The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Today's Front Page

February 20, 2013

Tomblin calls for safety stand-down at all W.Va. mines

Latest Raleigh County mine fatality spurs Governor into action

Associated Press

CHARLESTON — West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is asking coal companies to halt production for an hour to review safety procedures following the state’s fourth coal mining fatality in two weeks.

Tomblin on Wednesday signed an executive order urging mine operators to hold safety talks with employees over the next 24 hours.

The move comes after 44-year-old John Myles of Hilltop was struck by a scoop Tuesday night and died of his injuries. The death at Pocahontas Coal Co.’s Affinity mine near Sophia was its second this month.

Federal records show that mine has been cited for safety violations 65 times since January.

The company says it’s concerned, but the two deaths appear unrelated. State and federal investigations are under way.

Six miners have died in the past two-and-a-half months.

 

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Today's Front Page
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  • Details still ‘sketchy’ concerning shutdown of cardiac stent procedures at RGH

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    May 18, 2013

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    Beckley Police Lt. Paul Blume wants to let motorists know that if they get pulled over in the Beckley area today, they’re getting a ticket.

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  • grad An Eye Toward the Future

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  • RGH suspends heart stent procedures until Monday

     Officials at Raleigh General Hospital issued a statement late Thursday afternoon indicating that “due to the unexpected unavailability of physician coverage,” cardiac stent procedures won’t be available to area residents at the Beckley facility until Monday, May 20.
     No other details were provided by hospital officials.
     Interventional cardiac care procedures were launched at RGH in November 2009 to serve a growing need for angioplasty lab services in Southern West Virginia.
     

    May 16, 2013

  • Thompson to depart house speaker post

    Rick Thompson is abandoning his post as speaker of the House of Delegates to accept a cabinet-level job in the Tomblin administration as head of the Department of Veterans Assistance.
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    May 16, 2013

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    May 16, 2013

  • W.Va. House speaker to take Cabinet post

    Sources tell The Associated Press that House Speaker Richard Thompson is leaving the Legislature to join Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s Cabinet.

    May 16, 2013

  • At least 6 confirmed dead in Texas tornadoes

    A rash of tornados slammed into several small communities in North Texas overnight, leaving at least six people dead, dozens more injured and hundreds homeless. The violent spring storm scattered bodies, flattened homes, threw trailers onto cars.

    May 16, 2013

  • 051613 1A1 News FOP 1.jpg THIN BLUE LINE — National Peace Officers Memorial Day observed

    Police and community members took time Wednesday to pause and memorialize.
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    May 16, 2013 2 Photos