West Virginia State Trooper Dies

{Charleston, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police Trooper 26 year old Eric Michael Workman died Friday at Charleston Area Medical Center's General Hospital in Charleston. Police say Cpl. Marshall Lee Bailey and Workman pulled over Luke Baber Tuesday, August 28th, at the Wallback park and ride off Interstate 79. Bailey and Workman arrested Baber and put him in the back seat of their cruiser. While waiting on a tow truck, Baber, who was handcuffed in the front, took a hidden handgun and shot both troopers. Workman joined the West Virginia State Police on January 10, 2011. He was assigned to the Grantsville Detachment upon graduating from the West Virginia State Police Academy and had been recently transferred to the Clay Detachment. Bailey died at the scene.

Convicted Sniper Gets Maximum Sentence

{Charleston, West Virginia}...During a hearing in Charleston Friday, Kanawha County Circuit Judge Duke Bloom sentenced convicted Kanawha County sniper Shawn Lester to the maximum 40 years for the 2003 shooting death of Jeanie Patton. Lester pleaded guilty in July to second degree murder in the death of Patton, who was shot at the Campbell's Creek Speedway. The plea did not include the shooting deaths of Okey Meadows, Jr. and Gary Carrier, Jr. because there wasn't enough hard evidence to prosecute those cases. Bloom says there will be no credit for the time Lester has already served.  Lester was taken to Mt. Olive State Police to begin his sentence. Lester could be released after 20 years on good behavior, but Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants says Lester will most likely spend about 30 years behind bars. Lester is also facing federal firearms and drug charges.

Man Could Face Additional Charges

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office says Rodney Shaffer could face future charges in connection to the 2003 sniper-style murders. Shaffer, who was a friend of Lester's, is currently in federal custody on unrelated gun charges. Court documents indicate that Lester's plea was the result of Shaffer's expected eye witness testimony that directly linked Lester to the murder of Jeannie Patton. Shaffer cooperated with investigators throughout the sniper investigation and frequently met with and was interviewed by law enforcement officials and prosecutors and accompanied the lead investigator in the sniper trial to various locations pertinent to the investigation and there provided more valuable information. Shaffer will be sentenced on federal gun charges September 6th. Prosecutors have not said what charges may be filed.

United Mine Workers Anticipate Battle

{Charleston, West Virginia}...During a meeting Thursday at the Charleston Civic Center, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts told a crowd of 3,000 Patriot Coal miners, retirees and their families that the company, which filed for bankruptcy in July, won't get away with cutting benefits. Roberts says Patriot Energy was "set up to fail" when it was created in 2007 by Peabody Coal. He says the company's unionized mines were spun off into Patriot Coal with below market coal contracts and large legacy obligations, and it's a tragedy that this has happened to people who gave their lives to the industry. Roberts predicts Patriot will offer a proposal for massive cuts, more than likely in pensioner's health care coverage or elimination of pensioner's health coverage and changes in the working conditions of the active miners. Patriot Coal employs 2,000 union workers in several states, and more than 10,000 retirees receive health benefits from Patriot as well as thousands of their dependents. In all, 22,000 people would be impacted if Patriot health care benefits were cut, and Roberts says many of them never worked for Patriot Coal, but they were employees of Peabody or Arch Coal and are victims of the combination efforts over the years. Roberts says the union is ready to fight any way it has to.

Man Pleads Not Guilty To Grand Larceny

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Andrew Lynn Palmer, 45, of Sissonville, the man who once hosted a local television show called "West Virginia's Most Wanted," has been arraigned in Kanawha Circuit Court on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and grand larceny. Palmer pleaded not guilty to those charges and will go on trial October 31st. Palmer is accused of having in his possession two vehicles belonging to a car dealership. Police say Palmer was armed and threatened to shoot officers who apprehended him in the Cabin Creek area in May, but he was not indicted on a weapons charge even though he is not permitted to have guns because of his prior criminal history. Last month, Judge Tod Kaufman refused to lower a $50,000 cash bond for Palmer. Prosecutors objected to a lower bond again Thursday, but Kaufman said he will hear arguments again September 19th.

Sentencing Delayed For Former UBB Superintendent

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The sentencing of former Upper Big Branch Mine superintendent Gary May has been delayed as the government continues its criminal investigation of the April 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners. May has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the federal government and is cooperating with prosecutors in a continuing investigation. Prosecutors say the government needs more time to develop the extent of May's cooperation. Sentencing was originally set for October, but has been pushed to mid-January.

Sex Abuse Trial Postponed

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Thursday, Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman agreed to continue the trial for 39 year old Mark A. Terry until December, due to his attorney's request. Terry was scheduled to go on trial next week after being accused of second-degree sexual assault, first-degree sexual abuse and sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian. A teenaged girl told police she had been babysitting for the Terry family the night she was assaulted.

Federal Fugitive Captured

{Amma, West Virginia}...A federal fugitive was captured in Roane County Wednesday after U.S. Marshals got a tip that 44 year old Jerry Lee Key was hiding out at a house in Amma. Key attempted to flee on foot by running into the woods, but, after a short chase, Key tried to reach into a fanny pack, which forced Marshals to use a stun gun on him. Key was arrested on a warrant issued by the U.S. District Court of Southern West Virginia. Key was wanted for violating his federally supervised release from prison, where he had been jailed for 15 years for raping a family member. Key is also considered a person of interest in other sexual abuse cases in Kanawha County.

Boone County Man Pleads Not Guilty To Murder

{Charleston, West Virginia}...A trial is set for December 3rd for 38 year old John Edward Hudson of Ashford, in Boone County. Hudson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and grand larceny in the death of 39 year old Michelle Lynn Gillispie, who was found dead January 30th in her Winifrede Hollow home. Police say she died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Hudson was driving Gillispie's vehicle following the crime and turned himself in to police. Authorities say he confessed to the murder.

State Trooper Fatally Shot

{Wallback, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police are investigating after a State Trooper was killed in the line of duty. During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Superintendent Colonel Jay Smithers said 22 year old Luke Baber of Oak Hill was pulled over for reckless driving about 8:30 P.M. Tuesday night at the Wallback Park and Ride off I-79 near the Roane-Clay county line. Smithers says Baber was intoxicated, so officers put him in the back of a cruiser. Baber pulled a hidden 9mm pistol and shot 42 year old Corporal Marshall Bailey and 26 year old Trooper Eric Workman. Baber took Trooper Workman's gun and used it to shoot William Massey, a tow truck driver with King's Wrecker Service, who had arrived to tow away Baber's vehicle. Massey, who was shot in the arm, was able to get away to call for help. Baber fled the scene, but deputies from Clay and Roane counties catch up with him in a wooded area, where a shootout occurred and Baber was shot and killed. Roane County Sheriff's Deputy John Westfall was injured during the shootout. Workman, from Clay County, who joined the force just last year, is hospitalized at Charleston Area Medical Center. Bailey died at the scene. Colonel Smithers says Baber stole the vehicle he was driving from Oak Hill, West Virginia and police believe he was on his way to Morgantown to meet his sister. Smithers says Baber had a criminal record including domestic battery, domestic assault, obstructing an officer and illegally possessing Xanax in December 2009.

