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As winter sets in, eastern Kentuckians wrangle with cold and flood aftermath
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Advocates urge Congress to update black lung program
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As a result, the Ohio Valley has become an expanse where abortions are either outlawed, heavily restricted, or hanging in the balance of local courts. Those in the region seeking abortions sometimes have to travel hundreds of miles to access it.
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Throughout the Ohio Valley, experts say the mental health care system needs to be bolstered with community and school mental health resources, extensive outpatient treatment and additional options to help kids before they need hospitalization.
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When miners and former miners seek a diagnosis for the disease, they must also seek a diagnosis from coal company-approved doctors. A recent study from the American Thoracic Society indicated that these doctors often show bias and conflict of interest. To contest the diagnosis, those seeking benefits, like Coleman, go to court.
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Only people convicted of low-level offenses qualify for the program. Incarcerated moms and babies are housed together in a separate building, away from the general population. They have access to parenting classes, medical care and early Head Start, the school readiness program. The initiative also provides a kitchen so moms can prepare meals for their babies.
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Kentucky is bordered by five states that have legalized marijuana in some form. But, it remains illegal in all forms in the Commonwealth. Illinois, on the other hand, has completely legalized marijuana, as has Virginia. Ohio and West Virginia have both legalized its medical use.
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The initiative outside of Norton is called Project Intersection and strives to combine reclamation efforts with economic development. The planting project extends over three acres of land, though the strip mine site is close to 200 acres, encompassing an old high wall, a mining feature that can deteriorate and crumble.
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Refugee resettlement agencies in Kentucky and Ohio have helped Afghan parolees, and the region has a long history of resettling people from around the world. From 2020 through 2021, 4,577 refugees resettled in Kentucky, almost half from Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by Cuba and Myanmar. During the same period, Ohio welcomed 1,111 refugees. West Virginia has resettled five evacuees from Afghanistan, advocates say the state’s refugee program doesn’t have enough funding and support.
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But Blockware Mining isn’t alone in Kentucky. As the technology takes off, a cryptocurrency mining boom is taking place in the state that’s known for mining coal. It’s a burgeoning industry that investors see as a cutting-edge economic opportunity. But critics say it’s compounding the world’s preeminent crisis – climate change.
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Advocates argue the bail system needs to be reformed because it disproportionately harms poor people who can’t afford to pay it. Supporters of bail reform in Ohio argue the system has left many sitting in county jails longer than necessary while they wait for their court dates, as they often can’t afford the pay bail. The system can also become a financial burden on the friends and family of defendants.
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Privately, water board members say they’re tired of being held as the poster child of water problems in the state, but there’s not enough money or resources to fix it all. The process of fixing Martin County’s water lines is frustratingly manual — patching leaks, digging up lines one by one to see if they’re broken and repairing them. It’s agonizingly slow and highly labor-intensive, requiring frequent water shutoffs and boil-water notices.