Rural Blog Archive - August 2005

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INSTITUTE FOR RURAL JOURNALISM & COMMUNITY ISSUES

The Rural Blog Archive August 2005

Issues, trends, events, ideas and journalism from the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues

Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005

U.S. to dip into petroleum reserves in Katrina's aftermath; groups helping victims

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman said this morning "that the Bush administration will release oil from federal petroleum reserves to help refiners affected by Hurricane Katrina," write Jacqueline L. Salmon, Ann Gerhart and Fred Barbash of The Washington Post.

Crude oil and gasoline prices have reached record highs in the aftermath of the hurricane that ravaged the Gulf Coast and disrupted the oil supply chain. The Energy Department's Web site states that it would be possible to get about four million barrels of reserve oil per day, but it would be a couple of weeks before that oil entered the U.S. market.

In addition to handling oil problems, Louisiana state officials are expecting an influx of tens of thousands of evacuees to Red Cross and community shelters, report Salmon, Gerhart and Barbash. (Read more)

Al Tompkins Morning Meeting poses the question, "How do you find a responsible relief agency that is working to help storm victims?" Tompkins provides information about a Web site with a charities database and he lists several of the charities helping out in the hurricane's aftermath. (Read more) The Christian Science Monitor reported that the Red Cross alone has 5,000-plus volunteers assigned to helping out.

National survey shows overwhelming, diverse support for teaching Creationism

A national poll released yesterday seems to indicate the rural-urban divide apparently does not delineate the debate over teaching Creationism alongside Evolution in American schools.

"In a finding that is likely to intensify the debate over what to teach students about the origins of life, [the] poll ... found that nearly two-thirds of Americans say creationism should be taught alongside evolution in public schools," writes Laurie Goodstein of The New York Times. (Read more)

The poll found that 42 percent of respondents held strict creationist views, 48 percent said they believed that humans had evolved over time, 18 percent said that evolution was "guided by a supreme being," and 26 percent said that evolution occurred through natural selection. In all, 64 percent said they were open to the idea of teaching creationism in addition to evolution, while 38 percent favored replacing evolution with creationism, The poll was conducted July 7-17 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. The questions about evolution were asked of 2,000 people. The margin of error was 2.5 percentage points.

John C. Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum, told Goodstein he was surprised to see teaching evolution and creationism was favored not only by conservative Christians, but by majorities of secular respondents, liberal Democrats and those who accept the theory of natural selection, calling it a reflection of "American pragmatism." National Center for Science Education Director Eugenie C. Scott, who is a prominent defender of evolution told the times the findings were not surprising because "Americans react very positively to the fairness or equal time kind of argument." So far this year, "The National Center for Science Education has tracked 70 new controversies over evolution in 26 states, some in school districts, others in the state legislatures," writes Goodstein.

Men denied right to speak found not guilty of disruption, resisting arrest

A Giles County, Tennessee jury last week ruled not guilty a man denied the right to speak at a public school board meeting, and another who asked why, both of whom were subsequently charged with disruption and and resisting arrest following their attempts to be heard.

When the trial of Fred Winkles and Allen Barrett began last week, Circuit Court Judge Robert L. Jones, cautioned the jury they were "'going to have to be awfully careful' in dealing with 'the fine line between the right of assembly and freedom of speech,'" writes Claudia Johnson of the Pulaski Citizen.

"Barrett made several attempts to be placed on the agenda for the Feb. 10 Giles County Board of Education meeting, leaving multiple messages, all unreturned, for School Board Chairman Mike Gonzales and speaking on the phone with Director of Schools Tee Jackson," writes Johnson. Barrett wanted to address extending Jackson’s contract until 2008. Barrett questioned the extension saying it "would circumvent the right of the public to vote for a director of schools should the legislature restore that right before the 2006 election," she notes.

Barrett was not recognized to speak after asking four times and Winkles asked why Barrett could not be recognized. Barrett asked, "why can’t I speak? Gonzales responded, "this is a public meeting, not a meeting of the public." Gonzales moved for a recess and called 911. He testified in court he was unable to perform his functions and called the recess because Barrett was directly behind him, making him uncomfortable. He said he called 911 “so the situation would not escalate.” Charges of resisting arrest were presented to the grand jury later, and both men were acquitted of all counts, writes Johnson.

National Operation Wildfire nets 427 arrests, 200 pounds of meth and 56 labs

Operation Wildfire, an effort by more 200 police departments and the Drug Enforcement Administration, resulted in 427 arrests, 200 pounds of meth seized and 56 labs busted, authorities announced Tuesday, reports The Associated Press.

Seventy of the arrests occurred in eight counties in rural western North Carolina. Authorities took custody of 30 children, including two in Missouri who were living in a bug-infested home-turned-meth lab, writes AP. (Read more)

Local officials praised Tuesday’s announcement, but some people questioned a proposed $804 million cut in grants to local authorities for drug-fighting efforts. "We'd like them to reverse that decision," Joe Dunn, assistant legislative director for the National Association of Counties, told reporters.

North Carolina approves lottery; 35 percent of revenue slated for schools

North Carolina legislators approved a state lottery Tuesday, making it the last East Coast state to do so, write Sharif Durhams and Mark Johnson of The Charlotte Observer.

Scratch-off tickets could be for sale early next year. “North Carolina will benefit from the path cleared by other states, including all of its neighbors, in how to set up and run a lottery, and, hopefully, in how to avoid the scandals and financial shenanigans that have erupted elsewhere,” reports the newspaper. Tennessee adopted a lottery last year and South Carolina started selling tickets in 2001.

Gov. Mike Easley, a Democrat, plans to sign the lottery measure today. "This is a win for the four-year-olds who require pre-K, the low-wealth counties that need assistance with school construction and the disadvantaged students trying to go to college," Easley said in a statement.

The estimated annual lottery revenue $1 billion, 35 percent of which would go to education and the remainder to prize and operating costs, report Durhams and Johnson. (Read more) Education money will be divided into 50 percent for prekindergarten instruction for at-risk 4-year-olds and elementary school teacher hires, 40 percent for school construction, and 10 percent for need-based college scholarships.

Hybrid solar lighting shines bright in debut; energy savings potential cited

"Sunlight Direct is marketing a hybrid solar lighting system that officials say trims energy costs, boosts productivity and spurs shopping," writes Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and introduced Tuesday at the American Museum of Science and Energy, the HSL 3000 system concentrates sunlight into optical fibers that are strung into buildings and used to power lights, reports Fowler.

"The potential is there, and now the hard work is beginning,'' Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman Bill Baxter told Fowler. "It comes down to, can you make it affordable to somebody as hard-nosed as Wal-Mart?" With the lab's co-sponsorship, one system is being tried at a Wal-Mart in McKinney, Texas, and another is being used at a Opry Mills Mall in Nashville.

The third-generation lighting technology system costs $24,000 to illuminate 1,000 square feet, but the price per unit down should drop to $8,000 within two years, Sunlight Direct President John Morris said. "Energy savings from reduced lighting and air conditioning costs will amount to about $1,000 a year, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Duncan Earl said," writes Fowler. (Read more)

Protected Canadian geese invade New Hampshire; hunters left with few options

"Several farm operators have expressed to me their exasperation with Canada geese this summer, and at
Mascoma Valley Regional High School in West Canaan the fall sports program is being disrupted by a flock of the birds continually defecating all over the playing fields," writes Commissioner Stephen H. Taylor in the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food Weekly Market Bulletin.

"Canada geese are supposed to be migratory fowl, but many of them now have chosen to become year-round residents of the northeastern United States ... They’ve become a first-class nuisance, thanks to their voracious feeding on grass and landscape plantings and the prodigious amounts of manure they deposit wherever they go," continues Taylor.

"They’re a protected species, so about all a landowner can do legally is to try to drive them off. To that end, trained Border Collies are effective in chasing them away, and then there are pyrotechnics aimed at scaring them off—but both such means are costly and of limited value in the long run. Sept. 6 thru Sept. 25 marks an open season on Canada geese, and hunters holding a valid New Hampshire waterfowl license with both state and federal endorsements can bag up to five," notes Taylor. The Weekly Market Bulletin is available only with a paid subscription. (Click here for more information)

New report aims to assist Southern states striving for stronger communities

Southern states' progress in building healthy communities is now being tracked in a plan released at the Southern Governor's Association meeting in Greensboro, Ga.

The Southern Community Index ties in with an integrated economic development strategy, and it features 15 quality of life measures. Some of those areas include access to healthcare, homeownership rates, crime rates, employment rates, levels of civic engagement and leadership diversity. The report's goal is to raise awareness about those issues and to spur communities to adopt growth plan.

States covered in the Index include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Puerto Rico is also included in the report. To view the document in pdf format, click here.

Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005

NAB teams with Red Cross to provide Katrina relief, air public announcements

The National Association of Broadcasters, representing radio and television stations across the United States, and the American Red Cross have joined forces to provide public service announcements (PSAs) on how citizens can donate money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The NAB is also asking members to donate much needed equipment to television and radio stations affected by the hurricane.