Former Lincoln County Officials Sentenced

Former Lincoln County Sheriff Jerry Bowman and Clerk Donald Whitten were sentenced Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Charleston. Bowman was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for his role in an election fraud conspiracy and was fined $5,000. In March, Bowman pleaded guilty to conspiring to stuff the county's 2010 Democratic primary with fraudulent absentee ballots, while running for sheriff. Whitten was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $5,000. Whitten pleaded guilty to lying to an FBI agent and an investigator for Secretary of State Natalie Tennant who was looking into the ballot fraud. Both men were also sentenced to two years supervised release.

Huntington Police Officers Sued

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Joseph Pniewski of Huntington filed a lawsuit August 24th in federal court in Huntington, claiming three Huntington police officers unlawfully detained him, seized his video camera and deleted a recording of their search. Pniewski, a freelance investigative journalist, says his civil rights were violated when he tried to videotape a vehicle search on September 29, 2011 in a public alley near a low-income public housing complex. The lawsuit asks the court to order the city to establish new policies on citizens' First Amendment rights during encounters with officers and on the crime of obstruction.

Wasteful Military Spending

{Charleston, West Virginia}...During an event at the West Virginia Air National Guard's Tire Rebuild Plant in Kanawha City, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart W. Bowen Jr. joined Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Wednesday to complain about waste in military spending, specifically, the number of private contractors being employed by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bowen's position was created in October 2004. Since then, he has overseen and audited the use, and possible misuse, of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund created to rehabilitate Iraq's economy. Wednesday, Bowen and Manchin focused on the growing number of private military contractors hired by the Pentagon. Manchin says there are more than 113,000 private contractors in Afghanistan, while there are only 90,000 troops. He says there are between 20,000 and 30,000 contractors still in Iraq. Bowen said the Department of Defense has never seen a complete audit of its contractors because it is impossible to do, and that is unacceptable. The West Virginia National Guard says that, by reprocessing tires, the Kanawha City facility alone saves $27 million a year in military costs.

Retired Judge Has Two State Incomes

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Retired Cabell County Circuit Judge Dan O'Hanlon is now the state's vice chancellor for technology and the director of WVNET, the state agency that provides Internet to college campuses. He's also a man of two state incomes. O'Hanlon collects $7,875 a month, $95,000 a year, from his judicial pension, and  position as vice chancellor pays $120,000 a year. O'Hanlon announced in mid-August 2010 that he would retire effective October 31, 2010. In early September 2010, he signed a contract to become the vice chancellor starting on November 1, 2010, the day after he left the bench. Since O'Hanlon took the higher education job, he also has billed the state for thousands of dollars of travel within the state and to out-of-state conferences. Since January 2011, O'Hanlon has billed the state about $11,500 for travel between Morgantown and Charleston and, occasionally, Huntington, where he lives and has another state office. O'Hanlon and current Higher Education Policy Commission Chancellor Paul Hill says the state is getting a good deal.

Man Sentenced In Firefighter's Death

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Thirty-seven year old Charles Darren Roberts of Alum Creek was sentenced Tuesday to six years on arson and involuntary manslaughter charges. Police say Roberts ignited a cardboard box to catch a tire on fire which also set 160 railroad ties on fire near the Steven Wayne Smith Memorial Bridge on Corridor G last December. Davis Creek volunteer firefighter Joey King fell from the bridge while trying to locate the source of the fire. In April, a grand jury indicted Roberts on charges of first-degree murder in connection to King's death. In return for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to reduce the murder charge to involuntary manslaughter. The six-year term, which included five years for the counts of arson and a year for the involuntary manslaughter, was the maximum sentence Roberts could have received by law.

Tomblin Appeals FEMA Decision

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Governor Earl Ray Tomblin has appealed a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Administration denying individual assistance to West Virginians who suffered property losses during a June 29th derecho and subsequent storms that left three people dead and more than 680,000 customers without electricity across the state. FEMA approved the state's request for federal assistance to help governments pay for public damages, but denied Tomblin's request for aid for individuals on August 8th. Tomblin says Fayette, Kanawha, Nicholas and Raleigh Counties accounted for 42 percent of the homes destroyed in the storm.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Terry Workman, 44, of Hurricane, has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $400,000 from Charleston law firm Bucci, Bailey & Javins. Workman was employed as office manager at the company's Hale Street office for seven years before being terminated in 2010. She was charged with 13 counts of embezzlement and was recently indicted on all counts, but she entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors, admitting guilt for six counts. Workman said she wrote checks to herself in the amount of $800 to $1,200 at first, beginning in 2004. She also said she used the company's credit card for personal purchases of $60,00 to $70,000. Workman will be sentenced September 25th and could spend six to 60 years in prison. As part of her plea agreement, Workman will be required to pay the money back.

U.S. Attorney Seeks Lighter Sentence

Federal prosecutors say former Lincoln County Sheriff Jerry Bowman deserves a break at his Wednesday sentencing because of the help he gave them during their investigation of the 2010 primary election. U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin says Bowman helped convince former County Commissioner Thomas Ramey Jr. to admit to his role in an absentee ballot scheme. Goodwin also credits Bowman for aiding the case against James Matheny. A May jury convicted the Lincoln County resident of threatening election fraud investigators at gunpoint when they tried to interview him. Bowman awaits sentencing Wednesday along with since-resigned County Clerk Donald Whitten, who also pleaded guilty to lying to an investigator.

AEP Customers Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...AEP customers Jonathan Shaffer, 32, of Charleston, Tiffany Shaffer, 24, of Poca, Bryan P. Javins, 33, of Nitro and Jeanette Boggs, 58, of Nitro, have all been sentenced to home confinement to be followed by five years probation after they conspired with AEP property damage adjuster Deborah Farmer to file illegitimate damage claims against AEP. All will be subject to electronic monitoring. Farmer was sentenced Monday to three years in prison.

