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January 09, 2014

Richard Neil Farmer, who served as general counsel of United Coal at the time Massey Energy acquired it in the late 1990s passed away on Sunday, January 5 in Hurricane

Joseph B. Talbott, a former Webster County House of Delegates member, passed away last week, according to officials with the state House of Delegates.

John Sabo, retired employee of Weir International and served as their representative as WVCA Associate member, passed away on January 6.

Bud Runyon, former VP of Sales at ICG, passed away yesterday, January 9^th.

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January 02, 2014

The 41^st Annual Coal Mining Symposium is set for January 29 – 31^st, 2014 at the Charleston Civic Center.  Exhibit and Sponsorship information was sent to everyone the end of last week and responses have been numerous.  The general registration will be sent later today by e-mail and will also be available on-line at http://www.wvcoal.com/2014-symposium-registration.html

A block of sleeping rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express (directly across from the Civic Center) at a rate of $99.00 per night.  To reserve your room please call the Holiday Inn Express directly at 304.345.0600 and let them know you want to be in the block of WVCA rooms.

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January 02, 2014

The Kanawha Valley Mining Institute will hold its first monthly meeting of 2014 onThursday, January 9 beginning at 6 p.m.at the Holiday Inn & Suites in South Charleston.

The Honorable Justice Brent Benjamin of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals is the scheduled speaker with Strata Products as the sponsor.  To register for the meeting go to:  http://www.kvmi.org/cntract.html

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January 02, 2014

Arrangements for “Buck” include the visitation/viewing at the Larry Joe Harless Community Center in Gilbert on Saturday, January 4^th, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The funeral service will be at the Gilbert Presbyterian Church at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5^th, followed by a celebration of Buck’s life at the Larry Joe Harless Community Center beginning at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the Larry Joe Harless Community Center, 202 Larry Joe Harless Drive, Gilbert, WV 25621.  Evans Funeral Home in Chapmanville is in charge of arrangements.  “Buck’s” full obituary is below.

 

James Howard “Buck” Harless, 94, of Gilbert, W. Va., passed away peacefully Wednesday night, January 1, 2014 surrounded by his wife Hallie and family.

He was born October 14, 1919 in Taplin, W. Va. to Bessie Brown Harless and her husband Pearly J. Soon after his birth, his mother died of pneumonia, and he was taken in and raised by his mother's sister, Rosa, and her husband, George Erastis “Ras” Ellis of Gilbert.

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December 20, 2013

The 41^st Annual Coal Mining Symposium is set for January 29 – 31^st, 2014 at the Charleston Civic Center.  Exhibit and Sponsorship information was sent to everyone the end of last week and responses have been numerous.  The general registration will be sent later today by e-mail and will also be available on-line at www.wvcoal.com

A block of sleeping rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn Express (directly across from the Civic Center) at a rate of $99.00 per night.  To reserve your room please call the Holiday Inn Express directly at304.345.0600 and let them know you want to be in the block of WVCA rooms.

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December 20, 2013

West Virginia University announced today that Sarah Smith, Alpha Natural Resources’ Director of Government and External Affairs in West Virginia, has been named Associate Vice President for State and Corporate Relations, a new position, beginning in January.   Sarah has been active with the Association as the alternate representative for First Vice Chairman Kevin Crutchfield and as Chairwoman of the Association’s Public Relations Committee.  We appreciate her support and assistance and wish her the very best in her new challenges.

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December 20, 2013

Earlier this week, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review the EPA’s retroactive veto of Mingo Logan Coal Company’s permit in Logan County.  Twenty-six other states’ Attorneys General joined in the brief thanks to the coordinating efforts of AG Morrisey.  A related story is attached to this Coal Bits.

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December 20, 2013

West Virginia’s energy industry movers and shakers were on hand Tuesday, December 17, for the annual Governor’s Energy Summit in Charleston.

West Virginia’s primary energy resource – coal – took center stage for the event, held at the Charleston Marriott Town Center.

Bob Murray, founder and president of Murray Energy, which recently completed the acquisition of the majority of Consol Energy’s coal mining properties in the state, was on hand to give the keynote address.

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December 20, 2013

According to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly production report, for the week ending 12/14/13, U.S. metallurgical exports through October 2013 were down 6.2% as compared to the same period last year (55.7million tons v. 59.4 million tons) and steam coal exports were off by 8.5% (43.4 million tons v. 47.4 million tons). Imported coal was also down 4.5% for this period (7.3 million tons v. 7.6 million tons).   West Virginia’s 2013 year-to-date production, through 12/14, was down 2.2% statewide when compared to the same period in 2012 (113.2 million tons v. 115.7 million tons), with northern WV production up 1.9% (40.5 million tons v. 39.7 million tons) and southern WV off 4.4% (72.7 million tons v. 76 million tons). U.S. year-to-date production through 12/7 was down 1.9% (957.1 million tons v. 975.5 million tons).