BECKLEY -- The 8^th Annual Friends of Coal Auto Fair will be held July 15-17 at the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex in Beckley, West Virginia.    This fun, family-oriented event will include a car show, carnival rides and games, great food, interactive sponsor displays, special guest appearances, mine safety competitions and more!  Plus, for the first time ever, there will be not one but two nights of live entertainment!

Appearing live Friday, July 15^th will be country up and comer Chris Janson; Clarksburg, West Virginia’s The Davisson Brothers Band; southern country rock band The BlackWater Outlaws; and North Central West Virginia’s the George Shingleton Band.  Then on July 16^th, enjoy performances by country music superstars Josh Turner and Little Big Town!  Tickets for both shows are on sale now atwww.friendsofcoalautofair.com.

OHIO COUNTY, W.Va. -- Alliance Coal made visible changes in Ohio County before starting up production at the Tunnel Ridge Mine last year. West Virginia's acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin got a firsthand look at those investments on Tuesday.

After a quick mine surface tour, Tomblin’s visit continued at Oglebay, where Alliance Coal officials touted the jobs and $295 million in investments they said the company’s made in the county

Source:  http://www.wtov9.com/news/27522414/detail.html

BEIJING, April 12 (Reuters) - Coal exports from the United States are expected to jump 70 percent in 2011 because of a supply squeeze in Asia-Pacific, while a weak dollar has made U.S. cargoes more attractive, top U.S. coal exporter Xcoal Energy & Resources said.

Total coal exports to Asia from the U.S. are expected to reach 20.1 million tons this year after impressive growth of 250 percent in 2010 over 2009, Xcoal Chief Executive Ernie Thrasher told an industry conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Source:  http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL3E7FB2MZ20110412

CHARLESTON -- A new poll released by the Tomblin for Governor campaign shows Governor Tomblin has pulled to a 14 point lead in the Democratic primary and has the highest favorable rating of any candidate at 62 percent.

The campaign attributes the showing to the belief among West Virginians that Tomblin is doing a good job already, with 77% approving of the job he's doing as Acting Governor. The Tomblin campaign pointed his lowering of the food tax, his veto of the DMV fee hikes, and the effort he has made to bring companies like Macy's to West Virginia to create jobs.

To see the entire poll memo, visit EarlRayTomblin.com.

CHARLESTON – The Friends of Coal and the West Virginia Coal Association join in urging everyone to exercise their rights and vote in the upcoming May 14 special gubernatorial primary election.

As much of the rest of the country struggles with multi-billion dollar deficits and unemployment rates approaching 10 percent, West Virginia has managed to balance its budget and keep its people working.  Strong, effective leadership on the part of the governor and the Legislature, combined with the state’s coal industry has made this possible.

However our coal industry is under threat from an out-of-control Washington bureaucracy, this makes it even more important that we choose leaders who will continue to put West Virginia first – who will step up to the plate and defend our state’s bedrock industry.

If you are registered to vote, please vote on May 14. If you aren’t registered, you must register before April 25th if you plan to vote. If you are registered check and may be out of town on May 14, check with your county clerk about their early voting options in accordance with the following schedule:

• Last day to register to vote is April 25, 2011. For information on registering to vote, please click here.
• Early voting period will take place April 29th through May 11th (including Saturdays)
• Absentee ballot request deadline is May 9th
• Primary Election is May 14th.

Check your registration status and polling location here.

If you need to register, please click on this LINK and follow the process. Please exercise your democratic right and vote. Let your voice be heard!