Accident Kills Elkview Teen

• {West Virginia}...Preston Kerns, 17, from Elkview, died at the scene of a two-car accident which occurred on Elk River Road in Clendenin around 11:30 P.M. Tuesday night. Kanawha County Sheriff’s Deputies say Amy Scoggan, 34, from Glen was driving a pickup truck when Kerns pulled onto the road, into the path of Scoggan’s truck, causing a collision with the driver’s side of his car. Scoggan received no injuries in the accident, and Kerns’ passenger, 21 year old Amanda Rose from Elkview received minor injuries.

Teacher Faces Sex Charge

• {West Virginia}...Maurice White, 61, of Rand, a retired music teacher from Gauley Bridge Elementary in Fayette County, has been arrested by West Virginia State Police for allegedly engaging in sexual conduct with a 14 year old girl on multiple occasions. White is charged with sexual abuse by a custodian and child pornography. White not only admitted to having the relationship, but he also had more than 100 pieces of child pornography in his home in Rand. Police say, recently, White was a substitute teacher at Valley High School where he was reconnected with the alleged victim. According to reports, police found out about the relationship when the girl told her parents she was in love with her teacher. Additional warrants against White will be filed in Fayette County. White will be back in court on September 7th.

Sentencing Postponed For Former UBB Employee

• {West Virginia}...A man who admitted to lying to federal investigators about his qualifications while working at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County was scheduled to be sentenced in federal court Wednesday. The sentencing for former Upper Big Branch Mine employee Thomas Harrah, 45, of Comfort, has been postponed a second time after he pleaded guilty in April to making false statements to officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation during an investigation into the disaster at the Upper Big Branch Mine that left 29 miners dead. FBI agents questioned Harrah about his time at UBB in 2008 and 2009, before the April 2010 explosion. Harrah also admitted to signing paperwork related to foreman investigations, despite the fact that he was not qualified to sign the documents and had never passed the test to become a foreman. Harrah, who faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine when sentenced, did not work at UBB at the time of the fatal explosion. A new sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Marshall Football Receiver Arrested

• {West Virginia}...Just days away from the Friends of Coal Bowl, Sunday's game against West Virginia University in Morgantown, Marshall football receiver 21 year old Troy Evans, a senior from Oakland, California, was arrested Tuesday in connection with several armed robberies that occurred on Sixth Avenue near Marshall's campus in Huntington Sunday. Evans has been charged with four counts of first-degree armed robbery and one count of wanton endangerment. Marshall released a statement Tuesday evening saying Evans had been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. A preliminary court date is scheduled for September 9th.

Mingo County Doctor Faces Possible Court Sanctions

{West Virginia}...Mingo County Dr. Katherine Hoover faces possible court sanctions after failing to appear in a federal case arising from the March 2010 raid on the Mountain Medical Care Center in Williamson. Hoover failed to appear Tuesday for questioning under oath in a civil deposition after being ordered to do so by a U.S. District Court judge and a federal magistrate. Federal prosecutors were seeking Hoover's testimony in a civil case targeting $88,029 seized at the same time of the raid. Investigators suspect the Williamson clinic operated illegally as a pill mill, and the pending civil case filed by prosecutors seeks to make Hoover forfeit the money. But Hoover has cited how a judge has ordered prosecutors to return another $27,672 seized during the raid, after prosecutors conceded that the money did not come from her work at the clinic. No criminal charges have been filed, but prosecutors say the investigation continues. Hoover told the court in a filing last week that she would not attend the deposition, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination under the U.S. Constitution. Defending herself without a lawyer, Hoover suggested in a separate filing that the case had been dismissed. She also continues to allege that the federal government has no jurisdiction over the practice of medicine.

Logan Man Wowed Judges on National Television

(Logan, WV) - Hundreds of supporters gathered in theaters in Logan Tuesday night to watch West Virginia's newest celebrity, Landau Eugine Murphy, Jr. chase his dream on national television. Murphy, a 36 year old car detailer from Logan dazzled two judges and failed to impress a third during his performance in the semi final round of NBC's "America's Got Talent". Judges Howie Mandel and Sharon Osborne both agreed that Landau deserves to advance to the finals, but judge Piers Morgan said he wasn't convinced that Landau deserved to be in the finals. Five of Tuesday's 10 performers will move on to the finals, and the winner will receive one million dollars and his/her own show in Las Vegas. Results will be announced during Wednesday's edition of "America's Got Talent."

Charleston Police Conducting Homicide Investigation

• {West Virginia}...Charleston Police say a homicide investigation is underway after results from an autopsy on 28 year old Megan Harrison show she was murdered. Harrison's body was spotted in the Elk River just below Women and Children's Hospital last Saturday morning. Charleston Police are not releasing a cause of death. Investigators say further details cannot be released at this time.

Georgia Men Arrested In Beckley

• {West Virginia}...Orlando Garlington,23, and Anthony Leftwich, 23, both from Georgia, were arrested in Beckley Tuesday on charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana. Beckley Police went to a hotel off Harper Road Tuesday morning after being informed by hotel management of suspicious activity. After receiving a search warrant, police entered the room where they recovered 12 ounces of marijuana, prescription medications and money. If convicted the two men could face up to 15 years in jail.

Former Massey General Counsel Rejoining Jackson Kelly

{West Virginia}...In September, Shane Harvey, who served as general counsel for Massey Energy, is rejoining Charleston law firm Jackson Kelly PLLC, where he worked from 1994 to 2000. Since the June buyout of Massey, Harvey has been serving as a senior vice president for Alpha Natural Resources. Harvey is joining the firm just one month after former International Coal Group general counsel Roger Nicholson did the same. ICG was bought out this summer by St. Louis-based Arch Coal.

Mexican National Sentenced To Three Years

{West Virginia}...Mexican national Jose Guadelupe Reyes-Infante, 48, will spend three years in federal prison for re-entering the country illegally. He was deported after serving his sentence for a 1983 conviction in Texas after he attempted to kill a police officer. In November 1988, he was arrested again on breaking and entering charges and deported after his jail time. Reyes-Infante resurfaced in Wyoming County where Sheriff deputies arrested him on burglary charges. Department of Homeland Security officials discovered Reyes-Infante had been incarcerated and had been deported from the U.S. on different occasions. Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Irene C. Berger sentenced Reyes-Infante to three years in prison on charges that he illegally re-entered the country. At the conclusion of his sentence, Reyes will be subject to deportation proceedings by immigration authorities.

Award Could Lead To Supreme Court Appeal

{West Virginia}...After a Kanawha County jury awarded $91.5 million to the family of Dorothy Douglas, claiming that Heartland of Charleston workers' serious neglect led to her death, a West Virginia Supreme Court appeal could be in the future. Tom Douglas filed the suit in 2010 against Manor Care, Inc. HCR Manor Care Services, Inc., Healthcare and Retirement Corporation of America, LLC, and Heartland Employment Services LLC after Douglas was admitted to Heartland, claiming she died as a result of severe dehydration and neglect from the nursing home. Mike Fuller, Douglas’s attorney, said Dorothy Douglas walked into the home on a walker and was able to communicate when she first got there, but, within 20 days, she was rolled out in a comatose state, unresponsive, not walking and not able to feed herself. Fuller says Douglas’s son worked relentlessly to get her transferred out of the facility. Much debate has ensued as a result of the verdict concerning whether medical liability caps should apply. According to Richie Heath, executive director for the West Virginia Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, state code supports the opinion that these caps should apply.

