailies, whose readership does not overlap," Dorroh writes, quoting him: "There are four legislative delegations to watch. Trying to keep up with all of them is not going to leave a lot of time for statewide watchdog stuff." (Read more)
Merle Hansen dies; was advocate for family farms, conservation, civil rights, world peace
Merle Elwin Hansen of Newman Grove, Neb., died at 89 on March 27. "He was a farmer, an organizer, a civil rights leader, a conservationist, a conservationist and a peace activist," reports the Daily Yonder. "He was participant and an integral part of the great debates and decisions of the last century." (Photo from Norfolk Daily News)Among Hansen's many accomplishments were serving as a leader in American Agriculture Movement and helping organize the mid-1970s "Tractorcade" to Washington, D.C. "He helped found the National Family Farm Coalition," the Yonder notes. "He was the ag adviser to Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign in 1984 and '88. He helped with the first Farm Aid concert in 1985." Hansen was also an accomplished farmer, "raising purebred Charolais, starting a fertilizer business, selling seed." (Read more)
For a 1,543-word obituary by John Hansen, apparently a son, in AgObservatory, click here.
Fla. bill filed to thwart doctor shopping; Ky. paper takes note, since many shoppers come from there
Florida state Rep. Kelly Skidmore has proposed a law to monitor prescriptions distributed in her state and close a pipeline that sees people travel to Florida to obtain pain killers to abuse and sell. "The lack of such a program has made Florida the place that people from 38 states that do have such programs go to get their drugs," reports Valarie Honeycutt Spears of the Lexington Herald-Leader in Kentucky, from whence many of Florida's drug shoppers come.
Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, a physician, wrote Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul on March 20, encouraging him to support Skidmore's bill. "Interstate issues remain because controlled substance abuse problems transcend state borders, thus increasing the likelihood of interstate doctor shopping in the 12 states without prescription monitoring programs," Mongiardo wrote. Skidmore says Florida has the top 25 doctors dispensing oxycodone in the United States and a report published by the Broward County grand jury said the number of South Florida pain clinics had doubled since August of last year.
Doctors in Kentucky say they have patients who travel, sometimes together in vans, to obtain large quantities of pain medications. Roger Browne, a Florida doctor who was convicted of taking part in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone pillsm had a client list that included 500 people from six counties in Eastern Kentucky. He admitted at a plea hearing in November that he knew there was a high probability the pills would be distributed illegally in Kentucky. (Read more)
Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, a physician, wrote Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul on March 20, encouraging him to support Skidmore's bill. "Interstate issues remain because controlled substance abuse problems transcend state borders, thus increasing the likelihood of interstate doctor shopping in the 12 states without prescription monitoring programs," Mongiardo wrote. Skidmore says Florida has the top 25 doctors dispensing oxycodone in the United States and a report published by the Broward County grand jury said the number of South Florida pain clinics had doubled since August of last year.
Doctors in Kentucky say they have patients who travel, sometimes together in vans, to obtain large quantities of pain medications. Roger Browne, a Florida doctor who was convicted of taking part in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone pillsm had a client list that included 500 people from six counties in Eastern Kentucky. He admitted at a plea hearing in November that he knew there was a high probability the pills would be distributed illegally in Kentucky. (Read more)
New book provides personal accounts of mountaintop-removal mining
A new book due out April 17 by Kentucky writers Silas House and Jason Howard provides testimonies from individuals on the front lines of the fight to stop mountaintop-removal strip mining for coal. Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal takes a hard look at the controversial practice and the people and landscapes it affects.
"House and Howard’s book includes interviews of 12 diverse people, ranging from activists known across Appalachia, such as Jean Ritchie and Kathy Mattea, to less well-known individuals who are fighting within their communities, such as Larry Bush and Judy Bonds," reports The Corbin Times-Tribune. "Each account is prefaced with a biographical essay that establishes the interview settings and the subjects’ connections to their region."
The two men, who met at the Hindman Settlement School's Appalachian Writers Workshop, both come from coal families. A fact that House says they both proudly admit. But House, who now teaches at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., adds that he got involved in the campaign against mountaintop removal in 2005 when another Kentucky writer, Wendell Berry, invited all Kentucky writers to tour mountaintop removal sites. It was an experience which House says changed his life. "Once you’ve seen it up close like that, and had people look you right in the eye and tell you their stories about the way it is destroying their lives," he said, "you can’t turn away." (Read more)
"House and Howard’s book includes interviews of 12 diverse people, ranging from activists known across Appalachia, such as Jean Ritchie and Kathy Mattea, to less well-known individuals who are fighting within their communities, such as Larry Bush and Judy Bonds," reports The Corbin Times-Tribune. "Each account is prefaced with a biographical essay that establishes the interview settings and the subjects’ connections to their region."
The two men, who met at the Hindman Settlement School's Appalachian Writers Workshop, both come from coal families. A fact that House says they both proudly admit. But House, who now teaches at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., adds that he got involved in the campaign against mountaintop removal in 2005 when another Kentucky writer, Wendell Berry, invited all Kentucky writers to tour mountaintop removal sites. It was an experience which House says changed his life. "Once you’ve seen it up close like that, and had people look you right in the eye and tell you their stories about the way it is destroying their lives," he said, "you can’t turn away." (Read more)
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