Update 12:30 p.m. Sept. 4: Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, will not attend Friday’s Black Lung Association meeting, a spokesperson said Friday. He instead provided remarks ahead of the meeting.
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Hello, and welcome back to Southwest Field Notes — a weekly column where I cover a few things going on in our region, and try to keep up with all that is happening!
Please keep reading to learn more about important meetings and initiatives right here in the coalfields. You can reach out to me any time at anna@cardinalnews.org.
National Black Lung Association to convene, elect new leadership
On Friday, the national Black Lung Association will meet in Abingdon to discuss new research, legislative efforts and an election for leadership positions.
The meeting comes as black lung, an incurable and disabling disease, is at its highest rates in the central Appalachia coalfields since the 1970s, according to a study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published in August.
One in three miners who worked for at least 25 years tested positive for the disease, while younger miners with less time underground are disproportionately suffering from complicated black lung.
The national association was founded in 1969 to help miners and their families receive benefits and advocate for better policies across central Appalachia.
Vonda Robinson, vice president of the association and lives in Nicklesville in Scott County, is running for president this year and is coordinating the event. Robinson has been a fierce advocate for miners in the years since her husband John’s diagnosis with the disease — he is running for vice president of the organization this year.
“I can talk the political part, and he can talk the coal mining part,” she said.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.; U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.; and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, are expected to attend. Dr. Brandon Crum, who operates a radiology clinic in Pikeville, Kentucky, will share reports from his work.
Members from across the chapters will vote on leadership. If elected, Robinson would be the first woman to fill the seat, as well as the first president from Virginia, she said.
Community meals as a classroom
Tomorrow, students at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise who are pursuing public health educations will prepare nachos and tacos at the Norton Family Crisis Center, the first community meal of their fall season.
The monthly meals are a part of the Community Nourishment Project, a collaboration between the college and the Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium. They aim to connect students interested in healthcare with their community, especially important for students who want to be medical doctors.
Research has established a marked decrease in empathy for third-year medical students, said Troy Makal, co-director of the project.
“We strive to circumvent that by getting them into the community early, gain hands-on experience and teach them against stereotypes,” he said. “Our students don’t experience that empathy drop … they often come back to Southwest Virginia to serve the community here.”
In recent years, the meals have expanded to two satellite locations in Abingdon and Blacksburg, Makal added. In Norton, meals are being served at the crisis center this fall, which serves people experiencing domestic violence, homelessness and addiction.
The rest of the fall season includes:
- Oct. 3: Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and salad
- Oct. 24: Chili with fall veggies and cornbread
- Nov. 21: Friendsgiving feast with turkey and traditional sides
To learn more about The Community Nourishment Project, contact Makal at vem4r@uvawise.edu.
Scott County might amend its zoning map to include data centers
The Scott County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider changing the county’s zoning ordinance to include data centers.
The planning commission will consider adding data centers as a miscellaneous use in commercial and industrial districts, according to the event details.
The public can see a copy of the proposed ordinance at the county administrator’s office, the release states.
The consideration comes as data center proposals are cropping up across Southwest Virginia, which is being marketed for its cheaper land and low tax rates. In March 2021, Scott County was one of several coalfield counties that agreed to a 24-cent per $100 of assessed value tax on data center equipment and later passed a resolution to express support for attracting data centers to the region.
Developers promote the economic benefits data centers can provide, including jobs and tax revenue, while opponents cite their detrimental impact on the environment and quality of life, including large water and energy requirements.
The hearing will be Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. in the board of supervisors meeting room, 190 Beech St., Suite 201, in Gate City.
