{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Whitley County coal miner remembered as gentle giant &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"7nQbVFmvME\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/whitley-county-coal-miner-remembered-gentle-giant\/\">Whitley County coal miner remembered as gentle giant<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/whitley-county-coal-miner-remembered-gentle-giant\/embed\/#?secret=7nQbVFmvME\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Whitley County coal miner remembered as gentle giant&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"7nQbVFmvME\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Partin-for-web.jpg","thumbnail_width":314,"thumbnail_height":480,"description":"A Whitley County coal miner who died Thursday morning in an accident at a Rockholds strip mine was laid to rest Monday. Thirty-three-year-old Joe Partin died when a section of hillside, into which the crew was mining, at Green Hill Mining, Inc.\u2019s GHM#51 off of Tyes Ferry Road (Ky. 3423), collapsed onto him. Partin was a 2003 graduate of Whitley County High School. Mike Campbell, who coached the Colonels football team at the time, said Partin was a unique person and athlete. \u201cHe was so big and agile,\u201d Campbell said of the 6\u20194\u201d, 335 pound Partin. \u201cDespite his size, he could actually run.\u201d Campbell said because of his size, Partin was known throughout the community as \u201cBig Joe.\u201d \u201cSome kids growing up with size, don&#8217;t know how to handle it, \u201cCampbell said. \u201cJoe did. He was a very humble young man, who was very well liked.\u201d Campbell said he saw Partin from time to time after graduation and knew he had been working in various trades including construction, paving and coal mining. \u201cHe was a worker who supported his family,\u201d Campbell said of Partin. Rob Powers, Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsburg, said while he had known Partin for years, it was over the last three years that he really got to know him. Powers said Partin\u2019s wife, Becca, works for Compcare in Williamsburg. \u201cAbout three years ago, we started having a Wednesday morning service for Compcare. She started coming and he started coming when he had the day off,\u201d Powers explained. Powers, who teaches kindergarten at Whitley Central Primary, said between church and having their children at school, he got to know the entire family. \u201cThey were just a good little ole family,\u201d Powers said. Powers said Joe Partin came to him to talk, with the conversations eventually shifting religion. \u201cI shared the Lord and the salvation story with him,\u201d Powers said. Powers said when Partin became a Christian, he did it with all of his heart and everyone around could see the change. \u201cHe did a complete 180,\u201d Powers said of Partin. He stopped a lot of the orneriness and got serious about being a dad and husband.\u201d Powers said Partin\u2019s family told him they had noticed the change in him as well. \u201cWhen they called me about the accident, the first thing they told me is they were so thankful he had made things right with the Lord,\u201d Powers said. Powers added that Joe Partin became more active in the church, helping with events such as the annual Passion play. \u201cHe is strong as an ox. He could pick up everything,\u201d Powers said explaining he saw Partin pick up two speakers that typically took two people to move, at one time and carry them like they were nothing. \u201cDespite being strong and physical, he was just as gentle as he could be,\u201d Powers said. \u201cHe would laugh and cut up and was real good with kids. Everybody just loved him.\u201d In addition to his wife, Joe Partin is survived by two children, Joseph and Megan, his mother, Linda Sue Cox of Williamsburg, his fathers, Terry Wayne Partin and Larry Dean Campbell, a sister, Misty Partin, and his grandmother, Pauline Cox. Condolences may be made to the family at www.croleyfuneralhome.com. John Mura, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet, said Partin was performing maintenance work on an auger used to drill into the vertical face to extract the coal when the collapse occurred. \u201cHe was toward the front of the machine changing some equipment,\u201d Mura said of Partin. Cabinet officials said Partin was an auger operator\/foreman at the mine with eight years of mining experience. Cabinet officials said the mine was last inspected on December 15 and a safety initiative was held at the mine on January 9. \u201cNeither visit turned up unsafe conditions,\u201d cabinet officials stated Two coal miners in Kentucky died from on-site accidents in 2016. Partin\u2019s death marks the second such incident in Kentucky in 2017. &nbsp;"}