Alpha Releases Information To MSHA

{West Virginia}...Two West Virginia coal mines have been warned they could be labeled pattern violators for failing to report accidents. Alpha Natural Resources, the new owner of Massey Energy coal mines, recently gave the federal agency information it wanted about the Randolph Mine and the Justice No. 1 Mine in Boone County when they were owned by Massey. MSHA wanted the information about possible injuries last November but Massey refused to release it. The federal agency says it later discovered through its audit that the two mines failed to report or inaccurately reported a total of 24 injuries, resulting in 1,125 lost days of work.

New MSHA Rule for Underground Mines

(Charleston, WV) - On Wednesday, the United States Mine Safety and Health Administration will publish a rule requiring continuous mining machines used in underground coal mines to be equipped with proximity detection systems. Basically, that means that the machine will be able to detect the presence of personnel or other machinery within a certain distance, and shut itself off when someone gets too close. MSHA says between 1984 and 2010 30 coal miners were killed and 220 injured by the continuous miner machine.

Logan Man Chasing His Dream

(Logan, WV) - Logan resident Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. is hoping to take one step closer tonight to becoming America's next superstar. He is one of the remaining contestants on NBC's hit show, "America's Got Talent". During past shows, 36 year old Murphy has wowed judges with his renditions of Frank Sinatra classics. The car detailer from Logan is now in the semi-final round of the show, and is hoping to win the $1 million dollar prize and his own show in Las Vegas. The shows air on Tuesday night at 9pm.

Former Credit Union Vice President Pleads Guilty

• {West Virginia}...Michelle Morris, a former vice president of operations at the Star USA Federal Credit Union’s St. Albans and Cantley branches, appeared before U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Monday for a five-count indictment charging her with bank fraud and false entries.  Morris pleaded guilty to a six-year bank fraud scheme dating back to 2004. According to the indictment, Morris created fraudulent loans and home equity credit lines ranging from $5,000 to $134,000 using relatives’ information. Morris then converted the loan proceeds to her own use and concealed evidence by changing mailing codes and addresses to keep relatives from receiving mailings. Later, Morris created additional fraudulent loans, which she used to pay off her earlier loans and made “numerous materially false entries” in the credit union’s books to conceal the fraudulent loans. Morris well be sentenced November 29th.

Charleston Man Convicted

• {West Virginia}...Larry Hayes, Jr.  22 of Charleston,  faces 10-40 years in prison after being convicted Monday in connection with the death of his former fiancée’s 18-month-old daughter, Rebecca McDaniel. A 12-member jury found Hayes guilty on one count of child abuse resulting in death. Hayes was caring for McDaniel, the daughter of Meredith Bush, last October when she suffered a severe head wound. Expert testimony said the girl's injuries were consistent with physical abuse. Hayes did not take the stand in his own defense but he gave police two different stories on what happened. He first told them the young girl simply slumped over in her car seat, but, when presented with the medical evidence, he said he fell down a flight of stairs with the girl in his arms. Hayes will be sentenced October 28th.

Death of Woman Found in Elk River "Suspicious"

• (Charleston, WV) - The parents of 28 year old Megan Harrison, whose body was pulled from the Elk River in Charleston Saturday morning are looking for answers. Police are awaiting autopsy results to determine the exact cause of death, but have told Megan's parents that her death is definitely "suspicious". Preliminary examinations on Saturday do, however, indicate that Harrison's body had been in the water for less than 12 hours, and it looked as if she had been attacked. Police are hoping to have more answers early this week.

Man Allegedly Threatens Sniper Witness

{West Virginia}...Paul Woolwine has been charged with witness retaliation after he allegedly went to a home in Charleston Saturday and confronted a witness in the 2003 sniper shootings of Gary Carrier, Jr., Jeanie Patton and Okey Meadows Jr. According to a criminal complaint, Woolwine said he had a gun and threatened to physically hurt the witness. Police also say he called the man a "rat" for giving police information about the triple murder case. Investigators don't believe Woolwine knows Shawn Lester, but he is an associate of Gilberto " Tito" Lopez-Reyna. the Mexican national believed to have supplied drugs to Lester.

Bond Set In Fatal Logan Walmart Shooting

{West Virginia}...Bond was set at $40,000 Monday morning for Jesus Canul, 26, of Logan, the man charged with the August 22nd murder of 37 year old David Abbott. Logan Police say Abbott approached Canul in the parking lot outside Logan Walmart and robbed him. As Abbott walked away, Canul pulled out a gun and shot Abbott in the head. Members of the Omar Area Crime Watch group staged a rally Monday at the Logan County courthouse to support Canul, saying he acted in self defense. Canul has a preliminary hearing scheduled in Logan County Magistrate Court Thursday.

Man Accused Of Targeting Elderly...Trial Continued

{West Virginia}...Gary Mullins was set to go on trial Monday in Kanawha County, but his case was continued and there was discussion about giving him a new attorney because he blames his current lawyer for still being in jail. Mullins is accused of targeting elderly people, intimidating them and tricking his way into their home where he would steal from them. This weekend he was charged with kidnapping and 2nd degree robbery after police say he got into an 84 year old man's car in the Kroger parking lot in Kanawha City in January and told the man to give him $2,000 or else, made the man drive him to his house where the man had $1,800, then made the man drive to an ATM to get $200 before driving him back to Kroger's.

Barboursville Doctor Suspended

{West Virginia}...Thursday, the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy suspended the medical license of Dr. Philip Fisher of Barboursville. Board members say they found probable cause to believe Dr. Fisher had engaged in “conduct, practices and acts that constitute professional negligence, violations of the rules of the Board, and a willful departure from accepted standards of professional conduct.” The Board also issued a Statement of Charges against Dr. Fisher that included 21 counts. Fisher has continued to practice at his two offices in Barboursville since a December raid by DEA agents and police. No criminal charges have been filed against Dr. Fisher.

Kanawha County Judge Steps Down From Case

{West Virginia}...Attorney Scott Driver was in Kanawha County Circuit Court Friday attempting to get Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman to lower a $250,000 bond for his client, Hermie “Ginger” Moore. Assistant Prosecutor Tera Salango said, after Moore was in court in 2009 where things didn't go her way in a case that involved her child, she posted threats against presiding Judge Carrie Webster, on her MySpace account. Salango said Moore talked about pipe bombs, a hit list, serial killers and even kidnapping Webster's daughter. Salango told Judge Kaufman that Moore made threats in the past toward public officials, including workers at the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. where police found Moore outside a DHHR office sitting in her car with a gun. Moore’s case was left in limbo when Judge Kaufman told Driver he had to step away because ties to Webster might possibly appear to be unfair if there were to be an adverse ruling to his client.

Huntington Man Indicted

{West Virginia}...Charles Bocook, 23, of Huntington, has been indicted for child neglect causing injury and child neglect creating risk of injury. Huntington Police say Bocook was watching his three year old daughter and two year old nephew in March when his nephew fell out of a third story window and broke one of his legs. Police say Bocook left his daughter by herself in an apartment building.

Home Invasion Robbery In Huntington

{West Virginia}...Huntington Police say four people were robbed at gunpoint when several armed men wearing masks kicked in the door of a home on West 10th Street just before 10:00 P.M. and demanded money before fleeing on foot with some cash and a few other items.

Police Issue New Charges In Elderly Crimes

{West Virginia}...Charleston Police have issued two new warrants against Gary Wayne Mullins, charging him with kidnapping and robbery. Officers say Mullins got into the vehicle of an 84 year old in the Kroger parking lot in Kanawha City and demanded money. Mullins is set to go on trial Monday for separate incidents involving crimes against the elderly. Mullins has been held in the South Central Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash only bond since April on burglary charges.

Body Pulled From Elk River

• {West Virginia}...Charleston Police are investigating a possible homicide after firefighters pulled a woman's body from the Elk River Saturday morning. The body was found floating in the river just behind the Women and Children's Hospital. Charleston police detectives say the body had been in the river for less than 12 hours. Police say the body is a white woman. Her body has been taken to the Medical Examiner's Office for a positive I.D. and cause of death.

Hearing Delayed For Boone County Teacher

• {West Virginia}...A preliminary hearing in the case against Jack Turley, a Boone County teacher accused of smoking meth at school was postponed Friday after the magistrate assigned to hear the case removed himself. Turley is charged with smoking meth at the Boone County Career and Technical Center. Principal Keith Phipps and Turley were arrested in May on charges that they made and smoked meth during the school year inside the technical center. The center was closed in mid-July after meth residue was found.

Doctors Disagree In Kanawha County Case

{West Virginia}...The Kanawha County jury in the trial of Larry Hayes, Jr. of Charleston is expected to begin deliberating Monday morning. Hayes is facing child abuse causing death charges after Rebecca McDaniel, the 18-month-old daughter of his former fiancée died last October. The jury heard closing arguments Saturday morning. Friday, two expert medical witnesses disagreed over what might have caused the girl's death. Dr. Manuel Caceres of CAMC General Hospital testified, saying an autopsy showed a significant skull fracture and multiple subdural hematomas, and the child showed signs of shaken-baby syndrome. Caceres said the shaking caused the child to go unconscious with bleeding through her mouth and nose, and she became lethargic and stopped breathing and went into arrest. Dr. Thomas Young, a forensic pathologist,  testified by videophone from his office in Kansas, saying shaken-baby syndrome has been discredited. Young said he looked at all the facts in the case and determined the child slipped from the bottom stair of her residence, hit her head on a plastic four-wheeler, then lived with a fractured skull for six days before falling into a post-traumatic seizure. Young said photographs from the autopsy showed a skull that was healing, and bruising behind her ear is consistent with blood clotting and not from being struck.

UBB Memorial Fundraising Nears Goal

• {West Virginia}...Supporters of the Upper Big Branch Mine Memorial say they're close to having the money needed for construction. Alpha Natural Resources pledged to match the first $250,000 raised, and the group has raised $230,000. Thursday, Charleston law firm Bucci, Bailey and Javins held a fundraising event for the memorial fund. The law firm and memorial group sold t-shirts and bumper stickers at the Quaker Steak and Lube off Corridor G in Charleston. The memorial will include several stones with one long stone rising nine feet from the ground.  There will also be a silhouette of the 29 miners who died in the Upper Big Branch mine disaster in April 2010 etched into the granite. Planners expect to place the memorial along a stretch of road in Whitesville where a temporary tribute has been since the disaster.

Longtime State Senate Clerk Retiring

• {West Virginia}...Rick Winnell, a longtime assistant clerk in the state Senate, is retiring. Winnell, who was first hired in the state's upper chamber in 1974, has worked for seven Senate presidents, seven governors and four Senate clerks. Lee Cassis, an administrative assistant to the clerk, will officially take over for Winnell on September 1, 2011. Cassis first began working for the Legislature in 2002 in the Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the Legislative Auditor’s Office. He was hired as Administrative Assistant to the Senate Clerk in October 2006.

State Police Consider Cutting Costs

• {West Virginia}...In an attempt at cutting costs, West Virginia State Police are examining their detachments while considering closings and consolidations in light of $250,000 budget cut. One option being considered is to purchase property in Big Otter and combine the current Calhoun and Clay County detachments. West Virginia State Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Michael Baylous says no final decisions about relocations have been made, but the state police is always willing to make changes to financially benefit the citizens of West Virginia and keep the public safe. The proposal to shut down detachments came after a 2009 study encouraged the State Police to close 21 detachments as a way to save money and run a more cost effective department. Then-Governor Joe Manchin mandated 4 percent cuts across the board for state agencies to keep the state economically sound.

Judge Steps Away From Monsanto Case

{West Virginia}...Putnam County Circuit Judge O.C. Spaulding, who was planning to hear a lawsuit over alleged dioxin pollution from a former Monsanto Co. plant, has stepped aside because he's been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Spaulding asked the state Supreme Court to name a new judge and hopes to avoid a trial delay. The trial involves thousands of Nitro residents who say the company polluted their properties and streams.

Huntington Police Investigating Drug Theft

{West Virginia}...Huntington Police are investigating after receiving a complaint Thursday from Huntington Health and Rehab that thousands of dollars worth of pills had been stolen from the health center. According to the complaint, about 1200 Oxycodone and Hydrocodone pills were stolen between June and July.

Woman Drives Into Kanawha River

{West Virginia}...The South Charleston Fire Department dive team was called to Dunbar at about 8:30 A.M. Friday after 40 year old Leighsha Bowman of South Charleston drove her vehicle into the Kanawha River. Bowman told police she was driving down 17th Street toward the Kanawha River while looking for a house that was for sale when she apparently failed to notice 17th Street dead-ends at the river in time to stop. Bowman drove off the end of the street, over the riverbank and smashed through a wooden boat dock before the car plunged into the Kanawha River. Whittington said she was able to safely get out of the car and swim to shore.

Huntington Man Sentenced For Robbery

• {West Virginia}...Gary Shane Maynard of Huntington received a 36 year prison sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty to first-degree robbery and delivery of a controlled substance. Police say, about 11:00 P.M. September 19, 2010, Maynard and Jason Matthew Hall entered a house on Lynn Creek Road in a secluded part of Wayne County with a .38 caliber handgun, duct tape, zip ties and rope. Authorities say the residents, Casey Bartram and his girlfriend, Brittany Nikole Stroud, arrived home to an exceptionally dark house. Hall then popped up from behind a counter wearing a blue ski mask as Bartram, entered the house. Authorities say the two men faced off with separate handguns and engaged in a physical altercation, while still holding onto their guns. Bartram then fired one fatal shot, striking Hall just above the left eye. Hall fell to the kitchen floor.

Former Huttonsville Correctional Center Employee Probated

• {West Virginia}...Howard Arbogast, 23, of Valley Head, a former Huttonsville Correctional Center employee,  has been sentenced to two years of unsupervised probation after he admitted bringing contraband cigarettes into the prison. Randolph County Prosecutor Richard Busch agreed to drop 17 other counts, including the felony charge of possession with intent to deliver marijuana. Busch says an investigation determined Arbogast was unaware that he was in possession of marijuana because it was hidden in other contraband. Arbogast had no previous criminal history or violations.

Old Murder Indictments Dismissed

• {West Virginia}...Old murder indictments against Deshawne Taylor and Garland Murray, two Kanawha County men, were dismissed Thursday as they now face new charges that carry a potential triple life sentence. Taylor and Murray are charged with murdering 31 year old Gregory Poole and kidnapping his wife in North Charleston in April 2010. Contractors found Poole's body in front of a home along 2nd Avenue. Murray also faces a drug charge. Taylor will go to trial in October.

Prosecuting Attorney Quiet About Murder Suspect

• {West Virginia}...Logan County Prosecuting Attorney John Bennett says he wants to be careful what he says publicly about a fatal  shooting that happened earlier this week at the Logan Wal-Mart because investigators are still gathering evidence. Logan Police say David Abbot, 37, from Chapmanville, threatened 26 year old Jesus Canul of Logan with a sharp object and had taken money from Canul, who had just cashed his paycheck. Once Abbot took off with the money in the parking lot, reports indicate Canul, who had a concealed weapon permit, pulled out a gun and shot Abbot in the head.  Abbot died at the Logan County Medical Center. Canul claims he was acting in self defense, but Bennett says there are clear legal definitions for that, and, if and when it ever gets to a grand jury, the judge would instruct them specifically on the law of self defense in the state. At this point, Canul is facing murder charges.

Mines Labeled Pattern Violators

{West Virginia}...Federal regulators have labeled coal mines in Tennessee and West Virginia pattern violators a second time for failing to maintain safety improvements. The Mine Safety and Health Administration on Thursday issued notices to Solid Fuel Inc.’s No. 1 Mine in Claiborne County, Tennessee and Rhino Eastern LLC’s Eagle 1 Mine near Bolt. Both had taken corrective actions and met safety goals during their last evaluations, but MSHA says they’ve failed to maintain them and are no longer making good-faith efforts to eliminate violations. In the five months, Solid Fuel’s rate of significant and substantial violations more than quadrupled, and Rhino’s rate increased sixfold. A Rhino miner was killed in June when a 32-foot-long section of wall collapsed on him. Rhino is owned by Kentucky-based Rhino Resource Partners.

Logan County Man Arrested on Theft Charges

(Logan, WV) - A man from Logan County was arrested Tuesday night for a string of break-ins that happened in Boone County. 34 year old Timothy Crum picked the wrong house to target Tuesday. Little did he know that his every move was caught on camera. Boone County deputies have photos of Crum checking out the house and breaking in through the window. When deputies confronted Crum, he confessed to the burglaries. Deputies siezed collector's coins, weapons, electronics, trading cards, jewelry and more. And...the camera that caught it all? It was an $85 dollar trail camera used to capture wildlife.

Coal Industry Critic Invited To West Virginia

• {West Virginia}...Senator Joe Manchin and the United Mine Workers are inviting coal industry critic Democratic Representative John Conyers of Michigan to visit West Virginia. Manchin says Conyers insulted West Virginia during an environmental justice conference, suggesting miners find new jobs but also saying coal is all the state has. Tuesday, Manchin released a letter offering to show Conyers the Mountain State's many contributions to the country. He says the U.S. can't attain energy independence without coal. UMW President Cecil Roberts says he, too, was dismayed to hear Conyers call for the industry's shutdown. Roberts says more than 100,000 Americans are directly involved in coal production, with another 300,000 providing direct support for the industry. That includes railroad workers who move it and power plant workers who burn it for electricity.

Trial Begins In South Charleston Toddler's Death

• {West Virginia}...Opening statements got underway Wednesday in the trial of Larry Hayes of South Charleston, a man accused of causing injuries that led to the October 2010 death of 18 month old Rebecca McDaniel. Police say Hayes had been watching McDaniel on September 30th while her mother, Meredith Bush, was at work. Hayes says he had fallen from a set of stairs and landed on top of the child and that it was an accident, but an autopsy revealed Rebecca’s death was caused by multiple blunt force impacts to the head. Testifying in court Wednesday, Bush told a jury Hayes called her as he was pulling into the IHOP restaurant parking lot, where she worked, telling her something was wrong with the child. McDaniel died a few days later at a local hospital after being disconnected from a ventilator.

Chesapeake Man Fatally Struck By CSX Train

• {West Virginia}...One person is dead after being hit by a train in eastern Kanawha County early Wednesday morning. Chesapeake Police Chief Jack Ice says James Bradley Long, 28, of Chesapeake, was laying on the railroad tracks when a CSX train approached, and the train didn't have time to stop. Ice says Long may have been trying to kill himself because he had been in a fight earlier with his girlfriend and had threatened to kill himself. Ice believes Long may have taken his wallet to make sure he could be identified.

Kanawha County Sniper Trial Set

{West Virginia}...An October 26th trial has been set for Shawn Lester, the accused Kanawha County sniper who allegedly shot and killed Gary Carrier, Jeanie Patton and Okey Meadows, Jr., outside three separate convenience stores in August 2003. During his arraignment on the charges Wednesday morning in Kanawha County Circuit Court, Lester pleaded not guilty and waived his right to a speedy trial. The office of Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants has already turned over 30,000 pages of discovery evidence to Lester's attorney, Kanawha County Public Defender George Castelle. Castelle told  Kanawha County Circuit Judge Duke Bloom he anticipates a significant number of pre-trial motions and one of them may be a motion to move the trial to another county. Prosecutor Plants says he hopes to be able to find a jury in Kanawha County that can hear the highly publicized case, but, in the end, he wants a fair trial for the state and the people of the county. Lester remains in the South Central Regional Jail without bail.

Alpha Seeks Dismissal Of Shareholders' Lawsuit

{West Virginia}...Lawyers for Alpha Natural Resources have asked Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Massey Energy shareholders who allege that Massey sold out to Alpha for much less than it was worth and was less than transparent about merger negotiations. Ron Rolfe, a New York lawyer representing Alpha Natural Resources Inc., says the plaintiffs have no case because they are no longer shareholders of Massey Energy. Rolfe says Massey is a Delaware company and, under Delaware law, shareholders suing a company must keep their shares in the company through the litigation process, and Massey only has one shareholder: Alpha Natural Resources. That law has a few exceptions, including one that allows shareholders to continue their lawsuit if a company enters into a merger agreement for the sole purpose of eliminating the shareholder's legal standing. Rolfe says the Massey lawsuit does qualify for that exception, since the Alpha-Massey merger didn't take place until seven months after the shareholders filed their complaint.

Chelyan Man Sentenced

{West Virginia}...Joshua Cordwell, 30, of Chelyan, the man accused of robbing 74 year old Wanda Williams outside the Kanawha City Kroger and then running over her in July, was in court Wednesday to be sentenced for previous charges from 2009. Cordwell was sentenced to three years in prison for breaking and entering of an automobile and fraudulent use of stolen credit cards. Jesse Forbes, Cordwell's court-appointed defense attorney, asked Kanawha Circuit Judge Carrie Webster not to let the most recent allegations affect her sentencing on the 2009 charges, but Webster said the charges were too serious to ignore.

Boone and Logan Counties to Receive the Most Money

(Boone County, WV) - In a report released today, Boone and Logan Counties will receive the most money from West Virginia's new coal severance bill. Boone County will receive the most, and is projected to receive about 3.3 million dollars by the year 2017. Logan County is third on the list, behind Marshall County, and will receive about 2.3 million dollars by the end of that period. According to the new bill, which has been signed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, the counties that mine the most coal will get the most money.

WV Unemployment Rate Drops

(Charleston, WV) - West Virginia officials say unemployment rates in July went down in all 55 counties. Those figures released today say the rates ranged from 4.8% in Monongalia County to a high of 13% in Mason County. Overall, the state average unemployment rate fell from 8.6% in June ot 7.4% in July.

West Virginia Affected By Virginia Earthquake

• {West Virginia}...The most powerful earthquake to strike the East Coast in 67 years shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to Maine on Tuesday. Office workers spilled into the streets in New York, and parts of the White House, Capitol and Pentagon were evacuated. The U.S. Geological Survey reports an earthquake hit between Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia, centered four miles from Louisa, Virginia, Tuesday afternoon. Louisa is situated 41 miles northwest of Richmond and 83 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The quake of 5.8 magnitude shook the east coast of the U.S. around 2:00 P.M. Several buildings in downtown Charleston and across southern W.Va. were evacuated, including the Capitol building in Charleston. A guard at Cabell Midland High School in Huntington said he felt the ground shaking as well as the entire guard facility. Workers in South Charleston had to leave several buildings in that city. Aftershock of the quake could be felt as far away as New York City, Washington, D.C., North Carolina and Ohio. Experts say this is one of the largest earthquakes on the east coast in quite a while. An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 was reported in Colorado Monday night.

California Seeking To Undo Massey/Alpha Merger

• {West Virginia}...Attorneys for the California State Teachers' Retirement System are trying to undo the merger between Massey Energy and Alpha Natural Resources through a Charleston, West Virginia courtroom. An accident at Massey's Upper Big Branch Mine in April 2010 killed 29 miners and cut the company's stock price almost in half. The pension fund lawyers contend the merger, completed June 1st, could keep them from suing the Massey board over allegations company officials tolerated dangerous mining conditions. The West Virginia Supreme Court declined to hear the case earlier this year until it's heard by a lower court. Both sides were told to return in about a month with their own ideas about how the case should proceed.

Trial Postponed To Allow Man Psychiatric Treatment

• {West Virginia}...The trial of 52 year old Clinton Douglas Skeens of Huntington has been postponed until January 3rd to allow time for Skeens to receive psychiatric treatment after being charged with killing former Wayne High School football coach, 73 year old Jess "Scott" Jarrell. Authorities say Jarrell was stabbed 43 times and died at his Wayne residence on December 31, 2010. Wayne County Circuit Judge Darrell Pratt ruled Monday that Skeens has a mental disorder, and one of two psychiatrists who testified at a closed-door hearing believes he could be competent to stand trial in 30 to 60 days with appropriate medication. Skeens will be taken to William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in Weston.

Ohio Man Charged In Huntington Murder

• {West Virginia}...Rhamel Hatcher, of South Point, Ohio, was arrested Monday night and charged with murder in the beating death of Jeremy Cook that happened last summer outside Peckers, a Huntington nightclub. Judge Paul Farrell sentenced 27 year old Clyde Cooper to 15 years in prison. Dwain Foster pleaded guilty last month to felony unlawful wounding and is scheduled to be sentenced September 15th.

Coal Severance And Food Tax Bills Signed

• {West Virginia}...Tuesday, Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed the bill which dedicates an additional percentage of coal severance tax revenues to the counties where coal is mined. The bill reallocates revenue from the tax in 1 percent increments over the next five years, starting July 1, 2012. By the year 2017, an additional 5 percent will head to the coal mining counties. The revenue will be placed in a special fund called the Coal County Reallocated Severance Tax Fund to be used on economic development and infrastructure projects. Senate Bill 1002 caps the amount distributed to the counties at $20 million per year. Tomblin signed Senate Bill 1001, phasing out the food tax in West Virginia. On January 1, 2012, the tax will drop to 2 percent. On July 2012, the tax will drop to 1percent. On December 31, 2012, the tax will be removed completely, as long as the percentage of general revenue budget in the Rainy Day Fund is at least 12.5 percent. Senate Bill 1011 also increases the cap on mandatory surplus transfers to the Rainy Day Fund from 10 percent to 13 percent of the general revenue budget.

Porn Suspect To Undergo Psychiatric Evaluation

{West Virginia}...Brandon Long was in court Tuesday facing charges of possessing child pornography after being arrested in the fall of 2009. Police had watched Long for months because of suspicions he was a drug dealer, but, when investigators searched his computer, they found child porn. Long will have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation before his trial begins December 12th.

Mingo County Deputies Seeking Robber

• {West Virginia}...The Mingo County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help to find a white man, about 180 lbs. and 5-feet, 6-inches tall, suspected of robbing two residents in the Naugatuck area last week. Mingo County Sheriff’s Department Chief James Smith says the man was driving a white or silver 1990s-model extended-cab Chevy pickup truck with four wheel drive. Smith says the man took a boat from one of the residences, hauled the boat about 10 miles, and then lost the boat off the back of the truck, causing damage to both the truck bumper and the boat. The boat was recovered. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department at 304-235-0300.

Elkins Police/Randolph County Deputies Conclude Investigation

• {West Virginia}...Officials from the Elkins Police Department and the Randolph County Sheriff's Department held a news conference Monday to go over the details of their investigation into the death of 67 year old Raymond Canfield of Elkins. Authorities have concluded Robert Hedrick was responsible for Canfield's death. Hedrick committed suicide three days after Canfield disappeared on June 20th. On June 21st, Hedrick tried to cash a check from Canfield for $13,000. When questioned by police, he told them the check was payment for carpentry work he had done for Canfield. Canfield's car was found on June 22nd at the Days Inn in Elkins. On June 23rd, police found Hedrick's body in a room at the Elkins Motor Lodge. Canfield's body was found in the Norton area on June 24th. Police believe Hedrick's motive was robbery and that he acted alone. Hedrick had numerous prior convictions.

State Fair Worker Critically Injured

• {West Virginia}...Adolfo Dominguez, 25, of Mexico, who works for Reithoffer Shows Inc., based in Gibsonton, Florida, was operating "The Speed" ride at the West Virginia State Fair around 10:45 P.M. Saturday night, when he stepped into the path of the ride and was hit in the face by one of the attraction's cars. Dominguez was flown from the scene to Charleston Area Medical Center, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and for a facial fracture. He is in critical condition.

Dunbar Man Charged With Hit And Run

• {West Virginia}...St. Albans Police arrested Rusty Ratliff of Dunbar Monday afternoon and charged him with hit and run with injury, reckless driving and assault. Officers say, on August 18th, Ratliff was driving on Roxalana Road in Dunbar, and, while turning into the entrance of Roxalana Hills, he slammed into a motorcycle driven by off-duty St. Albans Police Officer Kenneth Davis, then backed up, dragging Davis's motorcycle about 25 feet, nearly running him over before fleeing the scene.

Man Fatally Shot During Attempted Robbery

{West Virginia}...Police say, Monday afternoon, 37 year old David Abbott of Chapmanville approached 26 year old Jesus Canul of Logan in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart at Fountain Place in Logan County and attempted to rob Canul in front of the store. Canul pulled out a gun and shot Abbott in the head. Abbott was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Charleston Police Seek Armed Robber

{West Virginia}...Charleston Police are looking for William Paul West, who is wanted in connection with an armed robbery. Police say West grabbed a woman’s backpack after she exited Carroll Terrace Sunday night and was walking down Virginia Street East. During a struggle, West pointed a small handgun at her, took the backpack, and fled. The victim identified West from his ID inside a wallet officers discovered when they searched the area. West was charged with domestic battery in Wood County in 2006.

Massey Seeking Confidentiality Leak

• {West Virginia}...Massey Energy wants to know who violated the confidentiality of a $35 million settlement it reached with hundreds of people who say the company poisoned their wells with coal slurry. Two weeks after a confidential Alpha Natural Resources coal slurry settlement became public, a motion hearing will be held at 1:30 P.M. Tuesday, August 23rd, in the Kanawha County Courthouse’s Ceremonial Courtroom in an attempt to determine how the information was publicized. The suit, filed in Mingo County against Massey Energy and its subsidiary Rawl Sales & Processing, alleges that 1.4 billion gallons of slurry was pumped into underground mines, which ruined water supply. In a motion filed in Ohio County Circuit Court, Massey and Rawl subsidiary demand the plaintiffs’ lawyers turn over “a true and exact copy” of all correspondence sent to notify their clients of the deal. Massey says it needs to determine whether the lawyers took adequate steps to maintain secrecy. The motion also suggests Massey may demand sanctions. A hearing on the settlement and its distribution is set for September 29th in Charleston.

Detroit Man Shot In Huntington

• {West Virginia}...Huntington Police are investigating a shooting that happened about 3:00 A.M. Sunday morning. Damon Bailes of Detroit was shot in the foot while walking along 20th Street and Artisan Avenue, but officers say Bailes does not appear to be the intended victim of the shooting.

WVU Preparing To Sell Beer

• {West Virginia}...West Virginia University athletic director Oliver Luck announced Thursday afternoon that Anheuser-Busch, Miller-Coors and the Morgantown Brewing Company will be selling beer this fall at Milan Puskar Stadium. Luck and the folks at Sodexo, which is the company in charge of concessions at WVU athletic events, have been working over the past several months to develop a plan for beer sales. Sodexo district manager Paul Laky says everyone who wants to buy a beer will be asked to show their ID, regardless of their age. There will be 51 locations around the stadium at which people can buy beer, but no beer sales locations near the student section. There will be four locations for designated drivers to sign up around the stadium. In exchange they’ll be given a coupon for a free soda. Sales will also end with 7:30 on the clock in the 3rd quarter. More portable bathrooms are being added inside the stadium and a recycling program is being implemented to deal with the plastic bottles and plastic cups. Several smoking corrals are being created outside the concourse, but still within the stadium, because smoking will no longer be allowed in the concourse.

Charleston Men Arrested For Exxon Robbery

• {West Virginia}...Police have apprehended two men accused of robbing a convenience store on Charleston's West Side. Robert Dewayne "Doody" Miller, 24, and Christopher Mickael Hoffman, 22, both of Charleston, have been  arrested for the first-degree robbery of the One Stop Exxon on Kanawha Boulevard which occurred August 17th. Hoffman turned himself in to Charleston Police Saturday night. Miller was arrested Sunday. 

Boone County Voters Reject School Bond

{West Virginia}...Voters in Boone County voted against a $45 million school bond that would have received an additional $23 million from the West Virginia School Building Authority to be used to upgrade schools. Polls closed at 7:30 P.M. Saturday with all 39 precincts reporting in. Nine hundred thirty-one residents voted for the bond referendum while 2,640 voted against it. f the bond had passed, several schools would have gotten some serious upgrades. The school bond was also going to pay for a new high school in Madison. Boone County Schools Superintendent John Hudson explained from the beginning that passage of the bond issue would mean an increase in property taxes.

Man Stabbed In Chest

• {West Virginia}...Dustin Thompson was taken to Cabell Huntington Hospital in stable condition Saturday morning after police say, just before 6:00 A.M., he was stabbed in the chest several times by David Barretto at a home on West 7th Avenue in Huntington. Barretto, who was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center with minor injuries, has been charged with malicious wounding, unlawful wounding and burglary.

Charleston Police Search For Armed Robbers

• {West Virginia}...Charleston Police are continuing to search for Robert Dewayne "Doody" Miller and Christopher Mickael Hoffman, both from Charleston, after they allegedly entered the Exxon on Kanawha Boulevard Wednesday and demanded cash at gunpoint. Miller is 24 years old, 5'7" and weighs about 210 pounds. Hoffman is 22, 5'11" and weighs about 150 pounds.

East Bank Man Sentenced

• {West Virginia}...Randy Allen Estep, 25, of East Bank, was sentenced Friday to one to three years in prison for wire theft. Estep admitted earlier this year that he stole 250 feet of telephone wire near Coalburg in September, but he failed to show up at his sentencing on July 20th. Friday, he told Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom he skipped the hearing and violated his probation because of his drug addiction. Estep told the judge, "I was strung out on drugs." Bloom revoked Estep's bond and sentenced him to prison.

Man Arrested Near Milton Elementary

• {West Virginia}...Police arrested 57 year old Kenneth Dale Snyder Friday on a felony charge of distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school after Milton Chief of Police Gary Lilly said Roxicodone pills and other drug paraphernalia were found inside his apartment near Milton Elementary. The arrest came after police noticed two men around 4:00 P.M. outside Seger Apartments, located within 40 feet of the school property. One of the men walked away while another went inside the apartment complex. The man who walked away was stopped by police about a block away and police confiscated Roxicodone pills. The man who entered the apartment was taken into police custody after he left the apartment a short time later with three other people.

Historic Perkins House On Auction Block

• {West Virginia}...A 19th century mansion on Charles Town land where abolitionist John Brown was hanged more than 150 years ago is going on the auction block. Bidding on the Historic Perkins House, a 7,000-square-foot, five-bedroom Queen Anne Victorian built in 1891, will begin at $950,000 on September 11th, but the right offer could pre-empt the sale if it's made by 5:00 P.M. that day, says real estate agent Gary Gemstone of Historic Homes Marketing Group. The bidding officially begins September 5th. The house, erected some 30 years after Brown's execution, is on the National Register of Historic Places and is essentially in the same state as it was in 1891 - with the addition of modern amenities including a swimming pool and gourmet kitchen.

• During the Civil War, Brown staged a raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859, planning to seize thousands of weapons, arm a gathering guerrilla force and start the revolution that would end slavery. The first casualty was a free black male baggage handler who bled to death on the street while Brown's raiders grabbed hostages and holed up at a fire engine house. Within 48 hours, the rebellion was dead, along with at least four civilians, 10 raiders and a U.S. Marine who helped retake the building. At his trial for treason, murder and inciting a rebellion, Brown refused to apologize and declared the fight for freedom sanctioned by God and the Bible. He was swiftly convicted and executed on December 2, 1859.

Man Convicted Of Involuntary Manslaughter

• {West Virginia}...A jury has convicted 24 year old Edward Crawford of involuntary manslaughter in the September 30, 2009 shooting death of 26 year old Toney Johnson of Huntington and one count of wanton endangerment. If he gets credit for the one year already served, the minimum Crawford will be sentenced is an additional two years. Crawford  testified he acted out of self-defense and did not have intentions of killing anyone. An on-going dispute existed between Crawford and Toney’s brother, Jermaine, who testified that the afternoon of the shooting Johnson’s car and Crawford’s car were near the intersection of 28th Street and Roby Road after a brief collision. Words were exchanged, and Toney got out of the car to approach Crawford. Defense attorneys say Toney was approaching Crawford to stick up for his brother. Crawford stated he saw Toney’s hands reaching in his pants. It was then Crawford said he acted in self-defense and shot him. Crawford will be sentenced September 28th.

Tomblin Orders Flags Be Flown At Half-Staff

• {West Virginia}...Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has ordered all United States and West Virginia flags flying at state buildings and grounds to be lowered to half-staff from dawn to dusk on Saturday, when services for Cpl. James S. Murray, a Shinnston native who died as a prisoner of war in Korea, are scheduled. Murray was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division. He died in captivity during an Allied air raid in April 1951 on a North Korean supply depot next to the Suan Bean prison camp. His remains were identified last December through DNA testing and investigation.

Nicholas County Boy Dies

• {West Virginia}...Ten year old Colbie Naylor died shortly before 4:30 A.M. Friday morning at Charleston Area Medical Center  General after accidentally shooting himself in the head about 9:30 P.M. Wednesday at a home along Webster Road in the Persinger area of Nicholas County. Deputies say he was holding the gun while playing with a dog when the gun went off. Naylor donated his organs to others.

Barboursville Man Charged After Hit-and-Run

• {West Virginia}...Huntington Police charged Aaron Lycans, 41, of Barboursville Thursday afternoon after authorities say he was involved in three hit and run accidents in two days. Two of the crashes happened Thursday afternoon along 16th Street Road, and the other happened Wednesday night on Route 60. Right now, Lycans is only charged in Thursday’s accidents. Police charged Lycans with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, with property damage, having no insurance and driving on a suspended license for a previous DUI.

Rockefeller Pleased With Consol/Noble Partnership

{West Virginia}...Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. says a partnership between Consol Energy and Texas-based Noble Energy, Inc. to drill in the Marcellus shale will help West Virginia tap its vast natural resources and create an economic boon. Consol and Noble announced a plan to work together in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.  The companies will drill in 663,350 of Consol's Marcellus shale acres. Rockefeller says the announcement has the potential to be a tremendous opportunity for West Virginia's economy and jobs, well into the future. Environmentalists say the horizontal drilling process can contaminate water supplies.
Rockefeller says he hopes Consol will act responsibly.

Nitro Officials Want Independent Examination

{West Virginia}...Nitro city officials have asked for an independent examination of several accounts run by the Nitro Police Department after the city's 2010-11 state audit found the police department allegedly spent more than $58,000 out of the department's benefit fund for "unauthorized purposes." At a meeting Tuesday, City Council members voted to have an independent evaluation of not only the benefit fund but also all of the accounts in the police special revenue fund going back to 2007.

Tomblin Signs Legislation

• {West Virginia}...As the second special session of the West Virginia Legislature to address redistricting prepared to start Thursday, Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed two measures which passed during the first special session. Tomblin signed the Senate bill that reapportions districts in West Virginia’s Senate and the Senate bill that reapportions West Virginia’s three Congressional districts. The House redistricting bill passed during the first special session was vetoed because of technical errors. Legislators have gone back in session to pass another bill that reapportions West Virginia’s House of Delegates.

Poca Man Faces Child Pornography Charge

• {West Virginia}...After nearly 16 months of investigation, William Burt Shingleton of Poca, a 43 year old father of three under age 15, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography. Putnam County Sheriff's Sgt. Ryan Lockhart says, after receiving a complaint in April 2010, he obtained a search warrant through Putnam Circuit Court, executed it on Shingleton and seized several items of digital media  computer equipment. All of the computer gear was analyzed by the FBI, which confirmed investigators' suspicions and led to Shingleton being arrested and taken to the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville where his bond is set at $250,000.

Man Possesses Gun On School Property

• {West Virginia}...Thirty-four year old William H. "Billy" Samples Jr. was arrested Wednesday evening after St. Albans Police say he had a .40-caliber gun in the parking lot at Hayes Middle School. St. Albans Police Capt. James Agee says police were dispatched to a complaint at Hayes Middle School about 8:00 P.M. where a man said his car had been keyed while at a football practice by another man, identified as Samples. The complainant told police that when Samples walked away, he lifted his shirt and a handgun could be seen. The complainant then said the suspect walked behind the school to the football field where the practice was under way. Officers approached Samples as he was standing near the field where a large number of kids were practicing. Police asked Samples if he had a gun, and he replied "yes."  Officers seized the weapon and arrested Samples. Carrying a firearm on a public or private primary or secondary education building, structure, facility or grounds is a felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison. Police say the magazine was loaded with 13 rounds, but the chamber was empty.

EMS Worker Terminated

• {West Virginia}...The West Virginia State Police arrested Eric Harbour, 28, and Kimberly Lewis, 27, Wednesday evening and charged them with attempting to operate a meth lab and three counts of exposing a minor to meth after discovering a meth lab at a home off of Swan’s Lane just outside St. Albans city limits. Troopers found meth-making materials in a building behind the home along with a respirator mask next to the front door of the home and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the front porch. A 7 year old boy, 5 year old girl and 7 week old boy were all in the home when troopers arrived. Mike Jarrett, with the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority, says Harbour, who was an EMS worker, has been terminated.

Hurricane Doctor Faces Lawsuit

{West Virginia}...Dr. Rick Houdersheldt, a Hurricane osteopath, has been sued by Carl and Carolyn Ward of Hurricane who claim Carl Ward was a patient of Dr. Houdersheldt when he had a colonoscopy on December 6, 2007. The biopsy was sent to a pathologist who recommended further steps be taken to investigate. The Wards say Houdersheldt failed to act on the pathologist's recommendation, and the delay resulted in health problems that led to cancer. Carl Ward was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer about three years after Houdersheldt's recommendation for cancer screening. Ward and his wife are seeking damages and have requested a jury trial.

Mingo County Inmate Faces Additional Charges

{West Virginia}...Roscoe Bryant, a Mingo County man already in jail on drug charges, is facing additional charges after allegedly kicking a Mingo County Sheriff's Department lieutenant. Deputies say Bryant, who was arrested after five marijuana plants were allegedly found at his Dan's Branch home, kicked Mingo County Lt. J.D. Ferris before grabbing the arm of a lab technician, refusing to let go and urinating on the floor. Bryant is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance with intent to deliver along with additional charges of battery of an officer.

Former Southern Amusement Worker Probated

• {West Virginia}...Mark Anthony Cantrell was sentenced to five years of probation Wednesday and ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution after pleading guilty in February to Social Security fraud. Prosecutor say, while employed at Southern Amusement, Cantrell helped another employee receive payments in cash while receiving disability benefits. Southern Amusement was a video lottery machine operator owned by former Logan County Delegate Joe Ferrell who was sentenced to two years in prison in June for federal racketeering and tax convictions. Prosecutors said Wednesday they would not have been able to prosecute Ferrell without Cantrell’s information and cooperation.

Mingo County Boy Bitten

• {West Virginia}...Police have sent pictures to the Division of Natural Resources so they can determine what bit Rudy Varney, a 7 year old boy from Mingo County, while he was swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach around noon Sunday. The boy's brother pulled him out of the water, and he was taken to a nearby hospital after a muscle in his right leg was torn. Myrtle Beach lifeguards believe Varney may have been bitten by a sand shark.

Suspected Hit-And-Run Vehicle Processed

{West Virginia}...Candy Mallory, 38, was walking along U.S. Route 60, just east of Ceredo, around 2:30 A.M. July 10th when she was struck by a car, thrown 30 to 40 feet over an embankment and killed. Her body was found several hours later, and, five days later, a suspect's car was found and taken to the state crime lab garage. Police say the car, a Chevrolet Cavalier with damage to the front end and windshield, has been fully processed, and the case can move forward. State Police Trooper D.J. Chapman says he hopes to see the lab report findings on the car as soon as next week, and, if those lab results call for an arrest, police will not wait until the next Wayne County grand jury in November, but they will get a warrant and make the arrest right away. Chapman says there's no guarantee on the lab results coming in next week.

Father And Son Sentenced

{West Virginia}...Sixty-two year old Ernest J. Vance Sr. of Verdunville has been sentenced to 46 months in prison, while his son, Ernest J. Vance Jr., 35, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, both for aiding in the distribution of Oxycodone. Vance Jr. admitted he and another person sold two 40-milligram Oxycodone pills to an informant for the U.S. 119 Task Force on September 18, 2009 for $110. Both told investigators they sold pills to informants at several different locations and only kept a small amount at their home in case law enforcement arrived. The two are responsible for distributing more than 5,000 and as many as 18,000 Oxycontin pills in and around Logan County.

McGraw Sues All American Rides And Owner

{West Virginia}...An August 23rd motion hearing is set after West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw filed a suit earlier this week against All American Rides and Shows and its owner Tony Best, for failing to provide carnival rides to the Wayne County fair. Best entered a contract with the Wayne County Fair Board in March where he would provide 10 carnival rides and a cotton candy trailer for a price of $15,000. After accepting an up-front payment of $5,000, Best failed to provide the promised services. McGraw is seeking an injunction to keep the business from engaging in fraudulent activity again in the state, a freeze on its bank account and restitution. McGraw claims the company failed to obtain necessary permits from the West Virginia Division of Labor, proof of insurance or a business registration certificate.

Murder Trial Underway

• {West Virginia}...Jury selection was finished Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Edward Crawford in Cabell County. Police say Crawford fatally shot 26 year old Toney Johnson in the parking lot of Odd Fellows Lodge at the corner of Roby Road and 28th Street in Huntington in September 2009 during a dispute between people in two vehicles. Johnson later died at St. Mary's Medical Center.

WV Awaiting North Carolina Man's Extradition

• {West Virginia}...The West Virginia State Police in Winfield have a warrant for 10 counts of sexual abuse for crimes Richard Lane, 65, of High Point, North Carolina, allegedly committed between 1975 and 1983 in Putnam County. Lane was arrested August 12th in North Carolina for being a fugitive from justice and is in Guilford County Jail on a $300,000 bond. West Virginia State Police in Winfield are awaiting his extradition back to Putnam County. A West Virginia State Police trooper traveled to Lane’s home in High Point after receiving a report on July 27th after the victim identified Lane as the suspect and named other possible past and present victims. The victim was a minor at the time of the alleged abuse.

Second Teen Charged In Huntington Shooting

• {West Virginia}...A second teenager has been arrested in connecting with the shooting of Anquinette Turner which occurred on 17th Street in Huntington early Saturday morning. Huntington Police have charged Quenton Sheffield, 18, of Huntington, with malicious wounding. Sunday night, police arrested 18 year old Emmanuel Lopez and charged him with malicious wounding. Police say Sheffield shot Turner after Lopez gave him the gun. Turner, who is recovering after being shot in the torso, told police Sheffield pointed a metal object in her face and demanded money.

Charleston Police Investigating Shooting

{West Virginia}...Charleston Police have arrested Justin Robbins, 18, of Charleston, following a shooting which left about 20 rounds on the ground in the parking lot of 7-Eleven on Washington Street East about 3:00 A.M. Tuesday morning. One witness says  Robbins got into a fight with a woman in the parking lot, and a group of people standing in front of the store started yelling at him. He then left in a green, 90s-model Chevy Blazer but returned a few minutes later randomly firing an automatic weapon. Bullets struck the ground, the 7-Eleven sign and went through the store window. Police recovered an AK-47 in connection with the shooting.

Huntington Police Searching For Stabbing Suspect

{West Virginia}...Detectives with the Huntington Police Department are looking for Johnny Eugene Carter in connection with the Friday night stabbing of Aaron J. Bowman who was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center after being stabbed in the back. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Carter are asked to call the Huntington Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau at 304-696-4444.

Man Sentenced For Contraband Cigarettes And Drugs

{West Virginia}...Basim Ali Talouzi, 45, of Charleston, has been sentenced to five years in prison for buying and selling more than 17,000 cartons of contraband cigarettes and thousands of dollars worth of prescription pills in Huntington. Talouzi pleaded guilty in April to charges of conspiracy to transport, receive, possess, purchase and sell contraband cigarettes and for a controlled substance offense. Between July 2010 and January 2011, Talouzi sold 3,422,400 contraband cigarettes, resulting in about $94,116 in lost tax revenue to the state. He also sold nearly 120 80-milligram and 50 30-milligram Oxycodone pills to undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. Talouzi will have to pay a $5,000 fine.

Deadly Mining Accident In Logan County

• {West Virginia}...The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training has confirmed 46 year old Charles Hall from Williamson died after being injured just before 7:00 A.M. Monday morning in an underground mine at Mingo Logan Coal Company's Mountaineer II Mine near Sharples in Logan County. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration says Hall was installing roof supports when he was hit by falling rock. The mine is owned by Mingo Logan Coal Co., a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Arch Coal Inc. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

West Virginia Seeks Correctional Officers

• {West Virginia}...John Lopez, the West Virginia Regional Jail Authority's chief of operations, says nearly all of the West Virginia correctional officers who quit this year cited grueling overtime in their decision to leave. Lopez says the constant turnover means the state is 105 correctional officers short of the 2,000 it needs to safely maintain the state's 10 jails, and, while finding officers is not the problem, the main challenge is retaining them. Officials say most correctional officers work about 20 hours of overtime each week, and it is not uncommon for them to complete the hiring process, including a background check and an aptitude test, only to quit within their first week.

Fayette County Fugitive Arrested

• {West Virginia}...Timothy Paul Dotson, 35, a fugitive wanted by police in Fayette County on felony warrants and parole violations, was arrested Monday morning at the Days Inn in Bradley in Raleigh County. Officers say Dotson's original offenses were receiving stolen property and grand larceny.

Body Found In Eleanor Identified

• {West Virginia}...Police have identified the body discovered in the front yard of a home along Marble Street in the Cedar Hills subdivision of Eleanor around 5:00 A.M. Saturday morning as 30 year old Justin Anthony. It's still unclear how Anthony got there.

Huntington Police Arrest Alleged Shooter

• {West Virginia}...Huntington Police have arrested 18 year old Emmanuel Lopez and charged him with malicious wounding in Saturday morning's shooting of Anquinette Turner. Police say Turner was shot in the lower back near Artisan Avenue. Turner is in fair condition at St. Mary's Medical Center, while Lopez is being held at the Western Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Charleston Civic Center Hosts National Conference

• {West Virginia}...More than 2,000 soldiers and airmen from across the country packed the Charleston Civic Center for the 40th Annual Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States National Conference Monday. Personnel listened to speeches from ranking military officials and some politicians  while military budget cuts to reduce the national deficit weighed on the minds of many. Maj. General Jim Hoyer, who is the adjutant general for the West Virginia National Guard said across-the-board cuts would take a dramatic toll and devastate the National Guard's ability to respond to natural disasters, as well as help fight the nation’s wars. Hoyer said they are relying on politicians to prevent budget cuts to National Guard programs. The conference continues through Wednesday.

Vandalism At Williamson Field House

• (Williamson)  Six local youths broke into the Williamson Field House  causing an undetermined amount of property damages. Two of the young men are of legal age and are charged with trespassing. Pierce Whitt, director of the Field House, says that once police receive an estimate of the damages, the duo could face additional charges. Their names were not released. The four remaining vandals were under age and released into the custody of their parents.  Williamson Police Chief Roby Pope said the young men rode 4-wheelers on the gym floor.