Andy Dick Trial Delayed

{Huntington, West Virginia}...The sex abuse trial of actor-comedian Andy Dick in West Virginia that was scheduled for Tuesday has been called off a second time. The original trial date of January 17th was pushed back to this week, but Cabell County Circuit Judge Paul Ferrell's office says a status conference has now been set for May 21st. Dick was set to stand trial on felony sexual abuse charges after being accused of grabbing a bouncer's crotch and groping and kissing a male patron at a Huntington bar in January 2010. He was in town for a performance at the Funny Bone Comedy Club. Two Kentucky men who say they were sexually assaulted by Dick are suing him for unspecified damages. Dick had a long-running stint in the 1990s on NBC's "NewsRadio." He briefly had his own program, "The Andy Dick Show," on MTV. He also has had roles in several movies, including "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "Old School."

Sentencing Postponed For Former Mason County Sheriff

{Point Pleasant, West Virginia}...Monday, sentencing was postponed until May 21st for former Mason County Sheriff David Anthony after he failed to appear in court with a written apology to county office holders for accusing them of misusing county credit cards. Anthony offered to verbally apologize, but the judge wants him to submit a written apology, which was part of a plea bargain he agreed to in March. As part of a plea deal, Anthony pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, shooting near a dwelling and brandishing, and he pleaded no contest to fraudulent scheme and embezzlement charges, withdrew his name from the candidacy for sheriff, agreed to never run for political office again and surrendered his certification as a law enforcement.

GOP Chairman Delays Retirement

{Charleston, West Virginia}...West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Mike Stuart announced Monday his departure as party chairman will take place May 12th instead of his previously announced end date of May 9th. A meeting of the Republican State Executive Committee has been scheduled for May 12th in Flatwoods. Stuart says he will support whoever is selected to be chairman, and regardless of who is elected, the Republican Party is and will remain strongly unified as it prepares for victory this November.

Man Dies After Rafting Accident

{Summersville, West Virginia}...Authorities are investigating the death of 45 year old Darrin Rennee of Chesapeake, Virginia, who died after being ejected from a commercial raft near Lower Mash rapids on the Lower Gauley River Saturday. Authorities say Rennee swam briefly and was pulled back into the raft, but he lost consciousness shortly afterward and was taken by helicopter to a Summersville hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Frontier's Request From Escrow Account Gets Support

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The state Public Service Commission staff and the PSC's Consumer Advocate Division have recommended that $15.1 million be released from a quality-service escrow account to Frontier Communications for improvements the company has made to improve the network in West Virginia over the last 21 months. Verizon set up a $74 million quality-of-service escrow account by order of the Public Service Commission in May 2010. The money is to be drawn out, with approval of the commission. The PSC staff's recommendation does not guarantee the money will be released. The final decision rests with Public Service Commissioners Michael A. Albert, Jon McKinney and Ryan Palmer.

WV Attorney General Sues Georgia Company

{Charleston, West Virginia}...West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announced Monday that a lawsuit has been filed in Putnam County Circuit Court against Nutragenomics Manufacturing LLC of Alpharetta, Georgia, a company that allegedly distributes the chemical ingredients used to illegally make designer drugs in West Virginia. McGraw says the company sells ingredients used to make drugs known as bath salts and synthetic marijuana, among other things, while it misleads consumers into thinking its products are legal in West Virginia. The lawsuit seeks to force the company to identify West Virginia clients who bought its products, along with the chemicals purchased, and to ban the company from advertising its products as legal in the state and also seeks $5,000 penalties for each violation of the state's Consumer Protection Act.

Body Recovered From Kanawha River

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...The body of state DEP mine inspector 30 year old John Robert Damron of Charleston was recovered from the Kanawha River in Charleston Sunday evening after the white Jeep Cherokee he was driving crashed into the river around 5:00 P.M. Thursday afternoon. Charleston Fire Dept. crews located the vehicle, with Damron inside, along the South Side Bridge, about 500 yards from where it originally went into the river, and tied a large cable to the vehicle and pulled it up the hillside to MacCorkle Avenue. Damron was a diabetic and had previously suffered diabetic shocks. He had an insulin pump installed within the past year. His friends believe the medical problem is what caused the accident.

Supreme Court Candidate's Son Arrested

{Wheeling, West Virginia}...Thomas Elliot Rogers, 19, the son of Supreme Court candidate H. John Rogers, was arrested Saturday on felony drug charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Wheeling Police say groundskeepers at Independence Hall in Wheeling had noticed "an unusually high number of drug paraphernalia in the area." During a routine patrol, officers noticed Rogers and he was arrested near Independence Hall. H. John Rogers said, "His mother and I welcome this development. Incarceration might save his life." Rogers lamented that his son is a heroin addict.

Former Mason County Sheriff To Be Sentenced

{Point Pleasant, West Virginia}...Former Mason County Sheriff David Anthony is set to be sentenced Monday after being arrested in November for firing a gun into the air above his son's head while intoxicated. He agreed to a plea deal last month that included his resignation from office and dropping out of the race for re-election after an audit of his office showed funds missing. He faces up to three years in jail.

Sheriff's Office Funds Embezzled

{Princeton, West Virginia}...Authorities are investigating the embezzlement of funds from the Mercer County Sheriff's tax office. Sheriff Don Meadows says the embezzlement began in 2004, and he became aware in October 2011 that there might be a problem. Results of an investigation by the sheriff's department have been given to the prosecutor's office. Prosecutor Scott Ash says he's waiting for a report from the auditor's office. He says the amount taken is less than $20,000.

Woman Sentenced To Home Confinement

{Winfield, West Virginia}...Elizabeth Glover, 32, of Hurricane, was sentenced to 10 years home confinement in Putnam County Circuit Court Friday. In a deal with prosecutors last year, Glover pleaded guilty to felony malicious assault and wanton endangerment and misdemeanor domestic battery. Prosecutors say Glover shot her ex-boyfriend, Ben "B.J." Thomas, 33, in the face, neck and back in June 2010 at Taylor Made Farms in Hurricane where she worked after Thomas showed up with a puppy for their then 5 year old daughter. Glover told police after the incident that she was afraid Thomas was going to take their daughter.

Tomblin Fundraising Totals $1.1 Million

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has attracted another $124,800 as he seeks a full term as West Virginia's chief executive in the May 8th Democratic primary, bringing Tomblin's fundraising total to $1.1 million. Tomblin faces Arne Moltis, a political newcomer who has reported raising no funds. Republican Bill Maloney is seeking a general-election rematch with Tomblin. The Morgantown businessman has raised $341,000, including just under $36,000 during the filing period. Maloney faces a GOP primary challenge from Ralph William Clark, who has loaned his campaign $10,000. Tomblin had a $950,000 campaign balance as of April 22nd, and Maloney had $271,215 on hand. Maloney narrowly lost to Tomblin in last year's special election for completing the term left by now-U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.

Search For Vehicle In Kanawha River Continues

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The search for a white Jeep Cherokee that crashed into the Kanawha River around 5:00 P.M. Thursday afternoon continued Friday. The state DEP indicated Friday the vehicle did belong to its fleet but would not confirm the driver of it until the vehicle is recovered. However, friends and family say 30 year old John Damron of Charleston was the driver of the vehicle. Damron is a mine inspector for the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Charleston Police Lt. Shawn Williams has indicated the driver could have suffered a medical condition just before going airborne, and he says there was no evidence of braking. The search is scheduled to resume mid-morning Saturday.

