Press
- Parent Category: News
Concert Features Country Musical Guests Trailer Choir with The Davisson Brothers Band and Matt Jones
MORGANTOWN, W. Va.—Remember the Miners (RTM) is pleased to announce the inaugural Remember the Miners Tribute Concert. RTM is a public awareness campaign established to honor the legacy of all miners; and to raise awareness about the sacrifices that coal miners and their families make for our country.
“It's important to honor and thank the men and women of the coal industry who do the good and honorable work that makes America great,” states Chris Hamilton, the vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association. “The Coal Association is supportive of this campaign and hopes to see you at the celebration in Morgantown. It will be a tremendous event in celebration of West Virginia coal."
Read more: Remember the Miners Hosts Tribute Concert to Honor Miners
- Parent Category: News
Appalachian Institute student intern Grace Williams, contributed to this news release.
WHEELING, WV, Oct. 11, 2010 — Wheeling Jesuit University’s Student Life Department, the Rev. Clifford M. Lewis, S.J. Appalachian Institute and the WJU First Year Experience team will host a moderated forum about the benefits and costs of coal at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 in Troy Theatre, located in Swint Hall.
The forum is open to the public and will feature Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association and co-chair of the Mountaintop Mining Coalition, along with WJU professor and environmental scientist Ben Stout and the Rev. Dennis Sparks, director of the West Virginia Council of Churches.
Hamilton is an official Friend of Coal and Sparks represents a group that took a stance against mountaintop removal mining recently.
“This forum will be a good opportunity for students to see firsthand the difference between the industry of coal and the environment of coal, and the benefits and implications it has for West Virginia,” said Rob Kulpa, director of Student Life. "It's an opportunity for students to learn more about a controversial topic, significant in Appalachia."
Participants will have an opportunity to voice their own opinions on coal mining and coal burning, and the effects on the Appalachian community, environment and economy.
The Friends of Coal is a volunteer organization that consists of both West Virginians and others. Membership is free and the group works to inform and educate people about the coal industry and its vital role in the state's future.
The 130-year-old Council of Churches is the oldest, largest and one of the most powerful religious groups in the state, representing nearly 3,000 Christian churches of various denominations, with nearly 600,000 parishioners among them, or roughly one out of every three residents of the state.
The coal forum is open to students, faculty and all Wheeling Jesuit community members, as well as the general public.
- Parent Category: News
The Association and Friends of Coal are participating in the dedication ceremonies for New River Community and Technical College at Ghent, WV on Friday and Saturday. New River has a new, expansive training facility adjacent to the Turnpike at the Ghent exit (#28). *** Presentation of State Championship trophies to the winners and runners-up in the cross-country state meet at Cabell Midland High School in Milton. Trophies will be presented in each of the three classes. ***
- Parent Category: News
I have lived in Wolfe County my entire life, and until this past year, we have never had a park. Because of coal severance money (the money Big Coal companies give back to communities), we were able to build a park. Those big coal companies help many eastern Kentucky counties by improving hospitals and roads, funding volunteer fire departments or upgrading schools, among many other improvements.
Read more: Letter to the Editor: Mountaintop Development Benefits Ky.
- Parent Category: News
The Friends of Coal are urging everyone to be responsible citizens and vote November 2. This election is vital to the future of our state and our nation. Decisions will be made in the next Congress and our state Legislature that will impact our people for generations.
Make your voice heard! Vote November 2.
- Parent Category: News
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.
Next week, the Friends of Coal will meet with a group of students from Nebraska in conjunction with Wheeling Jesuit University. In addition, we are continuing planning for another in our series of regional coal symposiums. The next one is being planned for southern West Virginia within the next few weeks.
If you are interested in having the Friends of Coal represented at your event or meeting, please give us a call at 304.342.4153 or email us at theadley@wvcoal.com or sdavison@wvcoal.com.
- Parent Category: News
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.
- Parent Category: News
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.
- Parent Category: News
The West Virginia Coal Association and the Friends of Coal joined with the Summersville Chamber of Commerce to host the 2nd Annual Coal Symposium Tuesday in Summersville.