University of Kentucky athletics puts $500,000 into annual scholarships for Appalachian students
The University of Kentucky announced today that its self-supporting athletics department will put another $500,000 a year into scholarships, this time for students in Appalachian Kentucky, on top of the $1.2 million it annually gives for non-athletic scholarships. The primary beneficiaries of the new money will be the Robinson Scholars, students from 29 Appalachian coalfield counties whose families have never sent anyone to college. "Some of our most loyal fans are those who reside in Eastern Kentucky," Senior Associate Athletic Director Rob Mullens said at a news conference this afternoon.The program, which now

Competitors say Monsanto's seed power too great
Ninety-three percent of U.S. soybeans and 80 percent of U.S. corn are now grown from genetically altered seeds. Monsanto "Roundup Ready" technology has allowed the seeds to stand up to herbicides like Roundup even after planting, Peter Whoriskey of The Washington Post reports. Now the Justice Department is now investigating Monsanto's stranglehold on the seed industry to see if it has too much control.Prices for Roundup Ready seeds have increased to about $50 for a 50-pound bag. "Farmers have decried the price increases, and competitors say the company has ruthlessl

Cool summer made coal stockpiles grow, dictating needs for more cuts in production, operators say
Despite large cuts in production, U.S. coal stockpiles have continued to grow in 2009. As supply of coal outpaces demand, industry officials are predicting more widespread production cuts in the next year, Kris Maher of The Wall Street Journal reports. A recent uptick in U.S. industrial activity hasn't been enough to raise depressed coal prices in the major U.S. producing areas.

U.S. wind industry says it employs more than coal
The wind-energy industry says it employs more Americans than coal mining. A new report from the American Wind Energy Association says wind industry jobs jumped to 85,000 in 2008, up 70 percent from the previous year. The U.S. Department of Energy reported coal mining employed close to 81,000 people in 2007, and Todd Woody of Fortune magazine reports reports coal jobs have remained steady in recent years but are down 50 percent since 1986.The jump in wind jobs resulted from the 50 percent increase in installed wind capacity, with 8,358 megawat

Highway in Utah is both an example of the dangers of rural roads and the difficulties in fixing them
In October we reported that the National Highway Safety and Traffic Administration had released data revealing almost 60 percent of U.S. traffic fatalities in 2008 occurred on rural roads. Now Howard Berkes of National Public Radio has provided an excellent example of applying that nationwide data in a local context. Berkes focuses on the 120-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 6 between Spanish Fork and Green River in Utah, one of the deadliest roads in America.