Investigation Continues In Charleston Woman's Murder

• {Chesapeake, West Virginia}...Members of several law enforcement agencies and the Smithsonian Institution have been digging in the yard at Charles March's home on Ohio Avenue in Chesapeake since Wednesday while searching for evidence in the murder of 62 year old Kathy Goble, a Charleston woman who went missing April 24, 2010. Wednesday, what is believed to be Goble's body was found buried in a shallow grave by March's son. Investigators worked side by side with a special team from the Smithsonian Institution to finish removing the remains Thursday. Investigators say March told them he strangled Goble at his home, then dismembered her body and buried her remains. Forensic work at the home of March has wrapped up. Police say March has confessed to the killing and remains in jail. He's expected to appear in court May 7th.

Former Dunbar Mayor Ordered To Pay Restitution

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Former Dunbar Mayor Roger Wolfe has been ordered to pay nearly $26,000 in fines, costs and restitution after the state Ethics Commission ruled that Wolfe inappropriately took monetary compensation from Dunbar city coffers for his expenses against the wishes of the city council. Wolfe, elected in 2005, was at odds with council over several issues immediately after he took office. Six council members eventually went to circuit court to have him removed from office, and a three-judge panel agreed with them in 2008. The state Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal. Wolfe has vowed to continue the legal battle.

Development Authority Agrees To Settle Lawsuit

{Charles Town, West Virginia}...Jefferson County officials have agreed to spend $30,000 to settle a lawsuit after the state Department of Agriculture sued the Jefferson County Development Authority for breach of contract in April 2011 to recover $50,000 in grant money that it had awarded in 2009 under the Farmer's Market Matching Fund Grant Program. Two-thirds of the money will support farmers' market initiatives under agreed-upon terms. The other $10,000 will repay the state. JCDA Executive Director John Reisenweber says he wasn't on the job when the dispute occurred, but it's important to put a negative situation in the past and move forward. He says there's still great interest in creating a year-round market.

Smithsonian Institution Helping Investigate Murder

• {Chesapeake, West Virginia}...The Smithsonian Institution is helping in the search for more evidence after the body of 62 year old Kathy Goble of Charleston was found Wednesday in the back yard of the home of Charles March of Chesapeake, West Virginia, who has confessed to killing Goble, a former co-worker at Kelley's Mens Shop in Charleston. March was arrested and charged with first degree murder Wednesday after he told Kanawha County Sheriff's detectives he strangled and killed Goble, cut up her body and buried her remains.

Man Walking For Homeless Vets

Research indicates 40 percent of homeless men have served in the military. Dan Lyons, a 61 year old Vietnam veteran is walking from his home in Reno, Nevada to Washington D.C. to raise awareness for homeless vets. Lyons, who began his journey January 3rd, arrived in Olive Hill, Kentucky Wednesday and expects to get to West Virginia by the weekend. Lyons has tried unsuccessfully to get in touch with leaders in Washington to talk about raising awareness for homeless veterans. After he told their aides he was traveling to D.C. on foot, he was able to make some appointments. On June 7th, he'll be meeting with two senators and a congressman. Lyons says he'd like to see every city with more than 10,000 people have a homeless veterans counseling center where vets could get help with mental health issues, drug abuse and finding jobs.

Man Sentenced On Involuntary Manslaughter

{Huntington, West Virginia}...In March, Rhamel Hatcher was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the May 2010 beating death of Jeremy Cook which happened outside the Peckers Nightclub in Huntington. Thursday, Hatcher was given the maximum sentence of one year in jail, and, along with credit for time served, he will get out of jail this fall.

Lawsuit Seeks To Block Boone County Permit

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and other environmentalists filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court, asking Judge Robert Chambers to grant a temporary restraining order that would block a key permit for Loadout LLC in connection to a planned Boone County strip mine. The lawsuit also asks Chambers to consider blocking a permit issued for Loadout's Nellis Surface Mine. The groups are challenging a Clean Water Act permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, claiming the Corps violated a previous court order by failing to re-evaluate the entire Loadout permit and failing to address public comments on its mitigation plans. Loadout is a unit of Pennsylvania-based Penn Virginia Resource Partners.

Juvenile Corrections Facility Sued

{Charleston, West Virginia}...West Virginia has stopped using solitary confinement to punish juvenile offenders in response to a lawsuit by two inmates at the Industrial Home for Youth in Salem, the state's maximum-security corrections facility for juveniles. The lawsuit was filed with the West Virginia Supreme Court Tuesday. Both residents were sentenced for crimes at age 17 and remain incarcerated there as young adults. The lawsuit alleges Juvenile Services is treating juvenile offenders too much like adult prisoners even though state law makes a distinction between the two and emphasizes efforts to reform young offenders rather than just punish them. The lawsuit also alleges that through repressive policies including inadequate access to bathroom facilities, strip searches, lack of organized exercise programs and the use of prison garb, the current regimen limits the ability of residents to develop appropriate social skills and to reintegrate effectively and safely into society.

Regulators Order Breathing Device Phased-Out

{Washington, D.C.}...The Mine Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health announced Thursday they are ordering mine operators nationwide to immediately begin phasing out use of an emergency breathing device that testing has proven unreliable. Some 70,000 air packs called self-contained self-rescuers could be in use. They must be out of every mine by December 31, 2013. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says the SR-100 model failed too many tests and is therefore critically flawed. The SR-100 contains chemicals that help recycle exhaled breath, giving miners an hour of oxygen so they can seek refuge or escape from a fire or explosion. The SR-100 was made by Pennsylvania-based CSE Corp. which voluntarily stopped production of the model when internal reviews found problems and redesigned the defective oxygen-starter system.

Four Charged With Transporting Illegal Aliens

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Four people are facing charges in U.S. District Court in Charleston for allegedly transporting illegal aliens. Miguel Marquez-Jimenez, 24, and Sergio Morales-Jimenez, both of Mexico, have been indicted for working together to transport 14 illegal aliens from Houston, Texas. They were allegedly en route to New Jersey on April 5th when their vehicle was stopped in West Virginia. Authorities say, last month, Jesse James Joslin III, 22, and Daniel Ricardo Gonzalez , 22, of Houston, Texas were also running a similar scheme. They're accused of transporting nine illegal aliens from Houston, Texas to Maryland when they were stopped in South Charleston. Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement handled the investigation.

Chesapeake Man Admits To Murdering Co-worker

• {Chesapeake, West Virginia}...Sixty year old Charles Eugene March of Chesapeake, West Virginia has been arrested and charged with murder after his son discovered remains in a shallow grave in the back yard of their home on Ohio Avenue. The body is believed to be that of 62 year old Kathy Goble of Charleston. March was arrested at Kelley's Mens Shop in Charleston, where he was a co-worker with Goble before she disappeared two years ago. March told deputies he strangled her and decapitated her body. March was arraigned in Kanawha County  Magistrate Court late Wednesday afternoon. The judge did not set any bond for March, and March said he did not want an attorney because he had already confessed.

Convicted Man Seeks New Trial

• The case of Jason Gillispie was argued before the state Supreme Court Wednesday. Gillispie was convicted of second-degree murder by a Boone County jury after a 2006 barroom fight where he fatally struck Walter McDerment II with a pool stick. Gillispie's attorney Richard Lorensen argued Wednesday his client should have a new trial because the jury foreman had signed a petition before the trial asking the circuit judge not to set bail in the case. Lorensen says the judge asked a potential juror if anybody talked to him about a petition, brought him a petition or if anybody signed a petition. The man later became the foreman of the jury that convicted Gillispie. The state's attorney, Casey Forbes, says there's a possibility the jury member didn't remember that he had signed the petition. The petition wasn't found until after Gillespie was convicted, and the jury foreman is no longer living.