Charleston Murder Case Sent To Grand Jury

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Stacey McCormick, 30, was in court Monday for her preliminary hearing on a first-degree murder charge after being accused of killing her boyfriend, David Snyder. Police say McCormick stabbed Snyder in the chest at an apartment along Washington Street West in Charleston earlier this month. Snyder was taken to the hospital, but he left and died shortly after from blood clots. The case was sent to the grand jury.

Former AEP Employees Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Deborah Farmer, 47, formerly of Winfield, the admitted ringleader of a scheme that defrauded American Electric Power Co. out of nearly half a million dollars, was sentenced Monday to three years in federal prison and  three years probation after leaving prison. Farmer was ordered to report to federal custody October 5th. Also sentenced Monday was Freda Bradshaw, 48, of Pliny, who will serve a six-month prison sentence followed by six months home confinement and Julia Washington, 45, of Charleston, who will serve two years in federal prison and three years probation. The three women were property damage adjusters with AEP responsible for investigating damage claims made by third parties and negotiating settlements. From February 2009 to at least March 2010, Farmer recruited others to submit false claims, which she then approved. The three were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $200 to $300 a month. Assistant Prosecutor Erik Goes says the utility's loss in fraudulent checks was $558,412, but AEP representative Dan Fassio says the company's loss was much higher because of the cost of investigation and legal fees. The company has filed civil lawsuits against many of the indicted individuals, and some others who were not charged, in hopes of recovering some of its losses.

Kanawha County Officials Consider Dissolving Pratt

{Pratt, West Virginia}...Kanawha County officials say the town of Pratt and its water plant owe the Internal Revenue Service about $140,000 because it did not submit federal tax withholdings for employees between 2008 and 2010. The county paid $5,000 earlier this month in an attempt to head off legal action after the state threatened to sue if Pratt officials didn’t pay more than $30,000 owed by its water plant, Pratt Waterworks, over unpaid retirement contributions. Water company staff made the deductions on employees’ paychecks but failed to send money to the state’s retirement board. The West Virginia Public Employee Retirement Board agreed not to sue as long as town leaders paid the full amount by September 7th. Kanawha County officials are thinking about dissolving the town of Pratt.

DHHR Faces Possible Lawsuit

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The state Department of Health and Human Resources might get sued by its two top lawyers and a third senior DHHR staffer who have been on paid leave since mid-July. The group includes deputy secretary for legal affairs Susan Perry, general counsel Jennifer Taylor and assistant secretary John Law. Department acting Secretary Rocco Fucillo placed them on paid leave for reasons he has not explained. Friday, Parkersburg employment lawyer Walt Auvil, a lawyer for Perry and Taylor, sent Fucillo a "litigation hold request" to ask DHHR to preserve documents including Taylor and Perry's personnel records and any emails Fucillo exchanged with anyone about Law, Perry or Taylor. The department is conducting an internal investigation with the assistance of Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants' office. Perry told Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's chief of staff about potential issues with a marketing contract worth at least $473,000 that was awarded to Fahlgren Mortine for one year of marketing and advertising work. To pick Ohio-based Fahlgren, the state passed over three lower bidders.

Judge Issues Stay For Alpha Permit

{Huntington, West Virginia}...U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers in Huntington says he wants more time to decide if he'll block a Clean Water Act permit for an Alpha Natural Resources coal mine in Logan County while environmentalists appeal the permit to a higher court. The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and others had challenged the permit at Virginia-based Alpha's Highland Reylas surface mine. Earlier this month Chambers ruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Alpha. The groups hope to appeal the decision to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Chambers ruled this past week to continue a legal stay on the permit until he can consider new legal briefs and arguments. Chambers said he might not rule until later in the week.

Landlord Appeals HUD Decision

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Friday ordered Michael Corey of Charleston to pay damages to Dolores Walker and her autistic brother, Gregory Walker, for violating the Fair Housing Act. Corey was fined $34,000 by the federal government for alleged discrimination. HUD's order says that,  when Dolores Walker approached Corey about an apartment in 2009, he demanded she buy a $1 million insurance policy to cover any damages or injuries caused by her brother. The order says Corey also required a doctor's note about Gregory Walker's condition. Corey claims a judge cleared him of discrimination charges at a hearing in Charleston Municipal Court last November. He's appealing HUD's decision to a federal appeals court.

Student Achievement Below Standard

{Charleston, West Virginia}...According to statistics released by the state Department of Education, 9 of the 13 middle schools in Kanawha County are considered "below standard" in student achievement. Only four county middle schools met the Annual Yearly Progress parameters set by the federal No Child Left Behind law. In West Virginia, progress is measured by the number of students with "proficient" scores on the WESTEST. Of the state's 151 middle schools, 113 didn't meet standard requirements. Elementary schools and high schools in the county and the state are outpacing performance at the middle school level. Five of the eight Kanawha County high schools achieved progress, better than the state average of 39 percent. Only nine of the county's 43 elementary schools did not make the standard, also slightly better than the 77 percent state average for elementary schools. While those numbers are slight improvements from last year, they are significantly worse than the five years before.

Appalachian Power, Wheeling Power Seek Bond Sale

{Charleston, West Virginia}...To avert massive rate increases, Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power have asked the state Public Service Commission for permission to sell up to $415 million in bonds. Most of the bond sale would cover fuel costs the power companies racked up several years ago following a dramatic rise in coal prices. Earlier this year, the Legislature approved an Appalachian Power-backed bill allowing the power companies to sell bonds with PSC approval. In 2009, Appalachian and Wheeling asked the PSC for a 43 percent rate increase to recover $442 million in fuel, purchased power and pollution control equipment costs. The PSC opted for a plan that would spread those costs over four years. The PSC granted a 10.5 percent increase in 2009, a 7.2 percent increase in 2010 and a 7.3 percent increase in 2011. The companies had about $311.9 million in outstanding charges at the end of 2011. In addition to the fuel costs, the companies need to recover $103 million in debt incurred for plant improvements and other expenses in recent years.

Huntington Man To Face Murder

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Murder charges will be filed against a Huntington man originally charged with malicious wounding. Huntington police say 49 year old Howard LeMaster died Saturday afternoon, days after being beaten by 25 year old Shane R. McCaffrey. Police say McCaffrey threw a cinder block at Howard LeMaster during a scuffle Monday at a home along Adams Avenue. The prosecutor plans on dismissing the malicious wounding charge on Monday and filing murder charges.

Putnam County Accident Kills Hurricane Man

{Hometown, West Virginia}...Police say 36 year old Gary Alan Massey of Hurricane was driving his Nissan Sentra south on W.Va. 62 around 8:30 A.M. Saturday morning when he apparently drove off the road and hit a utility pole and was ejected from his vehicle. Emergency responders took him to the Teays Valley division of Charleston Area Medical Center where he was declared dead.

