Phoenix Coal ready to mine
News from August 17, 2006 issue
A company representative has confirmed that Phoenix Coal Co., has completed its deal to buy Crittenden Coal Co., which operates a mine on property owned by Kimball International just south of Sturgis.
Brett Wilson, chief operating officer of Phoenix Coal, said late last week that the purchase had indeed been completed at the end of July. Wilson said the company hopes to have the mine in full operation by the last quarter of this year, which could mean as early as September.
The mine has been virtually idle for the past few months, although Wilson said it has continued to operate on a limited basis with a handful of employees.
Phoenix Coal Co., is a private company based in Madisonville and has other mining operations in western Kentucky and Illinois. The mine had employed about 25 workers before it closed last spring. Wilson said market demand will be the determining factor in how many employees the company needs once it’s in full operation.
The resignation of Crittenden County High School’s driver’s education teacher has led to an 11th-hour decision to eliminate the class all together.
Effective this fall, driver’s education will not be offered at the high school. The site-based council decided to re-allocate funding from the driver’s ed department to a position for a business teacher. The decision was made after driver’s ed teacher Jimmy Croft resigned to teach at Livingston.
Principal Karen Nasseri said that due to funding cuts, the high school lost one teaching position from last year. When Croft resigned, the council opted to re-hire a business teacher.
Nasseri said the costs of leasing a driver’s ed car, gas and insurance prompted the SBDM’s decision. While a fee was charged to students participating in driver’s ed, it did not cover all expenses associated with the elective course.
Driver’s education graduates had earned an average discount of 10 percent off of their automobile insurance policies.
Non-partisan races
The slate of candidates for local non-partisan races is now complete. The filing deadline was Tuesday. Here are the lineups for non-partisan races that will be on the ballot Nov. 7.
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Micky Alexander*
Mike Byford
CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
(Top 6 vote-getters will be elected)
Thom Hawthorne
Defus Ivy
Jim Brown*
Jason Hatfield*
Darrin Tabor*
Allen Lynn*
Dwight Sherer*
Janet Pierce
Peggy Howton
Donnie Arflack
SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
Phyllis Orr* - District 5
Tina Harris* - District 2
Stan Hoover - District 2
Eric Larue - District 2
CONSTABLE CANDIDATE
C.L. McDaniel* - Dist. 4 write-in