Suspect Shocks Officer

{St. Albans, West Virginia}...St. Albans Police Officer K.A. Davis returned to work Wednesday after being injured while pursuing a man. Captain James Agee of the St. Albans Police Department says police received calls about 5:30 P.M. Friday about a man going under houses in the St. Albans area, but officers searched the area and initially found nothing. A later call informed police that the man ran to the railroad tracks near Wilson Avenue. Davis pursued the man on foot and deployed a Taser, which failed to stop him. During a struggle, the suspect managed to point the Taser at Davis, shocking him in the collar bone. As the struggle continued, Davis was struck several times. Davis finally gained control and handcuffed the offender. A check revealed the man was David Jeffrey, 47, of Parkersburg, who was wanted on robbery charges. Davis received injuries to the jaw, some stretched tendons in his knee, abrasions to his forearm and a sprained hand.

Man On Home Confinement Busted

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Brian E. Collins, 26, of Charleston, was arrested Tuesday after home confinement officers went to his home on Barton Street after they received complaints from neighbors about excessive late night traffic to the residence. Officers contacted the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office after they searched the residence and found more than 15 grams of powdered cocaine, a small amount of marijuana and more than $1,300 in cash. Collins had been placed on home confinement for a narcotics violation. Cpl. W.C. Moyers, who seized the drug evidence, will conduct an investigation related to new narcotics violation charges.

Marshall Player Dismissed

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Marshall University football Head Coach Doc Holliday has dismissed defensive back Phillip Warren from the team following his arrest on charges of striking a police officer. Linebacker Stefone Grace, running back Martin Ward and defensive back Corie Wilson also were arrested and will be disciplined internally. The players were arrested after a fight at a Huntington bar early Sunday morning. According to the criminal complaint, Warren struck a Huntington Police Officer with a closed fist during an altercation outside the bar.

Early Voting Set To Begin

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Secretary of State Natalie Tennant says early voting remains a popular choice among West Virginians. Early voting for the May 8th primary will begin Wednesday. Those who want to vote early have 10 days to go to their county courthouses or courthouse annex during regular business hours to cast their ballots. Early voting will be available April 25th through April 28th and April 30th through May 5th. Early voting will not be available Sunday April 29th.

Beating Victim Remains Critical

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Edward "Jessie" Dreyfuse, a Cabell County fugitive captured Friday in Wood County, was transferred to Cabell County Monday, and his preliminary hearing is set for Friday. Police say Dreyfuse beat Otis Clay, a handicapped Huntington man, 12 times with an aluminum baseball bat earlier this month, putting Clay into a coma. Last week, Clay was taken off life support at St. Mary's Medical Center, but he remains in critical condition and in a coma. A spokesman at St. Mary's says Clay will be given "comfort care," a normal procedure when doctors say nothing else can be done for the patient. Police say if Clay dies, the malicious wounding charge against Dreyfuse will be dismissed and replaced with a murder charge.

Two Arrested At Beckley Motel

{Beckley, West Virginia}...Raleigh County Sheriff's deputies arrested 21 year old Diego Sanchez and 19 year old Jose Castaneda Monday after they discovered heroin and about $4,500 in cash at a Super 8 Motel just off the West Virginia Turnpike in Beckley. Sanchez and Castaneda face charges of possession with intent to deliver and delivery of a controlled substance. Castaneda is a resident of South Carolina, but no residence was given for Sanchez.

Boone County Man Electrocuted

• {Bandytown, West Virginia}...A person driving to work about 6:20 A.M. Tuesday morning spotted the body of 37 year old Herbert Ray Price Jr. of Gordon, in Boone County, near a utility pole on a hillside close to Alpha Natural Resources' Talon Loadout Facility near Bandytown and called 911. Police say it appears Price was attempting to steal a copper wire carrying 7,200 volts from the utility pole. Police say they believe another person was with Price at the time of his death.

Woman Enters Kennedy Plea

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Kimberly Deel made a Kennedy Plea Tuesday in Cabell County Circuit Court to a charge of first-degree robbery. Kimberly Deel, Joshua Deel, James Perry and David Deel, were all charged with robbing Java Joe's on Third Avenue in Huntington last May. Huntington Police say Perry and David Deel walked into the parlor pretending to be customers and Joshua Deel went into the store, held a knife to the clerk's throat and made him open the machines to get the money. Joshua Deel was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and James Perry was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Kimberly Deel will be sentenced next month.

Wheel Of Fortune Visits Mardi Gras

• {Cross Lanes, West Virginia}...Hundreds of people came to Mardi Gras Casino in Cross Lanes Sunday afternoon for a chance to win a fortune. The Wheel of Fortune 'Wheel Mobile' stopped at Mardi Gras to search for potential local contestants for the show. Hosts Marty Lublin and Tracey Wilson, also known as the traveling Pat and Vanna, drew names at random from a bin they call the "drum of dreams," while those lucky enough to be selected were called onstage to solve a puzzle. Those who made it on stage could be invited to another audition round.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Police departments across the state will provide locations for residents to drop off their expired or unused prescription medicines as part of National Drug Take Back Day April 28th. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in coordination with state and local law enforcement. It provides the community with a free, no questions asked opportunity to turn in expired, unused or unwanted prescription or over the counter medication. Residents can drop off their medicines at 29 drop-off locations across southern West Virginia from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. April 29th.

Principal's Assault Case Sent To Grand Jury

• {Point Pleasant, West Virginia}...Point Pleasant Intermediate School Principal Cameron Moffett appeared at a preliminary hearing Monday in front of Mason County Magistrate Gail Roush charged with one count of felony assault for a March 21st incident involving special needs student 11 year old Zach Plants. Moffett is accused of pulling Plants off a school bus, putting him on the ground and putting his knee in his back. Magistrate Roush bound the case over to a grand jury.

Man Pleads Guilty To Sexual Assault

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Drummond told Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey Monday that Charles L. Illingworth, 37, a resident at the men's shelter on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston, was part of a group of people drinking beer on the bank of the Elk River the day he sexually assaulted and beat a female victim near Pennsylvania Avenue July 5th. Illingworth pleaded guilty Monday to second degree sexual assault and faces a possible penalty of 10 to 25 years in prison when sentenced June 13th. Illingworth spent nearly five years in prison after being convicted of sexual crimes in Iowa and Nebraska. He has been held without bond at South Central Regional Jail since his arrest.

Charges Dismissed Against Former Prep Player

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Sex charges against former Huntington Prep basketball player Raven Terrance Lee of Michigan have been dismissed. Marshall University Police arrested Lee in August 2011 on two counts of sexual abuse and two counts of attempted sexual abuse after a female student claimed to have been attacked in one of the residence halls. The Cabell County prosecuting attorney filed a motion Monday to dismiss all charges against Lee. Lee, who was dismissed from the Huntington Prep basketball team when the charges were filed, is not expected to return to the team.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Charge

• {Huntington, West Virginia}...Virginia Nicole Cooper, 30, of Huntington, has pleaded guilty to distributing crack cocaine to an informant with the Huntington Violent Crimes and Drug Task Force on June 28, 2011. Cooper also admitted she let people use her home as a location to prepare crack cocaine for distribution. Cooper faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when sentenced August 13th.