Case Reopened

{Charleston, West Virginia}...A closed case in a fatal fight has been reopened. Kanawha County prosecutors said previously they know the person involved but were not filing any charges in the death of former Alcohol and Beverage Commissioner Robert Adkins. After further review, they now have decided to take the case to the grand jury. The beating happened St. Patricks Day along Seventh Avenue in South Charleston. Police say Adkins was flirting with another man's girlfriend, and he grabbed the woman's arm several times, even after being asked to stop. The men then got into a fight. Thirteen days later, Adkins died.

Hollywood Actor Hires West Virginia Attorney

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The family of 25 year old Vivek Shah, an actor from West Hollywood, California has retained Charleston Attorney Troy Giatras to represent him after he allegedly tried to get millions of dollars from a West Virginia coal executive says there should be no rush to judgment. Shah was indicted this week on four counts of interfering with interstate commerce and using interstate commerce to threaten extortion. He allegedly told coal billionaire Foresight Reserves owner Christopher Cline  he wanted $13 million or he could expect several members of his family to die. Giatras says all of the facts about the case are not in. Shah has had a number of acting roles ranging from movies to commercials. He was arrested in Chicago earlier this month. It's likely he won't be transported to West Virginia until sometime next week.

WV Candidate To Speak At Republican National Convention

Republican congressional candidate Rick Snuffer, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from Raleigh County, is getting set to speak on Monday at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Snuffer says convention organizers want him to address President Obama's 'war on coal." Snuffer plans to talk about how it's affected the people in West Virginia and our neighboring states, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Snuffer, who faces incumbent Congressman Nick Rahall in the November election, believes the energy issue, especially in coal producing states, will play a role in the presidential election. Monday will be the first night of the convention. Snuffer says being asked to speak makes him feel good about how those in the national Republican Party are viewing his race against Rahall.

Murder-Suicide In Hurricane

{Hurricane, West Virginia}...Hurricane Police were dispatched to a home at Kelley's Cove just before 10:30 P.M. Wednesday for a wellness check. An officer approached the home and looked through a window into the living room where he saw 41 year old Christopher Kinder lying dead. Officers entered the home and found 33 year old Katherine Taylor dead in a back bedroom. Taylor had been stabbed multiple times, and Kinder died from an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Police believe Kinder killed Taylor then shot himself.

Wind Farm Permit Sought

To comply with the terms of a lawsuit settlement, Maryland-based Beech Ridge Energy is seeking a 25 year permit for its wind farm in Greenbrier and Nicholas counties. Beech Ridge has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for a permit that would allow the "incidental take," or killing, of endangered bats that might fly into its turbine blades. The existing 67 turbines and another 33 that are planned could harm Virginia big-eared and Indiana bats. Beech Ridge built 40 turbines before a federal judge in Maryland ruled that it had failed to obtain the necessary permit. The Washington, D.C.-based Animal Welfare Institute and the Williamsburg, West Virginia-based Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy had sued both Beech Ridge Energy and its parent, Chicago-based Invenergy LLC, in 2009. Fish and Wildlife is taking public comment through October 23rd on the company's proposed habitat conservation plan and an environmental impact statement. The permit application is the third of its kind in the nation.

Man Sentenced To Home Confinement

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Robert Legg was sentenced Thursday to one to 10 years on home confinement after pleading guilty to grand larceny. Police say Legg stole a newspaper delivery van from outside a gas station in Charleston in December. The van was later found burned on Rutledge Road in Boone County. Legg told police he stole the van because he didn't have a car and was needing a ride to visit his girlfriend in Madison.

China's Mining Managers Training In West Virginia

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Mining managers from Shanxi Province, China's top coal-producing province, will undergo safety training at the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College in southern West Virginia. The managers toured the college's facilities Thursday and signed an agreement Thursday afternoon at the Governor's Mansion to promote collaboration in safe mining and mine rescue practices. First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin is the technical college's president. The technical college is in the application process to accept international students, so the group of managers will enroll through WVU, which will contract with the technical college to provide the training. The managers plan to return for training next month.

CAMC Officials Fear Longer Kidney Donation Waiting List

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital Associate Administrator Glen Martin says a network that sets federal transplant regulations has recommended stopping residents from getting the first option on kidneys donated within the state. Martin says, if the recommendations are approved, West Virginians would be placed on a longer waiting list with residents of western Pennsylvania and a portion of New York. Martin says CAMC currently has 145 people waiting for a new kidney. The policy would as much as quadruple the size of the waiting list. The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network's proposal goes out for public comment this fall.

Pimping Charge Dropped

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Steven Conifer, who worked in the Kanawha County Public Defender's Office, was arrested and charged with pimping and receiving support from prostitution in July 2011. The charges have been dropped on a technicality, but  Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants says the case is far from closed. The prosecutor only has a year to indict a defendant after his or her arrest. Once a year passes, the charges must be dropped. The charges stem from an online conversation where Conifer allegedly offered the sexual services of young boys in exchange for money, and even allegedly sent a picture of a young boy in a sports jersey. Plants says his office reserves the right to refile the charges. He added that other than the chat, there's little evidence that Conifer ever actually pimped out boys.

Raleigh County Man Convicted

{Beckley, West Virginia}...A federal jury in Beckley has convicted 31 year old Timothy Taylor of the October 2011 burglary of  the Fairdale Post Office. Prosecutors say Taylor and co-defendant, Benjamin Webb, used a sledgehammer to smash a glass door to enter the post office, where they stole nine packages of bath salts addressed to Webb. Webb pleaded guilty in May. Both men face up to five years in prison and $250,000 fines. Taylor's sentencing is set for January 10th. Webb is scheduled to be sentenced August 30th.

California Man Indicted In Charleston

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Wednesday, a grand jury in Charleston indicted Vivek M. Shah of West Hollywood, California of four counts of interfering with interstate commerce and using interstate commerce to threaten extortion after allegedly trying to extort $13 million from a West Virginia coal company executive and threatening to kill his relatives. An affidavit filed by a U.S. postal inspector who investigated the case says Shah also uses the aliases Ray Amin and Rohan Gill, and was staying at his father's home in Illinois, just before his arrest in Chicago about a week ago. Investigators found that Shah used prepaid debit cards, telephones, WiFi connections at a Starbucks near his home and the U.S. Postal Service to target five wealthy individuals. Only Christopher Cline, owner of Foresight Reserves LP, is named in the documents. Cline divides his time between homes in Beckley and North Palm Beach, Florida. Federal prosecutors in West Virginia's Southern District say they have jurisdiction over the case because that's where Cline and his family live.