Radio PSAs of 10, 25 and 30 seconds can be downloaded from the NAB Web site, while television stations can order a free overnight dub by e-mailing Sarah Roberts at sroberts@nab.org. The PSAs detail Red Cross services available, and include a localizable spot broadcasters can customize with local chapter contact information. The spots ask listeners to give to the Disaster Relief Fund, visit the Red Cross Web site or call 1-800-HELP-NOW to learn how they can help. The TV PSAs feature the same information and show images of hurricane damage and Red Cross service delivery.

NAB President and CEO Edward O. Fritts said, "As attention turns to the clean-up effort, we urge radio and TV stations to carry these timely PSAs to help our citizens who were victims of the hurricane." American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha Evans said, "We rely on broadcasters to make our lifesaving mission a reality."

The NAB represents broadcasters' interests before Congress, federal agencies and the courts. NAB also serves a growing number of associate and international broadcaster members.

Illinois Attorney General Madigan says EPA takes it easy on coal plants

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has sent a scathing letter to the state's Environmental Protection Agency office documenting more than 7,600 pollution violations since 1999 at six coal-fired power plants owned by Midwest Generation.

Monitoring equipment measured the amount of light blocked by coal smoke, and "the EPA is supposed to use the information to gauge whether coal plants are releasing too much pollution that can trigger asthma attacks and cause lung disease, heart problems and premature deaths," writes Michael Hawthorne of the Chicago Tribune. (Read more) But, Hawthorne notes, "EPA officials say there isn't a problem ... [and] they agree with company executives who [say there is] nothing to worry about."

Madigan accused the EPA of skirting a "clear, absolute and non-discretionary requirement of federal law," and wants the power company to clean the aging plants, some five decades old, before they get new air-pollution permits. Madigan wrote, "Principles of sound law enforcement do not generally counsel excusing violators because they deny the violations occurred, especially when their self-reported compliance data admits to thousands of violations." EPA Air Bureau Chief Laurel Kroack replied, "Merely because they've had intermittent ... violations doesn't mean they have excess emissions ... it also could just be water vapor."

Coal plants are major sources in creating smog and also emit soot, which is considered a significant threat to public health. "Testy exchanges between the EPA and the attorney general's office are the latest sign of tension between Madigan and Gov. Rod Blagojevich, both Democrats," writes Hawthorne.

Tennessee's tobacco farmers should see ‘growing’ profits in booming season

Tennessee's Cheatham County Extension Office is reporting a major increase in tobacco acreage, which is likely to yield increased profits for farmers, by perhaps as much as 20 percent.

"Farmers ...are continuing ...to reap what will hopefully be high-yielding crops ...," writes Candis Ann Shea of The Ashland City Times. (Read more) "Cheatham County is considered the heart of Tennessee tobacco country, making the area's crop in high-demand for exporting."

Extension Agent Ronnie Barron told Shea the county's tobacco crop usually yields around $5 million, but he predicts, “This year could be more - maybe six (million) - because we have a lot more tobacco.". Barron told the newspaper local tobacco generates about $55 million in tax revenue per year.

Barron referenced last year's lifting of the federal quota system which determined how much tobacco a farmer could grow. He told Shea farmers previously resorted to renting other quota amounts to produce more of the crop, but the additional costs drove tobacco prices up. Now, the free market puts no limits on farmers, as long as they hold contracts with tobacco companies to sell their crops.

Tennessee's tobacco farmers are considering several factors before planting; what companies prefer, which varieties are top-quality and which yield more per acre. The University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky are studying 10 tobacco varieties to determine top-quality producers, the most disease resistant and which ones suit different farmers’ needs, writes Shea.

Tennessee pushing for Broadband; could mean jobs, money for small towns

Bridging the digital divide is gaining in popularity as a quest for communities and states, who seek economic development opportunities for under-served rural areas.

Bringing broadband to rural Tennessee is a hot topic today and tomorrow at the Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development at the Nashville Convention Center. "Getting it, somehow, someway, is the game rural Tennessee counties, cities, even single businesses are playing — hard. Push has come to shove for country towns trying to keep their economies afloat, and having broadband Internet access is the only way to do it," writes Leon Alligood of The Tennessean. (Read more)

Joe Max Williams, executive director of the South Central Tennessee Development District, told Alligood, "Manufacturing jobs are leaving us, and if we want to replace them we've got to have high-speed Internet access. That's what potential businesses looking to relocate ask all the time: 'Have you got broadband, can you get me a fast connection to the Internet?'"

Scott Lindsay, president of Rural Broadband Coalition, a Washington-based advisory group focused on rural broadband, told Alligood, "Broadband is a huge economic development driver. It can open up a lot of opportunities for rural areas and it can improve the quality of life.'' Mickey Ledbetter, a marina operator at Willow Grove at Dale Hollow Lake said, "It's one of those things you add to keep your business." Ledbetter contracts with a company that provides wireless Internet to Willow Grove and other marinas.

ConnectKentucky to pursue extending wireless networks to more rural users

ConnectKentucky has partnered with the Australian Crown Castle International Corp to evaluate land and identify opportunities for extending wireless service, especially to rural areas.

As a ConnectKentucky partner, Crown Castle is gathering demographic data and radio frequency drive-test information for certain state properties. ConnectKentucky will use the data gathered to fully assess the opportunity for additional build-out and to identify priority areas for infrastructure expansion in underserved areas, reports ConnectKentucky on PRNewswire. (Read more)

ConnectKentucky reports Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data shows Kentuckians have more wireless phones than wire line connections. "The FCC reports the number of wireless subscribers in the Commonwealth rose to 2.2 million in 2004, an increase of 21 percent, while wire line connections declined to 2 million statewide. Nationally, the market is split 50-50," writes the group.

Crown Castle has over 12,300 wireless communication sites in the United States and Australia. ConnectKentucky is the state's technology-based economic development partnership of technology-minded businesses, government entities, and universities.

Development plan riles Durham residents; some fear losing their homes

In light of rapid urban growth and fears of eminent domain dictates taking private property, more than 200 Durham, N.C., residents packed their city hall last night. Their concern: A proposed development ordinance, which some allege is a conspiracy to take homes.

"The proposed [ordinance] UDO includes zoning changes that encourage dense redevelopment in the neighborhoods near downtown," writes Michael Biesecker of The [Raleigh] News&Observer. (Read more) (Registration required) Some think the new rules would help the city and county governments re-enact hated urban renewal programs, during which a predominantly black neighborhood was condemned and bulldozed. Some of that land was then used to build the Durham Freeway.

Denise Hester, a member of a group seeking $25 million in city money to redevelop the Fayetteville Street corridor, mailed meeting invites to residents south of downtown. The card showed condo development near Duke University with the caption: "Your Last Chance to Stop Urban Renewal." On the back, Hester wrote, "If we work together, we can prevent this tragedy from engulfing our community again."

City-County Planning Director Frank Duke said the cards are part of "a misinformation campaign that implied the government was plotting to seize property from poor homeowners and turn it over to wealthy developers -- a practice that would be illegal under state law," Biesecker writes.

WKU, NPPA win Knight Foundation grant for online photojournalism program

Western Kentucky University and the National Press Photographers Association have been awarded a $100,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to create an online education program for photojournalism.

"WKU and the photographers association will work with the Poynter Institute for Media Studies' News University Web site to create a curriculum based on work that has won the association's Best of Photojournalism contest," reports the Lexington Herald-Leader. (Read more) The distance-learning program will allow students to view award-winning work on the NewsU Web site and learn how it was made. The Web site is http://www.newsu.org.

WKU's award-winning photojournalism program has produced 12 photojournalism grads who have been on Pulitzer Prize-winning teams. WKU ranked No. 1 in the overall Hearst Journalism Awards competition three of the past five years, and the photojournalism program ranked No. 1 in 15 of the past 17 years.

The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation was established in 1950. It promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the 26 U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. The foundation is independent of and wholly separate from Knight Ridder, which owns the Herald-Leader, the newspaper writes. For more information on the foundation, click here.

Rural Calendar: 4-H teen council prez & Johanns to speak at forum tomorrow

Four-H Teen Council State President Janie Williams has been asked to speak at a public forum tomorrow hosted by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in Louisville, Ky., as part of USDA nationwide Farm Bill listening tour. The forum will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 in the South Wing Conference Center, Room B102, at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center.

Williams is a senior at Hardin Co. High School and is planning to come to the University of Kentucky and major in agriculture education. Her goal is to become a County Extension agent, says Larry W. Turner, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Dean for Extension and Director, Cooperative Extension Service.

In addition to a Q&A session with Johanns, the format will allow an open comment period for general Farm Bill comments. The public can submit comments via the USDA Farm Bill Forums Web site. Forum attendees are encouraged to arrive by 3:30 p.m. EDT to visit state USDA representatives and other Kentucky agriculture leaders.

Monday, Aug. 29, 2005

Kentucky governor pardons all but himself in civil-service hiring probe

Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky, in a bid to stop a Democratic attorney general's investigation into Fletcher's hiring practices, announced this evening that he would pardon anyone charged with violating the state's civil-service law, except himself, and would not testify before a grand jury tomorrow.