Shinnston Man Charged With Murder

• {Morgantown, West Virginia}...Police say 29 year old Shannon Stafford, also known as Shannon Mitchell, of Bruceton Mills pulled into the Hornbeck Road Walmart parking lot in Morgantown shortly after 9:30 A.M. Saturday morning to meet a family member. Stafford was still in her car when Larry Mitchell, 54, of Shinnston, her father-in-law, walked up to the car and began firing rounds from a handgun. Stafford opened her car door and attempted to flee, but she was gunned down by Mitchell and died in the parking lot after emergency medical personnel attempted unsuccessfully to revive her. Police say Stafford and Mitchell’s son were in the process of divorcing, and it's believed a custody battle over the couple’s young daughter may have sparked Mitchell’s actions. Mitchell’s son currently has custody of the child. Police have charged Mitchell with murder. He is being held in the North Central Regional Jail.

Marshall University Football Players Arrested

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Marshall University senior running back Martin Ward, sophomore defensive back Phillip Warren, freshman cornerback Corie Wilson and freshman linebacker Stefone Grace were all arrested on misdemeanor charges early Sunday morning. Ward is charged with disorderly conduct. Warren is charged with battery on police, disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. Wilson is charged with obstructing an officer and fleeing on foot, while Grace is charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer.

Man Competent To Stand Trial

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Doctors at William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital in Weston has declared 20 year old Mark Thompson of Alum Creek competent to stand trial on an animal cruelty charge. Police said Thompson was high on bath salts when he kidnapped his neighbor's pet pygmy goat, brought the animal back to his bedroom next door and killed it last year. Thompson was found wearing lingerie as he stood next to the dead goat. Kanawha County Circuit Judge James C. Stucky, who ordered a mental evaluation for Thompson last summer, set the trial for June 4th. If convicted, Thompson could face one to five years in prison.

Man Sues West Virginia State Police

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Criss Alan Heston of Logan has filed a lawsuit in Kanawha County Circuit Court seeking unspecified damages after West Virginia State Police ordered him to register as a sex offender for a 1976 adultery conviction. Heston pleaded no contest in 1976 to misdemeanor sexual misconduct, or adultery, and spent eight days in jail. The lawsuit says the Legislature abolished the crime of adultery in the 1980s, but, in 2010, State Police ordered Hester to register as a sex offender for life or face imprisonment. Heston says he suffered humiliation during his time spent on the registry before a Marion County judge ordered him removed from the list last December.

Man Dies After House Fire

{Milton, West Virginia}...Authorities say Leonard Bryan, 41, and his wife, Mary, were injured Tuesday evening when an outbuilding close to their home on Swan Road in Milton caught on fire. Leonard Bryan, who suffered severe burns to his legs, died in the Cabell Huntington Hospital burn unit Friday. Mary Bryan was released from the hospital Friday and is recovering from second degree burns to her leg.

Charleston Man Gets Probation

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Twenty year old Paul Nathaniel Kosa was sentenced Friday to three years probation after pleading guilty earlier this year to one count of grand larceny. Police say, on October 17, 2011, Kosa stole a 1 1/2-carat diamond ring and wedding band worth $15,000 out of the bedroom of Kanawha County Assistant Prosecutor Tera Salango while he was cleaning the carpets of her Charleston home then hocked them for $375 at Will's Jewelry and Loan in South Charleston.

WVU Presidential Candidates To Be On Campus

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The three finalists for West Virginia State University's president will be on campus next week. Donna H. Oliver, the president of Mississippi Valley State University, is slated to visit Monday. Alicia L. Jackson, the dean of the Sigmund Weis School of Business at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, will visit Tuesday. Brian O'Harold Hemphill, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at Northern Illinois University, will be interviewed Friday. Faculty can meet with candidates 8:30 A.M. to 9:20 A.M., and staff are scheduled to visit from 9:30 A.M. until 10:20 A.M., students can speak with candidates from 10:30 A.M. to 11:20 A.M. and others from the general community can visit from 12:30 P.M. to 1:20 P.M.

Kanawha County Man Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Timothy Carter of Tornado, in Kanawha County, was sentenced to 15 to 35 years in prison and 50 years of supervised release Friday. Assistant Prosecutor Steve Connolly said Carter seduced two 13 year old girls, one from Putnam County and one from Mason County. Carter also had sexually explicit pictures of the girls on his phone. He plead guilty to the charges earlier this year.

Man Sentenced On Firearms Charge

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Dominique Davon Calhoun, 21, of Charleston, was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in January. Calhoun admitted to firing several shots from a .22 caliber pistol on March 25, 2011 while the vehicle he was riding in led Charleston police officers on a high-speed chase from Jackson Street on the East End to Garvin Avenue on the West Side. That incident occurred two days after Calhoun was convicted of wanton endangerment for an incident in 2010 during which he and another man shot up a Wertz Avenue home. He was sentenced last June to 10 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston ordered Thursday that Calhoun's sentences run consecutively.

Man Jumps To His Death

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charles Hudnall, 57, from Winfield, died at Charleston Area Medical Center's General Hospital after he jumped from the bridge on the Leon Sullivan Way exit ramp off Interstate 64-77 about 1:40 P.M. Thursday. Police say Hudnall's wife was driving to a doctor's appointment in Charleston when she apparently stopped the vehicle on the exit ramp in the traffic lane, Hudnall got out of the vehicle and jumped from the bridge, which is about 50 feet high. Hudnall landed on the tracks behind Capitol Market. 

Federal Disaster Declaration Expanded

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced Friday that the federal government is expanding disaster assistance to those in Lincoln and Mingo counties who suffered damage from March flooding. Heavy rain and tornadoes hit Lincoln, Marion and Wayne counties from February 29th through March 5th. Then on March 15th storms caused flooding, mudslides and landslides in Logan, Lincoln and Mingo counties.

Charleston Man Convicted Of Murder

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...A jury in Charleston convicted 20 year old Brandon Gray of first-degree murder in the June 2011 shooting death of Timothy Thompson. The jury recommended mercy for Gray, meaning he could leave prison after serving 15 years. The defense attempted to cast suspicion on local attorney, William Foster, who was with Thompson earlier in the day and who dropped him off on the West Side minutes before his death. Foster died of a drug overdose the day after a mistrial was declared in Gray's first trial in February. Prosecutors said he had been on the witness list. Gray took the witness stand in his own defense, and testified he had been on his way to meet Thompson when he heard shots ring out. He denied being the shooter.

Teamsters Strike Against Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Thursday morning, 86 members of Teamsters Local 175  held strikes against Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated operations  in Charleston and Logan, while another 67 union workers honored picket lines at facilities in Bluefield, Clarksburg and Parkersburg. After a short picket, Coca-Cola resolved differences with the state Teamsters union. The last time local Coca-Cola workers hit the picket lines was in 2000. That strike lasted five months.

Mingo County Mother Re-Indicted

Brittany Scott, 25, formerly of North Matewan, has been re-indicted by a Mingo County Grand Jury after originally being charged with child abuse resulting in death. Assistant Prosecutor Teresa Maynard says the new charge, child neglect resulting in death, more accurately depicts the situation. Mingo County Sheriff's Cpl. Norman Mines says, around 9:00 A.M. on March 18th, Scott left her 5 month old child in his pack-and-play on the second floor of her home in Magnolia Gardens, and went to the first floor of her apartment where she watched TV and napped with other children. At 2:30 P.M., she went to check on the baby found him unresponsive in a garbage bag. A trial date has been set for May 29th. If found guilty, Scott faces three to 15 years in jail.

