Looks at Commission on Religion in Appalachia (CORA) programs uniting 23 church denominations behind social and volunteer projects designed to improve quality of rural life. Describes CORA and its projects. (TES)

Sponsored by Rural Action, an Ohio multicounty community development corporation, artist Geoff Schenkel involves Appalachian Ohio communities and schools in the creation of community murals. The projects counter Appalachian stereotypes and boost self-esteem and community revitalization. Includes photographs. (SAS)

Discussions centered on circumstances faced by laid-off workers in Portsmouth, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Upper Cumberland, Tennessee, and Gary, West Virginia. These diverse Appalachian communities are prototypes of the extent of local distress imposed by the impersonal workings of the market and the absence of precedents for dealing with…

One viable economic development option for rural areas is the creation of business incubators--facilities that aid in the early stages of growth of an enterprise by providing rental space, services, and business assistance. Business incubators promote community development by diversifying the economic base, enhancing the community's image as a…

One component of the Appalachian Regional Commission's regional plan process is the annual review and approval of individual state development policies. The state summaries of proposed programs for fiscal year 1979 (for Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,…