Fletcher's plan was reported this afternoon by Bill Bryant of Lexington's WKYT-TV. The Lexington station noted, "Fletcher lost a bid earlier this afternoon in Franklin Circuit Court to delay his testimony" before the special grand jury investigating allegations that his administration was filling civil-service jobs on the basis of politics rather than qualifications. The jury has indicted nine people, all on misdemeanors, and one of the nine also faces felony cover-up charges.

Fletcher's gambit had been rumored for weeks, and some Republicans had publicly urged him to issue pardons. "It's the only move he has," 1995 GOP nominee Larry Forgy told Louisville's WAVE-TV yesterday. Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, said in a personal column for The Courier-Journal yesterday, "Fletcher and his advisers may have concluded that the way out of the mess is for him to play Harry Truman, say 'The buck stops here' ... " This evening, to applause from supporters in the Capitol rotunda, Fletcher used that phrase, after acknowledging in his greatest detail yet that his administration had made mistakes.

Fletcher's course is risky, but political abuse of the merit system, Kentucky's version of civil service, "is more common in the state's smaller, rural counties, so there is still a considerable body of opinion that Fletcher's personnel policies aren't that much different than those of his Democratic predecessors," Cross wrote. "And statewide, many voters are tiring of the constant drip-drip-drip of the probe and want it to end. Between those groups of voters and Fletcher's base, you might have numbers that add up to a strategy of testify, pardon and make a frontal assault on Stumbo ... "

This evening, Fletcher repeatedly attacked Stumbo, saying the attorney general was wasting tax dollars on the probe, destroying lives of young Fletcher aides, and failing to investigate health-care fraud. Stumbo said Fletcher had "slammed the door on the public's right to know what wrongs his administration has committed." Stumbo said he was especially troubled that Fletcher did not apologize for the wrongdoing, "and no one said it won't happen again."

As Stumbo continues to investigate Fletcher, some Democrats want to raise the stakes. "I think several of us in the House would be interested in filing impeachment papers," Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, told WLKY-TV. Democrats run the House; Republicans run the Senate, where impeachments are tried.

Monday, Aug. 29, 2005

Kentucky governor pardons all but himself in civil-service hiring probe

With help from women, Bush regains part of slippage among rural voters

President Bush's job-approval rating among rural Americans slipped in late spring and early summer, but he regained about half his loss, thanks to a rebound among women, according to poll data provided to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues by NBC News.

Surveys for NBC by Public Opinion Strategies found that Bush's job approval among rural voters from mid-July through mid-August was 54 percent, up from 46 percent in May and early July. In January and late April, his rural approval was 59 percent. (In each case, the polling firm merged its data from two polls to provide a sufficient sample size for analysis of rural voters, who make up about 21 percent of the U.S. population. The error margins for each merged sample, in reverse chronological order, were plus or minus 5.3, 3.2 and 2.5 percentage points.)

The polls indicated that Bush's decline in late spring and early summer was about the same among men and women, but that women's later rating of his job performance rebounded almost to earlier levels, while men's rating of him remained depressed. Alex Bellone of Public Opinion Strategies said the protests centered on Cindy Sheehan may have "galvanized some rural voters to move in the opposite direction -- that Sheehan has gone too far to the left."

Bush's summer rebound among rural voters left his approval rating among them 7 percentage points higher than his overall July-August approval of 47 percent. During his dip, his rural rating was only 2 points higher than overall. Rural voters were keys to Bush's election in 2000 and his re-election in 2004. Exit polls last November indicated that he won 62 percent of the rural vote to 38 percent for Sen. John Kerry.

Weak building codes, enforcement in rural areas could amplify Katrina's toll

Hurricane Katrina's expected devastation might have been less in rural Louisiana if local governments had stronger building codes and enforced them better, reports The Miami Herald.

"The prevalent hurricane code in Louisiana has been what engineers consider the bare minimum -- that buildings be designed to withstand 100-mph winds," reporter Andres Viglucci writes. "In January 2004, the Louisiana legislature approved a higher standard comparable to post-Andrew codes in Miami-Dade and Broward counties -- the highest in Florida -- that buildings stand up to gusts of 146 mph.

"But the legislature didn't require localities to adopt the new standard. New Orleans and Baton Rouge did, but many local communities have codes that haven't been updated in 10 or 15 years," the Herald reports, and enforcement of the weak codes has been spotty in rural areas, according to Marc Levitan of Louisiana State University's Hurricane Center. He also told Viglucci that local contractors seem reluctant to use hurricane-resistant windows and shutters. (Read more)

Reporting tip: Matt Waite of the St. Petersburg Times used free Google Maps to produce a hurricane tracking map on his Web site. Waite explains here how he fed National Weather Service and data to Google Maps. "This is probably just the beginning of newspapers taking advantage of the free use of Google Maps," says Mark Schaver, computer-assisted reporting director at The (Louisville) Courier-Journal. "The Times Herald-Record in New York state used Google Maps to create an online Record Gas Watch giving reader-contributed gas prices for stations in its area."

Katrina headed inland; like Camille, it could wreak havoc in mountains

As Hurricane Katrina barrels inland, it conjures up memories of another devastating hurricane, Camille in 1969, which ravaged the Gulf Coast and then deluged many inland rural areas.

"Those of us who lived though Hurricane Camille will never forget it," writes Ken Ringle for The Washington Post. "Its nearly 200-mph winds and 25-foot storm surge exploded concrete buildings and erased entire communities -- then gouged open graveyards and hung corpses in the live oaks like so much Spanish moss. There was a problem for a time telling the storm victims from those already embalmed." The death toll for Camille was more than 250 after it hit and "swept up the Mississippi Valley as a tropical storm," writes Ringle. "Then, three days and 1,000 miles after it hit the coast, it took a right turn over West Virginia and, in some sort of terrifying meteorological joke, dumped 20 to 40 inches of rain in eight hours on Nelson County, Va., hosing away entire mountainsides, drowning or burying 150 more people and touching off 100-year-record floods in the James River basin." (Read more)

A recollection from chief blogger Bill Griffin: Hurricanes are often hyped beyond their reality, and all get compared to the big three -- the unnamed Labor Day hurricane of 1935, Frederick in 1979, and the one whose name is spoken with the same awe as Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- Camille in 1969. I flew over Camille's devastation the next day to film for WEAR-TV and saw a large ocean tanker hundreds of yards inland. The bay at Pass Christian was covered in debris and only the ripple of waves moving the flotsam and an occasional glint of sunlight reflected enabled one to tell that it was a bay of water. A Holiday Inn on the beach, where dozens had decided to stick it out with a hurricane party, was gone. Only the concrete steps to the side of the building remained, later a monument to the dead. The trees and everything else were gone as far inland as we could see from about 1,000 feet up. I had seen large areas of Vietnam devastated by B-52s and defoliation. Camille's path looked worse, and without the craters.

Miss church? 'Godcasting' will let you catch up -- or keep on missing?

IPod users can now listen to their favorite tunes downloaded off the Internet and catch the church service they missed last week via “Godcasting,” reports The New York Times.

“Just as Christian organizations embraced radio and television, podcasting has quickly caught on with religious groups," writes Tania Ralli. "Since the beginning of July, the number of people or groups offering spiritual and religious podcasts listed on Podcast Alley (podcastalley.com) has grown to 474 from 177.”

Using airwaves to spread spiritual messages dates as far back as 1931, when the Vatican transmitted its first broadcast. Evangelical Christians have used both radio and television to spread their messages. “New technology like podcasting updates the mission, although on a much smaller scale for now,” reports Ralli.

Rev. Mark Batterson of National Community Church in Alexandria, Va., foresees Godcasting having as big an impact on the church as printing presses did with Bibles in the 15th Century. "If you really believe in the message you're preaching, you want as many people as possible to listen," Batterson told Ralli.

Melissa Rogers, a visiting professor of religion and public policy at the Wake Forest University Divinity School, predicts that podcasts will not actually replace people attending church. "Podcasts provide a way for people who are very busy these days to get their religion on the fly, but for most people this will be a supplement, not a substitute," she told Ralli. (Read more)

Retreat mining under scrutiny; growing number of deaths linked to practice

A popular method of extracting more coal, used in mines throughout Appalachia, is also placing miners in grave danger and has killed a number of them, say critics.

"Layers of rock overhead rumble like thunder. Dirt and pebbles rain down. A rock fall is imminent. So what is a miner to do? 'You run for your life,' said Tim Miller, who toiled in Kentucky's mines for more than two decades," writes Roger Alford of The Associated Press. (Read more)

Underground coal miners "know what it's like to have to scurry like gophers through the darkness to get away from falling rocks. Miners say that's part of the job, especially when it comes to digging coal from the very pillars that keep layers of rock from collapsing in on them," Alford writes. While the practice may seem strange to outsiders, "generations of miners have been cutting away those pillars to increase coal production in a practice known as retreat mining," he writes. Alford notes that although the legal practice is a standard procedure, it has killed 17 miners in the past seven years.

