BECKLEY -- The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary “Giving Hearts” program consists of numerous projects, one of them being our deployed troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2009, the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary contacted the Golden Knights concerning our deployed military. At that time, they were supplied with a “wish list” from outposts in Afghanistanand Iraq. In that year, they provided such items as a flat-screen television, DVDs, magazines, canned fruit, mixed nuts, candy, foot powder, anti-bacterial wipes, vapor rub and eye drops. These items were sent to 500 deployed troops.

ACTION ALERT:  CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TODAY!  ASK THEM TO SUPPORT HR 2018!

THIS BILL WILL HELP REIN IN THE EPA AND GET AMERICA BACK TO WORK!

The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (H.R. 2018) has major implications for the Friends of Coal and the 63,000 West Virginia families whose livelihoods depend on mining coal.

Arch Coal has announced its new management structure following the acquisition of International Coal Group, Inc. (ICG) and its 13 active mining complexes. The company named three group presidents: Ken Cochran, Gary Bennett and Charles Snavely, as well as Samuel Kitts to director of operational development. All four individuals will report to Paul Lang, Arch's senior vice president of operations.

Cochran has been named group president with responsibility for Thunder Basin Coal Company, the Arch Western Bituminous Group, Arch of Wyoming and the Otter Creek development. Cochran served as President of Thunder Basin Coal Company for six years and previously worked 20 years for TXU. Reporting to Cochran will be Thunder Basin Coal Company President Keith Williams and Arch Western Bituminous Group President Gene DiClaudio.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced that the newly formed District 12 office within the agency's Coal Mine Safety and Health division has begun operations. MSHA initiated the process of splitting the agency's jurisdiction over southern West Virginia coal mines - formerly all covered by District 4 - into two separate districts earlier this year.

The new office, in its formative stages, eventually will be located in Pineville but for now is temporarily housed at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver. It will have jurisdiction over field offices in Pineville, Logan and Princeton. District 4 will remain in Mt. Hope and will oversee field offices in Mt. Hope, Mt. Carbon, Madison and Summersville.

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. this week, wrote a strongly-worded letter to the United States Environmental Protection Agency demanding the agency show proof that jobs were considered when issuing new regulations for coal-fueled power plants over the past year.

Capito’s letter comes on the heels of frustrating news that American Electric Power will shut down five plants in West Virginia and Ohio, resulting in job cuts and higher utility costs across the board.