Catholic Official Strongly Denies Sexual Allegations

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Bishop Michael Bransfield, West Virginia's highest-ranking Catholic official, has strongly denied allegations he sexually abused a young boy in the 1970s. The denial came one day after a witness in a clergy sex-abuse trial in Philadelphia testified that he was sexually assaulted in a home owned by Bransfield and claimed he was told by his abuser that Bransfield had assaulted another boy more than 30 years ago. The witness was testifying in a criminal trial against Monsignor William Lynn, who is accused of covering up sex abuse allegations for the Philadelphia Archdiocese. In a statement released by the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese Thursday morning, Bransfield said, "I have never sexually abused anyone." Bransfield said he was in Rome attending meetings at the Vatican Wednesday when the false story about him was publicly released by the media without his knowledge or input. Bransfield said, "To say I was shocked and saddened would be an understatement." 

Man Indicted On Interstate Crime

{Beckley, West Virginia}...An indictment returned Tuesday by a grand jury in Beckley charges Ashlee Courtney Liebert, 33, of Michigan, with crossing state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a 12 year old girl. Police say Liebert and his alleged victim were found together in a vehicle early March 11th on Cross Creek Road near Buffalo. Both were nude or partially nude. An initial criminal complaint, filed in Putnam County Magistrate Court, charged that Liebert traveled to northern Putnam County to meet the preteen in person, approximately five months after they became acquainted through Internet play of the video game "World of Warcraft."

Threat Made Against John Adams Middle School

{Charleston, West Virginia}...John Adams Middle School in Charleston was on lockdown for a short time Thursday morning while police investigated a threat made on Facebook. Investigators say they believe a student's Facebook account was hacked, and a threat to shoot students at the school was made from that student's account. Police were notified about the potential threat about 2:00 A.M., and  Charleston Police had uniformed officers at the school before students and teachers arrived. Police do not believe students were ever in danger.

Murder Fugitive Arrested

• {Holyoke, Massachusetts}...Federal officials say U.S. Marshals, along with state and local police, have arrested 32 year old Vicky "Lucky" Bonilla, a man wanted for more than a decade for a 2001 slaying of a woman in Keyser, West Virginia. Authorities say Bonilla was arrested without incident in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Federal authorities say Bonilla, who is a convicted sex offender in New York, has avoided capture by using false identities and has failed to register as a sex offender where he has lived.

Kanawha County Jury Begins Deliberations

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...A jury is deliberating in a Charleston murder trial. Prosecutors say Brandon Gray fatally shot Timothy Thompson in June 2011 on Charleston's West Side over a drug debt Thompson owed. Closing arguments were delivered late Wednesday afternoon, and the case was handed over to the jury which deliberated for more than an hour before being sent home. They will begin deliberating again Thursday morning. If found guilty, Gray faces a life sentence.

Former Manager Pleads Guilty To Food Stamp Fraud

• {Huntington, West Virginia}...Stephanie Pauley, the former manager of The ALLINONE Store in Huntington, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud. She's scheduled to be sentenced July 30th. Prosecutors say Pauley and two co-defendants illegally redeemed about $127,000 worth of food stamp benefits at the convenience store between June 2010 and January 2012. The store's owner, Abderahamane Eloirzazi, and another employee, Cynthia Gibson, are awaiting trial.

Man Accused Of Sexual Abuse

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Kenneth R. Fraker, 55, of Eskdale, a man wanted for allegedly sexually abusing several boys in West Virginia, turned himself in to Kanawha County Sheriff's Deputies Wednesday. He's facing several charges in Ritchie County. West Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous says Fraker allegedly lured young boys to a hunting cabin in southern Ritchie County, got them drunk, gave them drugs, showed them pornography and coerced them into sexual activity.

Faulty Breathing Devices In US Coal Mines

Two years of testing have found a critical defect in a certain model of emergency breathing devices used in U.S. coal mines, but federal regulators have no immediate plans to remove the more than 70,000 air packs that could remain in use. The SR-100 self-contained self-rescuers are belt-worn air packs about the size of three cake-mix boxes. They hold chemicals that help recycle exhaled breath, giving miners about an hour of oxygen and, hypothetically, time to seek refuge or escape from a fire or explosion. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health issued a report this week saying five out of 500 randomly sampled SR-100 units had oxygen starters that failed. Under federal rules, no more than three in 500 can fail for NIOSH to remain confident.

Huntington Murder Trial Set

• {Huntington, West Virginia}...A June 11th trial date has been set for Kawan Taylor, of Inkster, Michigan, a man charged with murder in Huntington. Prosecutors say Taylor and another man were trying to rob Daryl Grandberry at a home on 10th Avenue in March 2010, and during the robbery, Grandberry, also of Inkster, Michigan, was on the roof of the home trying to get away from Taylor when he fell from the roof. Taylor, who was released on bond after being arrested in 2010, was in court Tuesday for a bond revocation hearing in which Judge Alfred Ferguson revoked Taylor's bond after a convicted felon was found in Taylor's home.

Man Enters Kennedy Plea

• {Huntington, West Virginia}...Joseph Ira Patterson, II was in Cabell County Court Tuesday morning, where he entered a Kennedy Plea to first-degree robbery. Patterson is accused of robbing and kidnapping three people, sexually assaulting two of them, in February 2010. Patterson was sentenced to no more than 12 years in prison and was granted time served. The co-defendant in the case, Steven Hopkins, was also in court Tuesday, but after a miscommunication between the prosecution and defense, another hearing was set for April 26th.

Pop Singer On Unclaimed Property List

{Charleston, West Virginia}...State Treasurer John Perdue said Tuesday pop singer Jason Mraz has unclaimed money in West Virginia. Perdue didn't specify how much money but says it may have to do with Mraz's September 2010 concert at the Clay Center in Charleston.

Former WVU Linebacker Gets Probation

{Morgantown, West Virginia}...Former West Virginia University linebacker Branko Busick avoided jail time Tuesday when Monongalia County Circuit Judge Russell Clawges suspended a two-to-10-year sentence on each count and sentenced him to five years probation. In February, Busick pleaded guilty to two felony counts of assault while in commission of a felony.  Busick admitted to beating and attempting to rob one man along Walnut Street in Morgantown on June 23, 2011. He also admitted he and Nicholas Conques robbed another man at a High Street apartment on July 11, 2011. During sentencing Tuesday, defense attorney David Jividen called five character witnesses to testify on behalf of Busick, including Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Jane Hanlin, who testified Busick had a stellar reputation in his hometown of Steubenville, Ohio. Co-defendant Nicholas Conques is scheduled to be sentenced April 20th on conspiracy charges.

Man Charged With Sexual Assault And Abuse

{Bin, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police in Boone County arrested 65 year old Cecil Wight at a trailer park in Bin late Monday and charged him with sexual assault and sexual abuse on two young girls. Troopers think there could be more victims are and are urging anyone with information to call them at 304-369-7800. Wight is also known to sometimes live in Huntington.

AG Sues Debt Collection Agencies

{Charleston, West Virginia}...In a lawsuit filed in Kanawha County this week, the state Attorney General's Office is trying to stop seven debt collection agencies from doing business in West Virginia. Assistant Attorney General Normal Googel says the companies, that are not licensed in West Virginia, are calling state residents and threatening them saying, "If you don't pay this debt by five o'clock today you're going to be arrested." Googel says none of that is true and none of that is legal, but the companies are getting as much money as they can from people who pay because they are scared even when they know it's not even their debt or it's debt they paid years ago.

The companies and individuals sued by McGraw’s office include the following:

- County Filing Services, Inc., Portfolio Investment Financial, and Todd Loop
- Investment Management and Recoveries, Inc. and Randall Ray Goins
- Rosenthal, Stein and Associates, LLC and Sharisse Williams
- Vision Credit Solutions, LLC and James P. Belstadt
- National Capital Management, Inc., Ryan Daniel Todora, and Natalie Lynn Rowe
- Dorsey Thornton & Associates, LLC, Wyteria Dorsey and Michael Thornton

The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline is 1-800-368-8808.

Accused Killer Held Without Bond

• {Beaver, West Virginia}...Monday, Mercer County Circuit Court Judge Omar Aboulhosn remanded Tracey Lee Atwell to the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver on first-degree murder and kidnapping charges in the death of his wife, 33 year old Christina Marie Atwell, and the abduction of his daughter, 8 year old Porsche Atwell. An Amber Alert was issued and an extensive manhunt began after West Virginia State Police say Atwell killed his wife in a home on Browning School Road then went to his parents’ home, tied up his parents and took his daughter from their home in Camp Creek and fled Thursday. Atwell was arrested Saturday. During Monday's hearing, Atwell's attorneys asked for their client to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and cited several reasons for the judge to grant bond: Atwell's 14 year residency in Mercer County, his family connections in Mercer County, the fact his daughter was not hurt and the pair never actually left the county. The state believed Atwell was a flight risk and cited his history of domestic violence.

Kanawha County Murder Trial Begins

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Testimony could begin as early as Tuesday in the second trial of 20 year old Brandon Gray, a Charleston man charged with the June 2011 murder of 29 year old Timothy Thompson, Jr. Investigators claim Gray fatally shot Thompson during an arranged drug buy near Stockton Street and First Avenue. Gray's first trial in February ended with a mistrial after a juror was admitted to a hospital and could not continue to hear testimony. Jury selection for Gray's second trial started Monday afternoon in front of Kanawha County Circuit Judge Jim Stucky.

Sex Offender Sentenced

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Twenty-nine year old James G. Propes, Jr., also known as Tommy E. Clemons, from Michigan, was sentenced in federal court Monday to 18 months in prison for failing to register as a sex offender. Propes, who was convicted in 2000 in Michigan of felony sexual conduct with intent to commit sexual penetration, was required to register as a sex offender for life. Propes moved to West Virginia in 2011 where investigators say he used a false name and failed to register as required by law. He was arrested by the United States Marshals Service and admitted to knowing he was required to register as a sex offender.

Explosives Found In Kanawha County

{Chelyan, West Virginia}...State Police are attempting to track down the person or persons responsible for three sticks of a gel based dynamite found hidden in a bag along an underpass for the West Virginia Turnpike near Chelyan Monday. Troopers say a crew with the state Division of Highways found the explosives along Route 61, also known as Cabin Creek Road, in Kanawha County. Investigators say, at this point, they believe the explosives may have been stolen from another location and left beneath the underpass to be retrieved later. The explosives are said to be those typically used at mine sites.

U.S. Senate Confirms Nomination Of Hamlin Native

{Washington, D.C.}...Late Monday, the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Hamlin, West Virginia native Stephanie Dawn Thacker as a judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The seat on the Richmond, Va.-based court became vacant after the March death of Judge Blane Michael. The 15-member court covers North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Thacker has been a partner in the Charleston law firm of Guthrie & Thomas since 2006. Before that she spent seven years with the U.S. Justice Department. Her work there focused on prosecution and training in connection with child pornography and sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, obscenity and other offenses. She also served as an assistant federal prosecutor and worked for the state attorney general's office.

WV Joins EPA Challenge

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has asked Attorney General Darrell McGraw to join a petition for review of the Environmental Protection Agency's MACT Rule. The petition, already signed by 21 other states, calls for a review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The MACT Rule has caused electric utilities to announce plans to shut down coal-fired power plants, including in West Virginia, while the rule regulates emissions of hazardous air pollutants from coal-fired electric plants. Tomblin says this is a shining example of the EPA, an unelected federal bureaucracy, making policy without regard to the economic impact of its decisions, and he vows to continue to fight for West Virginia jobs and against the "EPA's ideologically driven, job-killing agenda." West Virginia joined 24 other states last year in filing a "friend of the court" brief in the underlying MACT Rule litigation.

Stabbing At Dunbar Bar

{Dunbar, West Virginia}...Bryan Lewis, 20, of Logan, remained under evaluation Sunday evening at Charleston Area Medical Center's General Hospital after being stabbed multiple times at Bailey's Sports Bar, formerly the Pour House, in Dunbar. City police responded to the bar about 3:00 A.M. Saturday morning to investigate after receiving a complaint of shots fired at the bar. When police arrived, they noticed several vehicles driving recklessly while leaving the area in both directions and many people fleeing on foot. Dunbar Chief Earl Whittington says a fight had broken out inside the bar and six shots had been fired inside. Lewis, who received two stab wounds to the chest, was found lying bleeding on the parking lot, and a large crowd had gathered around him.

Robbery Attempt In Kanawha City

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charleston Police are investigating after they say 27 year old Alcazar Cesar of Charleston was walking home from the Gold Dome Bar about 6:15 A.M. Sunday morning when a man approached him from behind in the alley near Foodland on 50th Street in Kanawha City and demanded cash. Cesar, who suffered a wound to his left shoulder, says the man cut him with an unknown object as he turned. Cesar was driven to Charleston Area Medical Center's Memorial Hospital, where he met with police.

Tea Party Rallies At State Capitol

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Members of the Metro Valley Tea Party filled the grounds of the West Virginia State Capitol Sunday afternoon for the West Virginia Freedom Rally, which was organized by various tea party groups. The members, from coal miners to people running for office, gathered to discuss issues they say are important in this election year. Members also say it's important for citizens to get involved in their government. The other big issue discussed at the rally were the over-regulations which Tea Party members say are killing the coal industry. Democrats got together throughout West Virginia Saturday to nominate their county representatives who will go on to the State Democratic Convention which will be held at the Charleston Civic Center June 8th and 9th. The "tea" in tea party typically stands for Taxed Enough Already.

Woman Allegedly Sets Fire To Ex-boyfriend's Car

{Huntington, Police say, just before 11:00 A.M. Friday morning, Tanise Fayne Jackson, 29, of Huntington set fire to a 1997 Mercedes Benz that belongs to her former boyfriend, while it set on West 8th Avenue in Huntington. Her ex boyfriend told police that Jackson broke a window out of his car Thursday night. Then Friday morning, with his car on fire, he saw her leaving the area in a Maroon Chevy Impala. Police arrested Jackson on Sycamore Street and charged her with one count third-degree arson, destruction of property and violating a domestic violence petition.

Fatal ATV Accident

{Logan, West Virginia}...A Pennsylvania man is dead after an ATV wreck on the Hatfield-McCoy Trail in Logan County. Police say Nathaniel Dobeck, 28, of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, lost control of the ATV Thursday afternoon on the Rockhouse Trail System. He was not wearing a helmet.

Amber Alert Cancelled

{Charleston, West Virginia}...An Amber Alert for a Mercer County girl has been cancelled. Porshia Atwell, 8, has been found safe and her father, Tracey Lee Atwell, 38, is in West Virginia State Police custody, facing murder, kidnapping and robbery charges. Atwell is accused of killing Porschia's mother, 33 year old Christina Maria Atwell, then going to his parents’ home in Camp Creek, where he tied them up and then abducted his daughter from the home. A massive statewide manhunt began Thursday afternoon after Atwell allegedly took off in his parents' 1999 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. West Virginia State Police said Friday night that Tracey Atwell called his family earlier in the day and allowed them to speak with his daughter. He was apprehended Saturday.

Inmate Sentenced

{Elkins, West Virginia}...Twenty-one year old Joseph Whitney Nomar, an inmate who admitted to spitting on an officer at the Huttonsville Correctional Center, has been sentenced to one year in prison on a charge of battery of a government official. The term will run concurrent with Nomar's current sentence. Nomar is eligible for parole in 2014 on a robbery charge. Nomar has since been transferred to the Mount Olive Correctional Center.

Amber Alert Issued

• {Camp Creek, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police are searching several counties for Tracey Lee Atwell and his 8 year old daughter, Porshia. Atwell is accused of killing Porschia's mother, 33 year old Christina Maria Atwell, then going to his parents’ home in Camp Creek, where he tied them up and then abducted his daughter from the home. During a press conference Friday, troopers said Tracy Atwell has a criminal history of domestic violence and a history of drug abuse, and they believe he will eventually need to purchase drugs to support his habit. Porshia is white, about 4-feet, 2-inches tall, weighs 75 pounds and has strawberry blond hair. Troopers say she was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with a broken heart on the front. Atwell is a white man, about 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. Tracey Atwell and Porshia were spotted near the Budget Inn on Mercer Street in Princeton Thursday afternoon.

Murder Suicide In Clay County

• {Bomont, West Virginia}...Police are investigating a murder suicide that occurred at a home on Darnell Hollow Road in the Bomont area of Clay County about 1:30 A.M. Friday morning. Investigators say 57 year old Ervin Bishop shot his wife, 49 year old Frances Bishop, during an argument then turned the gun on himself. Police say, when they arrived at the home, they found Francis Bishop lying on the front porch. She had been shot in the back. Inside the home, police found Erving Bishop lying in a hallway. Police believe there had been a pattern of domestic issues and that the couple had possibly separated or were in the process of divorcing. One grandchild was in the home at the time of the incident and heard the shooting before she walked out of a back bedroom to see her grandmother and grandfather both had been shot. She called her father, who then called police. 

Convicted Killer Denied New Trial

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...In 2008, Desmond Clark chased his girlfriend, Nalisha Gravely, through the Taco Bell on Charleston's West Side, through a crowd of customers and into a storage closet where he shot her at point-blank range. Clark took a plea deal and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In March, Clark took the stand asking the judge for a new trial, claiming he made a mistake brought on by lots of alcohol and prescription medication. Friday, Kanawha County Circuit Judge James Stucky denied Clark's motion for a new trial.

Mother Sentenced In Daughter's Death

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...In February, Leslie Boggs, 26, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty to rolling over on her 3-month-old daughter after passing out during a drug and alcohol binge in May 2010. Thursday morning, Boggs was sentenced to 3 to 15 years in prison. Boggs' attorney had asked for home confinement and probation, but Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Paul Zakaib denied that request because of Boggs' behavior while awaiting trial on home confinement. Zakaib revoked her home confinement in March. Boggs offered up an apology during Thursday's hearing but Judge Zakaib says it didn't do her any good because, after she entered her plea in February, she was caught partying with friends with alcohol and drugs in her system.

Three Arraigned On Robbery Charges

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Sarah Baldwin, Matthew Greene and Anjelica Cervenak were in Kanawha County Circuit Court Wednsday to be arraigned on charges stemming from a robbery in October 2011 at a Go-Mart on MacCorkle Avenue in Charleston. Greene, Baldwin and Cervenak all pleaded not guilty during their arraignment, but Baldwin's attorney told the judge that Baldwin wanted to change her plea to guilty. A hearing was set for Thursday to change the plea. Greene and Cervenak are set to be back in court on June 5th.

Leaders Focus On Coal

{Belle, West Virginia}...U.S. Senator Joe Manchin and Governor Earl Ray Tomblin along with industry and labor groups met for a roundtable discussion Wednesday at an event sponsored by FACES of Coal and the West Virginia Coal Association at Walker Machinery in Belle. Manchin said the Obama administration along with Lisa Jackson, the head of the EPA, have a stranglehold on the coal industry, and the EPA is putting out unreasonable guidelines. Manchin said it's time to promote the positive issues of coal not just to West Virginia but to every Senator, Congressman, governor and household in the nation. Manchin said it's time to show what the state of West Virginia has done, what it continues to do and what it has done to clean up the environment over the years. Bill Raney, the president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said the latest EPA regulations which requires carbon sequestration for every new coal fired power plant is unreasonable because the process for carbon sequestration is yet to be perfected. Manchin vowed to go back to Washington and work even harder on the image of coal. Tomblin will reach out to the other 49 governors about the importance of coal to each of their states.

Trial Of Accused Kanawha County Sniper Delayed

{Charleston, West Virginia}...At the request of attorney George Castelle, the trial of accused Kanawha County sniper Shawn Lester has been delayed. The trial is set to begin Monday, July 30th. Pretrial motions are set to start Wednesday, June 27th and continue through July 29th. Lester is accused in the sniper-style shootings of Gary Carrier, 44, Jeanie Patton, 31, and Okey Meadows, 26, in 2003.

Safety Officials Moving To Unlicense UBB Foreman

{Charleston, West Virginia}...A hearing for Jeremy Burghduff, an Upper Big Branch mine foreman, is set for May 15th before the state Coal Mine Safety Board of Appeals. West Virginia mine safety officials are moving to unlicense Burghduff, saying he didn't turn on his methane detector when he was supposed to be checking for the explosive gas before an explosion at the former Massey Energy mine killed 29 men on April 5, 2010. The state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training alleges Burghduff had his gas detector off in late March and early April 2010, including the day of the blast. They also say he failed to carry an emergency air pack at all times, as required by law.

Man Allegedly Stabs EMS Worker, Steals Ambulance

{Summersville, West Virginia}...A man is facing several charges after deputies say he stabbed an ambulance driver and stole the ambulance Tuesday on Route 20 in Nicholas County. The Nicholas County Sheriff's Office says Frankie William Stroup, Jr., 25, of Leivasy, stabbed Quinwood Ambulance EMS worker Ryan Sparks, 23, of Richwood, with a pair of scissors and then stole the ambulance and drove it a short distance before crashing it. Stroup, Jr., was charged with malicious wounding, grand larceny and felony destruction of property.

Alpha Natural Resources Appoints New President

{Bristol, Virginia}...Bristol, Va.-based Alpha Natural Resources has appointed Paul Vining as the company's president, assuming the duties of the retiring Kurt Kost, who is leaving the company in May after 31 years of service, but will still serve in an advisory capacity following his retirement. Alpha officials said Wednesday that Vining, who first joined Alpha in 2011, is adding to his sales and marketing responsibilities as Alpha's chief commercial officer. CEO Kevin Crutchfield says combining the company's mining operations with its sales and marketing efforts will create the most effective business model for Alpha, which has more than 180 mines and processing plants in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. It employs about 14,000 people through its affiliates.

Logan County Woman Fatally Struck

• {McConnell, West Virginia}...State Police in Logan County say 61 year old Kathy Gibson of Nibert was killed Wednesday morning after stepping in front of a car on Route 10. Investigators say Gibson and two friends ran out of gas near McConnell. Gibson got out of the car and attempted to flag down a passing motorist but stepped into traffic. No charges will be filed against the driver.