Huntington Murder Case Sent To Grand Jury

{Huntington, West Virginia}...During a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning, the murder case against 20 year old Quazaa Farrow of Maryland was sent to the Cabell County grand jury which meets in September. Huntington Police Detective Chris Sperry testified that Farrow and Branch got into a fight at a home on 18th Street in Huntington in the early morning hours of July 5th. Sperry said Branch pushed Farrow and knew Farrow had a gun. One shot was fired and Branch was killed. Farrow left the state and was extradited from Fort Wayne, Indiana earlier this month after U.S. Marshals tracked him August 3rd to a relative’s house.

Former Real Estate Appraiser Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Fifty year old Mark E. Greenlee, a former Charleston real estate appraiser, has been sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison for aiding and abetting wire fraud after pleading guilty in September. Greenlee admitted to preparing a false and fraudulent appraisal in 2006 as part of a multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme involving Deborah Joyce and others in the Stonegate subdivision near Hurricane in Putnam County. Former real estate appraiser James Thornton, 48, admitted in June to aiding and abetting the wire fraud scheme and was sentenced earlier this month to five years probation. He received a reduced sentence for his cooperation. Deborah Joyce of Hurricane was sentenced in April 2011 to three years and 10 months in federal prison and five years supervised release. Her husband, Todd Joyce, 38, was sentenced in April 2011 to 18 months on mortgage fraud and tax evasion charges. Michael Hurd, 37, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced earlier this month to two years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Raymond Paul Morris, 51, of South Weber, Utah, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and bank fraud and faces up to 30 years and a $1 million fine when sentenced October 29th.

Drug Cases Being Dismissed

{Beckley, West Virginia}...Raleigh County officials said Wednesday that drug cases going back 15 months are being dismissed because the evidence is missing from the Beckley Police Department's property room. Prosecuting Attorney Kristen Keller says that once evidence control is compromised, the prosecutor's office has no choice but to dismiss the charges. Previous convictions or guilty pleas also could potentially be vacated if a person or his or her attorney believes that the chain of custody for the evidence in their case was compromised. Cases in which drugs were placed at the sheriff's department or the West Virginia State Police will not be affected. During a Wednesday news conference, Beckley Police Chief Tim Deems said that Gabriella Brown, the technician responsible for the department's evidence room, went on medical leave late last week. Deems also said that he notified U.S. Attorney R. Booth Goodwin's office about the matter Wednesday morning. An internal inventory of the department's evidence holding room is underway.

Summers County Woman Arrested

{Hinton, West Virginia}...Megan Williams, 25, of Hinton, who made national news when she was raped and tortured in a case that sent several Logan County residents to jail, was arrested on August 13th and again Tuesday. In September 2007, Williams was found at a mobile home in Logan County, where she had been beaten, tortured, raped and forced to eat dog and rat feces. Summers County Sheriff's Deputies say, on August 13th, they served a domestic violence petition at the home of Williams and her husband, Robert Lee Brady Jr. in Hinton. Brady then went to a friend's house. Williams later called 911 to report that Brady was repeatedly punching her in the face. However, Brady was still at the friend's house and said he had not been home. Williams was charged with falsely reporting an emergency incident. Tuesday, Williams was arrested and charged with violation of a domestic violence protective order, petit larceny, obstructing an officer and fleeing on foot. Her husband told sheriff's deputies that Williams had thrown a can of soda at him and threatened to break into his house to get her belongings after he refused to drop the domestic violence petition. Deputies say Williams attempted to run when they found her on the porch of Brady's home stealing a chair.

Guilty With No Mercy Verdict

A Nicholas County jury convicted Gary Rollins of murdering his wife, Teresa Rollins, who drowned in a farm pond in 2009. The jury reached a guilty with no mercy verdict. Earlier in the day, a California pathologist testified that there was not enough evidence to determine that Teresa Rollins was murdered, but Dr. Joseph Cohen. a defense witness, testified that Rollins’ death was consistent with her being pinned underwater by a falling 1,000-pound tree and explained that her lack of injuries were due to her heavy clothing. Cohen, however, he said he could not determine what caused her to drown. Prosecutors contend the woman was killed for insurance money and because Rollins had a new girlfriend. The girlfriend testified Rollins admitted killing his wife. Earlier, renowned pathologist Cyril Wecht testified Teresa Rollins was forcibly drowned. 

West Nile Virus Confirmed In Kanawha County

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department confirmed Tuesday that a man in his late 40s is being treated for West Nile Virus. The health department found mosquitoes carrying West Nile in three different areas of the county last week. Health Department Director Dr. Rahul Gupta says most of the West Nile cases in recent years have been mild, but residents should take all precautions. Symptoms can include a fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Gupta says it's important to remember the "4 Ds", which include dressing in long sleeves, deter the mosquitoes by putting on bug spray, avoid peak mosquito hours including dawn and dusk and drain pools of standing water.

Woman Fails To Register As Sex Offender

Tammy L. Payton, 42, of Crum, has pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to update her sex offender registration in West Virginia. Payton was convicted in 2001 of complicity to commit rape in Lawrence County, Ohio. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced November 19th.

Woman Sentenced On Tax Evasion

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Tuesday, 40 year old Georgiana Ciavarello of Nitro was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison for tax evasion. Ciavarello admitted embezzling $759,000 from Quail Ridge Construction Company, where she worked as a bookkeeper. Ciavarello admitted she illegally negotiated employee per diem checks for cash, and failed to pay income taxes of nearly $217,000 from 2007 through 2010. She was responsible for drafting checks and making deposits and transfers into Quail Ridge Construction Co's bank accounts. U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers ordered Ciavarello to pay more than $1 million, which includes the embezzled money, the unpaid taxes and Social Security benefits she improperly received.

Shooting In Charleston

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charleston Police are investigating after 28 year old  Darrow Dobbs was shot in the torso, and 23 year old  Kelvin Nolen was shot in the foot inside an apartment at Washington Manor on McCormick Street about 5:15 A.M. Tuesday morning. Both were taken to CAMC General Hospital. Police say both are from Detroit.

