Writing for the Mass Media 7.4

7.4
The town of Prosper's monthly budget and employment rate could be seriously affected with the shutdown of the town's main tax revenue source, United Coal Co.'s Mine No. 3, scheduled for the week of March 17.

Mine No. 3 was a deep shaft coal mine that employed over 1,000 people from Prosper and surrounding cities. As well as being a major source of employment, the mine's tax revenue helped raise Prosper's monthly budget from $40,000 to $300,000 since 1980.

"With the mine closed, our revenue is just about gone." Mayor Lester Jenkins said.

The town council will meet March 1 to discuss a new budget. According to city clerk Wilma Foster, the town budget could be cut back to $60,000 a month at the start of the fiscal year. The tighter budget will still cover "essential services" such as police, city utilities and the new ballpark Foster said.

The closure was announced Feb. 27 by the United Coal Co. The company says that the  mine was shut down due to a significant drop in the demand for coal. This drop stems from a shutdown of manufacturing across America.

"We hope to see an increase in demand, but until we do, the mine will remain sealed," Wilson Standridge the president of the United Coal Co. said.

Mine No. 3 has been open since 1901 and has the deepest shaft in the state. The mine was commonly known as "Hellpit" to the locals. According to councilman Ed Barnes, the revenue from the mine has helped Prosper build city hall and the town park without debt.






 Summary: United Coal Co.'s Mine No. 3 will be shutdown indefinitely beginning the week of Mar. 17. The mine was a chief source of revenue and employment for the town of Prosper and surrounding cities.


Comments: Excellent Job! Perfect, felt like I was reading a story right off CNN's website!