Monday, January 16, 2006

12 Coal Miners Remembered At West Virginia Service

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. -- The 12 coal miners who died together beneath the West Virginia hills were remembered Sunday as men who loved their families, God, NASCAR and a good laugh.

"I'm sure there was a prayer meeting goin' on in that ol' coal mine the other evening like we've never seen before," Sago Baptist Church pastor Wease Day told more than 1,800 people gathered at the memorial service.

"I can hear Jim Bennett hollerin', 'Boys, you need the Lord in your life,' " said Day, whose church became the center for families and others who gathered to await word of their loved ones after an explosion in the Sago Mine.

The miners died after a Jan. 2 explosion as they reopened the mine after a holiday break. Investigators have yet to reenter the mine to determine what went wrong. The blast killed one miner immediately and spread carbon monoxide that slowly killed 11 others as they waited 260 feet below ground for rescue.

The only survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., 26, remained in a coma Sunday at West Virginia University's Ruby Memorial Hospital.

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· MARIETTA, Ga. -- Fire in a suburban Atlanta hotel killed one person and injured more than a dozen others. At least 20 people had to be rescued by ladder trucks from the burning seven-story Holiday Inn near Interstate 75, said Marietta Fire Chief Jackie Gibbs.

· KALISPELL, Mont. -- Rescue teams found the bodies of missing snowmobilers Christopher Schmalz, 21, and Danelle Bloom, 22, a day after they disappeared in an avalanche west of Glacier National Park, officials said. Another snowmobiler escaped the avalanche Saturday and alerted authorities.

· LONGWOOD, Fla. -- Family and friends held a candlelight vigil to mourn Christopher Penley, 15, who died two days after being shot by deputies at his middle school. The youth had been described as clinically brain-dead Saturday and was kept alive so his organs could be harvested for donation, said Mark Nation, a lawyer for his parents.

· FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Two South Florida teenagers surrendered to police looking into the beatings of three homeless men, police said. Both teenagers will face murder charges in the death of Norris Gaynor, 45, and aggravated battery charges in the beatings of Jacques Pierre, 58, and Raymond Perez, 49, Detective Katherine Collins said.

· BOSTON -- The Vatican rejected the appeals of 10 parishes in the Boston Archdiocese that had petitioned to remain open after being closed as part of Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley's reconfiguration plan. Two years ago, O'Malley announced plans to close more than 80 parishes in response to a decline in the number of priests, changing demographics and financial troubles brought on in part by the clergy sex abuse scandal.

· NEW ORLEANS -- A parade intended to show unity and support for the city's rebuilding was marred by violence when three people were shot as the event drew to a close. All three were admitted to local hospitals. A man, 34, was listed in guarded condition; a man, 20, was in fair condition; and a woman, 18, was in good condition Sunday night, police spokesman Gary Flot said. Thousands had gathered for what had been a festive occasion for New Orleanians determined to make their way back from temporary homes.

-- From News Services