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Video & Website Article: Fun Kids Digital Radio, Coal, Energy Source Fact File | How does coal gives us energy anyway?
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Read the script:
NOW IN ANOTHER STATE WHERE I USED TO LIVE…. WEST VIRGINIA …PEOPLE ARE CREDITING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S REMOVAL OF LAWS ABOUT COAL MINING, FOR THE INDUSTRY’S REGROWTH. COAL IS A HARD BLACK ROCK THAT IS BURNED AS FUEL. IT IS FORMED FROM PRESSURE ON DECAYED PLANT MATTER AND DUG OUT OF THE EARTH TO BE USED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE HEADED TO ONE COAL TOWN IN THE MOUNTAIN STATE, TO SEE HOW THE PEOPLE THERE HAVE BEEN DOING.
NATS
MARTIN: IN WEST VIRGINIA THEY MEASURE PROGRESS BY THE COAL TRAINS ON THE RAILWAYS AND COAL TRUCKS ON THE ROADWAYS... AND LATELY, THEY'RE SEEING MORE OF BOTH.
COAL PRODUCTION WAS UP 31 PERCENT ACCORDING TO THE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
A WELCOME RELIEF AFTER 2016 WHICH SAW THE STATE'S LOWEST COAL PRODUCTION IN DECADES.
A YEAR AGO, ADAM ROARK HAD BEEN LAID OFF FOUR TIMES IN 12 MONTHS.
ADAM ROARK/COAL MINER:
"NOW IT'S JUST BOOMING."
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"SO YOU'RE WORKING FULL TIME?
ADAM ROARK/COAL MINER:
"FULL TIME. 6 DAYS, 7 DAYS A WEEK NOW."
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"SO AS MUCH AS YOU COULD WANT OR HANDLE?"
ADAM ROARK/COAL MINER:
"YES."
THERE ARE MORE MINING RELATED JOBS THAN THERE ARE QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO FILL THEM, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE WEST VIRGINIA COAL ASSOCIATION.
32-YEAR OLD JAMES DEHART WAS LAID OFF FROM A MINE IN ARKANSAS.
HE CAME TO WEST VIRGINIA FOUR MONTHS AGO.
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"WEST VIRGINIA YOU HEAR IS HIRING MINERS OR OR AT LEAST THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU?"
JAMES DEHART/LAID-OFF COAL MINER:
"YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN THE WORKS TO WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF JOBS OPENING UP."
JAMES GOT A MINING JOB IN LESS THAN A WEEK.
IN 2016, IN THE TOWN OF WELCH, THINGS WERE SO BAD EVEN THE WALMART CLOSED.
TODAY SMALL BUSINESSES ARE OPENING.
THERE'S A NEW BARBER SHOP,
TALK OF A RESTAURANT WITHOUT A DRIVE THRU...
AND THIS ONCE BOARDED UP BUILDING... HAS BECOME A THRIVING CAR REPAIR BUSINESS WITH 5 FULL TIME AND TWO PART TIME EMPLOYEES.
AT EVA'S HOUSE, THE LOCAL BED AND BREAKFAST, THERE SEEING SOMETHING UNHEARD OF... TOURISTS.
SANDY BLANKENSHIP/OWNER, EVA'S HOUSE B&B:
"I WOULD SAY IT'S DOING REALLY GOOD."
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"IT IS?"
SANDY BLANKENSHIP/OWNER, EVA'S HOUSE B&B:
"SO MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T GIVE US A CHANCE TO MAKE IT AND WE'RE MAKING IT."
WHEN I MET SHERIFF MARTIN WEST IN 2016, HE WAS LAYING OFF FIVE DEPUTIES -- NEARLY HALF HIS FORCE -- DUE TO BUDGET CUTS.
NOW THANKS TO INCREASED COAL REVENUES, HE'S GOT MORE MONEY.
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"WHAT HAS THAT MEANT FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT?"
SHERIFF MARTIN WEST/MCDOWELL COUNTY:
"WELL WE WERE RECENTLY ABLE TO HIRE ONE DEPUTY BACK, WE HIRED A PROCESS SERVER BACK. SO WE FEEL THAT THINGS IS -- WE'RE OPTIMISTIC."
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"SO FOR THIS TURNAROUND, WHO DO YOU GIVE THE CREDIT TO?"
ADAM ROARK/COAL MINER:
"DONALD TRUMP."
EVERYONE WE ASK SAYS THAT...
ADAM ROARK/COAL MINER:
"I CAN'T THANK HIM PERSONALLY ENOUGH."
THINGS MAY BE BETTER, BUT LIFE HERE IS NOT ALL GOOD.
LINDA MCKINNEY/5 LOAVES AND TWO FISHES FOOD BANK:
"THIS STUFF JUST CAME IN."
LINDA MCKINNEY AND HER HUSBAND RUN THE COUNTY FOOD BANK.
LAST YEAR, THEY HELPED 16-THOUSAND OF THE COUNTY'S ROUGHLY 19-THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
AND THAT IS NOT THE WORST OF IT.
MARTIN SAVIDGE/CNN CORRESPONDENT:
"47 PERCENT, IS THAT WHAT IT IS, OF CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTY ARE CONSIDERED HOMELESS?"
LINDA MCKINNEY/5 LOAVES AND TWO FISHES FOOD BANK:
"THAT MEANS THAT 47 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN ARE LIVING WITHOUT A BIOLOGICAL PARENT IN THE HOME."
IN PART BECAUSE THOUGH MCDOWELL COUNTY RANKS LAST FOR ALMOST EVERYTHING IN WEST VIRGINIA -- IT IS SECOND IN THE STATE FOR DEATHS DUE TO DRUG OVERDOSES.