July 11, 2008-- The 2008 Friends of Coal Auto Fair is set for July 18 – 20 at the YMCA/Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex in Beckley, WV. 

The event will provide a variety of entertainment, including:

  • a car show
  • carnival rides
  • food vendors
  • a flea market
  • an arts & crafts area

Special Appearances By:

  • The Golden Knights Army Parachute Team
  • Former WVU Head Football Coach Don Nehlen
  • Current UVA Assistance Health Coach and Beckley native Bob Pruett
  • Jeremy Starks of the BassMaster Elite Series
  • A fireworks display

And a fantastic Saturday night concert featuring performances by RANDY TRAVIS and West Virginia’s own TAYLOR MADE.

For additional information please visit www.friendsofcoalautofair.com

Or contact the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA at 304-252-0715

U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) said Thursday she no longer intends to mark up the “cap & trade” bill before the Senate leaves for its summer recess on August 7th. Instead, she said, markup will be set for early September, giving negotiators and their aides an extra month to work on the controversial legislation.  Boxer and the chairmen of other committees that share jurisdiction over the complex legislation met Wednesday evening with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Carol M. Browner, White House coordinator of energy and climate policy. Reid agreed to extend to Sept. 28 his original Sept. 18 deadline for all committees to finish their work on the bill.  In the same article, Boxer insisted this would not interfere with her intent to pass legislation this year!

A La Nina Pacific Ocean cooling event continues to drive tropical and global temperatures: Globally, June 2008 was the coolest June since 1999, according to Dr. John Christy, director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.

 

The state of West Virginia's energy severance tax collections have increased by 23 percent during the last six months, showing the current strength of the energy market.

State Tax Department Revenue Expert Mark Muchow says the state ended the fiscal year Monday with approximately $3.9 billion in overall tax collections, which is nearly $109 million above original estimates.

Muchow says much of the tax base growth can be credited to the current prices of coal and natural gas.

Muchow says a year ago a ton of coal was selling for $45 on the spot market, but now it's more than $100 a ton. The higher the spot market price, the more tax revenue collected by the state.

According to the National Mining Association Mid-Year Coal Production Forecast, coal demand will reach a new record in 2008, despite a lagging domestic economy with total demand for U.S. coal expected to reach 1.218 billion tons this year.  Against this background, and following the success of the Symposium two years ago, the Bluefield Coal Symposium is being held Tuesday, August 26 through Wednesday, August 27, 2008.

Sponsored by the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce, the Bluefield Coal Symposium is being held at the Holiday Inn, Bluefield, West Virginia with the theme Coal Mine Safety: The Road to Zero Harm.  A very formidable list of speakers has been assembled, including: Brett Harvey, Consol Energy; Richard Stickler, MSHA; Jeffery Kohler, NIOSH; Jim Roberts, Foundation Coal; Mike Quillen, Alpha Natural Resources; and Rick Whiting of Patriot Coal along with representatives of the Coal Associations of Pennsylvania, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pocahontas, the Kanawha Valley Mining Institute and the Tug Valley Mining Institute.

For more information on sessions and registration, please contact the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce at 304-327-7184 or visit www.bluefieldchamber.com.

One of southern West Virginia’s biggest summer celebrations is just a few weeks away, and organizers of the 2008 edition of the Friends of Coal Auto Fair say they are expecting another fun-filled weekend.

“It’s going to be a great weekend,” Jay Rist, marketing and membership director for the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA, says.

The event is scheduled July 18-20 at the Y’s Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex.

This is the fifth year for the auto fair, which was known as the Whitewater Run Car Show before Friends of Coal came on board in 2006.

The 2008 Friends of Coal Auto Fair is set for July 18 – 20 at the YMCA/Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex in Beckley, WV.  The event will provide a variety of entertainment, including a car show, carnival rides, food vendors, a flea market, an arts & crafts area, special appearances by the Golden Knights Army Parachute Team, former WVU Head Football Coach Don Nehlen, current UVA Assistance Health Coach and Beckley native Bob Pruett, Jeremy Starks of the BassMaster Elite Series, a fireworks display, and a Saturday night concert featuring performances by RANDY TRAVIS and West Virginia’s own TAYLOR MADE.

For additional information please visit www.friendsofcoalautofair.com or contact the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA at 304-252-0715

The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary are finalizing plans to go into schools in the fall to promote coal and to further educate our young folks about coal.  We are fortunate to have a group of about 20 ladies who are volunteering their time and money to further coal’s voice.  They have prepared lesson plans, brochures and items that school children will relate to in trying to achieve their goal.  The Ladies Auxiliary make themselves available to any gathering where they feel coal’s voice can be projected.  Any assistance you, as an individual, or as a company could afford these ladies would be greatly appreciated.  If you have any questions please call the Association at 304/342-4153.  They are doing a GREAT job, keep up the good work ladies!

The Association and representatives from other states are in Washington this week meeting with Corps of Engineer officials regarding mitigation.  They will join with the National Mining Association to discuss the Corps' final compensatory mitigation rules.

Paul Forward, Managing Director of Industrial Equity Research for Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.,  estimates that for the week ending June 21, the weekly draw on U.S. coal (i.e. domestic consumption plus net imports) to be about 22.9 million tons. Out of the 25 weeks of production thus far in 2008, weekly U.S. coal production has surpassed that 22.9 million ton level only 4 times. Last week’s total was the 5th consecutive week under 22.0 million tons, and was the lowest weekly coal production level so far in 2008 on continued transport disruptions related to the Midwest flooding.

James W. "Bill" Anderson of Anderson & Anderson Contractors in Princeton and one of the original Board members of the West Virginia Mining & Reclamation Association passed away on June 29th inPrinceton.  The memorial service was held on Wednesday, July 2nd.

This week new ads were started on statewide MetroNews featuring the original "Coal is West Virginia" music.  It has been remembered by many as the industry's theme music from 25 years ago when Mountaineer Football games were being announced by Jack Fleming and were always on the radio, but seldom on television.  We were the strength of West Virginia then and we continue to be its dependable strong point for employment, taxes and opportunities for America's energy security.  The music is currently being placed on the webpage for downloading with the main theme segment --- "Coal is West Virginia" --- being available as a ring tone for cell phones.

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Jeremy Starks of Charleston is in second place after two days of competition at the Southern Challenge, an ESPN Elite Series bass tournament on Alabama's Wheeler Lake.

Starks has brought in a two-day total of 36 pounds, 11 ounces to the scales. Anglers at Elite Series events are allowed to weigh only five fish per tournament day.

Terry Scroggins, of San Mateo, Fla., leads the 107-angler field with 40 pounds, 10 ounces.

"To get out here and compete with the best and be in a position to challenge for a win is what it's about," Starks said.

After two days, the field is cut to 50. The top 12 anglers compete on the tournament's final day of competition.

Starks is in his third season on the Elite Series tour. In his career, he has four previous top-20 finishes, including one in the top 12.