Charleston Woman Charged With Murder

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charges against 30 year old Stacy McCormick of Charleston have been upgraded to first-degree murder after her boyfriend, 50 year old David Snyder, died Sunday from wounds he received when McCormick stabbed him in his chest. Snyder had been released from Charleston Area Medical Center and had gone home, where family members say he was doing fine until he collapsed. Doctors say he had several blood clots on his lung from the stabbing. Police say McCormick admitted to stabbing Snyder during a domestic dispute on Washington Street West in Charleston around 4:00 P.M. last Thursday. McCormick was originally charged with malicious wounding. McCormick was arraigned in Kanawha County Magistrate Court Monday morning and is being held in the South Central Regional Jail without bond. Police say there was a history of domestic violence between the two, and a previous protective order had been filed. McCormick says she stabbed Snyder in self defense.

Man Charged With Committing Terrorist Act

{Martinsburg, West Virginia}...William Everett Alemar, 23, was arrested Monday and charged with committing a terrorist act. He was arraigned in Berkeley County Magistrate Court and lodged in the Eastern Regional Jail on $50,000 bail. Police responded to several reports of a man running in full desert camouflage and a ballistic vest with what appeared to be an AR-15 assault rifle near Martinsburg High School and South Middle School. When Police arrived, they ordered him to his knees at gunpoint. Police found he had two knives and several unloaded ammunition clips. Alemar also wore a bullet-resistant vest lined with ceramic panels, which led to the charge of wearing body armor while committing a violent act. Alemar indicated he was in the military and that he was running with his gear. A search of Alemar's home found additional military equipment, which police seized as evidence.

Charges Dropped In Charleston Murder Case

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Monday, charges were dropped against Marcus Wesley, a Charleston man arrested in March 2010 and charged in connection with the murder of 17 year old Leland Chace Miller, who was gunned down in August 2007. Police say Wesley served as the lookout while 20 year old Michael Mandrell Johnson of Marmet shot Miller several times in the back while he was sitting on the steps outside a house on Lewis Street. Johnson, who was a juvenile at the time, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February. Johnson was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Assistant Kanawha County prosecutor Don Morris says the charges were dropped because of insufficient evidence.

Three Sentenced On Lincoln County Drug Charge

{Hamlin, West Virginia}...Monday, Timothy Joe Terry, 47, of Alkol, was sentenced to five years in prison, while Debra Terry, 46, also of Alkol, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison and Kelly Joe Anderson, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. The three pleaded guilty in June to participating in a pill scheme that illegally distributed approximately 5,000 Oxycodone pills in and around Lincoln County. The pills were brought to West Virginia from Columbus, Ohio.

Man Charged With Sexual Abuse

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Seventy-nine year old Charles Dean Hendrix of South Charleston was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with first-degree sexual assault and sexual abuse by a parent. Police say, between 1988 and 1990, he sexually abused two little boys. The first alleged victim came foreword last year. He is the adopted son of Hendrix. He says he was 13 at the time of the abuse. Another man came foreword who lived near Hendrix saying he too was abused when he was between 8 and 9 years old.

Woman Charged With Malicious Wounding

{Huntington, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police say 35 year old Tony Adkins was at his girlfriend's house on Burlington Road in Huntington around 8:00 P.M. Sunday night when his estranged wife, 33 year old Tara Adkins, showed up, and Tony told her to leave. Police say that's when Tara refused to leave and slapped Tony and the two engaged in a fight before Tara pulled out a knife and stabbed Tony several times. Tony was able to get the knife away from Tara, and she received minor injuries during a struggle. Both were treated at local hospitals for non-life threatening injuries. Tara Adkins has been charged with malicious wounding.

Virginia Accident Kills West Virginia Residents

{Wytheville, Virginia}...Three McDowell County, West Virginia residents were killed and five others were injured in a three-vehicle crash on Route 21 in Wythe County in southwestern Virginia Saturday morning. Virginia State Police say 52 year old Florence J. Braxton of North Fork and 30 year old Taurean A. Walker and 59 year old Rufus S. Jones, both of Eckman, were in a minivan that was struck head-on by a northbound pickup truck that crossed into the southbound lane after it sideswiped a sport-utility vehicle. Braxton, Walker and Jones all died. Three passengers in the van and one in the SUV were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The pickup driver, 32 year old John C. Parker of Jackson, Mississippi was hospitalized with serious injuries. He's charged with reckless driving.

Nicholas County Murder Trial To Continue

{Summersville, West Virginia}...The murder trial of 54 year old Gary Rollins of Nettie is scheduled to continue Monday in Nicholas County Circuit Court. The body of his wife, 54 year old Teresa Rollins, was found in a farm pond in Nettie in October 2009, and her death was ruled accidental because investigators believed a tree fell and pinned her underwater, causing her to drown. Gary Rollins was charged with murder two years later after Pennsylvania Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht took a closer look at the case and determined someone had held Teresa under the water. Rollins was lodged in the Central Regional Jail in March 2012 on a first degree murder charge and has been held without bond. Prosecutors rested their case in Summersville last week.  They claim Rollins killed his wife because he had a new girlfriend and was looking to collect insurance money.

Man Charged With Attempted Copper Theft

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Police arrested Jay McFeely after they say he jumped over a fence at an American Electric Power building on 29th Street West in North Charleston around 7:00 A.M. Sunday morning while trying to steal copper wire from the property. After McFeely was arrested, police say he admitted that he was involved in two other breaking and entering crimes in Kanawha County.

Drug Hospitalizes Several

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The Kanawha County Sheriff's Department is investigating the source of a drug blamed for about one dozen overdoses in Charleston. At first, police speculated the drug to be a form of orange-tinted  crack cocaine, but Lt. Steve Cooper, chief detective for the Charleston Police Department, says the powdery substance apparently smoked by those who were sickened was confirmed to be AM 2201, a synthetic cannibinoid that has been used to coat synthetic marijuana. Cooper says the chemical apparently was smoked in its pure form and wasn't diluted. He says the users collapsed and showed other signs of overdose. Users experienced extreme anxiety, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, hallucinations, vomiting or seizures. Cooper says the chemical is a Schedule I controlled substance and was banned by the state and federal governments when the synthetic drug laws went into effect last year.

Man Stabbed In Charleston

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charleston Police are investigating a stabbing that occurred about 10:00 P.M. Friday night during a possible robbery. Police say 38 year old Adam Otey was taken to CAMC General Hospital where he is listed in serious but stable condition after a jogger found him lying on his back on the lower level of the Kanawha River walkway near Morris Street. Otey had been stabbed in his neck.

Kanawha County Candidate Chosen

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Members of the Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee met Saturday morning and chose John Jarman to be on November's general ballot as a candidate for magistrate. Jarman was on the Kanawha County primary ballot as a candidate for assessor. Jarman is a replacement for former magistrate Carol Fouty who resigned as part of a settlement with the state Judicial Investigation Commission. Jarman is the current publisher of Town and Country Publications and is a former Baltimore police officer.

