bankruptcy

Sichko says he felt compelled to help the miners because he's the grandson of a Pennsylvania coal miner.

The attorneys for Blackjewel said they expect to provide another status report by Wednesday.

Wyoming Machinery Co., owns a lot of equipment at the mines and it provides monthly about $3 million in maintenance and other services.

The company said in a release that it intends to compensate employees for time worked before the filing.

Von Flatern said he emailed every state lawmaker this year about requiring monthly payments to counties, but no one responded.

Monday, Blackjewel failed to secure $20 million in emergency funding, and then immediately closed the mines and sent more than 600 mine workers home.

The bankruptcy court also authorized the debtors to pay vendors and shippers that billed Blackjewel before the bankruptcy petition.

It's unclear what the total cost of the resort will be.

The loans can also be used for essential firefighting personnel to the extent required to extinguish active fires at Blackjewel's mines.

BNSF Railway, which has hauled coal from the Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte mines in Campbell County, is aware that their owner Blackjewel LLC, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy business reorganization, a BNSF spokeswoman said in an email Wednesday...