By Chad Lampe, Kentucky Public RadioA search crew has found the bodies of two miners after a ceiling collapse in a West Kentucky coal mine.State officials report miners Michael Carter and Justin Travis were the only ones unable to escape the falling rock and coal Wednesday night.Search and rescue teams began efforts early Thursday morning but had to retreat for a time when the Webster County mine’s roof became unstable.Search Crews found the first miner Thursday morning followed by the second in the afternoon.Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says the state’s investigative teams will begin work immediately to determine the cause of the accident and to see if there’s any steps the state can take to prevent similar accidents from occurring.U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration Data show the Dotiki mine ranks seventh in the nation for the number “significant and substantial” violations since January 2009. The mine’s owner Alliance Resource Partner’s, has collected 216 citations in this year alone.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.