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On Thursday, Governor Joe Manchin announced that he has selected Thomas Mike Porter Jr. of Princeton to be appointed to the 25th District West Virginia House of Delegates seat (Mercer County) to fill the vacancy left by the passing of his father, Thomas Mike Porter Sr., last month.
“I am very pleased that Mike Jr. has accepted this opportunity to get involved in public service and have the chance to carry on a special legacy that his father left,” Gov. Manchin said. “I have always respected the desires of the Porter family and that has been an important aspect throughout this process. Mike Porter Sr. was a hard working and well-respected public servant and I am confident that his son will mirror the same work ethic on behalf of the citizens of Mercer County to the best of his ability.”
Porter Jr. will serve throughout the remainder of his father’s term which expires at the end of November.
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The following remarks were given today by Gov. Joe Manchin during a press conference announcing the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s action to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding coal mining permits in West Virginia:
I want to thank the representatives from the West Virginia Coal Association, the UMWA and all of the top-notch workers and families from the mining community, for your dedication and commitment on behalf of the people of West Virginia.
Thank you all for being here for this press conference.
I’ve asked our stakeholders to come together today because over the past year and a half, we have been fighting President Obama Administration’s attempts to destroy our coal industry and way of life in West Virginia.
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CHARLESTON – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced Wednesday that his administration is filing suit against the Obama Administration and the U.S. EPA in an effort to stop the senseless war against Appalachian coal being waged by the president and his administration.
West Virginia Coal Association Chairman Gary White and President Bill Raney, along with representatives of the United Mine Workers of America and several other labor and industry organizations, were on hand for the announcement at the State Capitol.
White said it is vital to the state’s future to stop this power grab by Obama and the EPA.
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The Friends of Coal is continuing its outreach efforts on several fronts into the fall. In addition to a full schedule of conferences and events planned for the fall, the organization is hosting various groups of college students interested in learning about the industry.
Earlier this week, the Friends of Coal spoke with a group of students from the University of Charleston and a group of Wheeling Jesuit students will be in visiting on October 21.
In addition, Friends of Coal was represented this past weekend at the annual Rocket Boys Festival in Coalwood. More than 3,000 people were on-hand for the event held in the hometown of the Rocket Boys, made famous in the movie “October Sky.”
Later this month, the Friends of Coal will be taking part in a conference hosted by the West Virginia State Board of Education intended to begin development of a secondary schools curriculum to prepare high school students for careers in the energy and mining sector. The conference will be held in Fairmont.
And the Friends of Coal will be attending the annual meeting of Create West Virginia in Wheeling later this month. Create West Virginia is an extension of the Vision Shared organization, founded by the late-Gov. Cecil Underwood to lead the economic development and diversification efforts of the state.
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The deadline to register to vote is quickly approaching. The last day to register to vote in Kentucky is October 4th, and in Virginia and West Virginia on October 12th. It is easy to register to vote. Check out the process in your area www.minethevote.org. This is a vital election for the future of our nation, our state and our industry. The Friends of Coal encourages everyone to vote in November.
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