Final arrangements are being made for the Friends of Coal Bowl to be held in Huntington on Friday night, September 10th.  Registration forms will be e-mailed the first of next week to all Coal Bits participants.  Game tickets will be available through the Association.

The Citizens for Coal organization has launched a new website at http://www.citizensforcoal.org.  The group, headed by President Roger Horton, says it will be expanding the website as it continues the group’s efforts to fight the EPA’s war against Appalachian coal mining.  Log on to the site for more information about the group and how to join.

Board of Directors also chosen by membership
 
Members of the West Virginia Coal Association have chosen International Resource Partners President and CEO Gary White as the group's new chairman of the board.
 
 In a vote held August 5, during the organization’s annual meeting, the membership elected White to replace Jim Bunn, who had completed two consecutive terms.
With his election, White assumes leadership of the nation’s largest state coal mining association. He previously served as the West Virginia Coal Association president and CEO from 1985 to 1992. He has been with International Resource Partners (IRP) and its predecessor company, International Industries since leaving the association. IRP produces approximately two million tons of metallurgical and steam coal from surface and underground operations in southern West Virginia.
 
Bunn will continue to serve as a member of the Association’s executive committee.
 

According to Myron Ebell of the Conservative Enterprise Institute, the “cap-n-trade” bill has been removed from the Senate calendar for now.  His note said:  After another meeting of Senate Democrats on Thursday, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the anti-energy package he plans to bring to the floor next week will not include cap-n-tax.  He said that he will be happy to bring cap-n-tax to the floor later in the session if Kerry can produce 60 votes.  The package Reid hopes to bring to the floor includes four titles: BP oil spill provisions; energy efficiency measures; natural gas vehicles, especially heavy-duty trucks; and something on the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is an appropriated trust to buy federal land and turn it into federal land funded from oil royalties.  The major item is probably the title on natural gas vehicles and might be called the Boone Pickens Taxpayer-Funded Payoff.  

On Monday evening the Legislature approved, and the Governor signed immediately, House Bill 201 providing for a special election to pick the successor for Senator Robert C. Byrd’s seat and the election will be open to anyone who wants to file, including anyone who is already on the November ballot for another office.  Republicans in the Legislature advocated this amendment and referred to it as the “Capito” amendment since it would permit Congresswoman Capito to seek election to the U.S. Senate, as well as her seat in Congress.  However, the next morning, Congresswoman Capito announced she would not file for the U.S. Senate seat and would limit her re-election efforts to her 2nd District Congressional seat.  So far there have been two Democrats file to oppose Governor Manchin.  Former Secretary of State and longtime mining opponent, Ken Hechler, who is 95 years old, described his filing as a referendum on mountain top mining.  Also, former House of Delegates member Sheril Fletcher from Morgantown filed as a Democrat.  A number of Republicans filed, led by the most prominently known John Raese and Mac Warner, both from Morgantown.  The filing period ends today, Friday, at 5 p.m.  There will be a Primary Election on August 28th, with the Special “General” Election to be held at the same time as the already scheduled November General Election.