Four Kentucky miners have been crushed in rock falls during retreat mining in the last 14 months. Miller, an organizer for the United Mine Workers of America, told Alford, "You're definitely playing Russian roulette. You remove those pillars, the roof is coming down. It's inevitable."

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher has commissioned a study on ways to make retreat mining safer. Fletcher appointed the panel soon after two miners were killed in a rock fall near Cumberland, Ky., Aug. 3.

Mad-cow disease detection progressing; could lead to early treatment

A lack of a way to diagnose mad-cow disease has long been the biggest obstacle in the effort to detect and treat the disease and its human version. But, a new process may point the way to a useful blood test.

"Transfusions can spread the disease among people, but there is no practical test to detect it. That is why blood donors are carefully screened to weed out people who have lived or visited in certain areas where they might have become infected," writes Randolph E. Schmid of The Canadian Press. "Until now, dissecting [brains] offered the only way to detect such brain-wasting diseases in humans."

These diseases are caused by agents known as prions. A number of researchers, led by neurology professor Claudio Soto at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, have developed a method of more easily detecting prions. This "could help prevent the spread of the disease ... and detect the illness in people or animals before it can be spread to others," Schmid writes. (Read more) The findings, published in the September issue of the journal Nature Medicine, are available online.

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Intramural John Sealy Endowed Fund for Biomedical Research. For a related article, Consumers Union Wants More Data on Mad Cow Testing, click here.

Pastoral Vermont braces for meth plague; state police issue warnings

If methamphetamine gains a foothold in Vermont, the drug could create an epidemic that far outpaces the impact that heroin has had on the state, say law enforcement officials.

"That was the message from Vermont State Police Detective Trooper Michael Smith at a recent forum held in Rutland to raise awareness about the dangers of methamphetamines," writes Alan J. Keays of the Rutland Herald in Rutland,Vt. (Read more)

Smith, a member of the state police criminal intelligence unit, told Keays, "If we end up with a meth problem in Vermont, it will overrun our heroin problem. We don't currently have a meth problem. We want to get ahead of it. We want to be truly proactive."

Smith spoke to 60-plus people at a methamphetamine forum, including prison guards, prosecutors, judges and drug treatment providers. Similar information sessions are taking place across the state. Smith said, "There are other states out there and we're looking to see what they have done. We're trying not to reinvent the wheel." He told the newspaper he isn't sure why the drug — which has swept across the West and Midwest, leaving a swath of addicts and crimes in its wake — has not yet reached Vermont.

In June of last year, police broke up what they believed to be the state's first methamphetamine lab. They arrested two men from Arkansas and charged them with setting up shop in Shrewsbury.

Oklahoma students say rodeo cowboys should spit out tobacco partnership

Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) wants Oklahoma's Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) to cut its ties with the United States Smokeless Tobacco Company (USSTC), according to submitted reports in the McAlester News-Capital.

The PRCA hosts the Bullnanza rodeo and the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour, and it promotes USSTC, maker of Skoal and Copenhagen. During a recent SWAT gathering, members urged that PRCA and Bullnanza "spit out big tobacco." SWAT member Charlet Ringwald said, "We want the PRCA to realize that rodeos are for families, not addictive and deadly tobacco products," writes the newspaper.

SWAT's protest was led by a hearse and followed by a caravan of cars. For more information about the group, contact Oklahoma Coordinator Jennifer Wilson at (405) 271-3619. (Read more)

Rural Calendar: SAMAB roundtable on sustainable forests set Sept. 12-15

Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere Cooperative and Foundation will hold its Southern Roundtable on Sustainable Forests 2005 Conference (SRSF) Sept. 12-15, in Asheville, N.C.

SAMAB is inviting everyone interested to join them and their partner organizations "to discuss emerging issues in the South including land conversion, conservation incentives, markets for ecosystem services, hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, tribal forest sustainability, regional indicators of sustainability, and more. Click here for agenda and registration form.

The conference will be at the Holiday Inn Sunspree (Crowne Plaza), One Holiday Inn Drive, Asheville, N.C. 28806. The hotel phone number is 828-254-3211 or 800-733-3211. The organization has set aside a block of rooms under Southern Forest Sustainability Conference. The room rate is $81 a night, for a limited time. For more information contact Jennifer Hayes at 828-257-4207 or e-mail her at: jenniferhayes@fs.fed.us.

The (SRSF) was founded in November of 2003 "to begin addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable forest resource management in the South," they note. For more details on this and other regional events, click here.

Friday, Aug. 26, 2005

Greyhound leaves more than 1,000 rural places (and counting) without service

"For the first time in as long as most people can remember, the old 'silver dog' failed to stop last week in Hollywood, Fla.; Hurricane Mills, Tenn.; and Ludlow, Vt. -- just a few of close to 1,000 out-of-the-way hamlets where residents can no longer leave the driving to Greyhound," Patrick Jonsson of The Christian Science Monitor writes from another of the places left behind, Windsor, N.C.

"So far, 750 rural towns -- and hundreds of more in-between 'flag stops' in even smaller places -- have lost their Greyhound connection this year. Service stopped at 81 locales last week alone, and hundreds more are expected to be dropped as the Dallas-based carrier and its subsidiaries roll out new routes across the country into 2006," Jonsson writes.

"It's part of a broad restructuring of the 91-year-old long-distance carrier, which is trying to regain traction after losing $22 million in the first quarter of this year. Left in a puff of exhaust are the small towns that helped define the image of the Greyhound as a low-rent hitch that appealed to Americans' sense of adventure and earned it broad cultural recognition in everything from country songs to movies like 'Midnight Cowboy.' Greyhound's new strategy: adopt faster and more direct urban routes."

In Windsor and places like it, Jonsson reports, "the decision compounds a sense of dislocation and increasing distance from the country's booming urban centers -- not to mention the loss of a cheap ticket to the big city for many rural poor, especially in the South." Traffic runs the other way, too. ""Most people come from the country, not the city, and they have to have a way to come back for weddings and funerals, and the bus is still that way for a lot of people," Maria Wesson of Windsor told Jonsson. (Read more)

Kentucky high court says repeated, sloppy reporting is actual malice, libel

In a decision that could chill aggressive reporting, the Kentucky Supreme Court yesterday reinstated a $2.97 million defamation verdict won by amusement park Kentucky Kingdom against WHAS-TV of Louisville, which imprecisely described events at the park in a series of reports.

First Amendment lawyer Jon Fleischaker told Andrew Wolfson of The Courier-Journal that the ruling might prompt other libel suits against news organizations, but that it remains to be seen whether the decision will hamper the press because the facts in the case were so rare and unlikely to be replicated.

"WHAS broadcast several reports that included three statements that a jury found were false and defamatory," Wolfson writes. After state inspectors shut down a ride on which five people were injured, a WHAS reporter interviewed a passenger who said, "I mean, everybody should know about how dangerous this ride is." The reporter then added, "State inspectors also think the ride is too dangerous." The court's 4-3 majority, reversing the Court of Appeals, "found that the station knew that no state inspector had said the ride was too dangerous but reported that anyway," The C-J reports.

The second report at issue was on the park's plan to reopen the ride, which the station called "the roller coaster ride that malfunctioned earlier this week." The majority found "The station knew that the ride hadn't malfunctioned and that the accident was caused by operator error," The C-J says. The other instance showing malice came "several years later when, describing evidence in a lawsuit filed on behalf of the injured passenger, WHAS-TV reported that the park had removed 'a key component of the ride'."

The dissenting opinion by Justice William Cooper said the first two assertions were "substantially true." He said the first was "a rational interpretation" and that in full context, the reports were "unmistakably substantially true." He predicted that "self-censorship by the media in its conduct of its most essential role" will be "the inevitable result" of the decision. "The real tragedy of today's decision … is that it significantly diminishes the breathing space … that is imperative for a vigorous and competent press," he wrote.

But the majority opinion by Justice Donald Wintersheimer, joined by Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, said "the station failed to correct errors and failed to investigate and verify the credibility of sources, and that "the general makeup and presentation of the story exhibited hostility." WHAS-TV's parent company A.H. Belo Corp., told the newspaper it may ask the court to reconsider the decision. (Read more)

Family and small-farm advocates riled by PBS documentary, say it's exploitive

A new television series set to air on public TV stations nationwide this fall has angered activists "who say its funders exploit a model of factory farming that has profoundly undermined the same rustic lifestyle the program is meant to showcase," reports The NewStandard, an online liberal magazine.

The telecast, America's Heartland, is 20 half-hour episodes produced by PBS affiliate KVIE in Sacramento, writes Getzan. The bulk of the new national program's underwriting will be provided by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and biotech giant Monsanto. The show is also receiving financial support from a number of other large farming associations.

Despite not having seen the show, family farming and environmental advocates want to stop the series. "They cite the main financiers' involvement in technologies and policies that undermine small farmers as cause for their assumption that the programming will offer a distorted picture in documentary form," notes Getzan. Chris Cooper, a spokesperson for Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE), said, "Our opposition really stems from how they went about finding funding for the program. It might be fine for Exxon to fund a program on Masterpiece Theatre, [but not] a documentary on oil."

