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Pocahontas County Quiet Zone Fiber Deployment Project is Fully Funded and Moving Forward
Pocahontas County has reached a major milestone in its long‑term effort to overcome one of the most challenging broadband barriers in Appalachia. The Quiet Zone Fiber Deployment Project—originally proposed through the ARC POWER+ program—is full funded and underway, enabling construction of a 49‑mile fiber‑to‑the‑premises (FTTP) network serving some of the most isolated communities in West Virginia. Hook ups shall begin this fall.
The final funding package includes:
The community is especially grateful to these funding partners for their contribution to their being able to leap forward into the IT world.
With a total investment of $4,085,000, the county is now positioned to deliver gigabit‑speed broadband to 1,011 households and 24 businesses stretching across most of Pocahontas County from Marlinton to Minnehaha Springs and north to Dunmore.
A Unique Broadband Challenge
Much of the project area lies within the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ), where fixed wireless technologies are restricted to protect radio astronomy research at the Green Bank Observatory. As the original application noted, “residents and businesses in the PFSA will never have access to broadband without federal assistance.” This project provides the only viable path to modern connectivity—replacing aging copper lines with a fully wired, high‑capacity fiber network.
Economic and Community Impact
The Quiet Zone Fiber Deployment Project will strengthen Pocahontas County’s economic resilience by supporting:
No longer will children be forced to sit in designated parking lots hard wired to a pole or those in need of medical assistance have to travel many miles to join a telemed virtual visit.
The project also addresses long‑standing challenges associated with economic development, population decline, limited job opportunities, and the downstream effects of statewide coal industry contraction.
Local Leadership and Collaboration
The Pocahontas Broadband Council—including partners such as the Region IV PDC, Greenbrier Valley EDC, Green Bank Observatory, High Rocks, Snowshoe Mountain Resort, the Town of Marlinton, and others—will continue leading outreach, digital literacy efforts, and adoption campaigns to ensure residents and businesses fully benefit from the new infrastructure.
A Model for Rural Innovation
With funding secured and construction moving forward, Pocahontas County is demonstrating how rural communities facing geographic, regulatory, and economic barriers can still build world‑class broadband networks. The Quiet Zone Fiber Deployment Project stands as a regional model for how federal, state, local, and private partners can work together to solve complex infrastructure challenges and create lasting economic opportunity.


DDAA’s Office in Arlington, VA
December 15, 2026
Join fellow LDD staff at CREC’s Arlington office this December to talk through how Local Development Districts are putting AI tools to work. The AI Peer Meeting is a chance to compare notes with colleagues, see what others have tried, and get straight answers about what these tools do well and where they fall short.
This meeting puts discussion first. Instead of formal presentations, sessions center on real examples and open conversation. The morning focuses on use cases and sharing what LDDs are already doing with AI. The afternoon turns to the practical side of building AI into an organization: setting policies, training staff, and choosing platforms. Whether you have already built AI into your daily work or are just starting to test it out, you will leave with ideas you can use and a few new people to call when questions come up.
We are also inviting a small number of facilitators to share a short case study, a workflow they have built, or lessons learned, and then guide the conversation with participants.
Interested in facilitating? Submit your proposal by Friday, September 18, 2026.
DDAA will cover up to two hotel nights and flight or mileage reimbursement for facilitators.
Morning – Use Cases and Examples
Afternoon – Policies, Training, and Platforms
Don’t miss this chance to swap ideas and sharpen your work. Register today.
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The Buffalo Community in rural Union County, South Carolina, shares similar characteristics with other southern Appalachian communities. It was home to a textile mill in the 1900s that was the backbone of the community. The Buffalo Mill first opened its doors in 1901 and operated for almost 95 years in the manufacturing of textile goods. The Mill closed in 1995 due to the offshoring of the textile industry. For a brief time in the early 2000s, a potpourri company occupied the facility; however, by 2006, all but the two mill towers were demolished, leaving only rubble in its place.

One of the remaining prominent community assets is the Buffalo Mill Village Community Park. The park’s central focal point is a pond that was previously used as a fire suppression reservoir for the Mill. There is a walking trail that circumnavigates the pond that residents used for exercise and a picnic area that was used as a local gathering place for community events. Recognizing that the park needed improvements to build community capacity to help make the community’s ecosystem healthier and aesthetically pleasing and to promote revitalization, Union County pursued the Buffalo Mill Site Improvements Project in 2022. The Buffalo Mill Site Improvements Project was a collaborative effort involving Union County; the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), Area Development; the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Park and Recreation Development Fund; and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Project improvements included demolition and removal of portions of the existing asphalt and stone walking path, playground equipment, the picnic shelter and foundation, the wooden foot bridge, and damaged trees. In addition, the following items were installed: 21” HDPE, 15” HDPE, 12” RCP, a precast box culvert, chain-link fencing, a concrete pad, rip-rap sediment traps, and playground equipment. The project included about 250 linear feet of stream restoration and approximately 2,100 linear feet of pond shoreline stabilization, along with pond dredging and the disposal of material.

In order to build a healthy workforce ecosystem, Union County has been proactive in revitalizing the Buffalo Community. An important part of any community is local amenities, and the Buffalo Mill Village Community Park is a valuable asset. The County believes that in order to attract a vibrant workforce to enable future economic competitiveness, it must capitalize on the area’s present assets and make them usable for current and prospective residents. The upgraded park and pond will offer a safe place for exercise and improve the health of area residents, resulting in a healthier workforce population and a positive improvement to the workforce capacity. Union Medical Center, Union County Economic Development, and the SC Works Workforce division have agreed to partner with the County to host a community health and workforce event at the park upon project completion.

