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Gerth: N.J. congressional candidate isn’t saving KY coal | Opinion
Eastern Kentucky has a long history of being taken advantage by outsiders who came to the state and cut the old-growth trees and tore up the land extracting coal from the ground.
EPA Deputy unveils coal rollback at Louisville’s Mill Creek power plant
EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi announced the agency will roll back limits on mercury, particulate matter and other toxic emissions from coal‑fired power plants.
Something seemed amiss when a friend in Washington, D.C. sent me an email about a candidate in New Jersey who seemed to be taking an oversized interest in what happens in Eastern Kentucky.
Gregg Mele, a perennial candidate who somehow became the Republican nominee in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District in this year’s election, seemed from his campaign website to be auditioning to replace 88-year-old Hal Rogers of Kentucky and not 81-year-old Bonnie Watson Coleman of the Garden State.
Mele was pledging on his campaign website to “reopen and open new coal mines in Kentucky’s 5th District” and to “Access untapped oil in Southeastern Kentucky.”
It seemed oddly specific.
Why Kentucky’s 5th District and not West Virginia’s 1st or Pennsylvania’s 14th?
It’s even odder when you look at the campaign websites of Rogers, who has represented Kentucky’s 5th District since 1981, and Democrat Ned Pillersdorf, who is running to replace him, and neither say anything about bringing coal back.
The last mention of coal on Rogers’ website is a 2013 press release where he talks about diversifying the region’s economy beyond coal.
KY coal issues at top of website
Not only did Mele include these two items in the section of his website listing his platform, they were the top two issues.
To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this.
Eastern Kentucky has a long history of being taken advantage of by outsiders who came to the state and cut the old-growth trees and tore up the land while extracting coal from the ground.
They took our natural resources worth billions of dollars and left behind only poverty and scarred mountains.
Was Mele seeking to restart this type of neocolonialism, or was he actually trying to help by somehow providing jobs in an industry that is increasingly becoming automated?
Could hackers be responsible?
So, I asked him.
“I’m sorry, this seems to be an error or a hack. I am getting my team on this to have it corrected,” he said in an email.
That was on Wednesday. It was still on the website on Thursday.
I’m betting on an error.
It doesn’t seem much like something a hacker would add to a website.
Either way, it’s probably not a big deal as Mele’s chances of winning in the Democratic district are practically non-existent. Polymarket gives him just an 8% chance of winning, and I can’t find a single organization that rates House races that believes the district is in play.
No matter how many House members from Kentucky or West Virginia or Pennsylvania or even New Jersey want to jump start the coal industry in Kentucky, it’s unlikely to happen. Especially in Eastern Kentucky where the large coal seams have been depleted by more than a century of mining.
Coal industry peaked in KY
The rise of fracking, which has made natural gas cheap and easily attainable, may have been the death knell.
The coal industry peaked in Kentucky after World War II, when nearly 80,000 Kentuckians worked in the coal industry, and it has been falling ever since — particularly over the last 40 years.
In 1990, more than 28,000 people were employed in Kentucky’s coal industry, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics. By 2023, the number had dropped to 3,939, and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimates the number of coal mining jobs in Kentucky fell to 2,900 last year.
And Mele, despite what his website says, ain’t going to stop that trend.
Joseph Gerth can be reached at 502-582-4702 or by email at jgerth@courierjournal.com. You can also follow him at @jgerth.bsky.social.
Three New Jersey teenagers who vanished from a train station on Friday were found safe in Connecticut. Authorities used K9s and drones in an extensive search, but the motive behind their actions remains unclear.
Three New Jersey teenagers, Brayden Morrissey, 14, Dominic Diliberto, 14, and William Connolly, 17, who vanished from the Denville train station on Friday, were found safe in Stamford, Connecticut. Authorities launched an extensive search using K9s and drones, eventually locating the teens in a different state. The motive behind their actions is still being investigated.
Police have located all three boys who vanished from a New Jersey train station on Friday in Stamford, Connecticut.
Montville Township Police Department Chief Andrew Caggiano told Fox News Digital that Brayden Morrissey, 14, Dominic Diliberto, 14, and William Connolly, 17, initially left an undisclosed location in Montville Township, New Jersey, on Thursday night.
After an extensive initial search using K-9s and drones, authorities shifted to a missing persons investigation when they realized the boys had left the area.
The trio was seen at the Denville Train Station at about 5:30 p.m. Friday, before later being spotted by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) at a train station in Stamford on Saturday afternoon.
When MTA officers made contact in Stamford, they took Connolly into protective custody, but the two 14-year-olds fled.
Caggiano told Fox News Digital just after 8 p.m. Saturday those two boys were located in Stamford.
Caggiano noted the boys appeared to have left on their own accord.
It is unclear when they will be reunited with their parents.
Choosing New Jersey’s 10 best beaches was no day at the shore.
USA Today’s annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards asked beach lovers to vote on the Garden State’s top stretch of sand as part of a nationwide competition featuring coastal destinations in eight states and territories. Twenty Jersey Shore beaches made the final ballot — but only one could claim the crown.
Wildwood rode a tidal wave of votes to take the No. 1 spot, thanks to beaches stretching up to 500 yards wide that offer plenty of room for volleyball, surfing, boogie boarding and every other kind of seaside fun.
A unique beach taxi ferries visitors from the boardwalk closer to the water with their chairs and umbrellas in tow. When it’s time to leave the sand, the action shifts back to the boardwalk, where rides, games and endless food options keep the fun going.
The runner-up is Atlantic City, where the world-famous boardwalk, towering Ferris wheel, amusement rides and glittering casino skyline continue to make waves with visitors from near and far.
Surfing into third place is Sea Isle City — offering wide, soft beaches that invite visitors to stretch out under the sun before casting a line off the fishing pier or cooling off with a swim.
Cape May took the No. 4 spot with its family-friendly beaches, Victorian homes with tons of historic charm, a famous lighthouse and a bustling promenade.
At No. 5, Brigantine Beach proves nature lovers don’t have to drift far to find paradise, with scenic dunes, abundant wildlife and even the chance to drive on the sand in designated areas — with a permit.
Ocean City rolls in at No. 6, thanks to its legendary boardwalk packed with rides, games and family-friendly fun.
Catching the next wave at No. 7 is Long Beach Island, which boosts beautiful beaches, charming seaside communities and endless recreational activities.
Sliding into No. 8 is Avalon, an upscale beach town known for its soft sand, sparkling water and relaxed vibe that’s tailor-made for family vacations.
Just ahead at No. 9, Avon-by-the-Sea charms beachgoers with its tree-lined streets, Victorian homes and peaceful stretch of shoreline.
Making a splash at No. 10 is Asbury Park, where the vibrant boardwalk, live music and energetic atmosphere keep visitors coming back for an encore.
“New Jersey offers beachgoers 130 miles of coastline dotted with beaches, barrier islands, lighthouses, and scenic views. Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the white sand beaches of the Jersey Shore each year, and it’s easy to see why,” USA Today wrote.
Twenty beaches made the final cut — but only one could take the crown.
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