GRACE also believes the theme of the program will breed misconceptions about rural life. Ben Lilliston, communications director at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy told Getzan, "When you're talking about farmers or rural America, it's impossible to tell an accurate story without telling about the role of agribusiness." The number of U.S. farms has been rapidly declining since the 1960s. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in 2001 the vast majority of farms are still family-run, but half of all agricultural sales were concentrated among just 2 percent of farms. (Read more)

Another W.Va. county passes a smoking ban; all but three now have them

After 10 months of heated debate, the Mercer County, W.Va., Board of Health has banned smoking in most public places, to cheers and jeers from those gathered to see a legal end to the discussion.

"The ordinance bans smoking in virtually all public places in Mercer County, with the exception of bars and several other specialized establishments. Only three West Virginia counties -- Barbour, Mingo and Pocahontas -- do not have smoking ordinances," writes daily Bluefield Telegraph State Editor Barbara Hawkins in an opinion piece. (Read more)

Jeff Harvey of the weekly Princeton Times reports, "Freddie Harvey of Princeton told health board chairman Joe Coburn that the ordinance 'is a violation of my constitutional rights, which I fought for. I can't understand how five people can make a decision for 64,000. Anything that affects the rights of so many people should be put up for a vote by the people.'" (Read more)

Many other local governments are debating smoking bans including Brewton, Ala. Click here for a story from the weekly Brewton Standard, by managing editor Mary Allison Lancaster.

Maryland indicts MS-13 gang; violent group infiltrating rural Appalachia

A federal grand jury has indicted 19 men accused of being members of a violent Latino gang on racketeering charges in six murders, three attempted murders and two kidnappings in suburban Washington. Recent law enforcement reports say the gang has begun to infiltrate the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and rural areas of Virginia.

"Prosecutors ... called the case the broadest yet against members of ... Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, under federal racketeering laws," writes Gary Gately of The New York Times. (Read more) The ... crimes [occurred] in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties, outside Washington, D.C., but federal and state law enforcement agency reports indicate gatherings of MS-13 members and recruiting efforts in a growing number of areas of the northern Appalachians.

The 19 were charged as part of a "racketeering enterprise," which allows each defendant to be held accountable for crimes committed by the whole gang. Federal and local law enforcement authorities expressed alarm over the rapid growth and violent ways of MS-13. It traces its origins in this country to Los Angeles, but has spread to at least 10 states and the District of Columbia. It has about 10,000 members worldwide.

Maine congressman takes up rural veterans' healthcare issue, says much needed

Democratic Rep. Michael H. Michaud of Maine's 2nd District wants rural veterans to have the kind of healthcare they currently find difficult if not impossible to obtain, saying the nation owes them nothing less.

Michaud recently convened a field hearing of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Subcommittee on Health in Bangor, joined by Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., the subcommittee chairman. The focus was on rural veterans' access to primary care, Michaud writes in a column published by the Magic City Morning Star of Millinocket. "Veterans in rural states face unique challenges to accessing primary care," he said.

Michaud said he and many of his colleagues have been fighting to increase veterans' health care funding, mostly on a bipartisan basis. He added, "The secretary, the administration, and the congressional leadership have chosen to turn their backs on veterans and ignore the obvious need for an increase in funding. The result is a catastrophic shortfall that leaves veterans behind." (Read more)

He endorsed pssage of the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act, which he said "would create a guaranteed stream of funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system based directly on the number of veterans it serves and the medical inflation rate for hospitals. This would help to avoid budget shortfalls and provide resources that are not subject to yearly political wrangling."

Chemical-weapons employee says monitoring system flawed, Army retaliated

An employee at an Army chemical-weapons facility in Kentucky has alleged his post failed to properly monitor deadly nerve gas for months, and took punitive action against him when he complained.

"The commander of the Blue Grass Army Depot ... would not comment on the allegations, but said the toxin is secure and his employees well cared for. In a sworn affadavit, Donald Van Winkle, who operates air-monitoring units at the Richmond facility, charged [the] monitors [used] to ensure ... VX nerve toxin [doesn't] leak were incorrectly configured, threatening the lives of employees," writes Jonathan M. Katz of The Associated Press. (Read more)

Winkle added that when told of the problem, depot officials did not take immediate action, and he has been denied overtime pay and had part of his security clearance revoked as a result of complaining about the security situation. Post commander Lt. Col. George Shuplinkov told AP the depot did change its monitoring procedures based on the suggestion of an employee, but said the change was optional. Lt. Cmdr. Joe Carpenter, a Pentagon spokesman., told Katz, "They're serious allegations and based on information that's received they'll be looked into."

About 520 tons of chemical warfare agents are stored at the Madison County depot. The Defense Department has slated the weapons for destruction. Some 27,000 people live in nearby Richmond. Van Winkle called for the department's inspector general to examine the depot's monitoring system and records. The inspector general's office is considering the request.

Coal association president convicted of scamming miners; Nov. 21 sentencing set

The president of the Kentucky Black Lung Association was convicted last night of using sick coal miners in a Medicare fraud scam.

After deliberating for four hours, a federal jury convicted association president Carolyn Sue "Susie" Davis on 13 counts of fraud and obstructing a health care investigation. Her husband, Otis Davis, 72, was convicted on the same charges. The couple live in Salyersville and were indicted in May, reports Lee Mueller of the Lexington Herald-Leader. A third defendant, Dr. Raghu Sundaram, 62, of Montgomery, Ala., was acquitted. Prosecutors had charged the former Floyd County doctor approved bogus claims and was part of the scheme.

Sentencing for he Davises has been scheduled for Nov. 21. They each face maximum penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The total amount of money paid to the medical company by Medicare between January 1999 and August 2003 was not revealed, but bank documents produced during the trial showed at least one $100,000 deposit. (Read more)

Effort to trademark state motto, 'The Last Best Place,' angers Montanans

Montanans proudly call their panoramic big sky country, where mountains and prairie stretch to infinity and cows outnumber people by more than 2 to 1, "The Last Best Place." Now, an effort by a wealthy entrepreneur to trademark that phrase has prompted a ruckus as big as the state itself.

Blaine Harden of The Washington Post reports that entrepreneur David E. Lipson, a Montana land owner, wants to trademark "The Last Best Place." The former chairman of Frederick's of Hollywood wants his various companies to have the exclusive commercial use of phrase as a brand name. It could be used to sell anything -- real estate, footwear, maybe a fruit drink, Harden writes. Six of Lipson's applications have been all but granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a rancher himself, told Harden, "We just don't like big shots coming from someplace else and claiming they own something they don't. Who is he? The Wizard of Oz? We don't think he is the Wizard of Oz, and I sure as hell ain't the scarecrow!" Lipson said he would not protest the State of Montana using the motto for promotion and he just wants to prevent trademark infringement.

"Lipson's reputation ... has taken a terrible pounding," writes Harden. Local newspapers have focused on the $2.8 million fine he was ordered to pay in 2001 to resolve an insider trading charge involving haircut chain Supercuts. Lipson served as Supercuts CEO in the mid-1990s. (Read more)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette buys interest in Northwest Arkansas newspapers

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is acquiring interests held by Community Publishers in their joint venture in the Northwest Arkansas Times, the Benton County Daily Record and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest edition, and the weekly newspapers they publish.

The two companies formed this alliance in August 2000 and have published combined editions for the past five years. Community Publishers was established in 1982 and currently operates 15 weekly, two twice-weekly and three daily newspapers in Missouri and Arkansas. The company also operates a web printing facility in Missouri. Eight employees of the company own 100 percent of its stock.

No editions or staffing changes are planned at the newspapers. Jeff Jeffus, publisher of the Northwest Arkansas Times and vice president of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest edition, will assume overall responsibility for all Northwest Arkansas publications. Kent Marts, editor of the Benton County Daily Record, will assume additional duties as vice president and general manager of the Daily Record.

The Northwest Arkansas Times, the Benton County Daily Record and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest edition will continue to publish their own independent editorial pages directed by their respective editors. The transfer will occur Sept. 30.

The following weeklies also are included: the Rogers Hometown News, the Bella Vista Weekly Vista, the Pea Ridge Times, the Siloam Springs Herald Leader, the Gentry Courier Journal, the Gravette News Herald, the Decatur Herald and the White River Valley News.

Rural Calendar: Renewable energy exposition set in Kentucky Sept. 24-25

The Bluegrass Energy Expo, described by organizers as Kentucky's largest event promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency, will be held at the Lexington Convention Center on September 24-5.

The event sponsors, Appalachia-Science in the Public Interest, invites submissions of artwork for display at the Expo exhibit. The theme for the exhibit is "Energy and Nature," and participation is free, organizers say, and artists may offer any work accepted into the exhibit for sale. Submission deadline is August 29 - to participate contact Cara Lundy by e-mail.

Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005

School integration tale fully told 42 years late: Students, principals took charge

A remarkable story of how a Kentucky high school integrated was finally told in full this month, 42 years after the fact, thanks to the Kentucky New Era of Hopkinsville, Ky.

Reporter Jennifer P. Brown heard that students of the old Todd County Training School, which had been the county's high school for African Americans, were planning a reunion, and that one of them, Stanley Russell, had been among the first black students to attend Todd County Central High School. Then she learned from Russell that he and 81 other students integrated the school pretty much on their own in 1963.

Russell "was part of a group of students who forced the issue of integration in Todd County," Brown wrote for the New Era. "It is a story many people have never heard. Forty-two years ago, on a Tuesday morning, the Todd County superintendent's office put out a 10-word news release, a terse acknowledgment in those days that integration was under way in one local school. 'Todd Central enrolled 82 students who formerly attended Todd Training,' an official announced to area newspapers."

The weekly Todd County Standard more or less repeated that line, and that was the only hint of a historic integration in its short Page One story about the beginning of the school year. The school system has no integration plan -- except, perhaps, in the minds of two principals and some black students.

The daily New Era, in adjoining Christian County, ran a story on Sept. 4, 1963, above the fold on the front page, with the headline “Todd County High Integrates.” The story said Supt. Henry Malone “declined to comment in any way on the integration,” other than his terse announcement. But near story's end was this: “The integration reportedly took place in this manner: When students reported for the first day of class yesterday, the 82 students at Todd Training indicated they wished to enroll at Todd Central. Buses were then provided to transport them to the newly opened school at the south edge of Elkton.”

Brown's story, 42 years later, revealed that Todd Training Principal William Gilbert “had prepared for the move and had three buses waiting for the students ... . He called the principal at the new school, Robert Bush, and told him the students were on their way.” Bush welcomed them with a smile. Todd Central was to be a consolidation of three white high schools, and “We thought, if they were going to consolidate, then they should really consolidate," Russell told Brown. To read Brown's full story, click here.

Broadband I: Experts critical of America's lack of a comprehensive vision

A number of experts who have looked at the nation's broadband efforts have all come to much the same conclusion; there is no coherent, cohesive, comprehensive vision.

Nortel Networks Chief Executive Officer William Owens said the country lacks a "profound vision" for deploying high-speed Internet services. "Citing ... advances in wireless broadband ... in [developing nations], Owens [said] there is not enough high-level leadership to drive robust broadband deployments in the rural United States," , writes Randy Barrett of Technology Daily. Owens made his remarks at the Progress and Freedom Foundation annual conference this week in Aspen, Colo.

New York University professor Lawrence White gave the government a C-minus and said the National Telecommunications and Information Administration should be more proactive, Barrett writes. University of Pennsylvania business professor Kevin Werbach agreed, saying "It would help to have a national broadband policy and at least one pipe going everywhere."

NTIA Director Michael Gallagher noted that 90 megahertz of spectrum will become available for auction in June 2006 and that it will drive more broadband services and deployment. "That's a 45 percent increase in spectrum," writes Barrett. More spectrum will be made available over the next several years as broadcasters relinquish about 60 megahertz as they switch to digital.

The success of short-range systems based on Wi-Fi wireless technology and wireless home networks is an example, Gallagher said. "There is acceptance among policymakers that says [licensed and unlicensed spectrum] can be woven together," Barrett writes. (Read more)

Broadband II: Lawmakers, experts clash over government as the provider

The battle over government-owned telecommunications networks was at center stage at the recent National Conference of State Legislatures in Seattle, with detractors noting security concerns and economic pitfalls, while supporters touted the benefits of more high-speed Internet deployment.

Steven Titch of the Heartland Institute said cities' offering telecom service is "a bad idea," and added, it is "a question of fiscal responsibility, not really of technology," writes Chloe Albanesius of Technology Daily. Titch said unsolicited commercial e-mail, piracy, online gambling and pornographic material, will make those municipalities "a hotbed of liability," writes Albanesius.

State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas of Pennsylvania, where officials in Philadelphia are moving toward offering the first citywide, wireless broadband network, dismissed Titch's liability concern, saying "You walk across the street and there's a liability." Thomas said legislators thought the marketplace would drive broadband deployment, but "That has not happened, and the ball is now in the courts of the municipalities." Thomas said, however, that any plan should make sure "taxpayers are not adversely harmed," writes Albanesius.

Municipal network opponents contend government involvement stifles innovation. David Olson, director of Portland, Ore.'s Office of Cable Communications -- which is exploring free wireless access for that city -- said innovation can also be stifled by private industry. He said, "The phone industry, the cable industry, telecom lobbyists are mounting attacks at every state legislature and introducing bills left and right to shut down innovation," Albanesius writes. (Read more)

For more background on government and broadband, see the community-broadband Web page of the American Public Power Association and the community-internet page of Free Press.

Broadband III: Isolated Massachusetts towns band together to bring service

Two isolated communities in the Western Massachusetts hill country have banded together to wage a battle to bring high-speed Internet service where now it is nonexistent. The fight is uphill.

"In Shutesbury and Leverett, ... with telecommuters and self-employed transplants from urban areas, [residents share] an unwanted bond with exasperated neighbors: They inhabit an island in Massachusetts where high-speed Internet service is not available, either via telephone lines or by cable," writes Jenna Russell of The Boston Globe. The two towns formed a broadband committee more than two years ago which "has lobbied the state's major providers of Internet service and has investigated home-grown alternatives such as a locally funded fiber network. Leaders say the results have been disappointing.".

Verizon Communications and Comcast Corp. say they would lose money on high-speed service in the two towns, which have a total of 3,500 residents. The homes are too spread out, the companies contend, making the costs prohibitive. A planned $5 million fiber network has been postponed. Verizon spokesman Jack Hoey told Russell because of low population density and the distance to the nearest switching station, the costs could not be recovered. He told Russell, ''There are a handful of places where it doesn't make business sense. If we could make a go of it, we would."

In a place "where many moved to find a better work-life balance," some who hunger for broadband say they have considered relocating again, someplace where the slower pace is not quite so slow, Russell writes. ''If they can't do their business, they're not going to [stay]," a local official told her. A regional council of governments reports one-third of all Western Massachusetts towns are in the same boat. Several companies who tried satellite Internet access complained of weather related interruptions. Hughes Network Systems, which offers satellite Internet service, told Russell that occasional weather-related glitches are unavoidable, but that they are not a major problem. (Read more)

Western states may follow Northeast on CO2 cuts to fight global warming

"Hoping to follow the Northeast's lead, three western states are trying to forge an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the region's power plants by 2020," reports The Washington Post.

Tuesday, nine northeastern states vowed to cut their power plants' carbon-dioxide emissions by 10 percent over 15 years, in a first-of-its-kind effort against global warming. Wednesday, California officials said they hoped to strike an even bolder deal with Oregon and Washington.

"The move on both coasts to regulate emissions of heat-trapping gases from fossil fuels highlights the extent to which states are taking the lead on climate-change policy," reporter Juliet Eilperin writes. "The Bush administration has refused to impose mandatory limits on carbon dioxide."

"The states are doing what the federal government should be doing," Anthony Wexler, who directs the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California at Davis, told Eilperin. "This is fantastic." But he added that, as Eilperin paraphrased it, "states would have to make sure they did not undermine cuts in their own states by buying electricity from out-of-state polluters." (Read more)

The Edison Electric Institute, which represents big utilities, said the Northeast deal may raise electric bills. ""Make no mistake, a plan like this has the potential to have a significant impact on electricity prices in those states," EEI spokesman Dan Riedinger said. For the EEI Web site, click here.

Enviros call proposed mountaintop removal mining buffer-zone change 'absurd'

Environmentalists yesterday continued their efforts to block a proposed government relaxing of limits on a controversial mining practice critics say destroys the environment while coal advocates say it is needed.

At a meeting in Charleston, W.Va., "Environmentalists ... labeled as 'absurd' a proposal that would relax a federal mining regulation which requires a 100-foot buffer zone around streams in areas where strip mining is conducted," writes John Raby of The Associated Press. The meeting in Charleston was one of four this week in eastern coal states on the buffer-zone rule.

The U.S. Office of Surface Mining proposed easing the federal buffer zone rule in January 2004, saying current policy is impossible to comply with during mountaintop removal mining The current rule says mining cannot disturb land within 100 feet of a stream unless a company can prove it will not affect the water's quality and quantity. The proposed change would require coal operators to minimize only "to the extent possible" any damage to streams, fish and wildlife by "using the best technology currently available."

Maria Gunnoe, who lives on Island Creek Mountain in Boone County, W.Va., said, "Leave the rule as it is and enforce the rule," reports AP. Her property has been damaged by seven floods in the five years since a 1,183-acre mountaintop mining operation began in a nearby hollow. "The forested mountains and streams running through them are a part of our identity as the Appalachian people. These are our hunting and gathering grounds. Here lie our family cemeteries," Gunnoe added. (Read more)

Burley demand up, Kentucky not meeting it; other states, nations stepping in

With North Carolina tobacco farmers experimenting with burley after being limited to flue-cured, and other states jumping into burley production with the demise of government mandated limitations, Kentucky, the one-time burley king, has decreased its production even though demand for the light leaf is increasing.