Kanawha County Man Arraigned On Murder And Arson

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Charles Dannen Roberts, 38, of Alum Creek, was arraigned Wednesday on murder and arson charges. Roberts is accused of setting railroad ties on fire under a bridge near Sproul Road in Alum Creek in December. Davis Creek-Ruthdale VFD went to a bridge along Corridor G to locate the blaze. Alum Creek volunteer firefighter Joey King died after he fell from the bridge looking for the fire. Roberts pleaded not guilty, and his trial was set for July 11th.

Skeletal Remains Found

{Pliny, West Virginia}...Putnam County Sheriff's Deputies and other law enforcement are investigating after a Division of Highways worker found a dismembered limb Wednesday afternoon along Route 35 near the Mason-Putnam County line. Authorities say they believe it may be the remains of Carol Rhim, an Institute woman who was killed and dismembered in January. Kanawha County Sheriff's Deputies say 54 year old Nathaniel Lawton fatally shot himself when police went to confront him about the murder. Investigators began the search after they found some of her remains in the trunk of her boyfriend's, Nathaniel Lawton, car shortly after he shot and killed himself. The search for the remaining body parts of Rhim was called off in late January. Lawton had no criminal record and was a longtime employee of the postal service.

Charleston Man Pleads Not Guilty

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Jeremy Shane Goodall, 31, of South Charleston, the father of murdered Putnam County toddler Logan Goodall, was in Kanawha Circuit Court Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle, driving while revoked for DUI and fleeing on foot. Goodall was arrested and charged last year after a shooting incident on the West Side. Police say he pointed a gun at a couple in a drug store parking lot and demanded money and pills, then fled.

Father And Son Plead Not Guilty

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charles Woodson, 59, and his son 19 year old Kenneth Woodson were in Kanawha County Circuit Court Wednesday to be arraigned on charges of malicious wounding and attempted murder. Police say the father and son got into a fight with Andrew Watson in November 2011 along Madison Street in Charleston. Watson was hit several times with a baseball bat and police say Jillian Hagelin tried to step in to stop the fight. That is when she was hit in the head. Watson and Hagelin were taken to CAMC General. Both are scheduled for trial on June 5th.

UBB Survivors Seek Trial

• {Morgantown, West Virginia}...Nine survivors of West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine disaster want to abandon mediation of their personal injury claims and start gathering evidence for trial. They say in a court filing that Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources hasn't been negotiating in good faith and that one reason Alpha is sealing the former Massey Energy mine where 29 men died is to prevent evidence collection. The plaintiffs say they suffered debilitating physical and psychological injuries in the April 2010 blast, including traumatic brain injuries. Alpha has already settled 29 wrongful death cases and at least seven injury cases.

Fatal Mink Shoals Fire Ruled Arson

• {Mink Shoals, West Virginia}...Jason Baltic, an investigator with the state Fire Marshals office, says the blaze that killed 52 year old Terry Rosalee Mace at a home on Conner Drive in Mink Shoals in Kanawha County about 5:30 A.M. Monday morning began in the front room of the house and was intentionally set. Mace, who was house sitting for her sister and brother-in-law, died at Charleston Area Medical Center a short time after she was pulled out of bed by firefighters.

Man Pleads Guilty To Cocaine Charge

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Jonathan Cavender, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty Monday to distribution of crack cocaine. Cavender, also known as Tubbs, admitted that he sold 2.52 grams of crack to a confidential informant working with the Charleston Police Department on February 15, 2011, a little more than 1 gram of crack on March 2nd and nearly half a gram on March 10th. Cavender faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine when sentenced July 6th.

Huntington Police Investigating Armed Robbery

• {Huntington, West Virginia}...Huntington Police officers are investigating an armed robbery which occurred in Rotary Park Monday night. Police say Joshua Bartram, of Huntington, agreed to meet Ronnie Dean, of Lesage, at the park to look at a car Bartram was interested in buying. At the park Dean allegedly pulled a gun on Bartram and demanded the money for the car. Then an unknown suspect came out of hiding and hit Bartram in the leg with a ball bat. The suspects got away with $3,000.

Synthetic Drugs Intercepted At Tri-State Airport

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Huntington Police say a shipment of synthetic drugs was intercepted by Fed Ex employees at Tri-State Airport on April 5th. Police say the shipment contained seven cases of Kaotic, a synthetic potpourri, and another box containing synthetic drugs known as Head Trip, XXX and White Rabbit. The boxes were addressed to a business in Greenup County, Kentucky. The Greenup County Sheriff's Office was notified about the shipment’s destination.

International Company Investing In South Charleston Plant

{South Charleston, West Virginia}...Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced Tuesday afternoon that Gestamp, an $11 billion Spanish company, will invest a minimum of $100 million to begin operations at the former South Charleston Stamping and Manufacturing Plant. Tomblin said Gestamp, Park Corporation, the city of South Charleston, the Kanawha County Commission and the state of West Virginia all worked together to make this opportunity a reality. Gestamp is an international group dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of metal components and structural systems for the automotive industry. Tomblin says the investment promises between 400 to 700 new jobs.

National Guard Continues Logan County Cleanup

{Logan, West Virginia}...The West Virginia National Guard is spending the next few days in Logan County finishing up the job of removing debris from neighborhoods impacted by last month's flash flood. Maj. Gary Krushansky with the Guard says a team of 18 was heading out Tuesday for five more days of work in the flood zone. According to FEMA, the Guard will make their final pick-up on Wednesday morning. Maj. Krushansky says his team will remain in Logan County through Saturday.

Mingo County Man Gets Maxium Sentence

• {Williamson, West Virginia}...Monday morning, Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury sentenced 46 year old John Hayes to the maxium 40 years in prison after an earlier guilty plea to second-degree murder in the death of his wife's uncle, Robert Workman. Workman was reported missing on June 9, 2011. His body was found a few days later not far from his home in Beech Creek. Hayes turned himself in to police in Sweetwater, Tennessee a week after the murder, telling investigators what had happened and where the body could be found.

McDowell County Delegate Arrested

• {Welch, West Virginia}...House of Delegates member Clif Moore, a Democrat from McDowell County, was arrested Friday for driving on a revoked license from a January 28th driving under the influence conviction. Welch Police Officer A.D. Perry was patrolling along U.S. 52 when he spotted Moore's car and ran a check on his license plate. Moore, who lived in Columbus for 22 years before moving back to West Virginia, was cited on November 24th for operating a vehicle while impaired in Ohio after being stopped by a Columbus police officer.

Massey Faces Deadline For Lawsuit

• {Morgantown, West Virginia}...Attorneys for Massey Energy have until June 18th to formally respond in court to institutional shareholders led by the Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Trust who say Massey lied about its safety record before the Upper Big Branch mine disaster killed 29 West Virginia miners in April 2010. Shareholders say they were deliberately misled about the company's safety record, and only after the worst U.S. mining disaster in four decades, did the shareholders learn the extent of the company's problems. They argue that corporate deception artificially inflated stock prices between 2008 and 2010. The parties agreed to the new deadline in a filing in U.S District Court in Beckley  Judge Irene Berger recently rejected Massey's motion to dismiss the case.

Charleston Man Fatally Struck By Train

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Police say Ezra Shawn Mullins of Charleston was fatally struck by a train about 2:30 P.M. Sunday afternoon along the tracks near the University of Charleston. Police say Mullins was struck in the area of the 31st Street crossing in Kanawha City and was dragged a half-mile before the train came to a stop directly across the road from the university's entrance. Investigators say he may have been walking the track while wearing headphones and was unable to hear the oncoming train. Mullins was a 1999 graduate of George Washington High School.