The Friends of Coal continue their outreach efforts with the following events:

- Provided two 30-second Friends of Coal television spots to be shown on the main scoreboard at the WVSSAC baseball tournament.

- Provided 100 Friends of Coal yard signs to the Arch Coal CAP to be posted through Boone County in conjunction with the Coal Festival and the anti-coal March on Blair Mountain.

- Developed a print advertisement to run in the program for the Beckley Miners semi-pro baseball team spotlighting the new FOC license plate.

- June 2 --- Briefed staff member of Senator Joe Manchin on the Clean Water Act actions in West Virginia

- June 3 --- Presentation to 175 high school juniors at the WV HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth) Annual Convocation in Morgantown

- June 3 – Scott High School Coal Symposium in Madison. All day presentation.

- June 11 – Will maintain an informational booth at the Hatfield-McCoy Days Festival in Williamson in conjunction with the marathon race.

- June 13 — Boy Scouts of America District Day Camp at Camp Arrowhead in Ona. Lunch time presentation. Noon to 1:00pm

- June 14 — Boy Scouts of America M-G-M District Day Camp at Point Pleasant. Lunch time presentation. Noon to 1:00pm.

- June 15 – Presentation on Post-Mine Land Use at Pipestem State Park in conjunction with Dennis Jarvis and RSL.

- June 23 – Deadline for editorial submissions to the State Journal direct message.

- June 21-25 – Will maintain an informational booth at the West Virginia Coal Festival in Madison.

- July 15-17th – Will maintain an informational booth at the Friends of Coal Auto Fair in Beckley.

- July 21-22 – Presentation to the Energy Session of Leadership West Virginia Class of 2011 in Huntington.

- August 12-20 – Will maintain an informational booth and a one-day sponsorship of the West Virginia State Fair in Lewisburg.

Additional speaking engagements have been tentatively set for Parkersburg and Morgantown. Dates TBA.

Pictured from left to right:  Ray Scites, TVMI Treasurer; Courtney Blackburn, Belfry; Aimee Williamson, Belfry; Sara Mullins, Belfry;  Alexandria Workman, Belfry; Amber Hopkins, Tug Valley; Dr. Stephen J. Kopp, Marshall University President; and Andy Ashurst, TVMI President (not pictured, Logan Bartley, Pike Central High)

At the May 26, 2011, Tug Valley Mining Institute (TVMI) dinner meeting, the six 2011 scholarship recipients were named.  The two top $6,000 scholarship awards went to Aimee Williamson, Belfry High School and Alexandria Workman, Belfry High School.  Four $750 scholarship awards went to Logan Bartley, Pike Central High School; Courtney Blackburn, Belfry High School; Amber Hopkins, Tug Valley High School; and Sara Mullins, Belfry High School.

The guest speaker was Dr. Stephen J. Kopp, President of Marshall University, and he provided an inspirational speech directed toward the scholars regarding the educational journey they are starting.  He encouraged the scholars to invest in themselves now with education so that they could be the leaders and decision makers of tomorrow.  Hi-Tech Construction sponsored the meeting and has been a long time supporter of the scholarship program.

Over the last fifteen years, TVMI has awarded 90 (ninety) students $198,250 in scholarship monies.  The TVMI scholarship is open to students from Mingo, Logan, Wayne, Pike, and Martin counties.  The applications are available in November of each year and may be obtained from Marsha Williams at the First National Bank of Williamson or from the TVMI website (www.tugvalleymi.org).

by The Associated Press 
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Shareholders overwhelmingly approved coal producer Alpha Natural Resources' $7.1 billion takeover of struggling rival Massey Energy Co. on Wednesday, the companies said.
Alpha immediately began absorbing Massey, replacing the company's sign on its West Virginia headquarters and filing at least 18 documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission cancelling Massey shares after the deal closed.

"Our goal is to run the combined company in the same manner that we've operated Alpha," Chief Executive Kevin Crutchfield told The Associated Press. "We'll see improved safety performance, improved levels of environmental stewardship."

By Carra Higgins - Staff Writer , The Inter-Mountain

Facility would create approximately 250 jobs

A new Metinvest mining operation planned for the Ellamore area of Randolph County received the Randolph County Development Authority's stamp of approval Wednesday.

RCDA board members learned that the Roaring Creek deep-mining facility will create approximately 250 direct jobs, which will have average wages of $18 to $30 an hour. For each of the 250 people employed at the mine, approximately five other jobs will be created.