"Defunding Appalachia: Coal Communities Resist President’s Budget Cuts"

"Danny Ferguson didn’t like what he saw happening in Lincoln County, West Virginia, where he grew up. The downturn in the coal industry had hit hard, and young people had few job options beyond some fast food places.

'We don’t have nothing else for them to be employed,' Ferguson said. 'Lincoln County is in bad shape and Coalfield seemed like the only one willing to take a chance in that area.'

That’s the Coalfield Development Corporation, where Ferguson now works as a crew chief to mentor and train young people in carpentry and other skills. Trainees earn pay while getting experience as they reclaim old buildings, restore furniture, and install solar energy stations. Ferguson said the program offers hope in an otherwise bleak situation."

Benny Becker and Jeff Young report for Ohio Valley ReSource March 24, 2017.