Former football coach addresses Moundsville event

By JOSELYN KING
MOUNDSVILLE - Former West Virginia University head football coach Don Nehlen thinks those in Washington who regulate coal need to come to West Virginia and get to know the industry better.
He also believes the key to the industry's survival is voting out President Barack Obama in 2012.
Nehlen - who now serves as spokesman for the "Friends of Coal" organization - was among those speaking during the "Rally in the Valley for Coal" Thursday night at Riverfront Park in Moundsville.

It was noted during the rally that the U.S. coal industry is actually booming, as producers are exporting much of their product to foreign countries that continue to use coal.

"It makes no sense," Nehlen told the crowd. "Everybody wants our coal. We're one of the few countries where our natural resources are a liability, and that's ridiculous.

"I'm just a football coach, I don't know how to turn things around," he continued. "But I can vote that guy (President Barack Obama) out of the White House. That's a start."

By The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- A Chinese delegation joined officials at West Virginia University on Friday in formalizing a partnership to develop so-called "clean coal'' technologies.

WVU said the agreement to share research was signed Friday in Morgantown.

by Jared Hunt

Daily Mail Capitol Reporter

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The number of West Virginians working or looking for work has dropped to its lowest level since 1993, according to new data from Workforce WV.

Last week, state officials touted that unemployment fell to 7.4 percent in July, down from 8.6 percent the month before. They pointed to the growth of 1,700 private sector jobs as a good sign for the economy.

However, if you dig into the numbers a bit further, the news is not so good.

For starters, the 7.4 percent rate is not seasonally adjusted, meaning it doesn't account for some of the regular seasonal trends in the jobs market.

The state's unemployment rate tends to rise in the winter months and fall in the summer months. Adjusting for seasonal factors helps reduce the noise in labor market data and helps bring out the broader overall direction of unemployment in the state.

CHARLESTON -- More than 500 Marshall University fans packed the Embassy Suites Grand Ball Room Wednesday evening, joining with coaches and friends to participate in the 13^th Annual “Paint The Capital City Green” event sponsored by Friends of Coal.

Hailed as the largest indoor pep rally for Thundering Herd alumni, fans and friends, the event is co-hosted by the Big Green Scholarship Foundation, The  Marshall University Alumni Association , the Greater Kanawha Valley Alumni Association and the Charleston Quarterback Club.

Remember The Miners, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring coal miners and their legacy through public awareness campaigns and charitable contributions, is excited to announce Alpha Natural Resources as a presenting sponsor during IRWIN Tools Night at Bristol MotorSpeedway on August 27th.

Remember The Miners partnered with Bristol MotorSpeedway to offer a special hospitality ticket package, including live music, a meet and greet with stars of Spike TV’S COAL, and commemorative memorabilia. Musical talent at IRWIN Tools Night will include Southern-Rockers Neal Spears and Unit 31, and acclaimed singer/songwriter Reagan Boggs with The Coal Men. Reagan Boggs is also an Alpha employee, making this partnership even more meaningful.