Democratic U.S. Rep.

Kathy Dahlkemper and Republican

Mike Kelly will answer questions about health care, the economy and other issues at a "Coffee with the Candidates" event at 10 a.m. Monday at Shenango Valley Senior Center.The center is at 220 N. Buhl Road, Hermitage. The event, sponsored by the AARP, is free.———U.S. Rep.

Jason Altmire, D-4th, praised the Mine Safety and Health Administration's recent announcement that it would launch a pre-contest conference pilot program to help reduce its backlog of disputed mine safety citations.This program will give mine operators and MSHA officials the chance to resolve disputes over safety violations before a civil penalty is assessed, a process which all parties have said worked well in the past.During the House Education and Labor Committee's markup of the Mine Safety and Health Act in July, Altmire emphasized the importance of restoring pre-contest conferences as a way to help MSHA reduce its significant penalty contest backlog.