Reports study of auto supply, apparel/textile, chemicals, tourism, instruments/telecommunications equipment industries, showing how Appalachia's ability to compete with other regions lies in access to capital, technology, and a skilled workforce. Concludes capitalizing on existing strengths will require action by all levels of government and the…

A nonprofit community action agency, BusinesStart, provides business training and small loans to entrepreneurs in 18 rural counties in southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee. The entrepreneurs, many with no previous business experience, cite the agency's basic business training as key to their success. (SV)

With the help of grants for upgrading public facilities and with planning assistance, a small rural community in Alabama has succeeded in attracting 10 new industries and expanding 7. (Author)

The Congressional Rural Caucus, the Midwest Caucus of Democratic Senators, and a number of Republican Senators are all focusing their attention on rural issues and problems. (Author)

A native Appalachian describes how his home in southwestern Virginia (Wythe County) seemed to him as a boy and how he feels it has changed today after an absence of 20 years. (Author/NEC)

Each year thousands of people travel to Penland School of Crafts in rural Mitchell County, North Carolina, to receive instruction in pottery, sculpture, drawing, glassblowing, metalworking, photography, printmaking, weaving, and woodworking. Established in 1929, the school has become a catalyst for economic growth by pumping millions of dollars…

The Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College, Kentucky, helps develop the leadership skills that rural Appalachian communities need to solve local problems and spur economic development. Community members from 42 rural counties in 4 states (plus 2 student groups at Berea College) have attended weekend workshops at Berea College and returned home to…

Describes Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation (KHIC), a nonprofit community development organization that creates jobs and helps small manufacturing businesses succeed in nine "perpetually poor" rural Kentucky counties. Outlines KHIC services: loans for both expansion and working capital; equity and real estate investments;…

Tennessee's Three-Star Program for Community Economic Preparedness helps rural communities sell themselves as desirable locations for industry. The program emphasizes community planning and improved quality of life; features include adult leadership programs, community action projects, after-school and extracurricular programs for children and…

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…

Uses question-and-answer format to profile Edna Compton, director of Dungannon (Virginia) Development Commission, an economic development group formed and managed by local people. Commission improved education, housing, and employment in area. Compton discusses process, achievements, and goals held by commission and herself. (TES)

Special issue traces 20-year history and mission of Appalachian Regional Commission. Outlines changes in highways, transportation, education, health, child development, community building, housing, enterprise development, energy, natural resources, environment, leadership, economy, and development diversity. Presents 15-year economic outlook,…

A public water line built in 1992 in rural Casey County, Kentucky, has spawned economic growth and allowed children at 2 elementary schools and a foster home, and residents of 110 private homes to have clean, drinkable water. The Appalachian Regional Commission has assisted hundreds of counties in improving their water or sewage treatment…

The Ceramics Corridor has created new jobs in New York's Appalachian region by fostering ceramics research and product development by small private companies. Corridor business incubators offer tenants low overhead costs, fiber-optic connections to Alfred University's mainframe computer, rental of lab space, and use of equipment small companies…