In the Region - April 30, 2026 | Volume 11, Issue 17
ARC NEWS
Important INSPIRE Dates and Resources 🌟
Are you interested in applying for funding to advance your work helping those in recovery from substance use disorder obtain (or keep) jobs?
Check out key dates and resources for our Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative below.
Steps for INSPIRE Applicants
💻 Watch the pre-application webinar & the Q&A session
🔗 Head to the INSPIRE application information page for easy access to all the resources you need
📋 Register for our grant management system by May 5
📝 Submit your Letter of Intent to apply by May 12
✔️ Apply by June 15
In Memory of Dr. Jesse L. White, Jr., 1944—2026
ARC’s longest serving Federal Co-Chair, Dr. Jesse L. White, Jr., died earlier this month in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He was 81.
During his tenure (1993—2002), Dr. White helped lay the groundwork for ARC’s enduring efforts to strengthen local leadership, expand telecommunications access and empower Appalachian entrepreneurs.
COMMUNITY
Coal communities across the region will be invited soon to apply for economic development funding through our Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative (POWER) Initiative. ⚡ Stay tuned to next week’s issue of In the Region.
Using $2.5M in POWER funds, Jefferson County, Ohio, is set to expand high-speed broadband internet access to 245 households and 20 businesses in nearly 900 new serviceable areas. 💻 The project is currently seeking bids from service providers.
On a visit coinciding with the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, King Charles and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom visited Virginia today to take in cultural performances and meet with community groups, including some from Appalachia. 👑AVAILABLE OPPORTUNITY
Seeking Proposals for Appalachian Rural Highways Study
Qualified consultants can submit proposals now for an ARC study that will present data-driven methods, economic benefit concepts and actionable strategies to help state Departments of Transportation complete the Appalachian Development Highway System. 🛣️
Proposals are due June 25. Read the RFP for other key information.
APPALACHIA IN THE NEWS
Northern Appalachia
Barnesville North water line extension project progresses, The Intelligencer
Central Appalachia
Appalachian Trail CEO talks trail repairs and upgrades in "state of the trail" speech, The Journal
Ribbon cutting held on Macedonia water project, Ironton Tribune
Southern Appalachia
EVENTS
Pathways Office Hours
May 6–June 23, 2026; virtual
2026 ARC Annual Conference, Appalachia Builds: Breaking New Ground for Economic Growth ➡️ Join the waitlist!
June 2–4, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi
