Deal could prevent spike in milk prices

WASHINGTON --- The leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture committees have agreed to a one-year extension of the 2008 farm bill that expired in October, a move that could head off a possible doubling of milk prices next month.

But House leaders have yet to say whether they will allow a vote on it.

The committee leaders announced Sunday that they had agreed on last-minute legislation that would extend the farm bill and replace dairy programs that expire at midnight Tuesday.

But the House GOP has yet to endorse the committees' extension agreement, and leaders are also considering two narrower extension bills: a one-month extension and an even smaller bill that would merely extend dairy policy. As of Sunday night, Republican leaders had not scheduled a vote on any of them.

W.Va. Senate Clerk Retiring Jan. 9

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --- Longtime West Virginia Senate Clerk Darrell Holmes is retiring next week.

The Senate first elected Holmes as its clerk in 1989. His last day is Jan. 9.

The Senate Clerk's Office provides assistance to senators and produces the daily Senate journal. As clerk, Holmes oversees 41 full-time employees. During legislative sessions, about 120 part-time workers are hired.

In retirement, he says he's thinking about reopening a machine shop that he ran when he served in the Legislature.

The Kanawha County Democrat served four terms in the House of Delegates and two terms in the Senate before he became the Senate clerk.

W.Va. Program Offers Sustainability Mini-Grants

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Mini-grants are available to help communities in West Virginia further sustainability efforts.

Grants will be awarded to provide technical assistance, such architectural services and marketing and branding.

The grants are being offered through the Sustainability Institute at Bridgemont

Community and Technical College and the West Virginia Sustainable Communities program.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 15.

Security Guard Robbed in Downtown Charleston

CHARLESTON, W.Va. --- A security guard was robbed at gunpoint early Monday morning in downtown Charleston.

Charleston Police say that the security guard works for the DHHR and was making his rounds about 3:15 a.m. at the Capitol Street parking garage when the incident happened.

Police are searching for two men in connection with the robbery.

According to police, at least one of the men had a gun.

The two suspects got away with about $200.

Officers searched the area shortly after the alleged robbery, but didn't find anything.

The investigation is ongoing.

Man Arrested After Home Invasion

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Kanawha County Sheriff's Deputies have arrested 41 year old Thomas Hager Jr. in connection with a home invasion which occurred at a house along Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston. Deputies say Hager busted into the home about 2:00 A.M. Wednesday morning while a 71 year old woman was inside sleeping. The woman heard the invasion and locked herself in the bathroom while she called 911. Hager allegedly hit the bathroom door and knocked her over, injuring her. He was arrested after being spotted coming out of the house. Hager is accused of kicking the arresting deputy in the face. Other stolen items were found in a room at a nearby Budget Inn, where Hager and his wife had been staying. The couple is suspected to be involved in other burglaries in the area.

Accident Sends Two To Hospital

{Apple Grove, West Virginia}…Police say Jerry Lee Lewis and his wife, Julie Lewis, were turning off Mud Run Road, north of Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam, in Apple Grove, in Mason County, just after 2:00 P.M. Christmas Day when an ATV crashed into the passenger side of their vehicle. Jerry Lewis was transported to Pleasant Valley Hospital with shoulder injuries, and Julie was taken to Cabell Huntington Hospital with head injuries.

Rockefeller Pushing Drug Disposal Law

{Charleston, West Virginia}…U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller says prescription drug abuse or misuse is responsible for nine out of 10 drug-related deaths in the state, and a proposed federal rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration would reduce prescription drug abuse. Rockefeller says the rule would establish national standards for prescription drug disposal and expand available drug disposal options, including take-back events. Rockefeller asked the DEA in November to implement a 2010 law which requires the DEA to enforce a legal and safe prescription drug disposal method.

Child Abuse Lawyers Seek Higher Pay

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Some court-appointed lawyers trying to help West Virginia judges make good decisions for abused and neglected children are earning wages that haven’t been raised since the 1980s. While being paid $45 an hour for out-of-court work and $65 for in-court work, some lawyers say it's basically charity work. Court officials agree and say they'll propose legislation in February that would raise compensation to $75 and $90 an hour for attorneys paid through Public Defender Services. But the bill has a $4.8 million price tag, so it faces challenges as legislators grapple with a massive shortfall in Medicaid funding. According to May 2011 figures from the U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for a lawyer is $62.74, about $17 more than the West Virginia abuse and neglect attorneys are getting. But attorneys who specialize in certain fields often charge far more. A similar bill went nowhere earlier this year.

Shooting In Logan County

{Henlawson, West Virginia}…Logan County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a residence in the Henlawson area Tuesday afternoon after a man was shot multiple times. Deputies are searching for 18 year old Matthew Brumfield as a person of interest. Brumfield was wearing a red or maroon hooded sweatshirt and jeans and has the letters MAC tattooed on his right forearm. Brumfield was last seen on a red four wheeler going down the railroad tracks towards the Peach Creek area.

Man Charged With Charleston Murder

{Charleston, West Virginia}…A man wanted for murder has turned himself in. Twenty-four year old Richard Bernard Hilliard was arrested at a gas station in Charleston Tuesday. Hilliard was wanted in connection to the October 11th shooting death of 26 year old David Jabot Booker of Charleston who was found dead on  Milton Street. Police say Booker had been shot in the head, and they believe the shooting was drug related. Hilliard is being held without bail.

Men Charged With Stealing Firearms

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Daniel Maxwell and Aaron Richardson have been charged with nighttime burglary. Charleston Police say Richardson stole a shotgun and pistol from a house on Beuhring Avenue in Charleston, and Maxwell helped him hide them.

Marathon Station Robbed At Gunpoint

{Huntington, West Virginia}…Huntington Police are investigating after a man robbed the Marathon Station on 5th Avenue and 8th Street at gunpoint just after 10:00 A.M. Monday morning. The suspect led police on a chase and was able to avoid capture. Investigators aren’t sure if he fled on foot or got away in another car. His car, a white Toyota Corolla, was found abandoned behind the Camp Creek Apartments in Lavalette.

Peoples Natural Gas To Buy Equitable Gas

Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Peoples Natural Gas, a natural gas distribution company, has agreed to acquire Equitable Gas Co., EQT Corp.'s distribution business in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky. EQT will receive $720 million cash and some additional assets. The deal, which is subject to numerous regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2013. Equitable Gas provides natural gas to about 275,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in southwestern Pennsylvania, north central West Virginia and eastern Kentucky.

State Spending On Scout Reserve

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Department of Transportation spokesman Brent Walker says the state is spending nearly $6 million on road projects to support the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in Fayette County. Eight projects have been completed or are under way at a total cost of $15.5 million. Federal funding is paying 80 percent of the cost of six projects which include intersection upgrades, repairs and a new roadway.

Salvation Army Gets $1,000 Donation

{Morgantown, West Virginia}…Every year since at least 1978, a mystery donor has slipped a $1,000 bill into a Salvation Army kettle. This year, a $1,000 bill, wrapped in a $1 bill, appeared Saturday in a kettle manned by volunteer Mark Randalls, but Randalls says he doesn’t know who put it there. Salvation Army Lt. David Costellow says he received an anonymous phone call a couple days ago telling him where to find the money.

Man Charged With Burglary

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Johnny Chandler, 40, of Charleston was charged with burglary after police say he broke into his girlfriend’s house and stole her purse. Police say Chandler got into an argument with his girlfriend over the purse and was locked out of the house, but he busted his way in using a propane tank from a gas grill. Once inside, he allegedly choked her, shoved his fingers into her mouth, leaving cuts inside her mouth. Police say she sprayed Chandler in the face with mace, and Chandle fled before police arrived but was later captured.

Group Protests Manchin Remarks

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Frigid temperatures in Charleston Saturday was not enough to keep more than 100 advocates of the Second Amendment from demonstrating against the recent remarks from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. The protest organized by the West Virginia Citizens Defense League followed Manchin’s statement that he was in favor of revisiting the 1994 assault weapons ban passed by Congress. The Senator later modified his statement, saying he was not advocating banning anything, but he was only advocating a conversation on everything. Most of those standing  outside of Manchin’s office on Quarrier Street said they fear the next step Congress and the Obama Administration will take could start a rapid erosion of gun ownership rights.

Officer Fatally Shoots Truck Driver

{Huntington, West Virginia}…A Huntington Police Officer was responding to a crash between a tractor trailer and a vehicle near Special Metals  around 1:00 A.M. Saturday morning when he saw 32 year old Joshua Johnnie Emerson, a truck driver from Hamilton, Alabama, getting aggressive and confrontational toward a Special Metals security guard. When the officer tried to intervene, Emerson tried to attack the officer with a knife. In response, the police officer fired several rounds, striking and killing Emerson.

Arrest In Mingo County

{Williamson, West Virginia}…Deputies in Mingo County arrested James Messer outside his home Thursday night. Messer and Danny Colegrove Jr. are accused of breaking into two homes in the Marrowbone Creek and Laurel Creek areas earlier this month. Deputies had already charged Colegrove's grandfather, Lloyd Newsome, in connection with the burglaries. Investigators are still looking for Colegrove. If you have any knowledge of his whereabouts you're asked to contact the Mingo County Sheriff's Department.

Lottery Millionaire Announced

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Sixty-five year old Terry Brumfield has been identified as West Virginia’s newest millionaire after he purchased a winning Powerball ticket at a Little General store in Harts in Lincoln County on Wednesday. Brumfield, a construction worker, says he had already bought five other Powerball tickets when stopped and bought the winning one. He was given a check during a news conference at the West Virginia Lottery Headquarters Friday.

President Gets Bucket Of Coal

{Washington, D.C.}…Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, co-founder of the Congressional Coal Caucus, teamed up with Friends and Families for Coal and Citizens for Coal Friday to deliver a bucket of coal to the White House for Christmas. Capito says the bucket of coal represents the concerns of West Virginia families who are struggling this holiday season due to President Barack Obama's anti-coal agenda and it was chosen to remind him that West Virginia will keep fighting to keep coal in the mix. Capito also delivered a binder full of petitions entitled "All we want for Christmas is to keep our coal jobs” signed by over 600 West Virginians.

Tomblin Calls For Moment Of Silence

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has called for a moment of silence Friday morning at 9:30 A.M. to remember the 26 victims in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. Governor Tomblin has asked those at churches and government buildings with beels to ring their bells 26 times. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has declared Friday a day of mourning in that state and asked other states to participate in a moment of silence.

Sentencing Postponement Denied

{Beckley, West Virginia}…U.S. District Judge Irene Berger has denied a postponement in the sentencing of Gary May, a former superintendent at the Upper Big Branch mine. May, who is cooperating with prosecutors in the ongoing criminal investigation of the 2010 explosion at the former Massey Energy mine, where 29 men died, is set to be sentenced January 17th in Beckley after he pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in March. 

School Threats Investigated

{Princeton, West Virginia}…State Police and Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputies were kept busy Thursday morning after four schools got threats of violence. Lockdowns began at Montcalm High School, where students were scanned while entering the school and vehicles were checked, but nothing was found. After clearing Montcalm, additional information surfaced saying the threat was also at Princeton High School, Princeton Middle School and the county’s Technical Education Center. Those schools were also checked and cleared. In Logan County, a student at Chapmanville High School allegedly made some threats and was suspended from school.

Texas Men Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Jesse James Joslin III, 23, of Houston and Daniel Ricardo Gonzalez, 22, of Pasadena, Texas were arrested in March during a traffic stop on Interstate 64 in South Charleston. Joslin and Gonzalez have been sentenced after the stop resulted in the discovery of nine illegal immigrants. Joslin has been sentenced to one year and a half in federal prison, while Gonzales was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. The men admitted they were driving the immigrants from Houston on their way to Maryland when South Charleston police stopped them.

Mine Safety Director Retiring

{Charleston, West Virginia}…McDowell County native C.A. Phillips, director of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training will retire December 31st after being director since August 2011. Phillips served as acting director for nearly a year before that. He spent nearly a dozen years with the agency, starting in 2001 under the administration of then-Governor Bob Wise. Phillips worked in and around the mining industry since 1969. He was a miner and a fireboss for the Olga Coal Co., and went on to work as a safety representative for the United Mine Workers of America.

Armed Robbery

{Huntington, West Virginia}…Police are investigating an armed robbery which occurred just before 3:00 A.M. Thursday at the Same Old Place gambling parlor on Washington Avenue in Huntington.

Lottery To Announce $1 Million Winner

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Friday morning, West Virginia Lottery officials will announce its latest $1 million winner in Charleston. Lottery spokesman Randy Burnside says someone matched five numbers in Wednesday night's Powerball drawing after purchasing a ticket at Little General in Harts in Lincoln County. There have now been six $1 million winners in West Virginia this year. The West Virginia Lottery has had 52 winners of at least $1 million since it was created in 1986.

Lewis County Investigation Released

{Weston, West Virginia}…During a Thursday morning news conference, Deputy Robert Ryan of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office said 32 year old Beth Ann Kraus shot her two kids, Kaden, 5, and 3 year old Keira, before setting fire to a barn on their Alum Bridge property on the night of November 11th. Deputy Ryan says Kraus then took her own life with a single bullet to the head. Investigators said they found a letter from Beth Kraus to a friend, containing money and references to her state of mind before committing the double-homicide. Medical records contributed to the belief that Kraus was capable of the killings.

Man Pleads Guilty To Murder

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Charles March entered a guilty plea Wednesday afternoon to first-degree murder in the 2010 death of co-worker 62 year old Kathy Goble. Goble's dismembered body was found buried in March's yard at his home in Chesapeake in April of this year. March will be sentenced in January. 

Bank Robbery Goes To Grand Jury

{Huntington, West Virginia}…Jonathan Tyler Deaton was in Cabell County Court Wednesday charged with robbing the Fifth Third Bank along U.S. 60 in Baboursville last week. Deaton waived his right to a preliminary hearing, binding the case over to the grand jury, and his bond was lowered from $75,000 to $30,000 cash or surety. 

Pro-Gun Organization To Hold Rally

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Some politicians, including Senator Joe Manchin, are taking the heat from pro-gun organizations after California Senator Dianne Feinstein said she plans to introduce legislation to reauthorize a ban on new assault weapons in January after the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004. Keith Morgan, the president of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-Second Amendment organization, says they’re concerned over recent gun control discussions, and they plan to protest Manchin’s recent comments during a rally in Charleston Saturday. Manchin has not explicitly said if he would support such a ban but did question why people needed to own assault rifles. Manchin says he has always been a supporter of the Second Amendment.

Animal Shelter Reacts To Distemper Outbreak

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Assistant state veterinarian Dr. Koren Moore Custer says cases of distemper have been increasing in West Virginia and across the nation in recent months although it can be controlled by vaccinations. Eighty animals at the Kanawha-Charleston Animal Shelter were scheduled to being euthanized after the Kanawha-County Humane Association confirmed two cases of distemper and spoke with several veterinarians and the Kanawha County Commission. By early Thursday afternoon, 40 dogs had been cleared to be put up for adoption as soon as possible, 52 more will be held for the next two weeks and four will be euthanized. 

Legislators Considering School Safety

{Charleston, West Virginia}…State legislators say they will look at behavioral health funding, school safety and mental hygiene laws in the upcoming session, which starts in February. State legislators say they've passed numerous "safe schools" bills in recent years. New laws address school design and require schools to have written emergency preparedness plans. House Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, says it’s vital  to make sure schools are as safe as possible, including increasing law enforcement presence in our schools, a program that was curtailed when West Virginia lost federal funding. West Virginia lawmakers plan to let the federal government take the lead on any possible gun control legislation.

Appalachian Power Seeks Transfer Of Assets

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Appalachian Power Co., which has 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, is asking regulators in Virginia and West Virginia for approval to transfer generating assets. The company is seeking to add more than 1,600 megawatts of generating capacity from two Ohio Power plants near Moundsville and Winfield. Appalachian Power says it has purchased power from the plants for years as part of a pooling agreement with other subsidiaries of American Electric Power. In Virginia, the company says it is proposing to merge with Wheeling Power, which service two counties in the northern panhandle of West Virginia.

BOE Considering Year-Round Schooling

{Huntington, West Virginia}…During the Cabell County Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, a draft version of what's called a balanced calendar was presented to members for review. Experts say students do better with year-round schooling, but the BOE says it will wait until after the holidays to present the idea through meetings with the public. If the board should decide to make the switch, the calendar would be effective for the 2014-2015 school year.

FEMA Deadline

{Charleston, West Virginia}…A June 29th derecho and subsequent storms left three people dead and more than 680,000 customers without electricity across the state. People that suffered losses between June 29th and July 8th should apply with FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov. The deadline to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency is Wednesday, December 19th.

Residents in Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Roane, Tyler, Webster and Wood are eligible.

Man Convicted Of Voluntary Manslaughter

{Madison, West Virginia}…A jury in Boone County has convicted Brian King on charges of voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of 23 year old Roy Gilliam. Police say, in February, Gilliam discovered his girlfriend was with King, so he tracked the two down in the Jeffrey area, where the two men got in a fight and Gilliam was killed. King claimed he acted in self defense. 

Murder Charge Dismissed

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants has dismissed a first-degree murder charge against 34 year old David Kinney, without prejudice. Jeremy Parsons of Poca was fatally shot as he was driving on Virginia Street two years ago. Plants says Kinney and Parsons had "bad blood" between them, and police believe the murder was sparked by jealousy over a girlfriend. Prosecutors hoped to show a jury a video taken by a security camera that shows cars driving on Virginia Street just prior to the shooting. They believe one was Kinney's and one was Parsons'. They also wanted a jury to hear about 10 mm shell casings found at the murder scene and planned to have a gun expert testify about the unique marks made on them, but Kanawha Circuit Judge Carrie Webster ruled those shell casings couldn't be introduced because of an error at the State Police Crime Lab, where the casings were erroneously filed under the victim's name, not Kinney's. She also recently ordered that the gun expert and the video could not be used in a trial. 

Nitro Man Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}…John Marcus Schoonover, 41, of Nitro, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison after pleading guilty in August to being a felon in possession of a firearm, admitting that, on August 14, 2011, he carried a stolen 12-gauge shotgun to Will’s Jewelry & Loan in South Charleston and pawned it. Schoonover was convicted in September 2008 in Putnam County Circuit Court of conspiracy to commit first-degree arson and did not have his rights to possess a firearm restored.

Officials Want Nightclub Closed

{Charleston, West Virginia}…City officials are threatening to seek closure of the Impulse Night Club located on Capitol Street in downtown Charleston. Police say 23 year old Larry Martin of Charleston told them he was stabbed in the neck and back about 2:36 A.M. Sunday while at the nightclub, but owner, Janet Amores, and manager Robert Parsons say the stabbing occurred outside the establishment. Officers who responded to the stabbing also found 27 year old Joseph Lucas of Cross Lanes walking down Capitol Street with blood running from a head wound.

Charleston Man Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Marcus Lamont Miller, 42, of Charleston, was sentenced Tuesday to six years and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty in August to aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. Miller admitted that on January 23, 2011, he sold about 3.9 grams of heroin to a confidential informant working with the Metro Drug Unit and that he was in the company of a known associate during additional illegal drug transactions completed in the Charleston area. 

SBA Awards Grants

{Charleston, West Virginia}…The West Virginia School Building Authority has awarded more than $6.2 million in grants for school construction and repair projects in eight counties.

Cabell County received $771,600 for heating and air conditioning projects.

Doddridge County received $768,950 for heating and air conditioning projects.

Fayette County received $806,760 to replace a boiler at Divide Elementary School.

Grant County received $934,808 for improvements at Maysville Elementary School.

Kanawha County received $750,000 to build a classroom addition at John Adams Middle School.

Mercer County received $1 million to replace boilers at four schools.

Ohio County received $210,910 to repair the foundation and replace a ramp at Triadelphia Middle School.

Upshur County received $1 million to renovate heating and air conditioning at three schools.

Consol Energy Announces Layoffs

{Bickmore, West Virginia}…Friday, Consol Energy announced it would complete the idling of its Fola operations near Bickmore in Clay County, effecting 131 surface miners and office employees at the mine and another 16 at the Little Eagle Deep mine. The layoffs will occur over a 14-day period starting on February 14th. In June, the first 318 Fola employees were told they would lose their jobs due to the idling. The company blames the layoffs on "expected February completion of coal processing and shipping from its preparation plant and recovery of equipment and infrastructure from the Little Eagle Deep Mine. Company officials say rules from the Environmental Protection Agency has increased surface mining costs and generated uncertainty for Appalachian coal customers.

Manchin Advocates For Assault Weapons Ban

{Washington, D.C.}…Senator Joe Manchin, a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, says he agrees with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has advocated banning the sale of assault weapons. Monday, other lawmakers, including  U.S. Representative John Yarmuth apologized for being mostly silent about gun violence.

Man Pleads Guilty To Robbery

{Huntington, West Virginia}…Twenty-one year old Zachary Matasich of Proctorville, Ohio, was in Cabell County Circuit Court Monday, where he pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery. Matasich is accused of beating 47 year old Timothy Ferguson at Ferguson’s apartment in the Prichard Building in Huntington in late May. Ferguson was found on the floor of his apartment on June 1st, suffering from blunt force trauma wounds to the head. Matasich, who was arrested in Knoxville several days later,  aces up to 50 years in prison when sentenced January 29th.

Logan County Woman Arrested

Heather Lee Johnson, 37, of Lyburn, in Logan County, has been charged with third-offense shoplifting, obstructing, fleeing and possession of a controlled substance. Police say she stole items from Walmart, fled from the store and was found hiding in a nearby dumpster.  

Couple Charged With Operating Meth Lab

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Kevin Hodskins and Brittany Wright were arrested and charged with operating a meth lab and three counts of child neglect creating risk of injury after police executed a search warrant at their home on Estill Drive in Charleston and found a meth lab, along with three children ages one, one and a half and six. The pair is also linked to a number of car break-ins in South Charleston from earlier this month that are still being investigated.

Body Of Consol Worker Recovered

{Morgantown, West Virginia}…The body of Consol Energy worker 58 year old Markel J. Koon of Shinnston was recovered late Friday afternoon inside the cab of the bulldozer he was driving when an embankment collapsed November 30th at the Robinson Run prep plant impoundment near Lumberport, southwest of Morgantown. Consol identified Koon as an employee of nearly 38 years.

Man Charged With Grand Larceny

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Police arrested 38 year old James Calvin Smith and charged him with grand larceny after he allegedly stole money from the Kroger at Riverwalk Mall in South Charleston just after 6:15 P.M. Saturday night. Witnesses say they saw Smith go behind the service counter and grab some cash before fleeing. Smith was later caught in Charleston.

School Bond Levy Defeated

{Wayne, West Virginia}…Saturday, voters in Wayne County defeated a school bond levy. The bond was for more than $30 million dollars in improvements in existing schools and building two new schools in Wayne County. The School Building Authority would have provided $20 million if the levy had passed.

Tomblin To Appeal FEMA Decision

{Charleston, West Virginia}…The federal government has denied individual assistance for West Virginia residents hit by Super Storm Sandy. FEMA representative Frank Blake says the agency determined the state's report shows the severity and the scope of the damages was not sufficient enough to warrant federal help and that state, county and local governments could take care of it. Last month President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration to help local governments and certain non-profit groups in 18 counties repair bridges, roads and other infrastructure damaged from the storm. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin says he will appeal FEMA's latest decision.

   

Woman Allegedly Stabs Sister

{Lookout, West Virginia}…Fayette County Deputies say 37 year old Misty Dixon and her sister, Angel Orndorff, got into an argument on Orndorff Road in Lookout around 9:30 P.M. Friday night, and Dixon pulled a knife from her purse and stabbed Orndorff in the stomach. Orndorff was flown to CAMC. Dixon fled the scene before deputies arrived, but later turned herself in. Dixon is charged with malicious wounding. 

American Water Seeks Rate Increase

{Charleston, West Virginia}…West Virginia American Water has filed a request with the Public Service Commission to raise rates by almost 20 percent, saying the additional $24 million in revenue is needed to help pay for more than $85 million the company has spent to improve water lines and treatment plants since 2009. If approved, the average customer will see their bill raise by almost $8.13 a month. Rates likely wouldn't take effect until October 10, 2013. Regulators have 10 months to review the request which, if approved, will  mean the company's rates have increased nearly 50 percent in the last five years. 

Teen Sentenced In Neighbor’s Death

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Thomas Mallo appeared in Kanawha County Circuit Court Friday to ask for a reduced sentence after he was convicted of fatally stabbing his neighbor, 80 year old Phyllis Jean Phares, in 2009. Mallo will begin serving a 40-year prison sentence. Mallo has been held at the Industrial Home for Youth in Salem since he pleaded guilty in 2010 to second-degree murder. Mallo was 14 years old at the time of Phares' death.  

Woman Charged With Embezzlement

{Charleston, West Virginia}…West Virginia State Police have arrested 48 year old Beverly Altano of Charleston after they say she embezzled $40,000 from Sam's Hot Dogs on Malden Drive, where she was an employee. Altano told police she took the money to pay off her daughter's drug debt and to support her grandson.

Stover Conviction Upheld

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Hughie Elbert Stover, a former Massey Energy security chief convicted of lying to investigators after the 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine. Stover claimed there was no evidence he knowingly lied when he told investigators that miners weren't alerted when inspectors arrived. He also was convicted of ordering a subordinate to destroy documents. 

Fatal Fire In St. Albans

{St. Albans, West Virginia}…Eighty-two year old Geraldine "Jerry" Parsons died Friday after fire broke out at a residence on Second Avenue in St. Albans. Emergency officials unsuccessfully attempted to revive her after feeling a faint pulse. 

45th Anniversary Of Bridge Collapse

{Point Pleasant, West Virginia}…On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge spanning the Ohio River at Point Pleasant collapsed with 37 vehicles on the bridge. Thirty-one vehicles went down with the bridge, killing 46 people. Twenty-one people escaped injury or were rescued from the river. Federal, state and local organizations worked 16 days during the rescue and recovery operation. The West Virginia Encyclopedia will include a special feature about the Silver Bridge collapse on December 15th.

Manchin Elected To Senate Banking Committee

{Washington, D.C.}…U.S. Senator Joe Manchin has been elected to sit on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. Manchin says he will represent West Virginia’s interests. He says local credit unions and community banks need a range of financial services to effectively serve their customers, and to get the economy back on its feet. He already has assignments on energy, armed services and aging.

Man Denies Arson

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Michael Carter, the man accused of arson and attacking a fireman at the Best Western Hotel on East Washington Street  in Charleston last Friday, claims several people tossed a burning towel into his hotel room, but police say Carter's explanation makes no sense. Detectives suspect the fire in a seventh floor room was a suicide attempt that endangered others. Carter claims he barricaded the door with a mattress to serve as a shield in case the robbers shot into the room, but firefighters say Carter was the only person in the room and the only one who could have set the blaze. 

Attorneys Fight For Release Of Convicted Man

{Clarksburg, West Virginia}…Attorneys with the Innocence Project appeared in Harrison County Circuit Court Thursday to argue that Joseph Buffey should be released on bond while a judge considers whether to overturn his conviction in the 2001 rape and robbery of an 83 year old Clarksburg woman who was the mother of a Clarksburg Police officer. Buffey, who has served 11 years, pleaded guilty but quickly recanted, saying investigators coerced him into a false confession, and attorneys say DNA proves he didn't commit the crime. In 2011, the Innocence Project secured a DNA test on biological evidence left at the scene and then fought for more than a year to run the DNA through a national criminal database. Late last month, it hit on another man who was serving time in West Virginia for another crime, but Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Shaffer is fighting the motion to release Buffey, saying the DNA tests do not prove Buffey is innocent, and Buffey did in fact plead guilty.

Man Gets Life Sentences

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King has sentenced Charleston drug dealer 29 year old Garland Lee Murray of St. Albans to one to 15 years for nighttime burglary and consecutive life sentences for first-degree murder and the attempted kidnapping of his wife, Ebony Poole. Gregory Poole was shot to death in a North Charleston yard in April 2010. Authorities say Murray and his brother, Deshawne Taylor, were attempting to force Poole and his wife to reveal where they kept their illegal drugs and cash. The couple were both on Federal parole for drug violations. Prosecutors successfully obtained a conviction on a recidivism charge, or the "three-strikes rule" based on Murray's past crimes. That conviction, decided by a jury two weeks ago, made a life sentence on the attempted kidnapping charge possible.

Former 911 Dispatcher Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Joseph Coen, 52, of Sissonville, a former Kanawha 911 dispatcher will spend one to five years in prison for sexually abusing a teenager. Coen, who was arrested for fondling a 16 year old stepdaughter, entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors and was to be sentenced in November, but a defense attorney made a last-minute plea for a psychological evaluation. In court Wednesday, attorney Kevin Hughart said two evaluations found that he does not meet the criteria for being a pedophile and is at low risk for re-offending.

511 Traveler Information System Launched

{Charleston, West Virginia}…The West Virginia Department of Transportation launched the new 511 Traveler Information System Wednesday at the State Capitol. The system involves an app that will give motorists real-time traffic information, including congestion, crashes, construction, lane closures, road conditions and severe weather information on all of West Virginia’s interstates and other major highways.  To access free roadway information, you can call toll-free from any landline or mobile phone, visit WV511.org which features traffic camera feeds and interactive maps, download the 511 Drive Safe mobile app for Android and iPhones.

Alpha Natural Resources Subsidiary Cited

{Charleston, West Virginia}…The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has cited Alpha Natural Resources subsidiary Independence Coal Co. in the May 17th death of 57 year old Clyde Dolin of Danville. Officials say Dolin was preparing to use a torch to remove a steal beam above the third floor at the Liberty plant near Uneeda in Boone County and was using a ladder extension without its base. MSHA cited the company for improper use of the ladder, failing to provide safe access to the beam and failing to require Dolin to wear a safety belt and line.

Trial Set For Former Massey Official

{Beckley, West Virginia}…David C. Hughart, the former president of Massey Energy's White Buck Coal Co., is set to appear January 16th before U.S. District Judge Irene Berger in Beckley. Prosecutors say Hughart worked with unnamed co-conspirators to ensure miners at White Buck and other, unidentified Massey-owned operations, got advance warning about surprise federal inspections many times between 2000 and March 2010, giving workers time to conceal life-threatening violations that could have led to citations and shutdowns. Hughart is charged with felony conspiracy to defraud the government by impeding the Mine Safety and Health Administration and misdemeanor conspiracy to violate mandatory health and safety standards. He faces up to six years in prison.

Sentencing In Food Stamp Case Postponed

{Huntington, West Virginia}…Sentencing for Abderahmane Eloirzazi, the former owner of the ALLINONE Store in Huntington, has been postponed. He was hospitalized at Charleston Area Medical Center last week and had heart catheterization surgery. Eloirzazi pleaded guilty in September to federal charges of food stamp fraud after investigators found he and two employees were exchanging cash for food stamps, totaling $120,000. In his plea agreement, he promised to pay back $127,000 in restitution and gave up ownership of the property to the city of Huntington. The store was demolished last week.

Schools Superintendent Chosen

{Hamlin, West Virginia}…Wednesday, the state Board of Education chose Randolph County school chief James Phares to serve as West Virginia schools superintendent. The board unanimously voted to hire Phares after interviewing both him and Kathy D'Antoni, an assistant state superintendent. The length of Phares' tenure, which would start Jan. 2, is unclear. The board also agreed Wednesday to conduct a national search for a long-term superintendent. 

Gas Line Explodes

{Sissonville, West Virginia}…A shelter in place was issued Tuesday after a gas line exploded along Teresa Lane in Sissonville. The explosion, which was reported around 12:40 P.M., happened very close to Cedar Ridge Nursing Home. Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper says flames shot 50 to 75 feet high, while several homes and other structures in the area were engulfed by the intense heat and fire. Dozens of emergency crews were dispatched to the area. At least five homes were burned, and fire melted part of Interstate 77.

States File Intent To Sue EPA

Seven Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states announced plans Tuesday to sue the Environmental Protection Agency, saying it is violating the Clean Air Act by failing to address methane emissions from oil and gas drilling. Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont joined in sending a required 60-day notice of intent to sue to EPA. The EPA says methane is responsible for 3.8 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Federal climate researchers say they haven't yet seen signs that increased drilling is affecting global methane levels, but they're worried about the threat. 

Murder Case Could Be Dismissed

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Kanawha County prosecutor Mark Plants says the case against David Kinney could be dismissed. Kinney was arrested for the July 4, 2010 murder of Jeremy Parsons, who was fatally shot at the corner of Virginia Street and Park Avenue. The case went all the way to the West Virginia Supreme Court after Judge Carrie Webster threw out shell casings as evidence that were found at the scene. The high court later ruled the shell casings could be used at Kinney's trial. Prosecutors say Webster will not allow them to use expert testimony on the shell casings, that could have helped link Kinney to the murder, nor surveillance video captured from a nearby business they say shows the suspect's and victim's cars near the scene of the murder just before the shots were fired. Plants, says if the case is dismissed, they would still be able to re-indict Kinney, if new evidence would show up in the future, or witnesses would come forward.

Troopers Exposed To Meth

{Mammoth, West Virginia}…West Virginia State Troopers B.K. Smith and J.M. Comer were serving a warrant for 24 year old Travis Hamrick of Pond Gap at a residence on Lafferty Lane along Kelleys Creek in Kanawha County about 12:30 A.M. Tuesday morning when they entered the home and found meth was being cooked. The officers were treated at a local hospital and released after meth vapors irritated their lungs. Hamrick, 27 year old Shana Elswick of Mammoth and 44 year old Terry Romine of Montgomery were arrested on charges of operating a meth lab.

Man Seeks Bond In Murder Case

{Huntington, West Virginia}…Nineteen year old Rocky Williams of Huntington was in Cabell County Circuit Court Tuesday seeking to have his bond reduced after being charged with the murders of 22 year old Darrell Fuqua and 17 year old Devonte Penn, both of Detroit. His attorney, Jason Goad, told the court that Williams was sitting down stairs at a house on Foster Avenue with another individual when Thomas White came down the stairs bleeding from a gunshot wound, and Williams panicked and ran out while firing backwards. White, 21, of Huntington, is also charged with two counts of murder during commission of a felony.

Murder Trial Underway

{Point Pleasant, West Virginia}…Jury selection began Tuesday morning in the murder trial for 31 year old Chad McCallister of Apple Grove. McCallister is one of the three men charged with the murder of 43 year old Rene Gonzalez who was found dead at his home in Gallipolis Ferry, in Mason County, on July 11, 2011. Investigators say McCallister was the mastermind behind a murder-for-hire plot to kill Gonzalez. Co-defendant 25 year old Matthew Woods of Gallipolis Ferry pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and is expected to testify during McCallister’s trial. Steven Adkins, Jr., 26, of Gallipois, Ohio, still awaits trial set for March 2013.

Lester Sentenced On Gun Charge

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Kanawha County sniper 36 year old Shawn Lester of Charleston has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegal firearm possession. Lester pleaded guilty in November to being a felon and a habitual drug user in possession of a firearm after being videotaped in possession of a shotgun in September 2007. The six-year prison term will run consecutively to the 40 year prison sentence he is currently serving after pleading guilty to his involvement in the 2003 murder of Jeannie Patton.