Mining Celebration to Honor Workers

Marshall University’s annual celebration of the mining industry is set for Oct. 1 at Tamarack in Beckley. The event will feature a reception and dinner to recognize miners, community members and others connected with West Virginia’s coal mining industry. It’s sponsored by the university’s Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences. Singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. of Logan, winner of the 2010 “America’s Got Talent” TV show, will receive the Spirit of the Coalfields Award, which recognizes people who overcome events to succeed. Jasper Sugg of Man will receive the Homer Hickam Collier Award, which goes to a coal miner who epitomizes the spirit, dedication and skills of the mining profession.