Until this year, about 70 percent of domestically grown burley, a key to cigarette flavor, came from Kentucky. Paul Howell, business writer for The Associated Press, noted that the 2005 Kentucky burley crop is that state's smallest in nearly 80 years, the result of a loss of producers after the buyout and a summer drought. That lowered production has created a need that farmers elsewhere have rushed to fill.

Tobacco economist Blake Brown of North Carolina State University told Howell, "When the companies found out they could not get the volume of burley they needed from states like Kentucky, they went elsewhere. They also are looking at Mississippi and Illinois and some other states." Brown added farmers in Argentina and southern Brazil are growing burley, but U.S. tobacco companies want a guaranteed and reliable supply of domestic leaf, writes Howell. Wilkes County, N.C., extension agent Matt Miller told AP, "The tobacco companies are concerned that supply is not going to meet the demand. This is the impetus for encouraging some of them to grow it. It gives them a chance to get their feet wet."

Philip Morris USA asked Speaks to plant a small plot of burley along with the 80 acres of flue-cured tobacco he expects to sell the Richmond, Va.-based cigarette maker. Philip Morris spokesman Bill Phelps told Howell, "We have been talking to growers all along the fringes of the traditional burley growing area. We are still contracting with growers." (Read more)

Mountain columnist reflects on the demise of tobacco and its rhythms

"My first tobacco buyout check came last week," writes Anne Shelby, a contribuing columnist from Eastern Kentucky for the Lexington Herald-Leader. " 'Tobacco's over with,' a neighbor told me earlier in the summer, while we pitched dusty tobacco sticks out of my barn into the bed of his pickup. He wanted to use them for sticking beans and peas in his garden.

"Until this year, my family grew tobacco for as many summers as I can remember. It's strange, I know, to wax sentimental about carcinogens, but there are things I will miss: white canvas on the plant beds, the growing leaves, the pink blossoms, the cut tobacco like tepees in the field, the smell of it in the barn, the tobacco check that always came just in time for Christmas. And I'll miss the rowdy crews of neighbors rolling in to help set, cut, hang or strip. These activities bound us together and, early spring to late fall, set the rhythm for our lives." (Read more)

Activist groups oppose Wal-Mart Bank; retailer says there's money on the table

Two community groups have formally notified the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) they oppose an application by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for a proposed Wal-Mart Bank.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the Wal-Mart Alliance for Reform Now (WARN) "expressed strong opposition to Wal- Mart's request that its new bank be exempt from the Community Reinvestment Act," reports Newswire. (Read more)

ACORN spokesman Alton Bennett told Newswire, "Wal-Mart wants to do an end run around [regulations] which requires banks to make at least some credit available in low income and minority communities. History shows what the effect will be if you remove the money from our most distressed neighborhoods, they will even become worse." Rick Smith, Florida Director for WARN, said, "Wal-Mart's proposed bank will weaken local economies. They will only provide 'selected core banking services' and not make loans. They plan to drain resources from local banks that play by the rules, and invest in their communities, to boost [Wal-Mart's] bottom line."

Such worries are unfounded, Wal-Mart spokeswoman Marty Heires told The New York Sun. "The charter of this bank and the focus of this bank are very narrow," she said. "What we're seeking to do here is save money on transaction fees for debit, credit, and electronic checking." The Wal-Mart Bank would allow the company to process payments without using an outside vendor. "We can take the money we save by doing that and turn it back to our customers in the form of lower prices," Heires said. "There was some money sitting on the table, and this is a chance to grab it."

The comment period on Wal-Mart's application to the FDIC is Sept. 23. For a detailed Business Week story about Wal-Mart's foray into banking, click here.

Indiana man charged with making meth in a church, near a youth center

A Peru, Ind., custodian was arrested for making methamphetamine inside the church where he worked, police said. "Richard J. Mosley, 30, of Peru, has been charged with felony manufacturing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a youth center. He was arrested Monday after Miami County sheriff deputies discovered materials used to make the drug in the First Baptist Church, reports WRTV of Indianapolis, with help from The Associated Press.

Mosley was also charged with possession of stolen property, possession of precursors with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and maintaining a common nuisance. A search of his home and pickup truck turned up items used to make meth, including cooking manuals and some finished product.

Law officers said Mosley cooked the drug late at night in the attic of the church and the church ventilation system helped control the smell. The Rev. Bob Adelsperger, a pastor at the church, told reporters he was "deeply saddened this happened in a house of worship." "If you read the scriptures, there are worse things than this. Although, at the moment it doesn't seem like it," he said. (Read more)

The Tennessean cuts its Franklin weekly again, lays off the editor

The Tennessean of Nashville "laid off Williamson County Review Appeal editor Mindy Tate on Friday and announced that it would begin publishing the paper just once a week," Liz Garrigan reported in her news-media column in this week's Nashville Scene.

"When The Tennessean acquired the paper last year, it was a six-day-a-week publication. It then changed to three days, then to two, now to one. Some kind of weaning. It will now publish on Wednesdays," Garrigan writes. "Tate was summoned to Tennessean managing editor Dave Green's office Friday, where she was matter-of-factly dismissed and told that there was simply no ad support to continue publishing the RA on Saturdays." Gannett Co. owns the Tennessean and almost all the weeklies around Nashville, and in the last year became the leading owner of weeklies listed in the Editor & Publisher database.

"I've had a great career here in Williamson County, and I'm just going to sit and take stock," Tate told the Scene, which closely covers The Tennessean. "I do think every challenge is an opportunity." (Read more)

Under-performing newspaper stocks starting to look like better investments

Some managers of stock funds think overwhelming pessimism about publicly owned newspaper companies "has created some compelling bargains in the sector," reports Paul La Monica of CNN.

"The valuations of newspaper stocks have become exceptionally attractive because the outlook on these companies has become particularly negative," Wendell Perkins of Johnson Asset Management told La Monica -- who notes that Gannett "trades at just 13 times 2006 earnings estimates, and earnings are expected to increase by 10 percent next year. Journal Communications has a price-to-earnings ratio around 18, "and analysts are predicting a profit increase of 15 percent in 2006."

"The industry is also slowly starting to capitalize on the surge in online advertising," still just 4 percent of its total ad revenues, La Monica reports. "According to figures released Monday by the Newspaper Association of America ... online ad growth at newspapers in the second quarter increased 28.6 percent from a year ago. "Newspaper sites continue to rank at the top of the most visited online news sources in the nation," NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm said in a statement.

"Perhaps the biggest reason for excitement in the group is the possibility of mergers," La Monica reports. "In fact, there already has been one newspaper merger this year, with Lee Enterprises buying Pulitzer for about $1.5 billion. The only issue is that with the stocks of many newspaper companies hovering near their 52-week lows," at least one analyst is "not sure how many more companies would be willing to sell out at such discounted prices." (Read more)

Rural Calendar: Johanns hosting farm bill forum in Louisville next week

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns will host a forum in Louisville, Ky., as part of a USDA's nationwide Farm Bill listening tour. The forum will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31 in the South Wing Conference Center, Room B102, at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center.

The public is invited to attend and respond to questions posed by Johanns. The format also will allow an open comment period for general Farm Bill comments. The public is also welcome to submit comments via the USDA Farm Bill Forums Web site.

"We encourage all that are attending the forum to arrive by 3:30 p.m. EDT to visit with your state USDA representatives and other leaders in Kentucky’s agricultural community. The forum will begin promptly at 4 p.m. We hope you will take the opportunity to contribute to the future of Kentucky agriculture," said Kara K. Keeton, spokeswoman for the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy.

Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005

Rural Telecommunications Congress to target broadband needs, solutions

The ninth annual Rural Telecommunications Congress from Oct. 9-12 in Lexington, Ky., is expected to be "the highest-impact rural technology conference in the United States," reports Newswire.

The conference will address technology issues such as broadband infrastructure expansion, technology-based community and economic development, e-health and education applications and broadband policy and regulation. (Read more)

With a theme "States as Broadband Laboratories," the conference will gather leaders from federal, state and local governments, technology professionals and small and rural business owners. The event will take place corresponding with the fall horse racing meet at Lexington's Keeneland Race Course.

Speakers include Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.), U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Anne Pope, and Office for the Advancement of Telehealth Director Dena Puskin. "Each of these exciting keynote speakers brings to the conference a different and appealing perspective on the importance of broadband technology and its impact on community and economic development," event organizers said.

Officials say space will be limited to the first 500 registrants. To register or find additional information about the Congress, visit its Web site. Those interested in registering or sponsoring the event also may contact Kyle Lanphear at 270-781-4320 or e-mail him at klanphear@connectky.org.

Nine states to cut coal-fired power plants' emissions; enviros hope for trend

A confidential draft proposal indicates officials in New York and eight other Northeastern states have come to a preliminary agreement to freeze emissions from coal-fired power plants and then them 10 percent by 2020, The New York Times reports.

