Appalachian College of Pharmacy: Tackling Economic and Health Care Challenges

by Dr. Lu Ellsworth This is Part 3, covering the impact of The Appalachian College of Pharmacy on our region. You can also read parts 1 and 2, discussingUVA-Wise and the Appalachian School of Law. As the Appalachian School of Law began to recover from the wrenching shooting tragedy on its campus on January 16, 2002, coalfield leaders discussed ways to further […]

New Court of Appeals Judge Teresa Chafin Joins Ranks of Women Appellate Jurists from Southwest Virginia

The crowd was big, around three hundred, and the number of judges unprecedented, over thirty, as Lebanon native Teresa Chafin became the newest member of the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The Court hears appeals from circuit courts regarding criminal, domestic relations, and administrative decisions. Although the Court of Appeals, numbering eleven judges, is statewide […]

Is There a Middle Road in the Mountain Top Removal Debate?

Over thirty years ago, the Federal Surface Mining Act was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. I was invited to attend the Rose Garden signing ceremony because of the work that I and many others had done to get the Act passed. When he signed the bill, President Carter complained that the bill had been “watered down” and said he hoped it would be a start for stronger laws to come.

Litter Prevention in Southwest Virginia

Throughout the Southwest Virginia region, the presence of litter affects not only the appearance of the landscape and the negative attitude of others toward those of us who live here, but it is also a deterrent to tourism and new industry. Although dramatic progress has been made over the past several years to clean up as well as to change attitudes and habits, litter and illegal dump sites continue to mar many roadways, mountainsides, and streams in our otherwise beautiful area.