By Cole Raines – Executive Director, One Harlan County

When Daniel Boone and early pioneers blazed a trail into the Kentucky wilderness via the Cumberland Gap, they quickly realized both the immense challenges and opportunities that lay before them on the new frontier. Two and a half centuries later, the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Plateau remains simultaneously an alluring landscape of unmatched beauty and a stubborn obstacle to connectivity and growth.

Op-Ed by Carrie Ray 

Local governments across Eastern Kentucky have been facing budget shortfalls since 2012 because of declines in coal severance tax and population. The COVID-19 crisis caused tax revenues to drop further, while other costs have drastically risen. All of these factors have made it very hard for Eastern Kentucky’s local governments to make ends meet. However, historic new investments are coming to coal communities through recent federal initiatives. If invested wisely, this funding could help local governments keep their budgets in the black for years to come.

Op-Ed

By Dr. Douglas Flora

Quality, innovative, individualized care is key to beating a cancer diagnosis. As an oncologist for almost 20 years, my goal has always been just that — to walk beside my patients through their entire cancer journey while offering a personalized treatment plan to give them the best chance at survival.

By Neal Moser, M.D., Shawn Jones, M.D., and Jeff Reynolds, M.D.

Left to right: Neal Moser, M.D., Shawn Jones, M.D., and Jeff Reynolds, M.D.

Kentucky is famous for many things. Unfortunately, lung health isn’t one of them.