"The cooperative action, the first of its kind in the nation, came after the Bush administration decided not to regulate the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Once a final agreement is reached, the legislatures of the nine states will have to enact it, which is considered likely," writes Anthony DePalma.

The regional initiative would set up a market-driven system to control carbon dioxide emissions from more than 600 electric generators in the nine states. Environmentalists who support a federal law to control greenhouse gases believe the model established by the Northeastern states will be followed by other states, which could pressure others and lead to the enactment of a national law.

California, Washington and Oregon are exploring a regional agreement similar to the Northeastern plan. The Northeastern agreement includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, writes DePalma.(Read more)

Proposed mountaintop-mining rule change attracts dozens to meeting

The federal government is finding no shortage of opinions on a proposal to relax restrictions on mountaintop removal coal mining. Officials arrived in Hazard, Ky., on Tuesday to gather opinions for a federal study on the proposal's environmental impact.

Kentuckians For The Commonwealth member Patty Wallace told Alan Maimon of The Courier-Journal she was suspicious of the study:"You get so tired of these things when you know they already have their minds made up." Some say the study will be used to justify changing the 22-year-old rule, which restricts mountaintop mining within 100 feet of streams.

Critics charge easing the restrictions would pollute streams. Supporters say it would benefit the coal industry without hurting the environment. Mike Gauldin, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of the Interior, told Maimon, "Our goal is clarity, to give the industry guidance on what it can and cannot do."

Don Gibson, a manager with the Ashland-based coal company ICG, said strict permit requirements already address environmental concerns. He told The C-J, "We just don't want the process to become more stringent." David Hartos, an Office of Surface Mining scientist, said his agency "would explore options that include keeping the regulation as it is; clarifying it to explain when mining can occur within 100 feet of streams and strengthening it to minimize the presence of rock and debris taken from a mine site." A final decision is not expected for 18 months to two years. (Read more)

The meeting in Hazard was one of four in coal-mining areas in the eastern United States. The first was Monday in Knoxville, Tenn. (Read more in a report by J.J. Stambaugh of the Knoxville News-Sentinel). Meetings will be held tonight in Charleston, W. Va., and Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Beef cattle profits drained by continuing drought; other farming also hurt

Kentucky beef cattle farmers are beginning to buckle under the weight of a continuing drought that is increasing their costs and cutting into their profits.

"Every third day ... farmer Charles Miller delivers hay to feed his hungry cattle, making up for his dried-up pastures. Miller usually doesn't start dropping off the 1,500-pound bales until the forecast might include snow, but this year his 700 beef cattle have munched on hay for three weeks because of a summer drought," writes Bruce Schreiner of The Associated Press. Kentucky is the top beef cattle producer east of the Mississippi, bringing in $620.7 million last year from the sale of cattle and calves. The drought could force farmers to cull their herds to compensate for short hay supplies.

Two creeks and two ponds on Miller's land have dried up, forcing him to rely on public water. Monthly water bills range between $200 to $250. Cattle producer have been weighing calves weaned a month earlier than normal because of the drought, and are seeing drops in weight, down as much as 20 percent.

The drought is taking a toll on other products. Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service reported 46 percent of the hay crop was rated poor or very poor, 35 percent fair, 18 percent good and 1 percent excellent. The service also said pasture conditions also were dismal, with 51 percent rated poor or very poor, 36 percent fair and 13 percent good. (Read more)

N.H. won't appeal ruling against using trespassing law on illegal immigrants

New Hampshire's attorney general will not appeal a ruling that dismissed trespassing charges against illegal immigrants arrested by two police chiefs who said they were frustrated by lax federal enforcement.

Attorney General Kelly Ayotte sent that notice to the state's police chiefs her office and instructed them not to use the trespassing law to take undocumented immigrants off the street, reports The Associated Press. Ayotte said, "This office has determined that there is an insufficient basis for appeal."

This spring, police in Hudson and New Ipswich arrested illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico, under the state's trespassing laws, arguing that people in the country illegally also were in the towns illegally and subject to trespassing laws, AP writes. The immigrants had been stopped on traffic violations and police say they admitted they were in the United States illegally. (Read more)

Earlier this month, a judge ruled the trespassing charges cannot be used as an immigration tool, and that the town's police chiefs violated the Constitution by trying to enforce federal laws, AP writes.

Kansas land giveaway spurs home sales; community gets economic boost

When 12 or more communities in Kansas and Nebraska started offering land for free, organizers envisioned that it would lead to population growth and economic prosperity. While those goals are being met, it turns out people are reserving the free land and also buying existing homes in the community of Ellsworth, Kan., writes Calvin Woodward of The Associated Press. (Read more)

During the last two years, 18 families have come to Ellsworth to see the free land and ended up purchasing existing homes, reports Woodward. Families with children have taken advantage of another incentive that provides a down-payment grant of up to $3,000.

"The town gets a tangible benefit from its investment, beyond the boost of having more people around to shop," writes Woodward. "Each child who enters a local school attracts $6,000 a year in state aid. The 25 kids who have enrolled from the new families bring $150,000 annually to the education system, enough to pay for several teachers."

Ten free lots averaging about one-third of an acre are still up for grabs in the city and four other lots exist in Ellsworth County. "Local families are eligible for the free lots, and two have built on them, but the down-payment aid is for newcomers only," reports Woodward.

Road plans altered to avoid writer Bobbie Ann Mason's family farm

For writer Bobbie Ann Mason and many of her followers, the Mason family farm in far Western Kentucky is sacred ground, a place of inspiration and precious memories that helped spawn award-winning books. Now, Mason and her devotees can breathe easier. The Kentucky Department of Highways has decided to adjust its road plans and leave untouched the property in Graves County.

"Mason and her husband, Roger Rawlings, said ... they received an e-mail from state Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert stating that plans for re-routing the road in front of the Mason family farm are being altered, and that the farm will not be disturbed," writes Jim Warren of the Lexington Herald-Leader, who wrote a story last week about the state's plans to take part of the farm.

Mason told Warren that Nighbert altered the plans after she complained, and consulted with Commerce Secretary Jim Host and Education Secretary Virginia Fox. The planned Mayfield south-side bypass will go ahead without affecting the Masons. Mason told Warren, "It's amazing, wonderful news." (Read more)

Mason family members feared the original plan would have destroyed much of the front yard, including some old trees, and bring the roadway within about 20 feet of the front porch. The farm was purchased by Mason's grandparents in about 1920. The place is vividly described in Mason's book, Clear Springs: A Memoir. Mason lives in Central Kentucky and is writer in residence at the University of Kentucky.

West Virginia U. gets huge grant for heart, diabetes and obesity research

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has donated $11.79 million in support of biomedical research at West Virginia University over the next three years. "The Wyeth Pharmaceutical Research Fund at WVU will be used to support up to 15 new faculty positions at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center," reports Newswise. "The University hopes to hire scientists in heart and vascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, neurobiology and respiratory biology."

WVU President David C. Hardesty said, “These Wyeth Research Scholars will contribute their efforts toward finding the causes and cures of diseases that afflict tens of thousands of West Virginians. This will add immeasurably to the advancement of WVU as a research institution, and the achievement of our strategic research plan.” Wyeth agreed in 2000 to fund this research as part of an agreement that settled West Virginia diet drug litigation. (Read more)

Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2005

RFD-TV plans daily news show aimed at growing rural audience nationwide

RFD-TV has announced plans to launch "Rural Evening News," with hopes it will become a CNN for agricultural America, reporting "stories that might get short shrift at regular news outlets, such as the effect of a cold front on crops or the ramifications of a mad-cow tissue study," The Wall Street Journal reported. (subscription required for online edition)

"Patrick Gottsch, the 52-year-old president of RFD Communications Inc., Nashville, Tenn. [is] betting the farm -- actually, close to $3 million for the first year -- that there is sufficient demand for a daily half-hour news show about cattle futures, storm fronts and farming legislation to attract corporate sponsors willing to pick up the show's operating costs. He plans to open news bureaus in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and São Paolo, Brazil, in November, and says he'll hire 22 news staffers, including two news anchors, to troll for stories in North and South America. "We're not just going to sit on our butts, read copy and put a picture up in the corner," Gottsch told Journal reporter Timothy Martin.

The network reaches 28 million households. "I think they've tapped into something," Shane Moreland, news director at WSLS-TV in Roanoke, told Martin. "It's really all about the content. If it's something no one else is offering and there's a hunger for it, it should survive." Martin notes that the network's offerings include "'Horse Babies,' a chronicle of how breeders and owners are 'living out their dreams with horses'; an award-winning cartoon, 'Jasper: The Story of a Mule'; and 'Trains & Locomotives,' a show consisting mostly of scenic railway footage [and] 50 hours of a live auction in which more than 275,000 cattle were sold over the phone."

"We're a bunch of farmers with a television network," Nebraska native Gottsch, 52, told Martin, who wrote, "RFD-TV is getting noticed