Public outreach and education efforts for the Friends of Coal continued this week, with West Virginia Coal Association Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton speaking to the Ripley Rotary at their weekly meeting in Jackson County and Bill Raney visiting with the Community Advisory Panel at Arch Coal’s Beckley Mining Complex in Eccles, WV. 

Coal production in the United States was up 10.2 percent for the week ending October 4th from the same week last year, according to weekly figures released by the US Energy Information Agency (EIA). Production for the week was up slightly less than two million tons to 18.5 million tons, from 16.8 million tons for the same week in 2013. Production for the previous 52 weeks, however, remains down, off by 1.3 percent or almost 12 million tons, compared to the same period last year, to stand at 977.1 million tons.

The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary was founded in 2007 as a nonprofit organization to inform those about the importance of coal and to support coal miners and their families. Because of the dedicated support and positive feedback from families and individuals, the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary has grown into a nationwide organization of thousands of members. The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary has worked to become active participants in charity events; avid supporters of our miners, military and law enforcement; supporters of local conservation projects; providers of Coal in the Classroom project and numerous other day to day activities in our community and beyond. All of this is possible because of our members who volunteer their time and efforts to raise money for coal awareness. Membership is FREE, and all are welcome to join the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary. Join these hardworking, fun-loving individuals today to learn more about the energy that fuels your life and to make a positive contribution to your society.

SHOP ONLINE STORE, THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SOURCE FOR FRIENDS OF COAL MERCHANDISE.  www.friendsofcoalladies.com

On October 1, 1969, country music legend and Kentucky native Loretta Lynn recorded “Coal Miner’s Daughter” in Nashville.

Coal is about 31 times cheaper than gasoline per unit of energy.

In the last 30 years, China moved an estimated 680 million people out of poverty by giving them access to modern energy, mostly powered by coal.

The deadline for registering to vote in the November general election is October 14, 2014 (next Tuesday). Early voting begins October 22, 2014. This is also the deadline for citizens to change their address or switch political parties. To check your registration or to download a registration form, visit the West Virginia Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.wv.gov/elections/voterinformation/VoterRegistration/Pages/default.aspx/