Union County, the only distressed ARC county in South Carolina, is thrilled that its first ARC construction grant is nearing completion and is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to partner with ARC to make impactful improvements in its distressed communities.
DEADLINE: Friday, July 31, 2026
The Development District Association of Appalachia is holding its Annual Conference in Arlington, Virginia from March 7-10, 2027. We plan to share cutting-edge ideas, highlight success stories and lessons learned, and engage with other LDDs during our annual gathering. DDAA is seeking compelling session proposals to ensure a comprehensive program. Session proposals should address topics and trends that reflect the wide-ranging needs and interests of member region, states or LDDs, with a focus on this year’s theme of Bridging Communities, Building Futures. We are searching for powerful session proposals that align with Appalachian Regional Commission’s 5 strategic goals:
Conference Audience:
The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) is a membership organization of the 74 Local Development Districts (LDDs) serving the 423 counties of the Appalachia Region. The DDAA works to strengthen LDDs and their member governments and to provide leadership to support the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) federal-state-local partnership. Conference attendees are Executive Directors, Board Members, local and state Elected Officials, Program Managers, and Staff of Local Development Districts across the 13 state region.
Local Development Districts (LDDs) are multi-jurisdictional planning and economic development organizations that provide administrative, professional and technical assistance to local governments and citizens throughout Appalachia. An LDD is the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) name for the multi-county planning and development organizations which from State to State may be otherwise known as regional councils, councils of governments, area development districts, regional development centers, or regional planning commissions. LDD’s are the local partner in the ARC’s Federal-State-Local partnership, and they serve the member counties and municipalities within their designated regions in efforts aimed at achieving the goals of the ARC.
Guidelines:
Please read the following guidelines carefully before submitting your session proposal.
Proposal Submissions:
Please fill out the SurveyMonkey form at the link. Contact DDAA at bbuff@crec.net via email with any questions regarding conference proposals. For more details about DDAA, visit our website at www.appalachiandevelopment.org.
You will be notified via email regarding a decision on your proposal on or before August 29, 2026. All proposals will be kept on file for one year for consideration for future conferences. If the session proposal and speakers are accepted, the person who submitted the proposals will be responsible for confirming the moderator and speakers on or before September 11, 2026.
No substitutes for speakers or moderators can be made without permission from DDAA.
Important Deadlines:
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Flooding has long shaped the story of our region in the Southern Tier of New York—testing our infrastructure, our ecosystems, and our resolve. In the wake of the devastating floods of 1972, communities across the region faced not only the challenge of rebuilding, but also an urgent question: How can we reduce flood damage and protect future generations?

Elmira, NY after Hurricane Agnes in 1972

Bath, NY after Hurricane Debby
in 2024
A Program Born from Experience
Recovery from the 1972 flood was not easy. Regional planning boards, alongside Steuben, Schuyler, and Chemung Counties, partnered with corporate leaders such as Corning Incorporated and other local entities to restore what had been lost. But from those early recovery conversations emerged a forward-thinking vision—moving beyond reaction toward prevention.
By 1996, that vision led to the creation of a dedicated Flood Recovery Specialist position at STC. This role was groundbreaking for its time. The specialist’s duties were highly technical and wide-ranging: identifying flood-prone areas, working with municipalities to plan for future flood events, serving as a liaison between federal, state, and local partners, and providing education and outreach on flood mitigation and resiliency. The position also offered hands-on assistance during flood emergencies and post-disaster recovery.
Importantly, this role was made possible through true regional collaboration. Funding was shared equally by Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties—an investment that demonstrated collective commitment to protecting people, property, and infrastructure.
Thirty Years Later: A Program That Endures
Today, nearly 30 years later, STC continues to maintain this vital position. What began as a bold experiment has grown into an essential, trusted program that communities rely on year after year.
Our long-serving Flood Recovery Specialist—the first of her kind when she began in 1996—has shaped the program into a regional asset. Under her leadership, floodplain management became more proactive, grants were secured for tools like additional stream gauges, and communities gained hands-on support to update Flood Damage Prevention laws. While we prepare to celebrate her well-earned retirement, we are also actively seeking the next Flood Recovery Specialist to carry this work forward.
The legacy of Janet Thigpen’s leadership is clear: stronger policies, better-informed communities, and a deeper regional understanding of flood risk and resilience.


Education, Outreach, and the Power of the Flood Model
Much of this program’s impact goes beyond planning documents and regulations. Education has always been central to flood resilience, and STC staff work to reach residents of all ages—from kindergarten classrooms to seasoned municipal leaders.
STC regularly participates in Environmental Field Days, Earth Day celebrations, Regional Leadership Conferences, and Planning Board and Town Board meetings across the region. At the center of many of these efforts is our Flood Model—an interactive, hands-on teaching tool that makes flood concepts tangible and memorable.
Using everyday objects like Monopoly houses, putty, sponges, and matchbox cars, participants can explore real-world flood mitigation strategies. Houses can be elevated on stilts. Sponges demonstrate how wetlands absorb water. Participants can even attempt to dam or redirect flowing water—only to learn an important lesson: eventually, water will find a way. Matchbox cars help reinforce the life-saving message, “Turn around, don’t drown,” showing how even a small amount of moving water can sweep vehicles away.
The model is fun, creative, and engaging—but its impact is serious. It provides residents with a real-life understanding of why certain mitigation strategies are recommended and how thoughtful planning can reduce damage and save lives.
Looking Ahead
As flooding continues to affect communities throughout Appalachia, the lessons learned over the past 30 years are more important than ever. STC’s Flood Recovery Program stands as an example of long-term regional collaboration, proactive planning, and the power of education.
By investing in preparedness today, we help ensure safer, more resilient communities tomorrow.