The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Appalachian Regional Commission officials earlier this week announced $68.2 million in awards to 65 projects through its Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (anything to come up with a snappy acronym) initiative. Though not all of the commission’s efforts are home runs, POWER appears to be rooted in addressing a real need for our region.
“ARC’s POWER initiative supports coal-impacted communities’ preparation for the next phase of Appalachia’s economy, while ensuring that residents have a say in the course of their own futures,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “The investments announced in this round of POWER will help train workers, advance new industries, and build upon the progress already being made toward a brighter future full of economic opportunity for our region.”
To be clear, that $68.2 million is being spread out over projects that affect 188 counties in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. But not all of it is diluted.