Kanawha County Murder Trial Set

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Sixty year old Charlie March of Chesapeake was arraigned Friday after being charged with first degree murder. March was wheeled into the court room on a gurney after his attempted suicide last week at the South Central Regional Jail when he jumped off the second story cell block. March is accused of killing Kathy Goble, a former co-worker at Kelley's Mens Shop in Charleston, and burying her dismembered body in a shallow grave on his property in 2010. Goble's body was found in April on the second anniversary of her disappearance. Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Duke Bloom granted a gag order in the case on a request from March's attorney, ordered March to undergo a psychiatric evaluation and set his trial date for December 10th.

Baby Found Dead

{Winfield, West Virginia}...Putnam County Sheriff's detectives are investigating after 3 month old Bryson Cody Roush was found unresponsive at the Brittany Point Apartments in Winfield Friday morning. Deputies believe the boy died sometime Thursday night or Friday morning. The infant's body was taken to the state Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy.

Two Charged With Arson

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Police arrested Brian J. Johnson, 35, of Proctorville, Ohio, and Mark A. Sowards, 38, of Huntington, and charged them with  first-degree arson after they allegedly set fire to an abandoned home on 21st Street in Huntington early Friday morning. Sowards is a volunteer firefighter at the Central Township Joint Fire District in London, Ohio. Johnson is a convicted felon and was recently released from prison after serving time for aggravated burglary. Sowards and Johnson are scheduled to be in court August 27th.

Stabbing In Charleston

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Police say Lavar Towns, 32, and Billy Williams, 31, both of Charleston, walked into the St. Francis Hospital emergency room after getting into an argument at the Transit Mall around 11:00 P.M. Thursday night. The fight escalated and both men ended up suffering superficial stab wounds.

Lester Pleads Not Guilty To Drug Charge

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Shawn Lester, the man who pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder in the 2003 sniper-style shooting death of Jeanie Patton, pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon to federal charges of distributing Oxycodone and Cocaine near Sissonville from at least 2005 through March 2011. His trial is set for October 15th.

Man Arraigned On Embezzlement Charge

{Charleston, West Virginia}...A man accused in a credit union embezzling scheme was arraigned Thursday in Kanawha County. Dewayne Spaulding has been charged with bank embezzlement, credit union fraud and financial exploitation of the elderly. His then girlfriend, Heather Laake, who was arraigned on the same charges Wednesday, is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from the South Charleston Employees Federal Credit Union. Prosecutors say she wrote the checks to Spaulding. The pair is set to go to trial October 22nd.

Elkview Man Charged With Malicious Wounding

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Derek James Bailey, 23, of Elkview, was charged with malicious wounding after deputies say he stabbed  Keary Drake in the stomach about 3:30 P.M. Thursday. Deputies say Drake told them he was helping his niece move out of Bailey's residence on Rutledge Road when Bailey made a remark about his niece, and he and Bailey became involved in a heated argument. Drake told sheriff’s deputies he punched Bailey, and, during the fight, Bailey grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the stomach. Drake was transported to Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital. His injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

AG Warns Of Medicare Scam

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The West Virginia Attorney General's Office is warning seniors about a scam in which someone is calling trying to sign seniors up for Medicare. Seniors have been calling the Attorney General's Office and ElderWatch, which is operated by the AARP, to report the calls. The fake company is asking seniors for their Social Security numbers and other personal information. If you've received phone calls from this fake company, call the Attorney General's Office at 800- 368-8808.

Former Marshall University Coach Charged In Ponzi Scheme

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has accused former Marshall University and University of Georgia football coach Jim Donnan of using his influence to get high-profile college coaches and former players to invest in an $80 million Ponzi scheme. The Commission says Donnan and a business partner, Gregory Crabtree, of Proctorville, Ohio convinced investors to put money into a liquidation company that bought and resold appliances and furniture, while telling investors the business was unique and profitable with huge potential and little risk. Federal regulators say Donnan orchestrated the fraud with his business partner through West Virginia-based GLC Limited.

Charleston Man Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Ethan Chic-Colbert of Charleston was sentenced Wednesday in Kanawha County Circuit Court Wednesday, where Judge Duke Bloom sentenced him to six to 30 years in prison. Chic-Colbert pleaded guilty July 10th to charges of domestic battery, child neglect by a parent guardian or custodian resulting in the death of a child and gross child neglect creating the risk of serious bodily injury or death. Charges of kidnapping and murder were dismissed. Just after midnight on March 4th, Chic-Colbert began arguing with and beating on his girlfriend, Lynitrah Woodson, as she was driving down I-77. Woodson pulled over near the Leon Sullivan Way exit, and Chic-Colbert pulled her out of the car and began to hit her on the roadside. Woodson's son, 11 year old Jahlil Clements, jumped out of the car. attempting to get help, and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Witnesses said that, once Chic-Colbert saw the boy had been struck, he turned to Woodson and gave her a final kick before fleeing the scene.

Scott Depot Man Leads Police On Chase

{Nitro, West Virginia}...Putnam County Sheriff's Deputies say they received a complaint early Wednesday morning that 23 year old Corey Dalton of Scott Depot had pushed a man to the ground on Crooked Creek Road. The man, who was holding his 3 year old daughter, was apparently trying to gesture to Dalton to slow down when Dalton allegedly got out of his car, yelled at the man and grabbed him by the throat. Police tried to stop Dalton at the intersection of Pickens Road and McJunkin Road in Nitro. As they approached Dalton's vehicle, he sped off and headed east on Interstate 64, leading police on a chase from Nitro to Cross Lanes with speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Dalton took the Cross Lanes exit but crashed his vehicle into a tree and then got out of his vehicle and fled on foot. After about 200 yards, police caught Dalton.

Wayne County Murder Charges Dropped

{Wayne, West Virginia}...A Wayne County magistrate has dropped murder charges against Andrew Burgess, the man charged with murder in the shooting death of Thomas Epperly. Burgess claimed he shot Epperly in self-defense after a fight at the Rich Oil gas station on Waverly Road Saturday night. The Wayne County Prosecutor's office says the case was dismissed without prejudice which means it could still be brought before the grand jury if more evidence is presented.

