The bad news came in earlier this week from Kentucky:

A miner died while welding at a surface mine site in Leslie County on Saturday morning.

Jerry A. Watts, 52, of Slemp in Perry County, was welding on the liner of a bulldozer blade when a jack slipped and the liner hit him on the head, according to a news release from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.

The accident, which occurred at the Begley No. 1 mine at Short Creek, was reported at 11:15 a.m. T&T Energy owns the mine.