Man Pleads Guilty To Grand Larceny

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Stephen Reed pleaded guilty Tuesday in Cabell County Court to a grand larceny charge and an animal cruelty charge. Police say, on October 25, 2011, Reed stole a truck from Culloden with Kenny the beagle inside. Reed was sentenced to one to 10 years for the felony charge and six months in jail on the misdemeanor charge. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Woman Arraigned On Embezzlement Charge

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Heather Laake was arraigned Wednesday in Kanawha County after being charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from a credit union and financial exploitation of the elderly. Prosecutors say, while Laake worked at the South Charleston Employees Federal Credit Union, she stole money from customers accounts and changed their account information so they wouldn't notice the money was missing. Her boyfriend at the time, Dewayne Spaulding, who is also facing the same charges, failed to appear in court, so the judge issued a capias for his arrest. Laake's trial is set for October 22nd.

Clearon Corporation Announces Temporary Shutdown

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Clearon Corporation announced Wednesday afternoon it is temporarily shutting down its facility in South Charleston. The shut down begins in mid-September and continues for at least two months. About 45 to 50 workers will be temporarily laid off. Ninety other workers who handle sales will continue to work. Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens says the city could lose between $30,000 and $40,000 a month in B&O taxes if Clearon closes. Clearon produces chlorinated dry bleach that is used in swimming pools.

Cantaloupe And Honeydew Melons Recalled

{Charleston, West Virginia}...State Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass warned consumers Tuesday that West Virginia is included in an expanded recall of cantaloupe and honeydew melons due to concerns about possible listeria contamination. Douglass says Burch Equipment of North Carolina issued an earlier recall on cantaloupe that didn't include West Virginia. But, the company is expanding the recall to include all of this season's cantaloupe and honeydew melons that may remain on the market. The produce was sold to distributors between June 23rd and July 27th in 18 states. The melons may have been distributed further to retail stores, restaurants and food service facilities.

Jail Inmate Commits Suicide

{Charleston, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police are investigating after a South Central Regional Jail inmate committed suicide  Tuesday morning. Joseph Daniel Albohn, 54, of Charleston, was found hanging in his cell about 2:15 A.M. Regional Jail Authority Deputy Director Paul O'Dell says Albohn appeared to have used a thin piece of bed sheet as a rope to hang himself. Two inmates who were out of their cells taking a shower saw Albohn hanging in his cell and notified guards. Officials do not suspect foul play. Albohn had previously been on suicide watch. Prime Care Medical personnel took him off suicide watch on August 10th. Albohn was awaiting trial on two counts of felony possession of child pornography. He was arrested July 31st.

Man Pleads Guilty To Incest

Jonathan Douglas Butts, 40, of Romance, in Jackson County, has pleaded guilty to incest and is the second person in his family to admit to sexually abusing the same victim. Butts was indicted by a grand jury last year on 14 felony counts of sexual abuse, sexual assault and incest. Butts faces a possible 5 to 15 years in prison, followed by a possible 50 years additional supervision and will be required to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life. He will be sentenced September 26th. His brother, Frederick Thomas Butts, was arrested in January 2011 and was later indicted by a grand jury on 274 counts of sexual abuse and sexual assault involving the same victim. He pleaded guilty to 22 of those charges and is serving a 20-50 year prison sentence.

Charleston Couple Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...A South Charleston couple has been sentenced for distributing crack cocaine. Forty-two year old Darrell Emmett Spencer was sentenced to 10 years in prison. His wife, 39 year old Leslie Yvonne Carter, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison. Both pleaded guilty to drug charges in May. The pair told authorities that, on August 18, 2011, they sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Carter also admitted to selling crack cocaine to an informant on six other occasions in August 2011 and to selling drugs while on Charleston Area Medical Center Memorial's property in Kanawha City. Carter was employed at a physician’s office at CAMC at the time the drug transactions occurred.

Meth Bust In St. Albans

{St. Albans, West Virginia}...The St. Albans Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 400 block of Washington Street shortly before noon Tuesday. The fire department called the St. Albans Police Department along with members of the Metro Drug Unit in Kanawha County after they found items that lead them to believe that the house contained a working meth lab. Police arrested 38 year old Joseph Miller and 40 year old Sherry Burdette and charged them with operating a clandestine drug lab.

Wayne Mayor Resigns

{Wayne, West Virginia}...The city of Wayne will soon have a new mayor after Dwayne Stiltner, who was elected last summer, resigned Tuesday afternoon. Stiltner has been on a leave of absence since his teenage daughter, Kristen, was killed in a car accident in May. Stiltner says the city needs a leader, and he just can't do that right now. Council members will meet Friday at 6:00 P.M. to select a replacement to serve out the remainder of Stiltner’s term which ends next June.

West Virginia AFL-CIO Announces Endorsements

{Charleston, West Virginia}...The West Virginia AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education agreed Monday to endorse longtime congressman Nick Rahall in the state's 3rd District. Rahall is running against Republican state delegate Rick Snuffer. But, the committee did not endorse anyone in the state's 1st District, where Democratic challenger Sue Thorn faces freshman Republican incumbent David McKinley, or the 2nd District, where Republican incumbent Shelley Moore Capito faces a challenge from Democrat Howard Swint. The AFL-CIO committee also endorsed Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, Attorney General Darrell McGraw, Auditor Glen Gainer, Treasurer John Perdue and Letitia Chafin and incumbent Robin Davis for 12-year terms on the state Supreme Court.

Baby Dies At Huntington City Mission

{Huntington, West Virginia}...Huntington Police are investigating after a 4 month old baby died at the Huntington City Mission Project Hope House about 9:00 A.M. Monday morning. Police say the baby and mother had been staying at the mission for seven months after the baby was born prematurely at a local hospital. The mother notified staff that her baby had stopped breathing in its sleep.

Man Charged With Battery On An Officer

{Cross Lanes, West Virginia}...Donald Charles Canaday, 48, of Crab Orchard, in Raleigh County, was arrested Sunday morning and charged with two counts of battery on an officer, obstructing an officer and public intoxication. Deputies went to the Comfort Inn in Cross Lanes about 1:30 A.M. after Canaday allegedly took off his shirt and threatened a bartender who stopped selling alcohol to him and 33 year old Christy Lynn Bolen of Naoma before they left the bar. Deputy Hannah Shipman found the couple in a nearby hallway. Canaday allegedly spat on Deputy Shipman while being put in a sheriff's cruiser, kicked at the windows, banged his head repeatedly against the inside of the car and threatened to kill police officers, burn their houses and kill their families. He allegedly took a swing at Deputy Ryan Meadows while he was being booked.

Man Pleads Guilty To Child Porn

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Fifty-eight year old Chester Wilkinson of Charleston pleaded guilty Monday to one count of possession of child porn after being arrested last summer after the West Virginia Cyber Crimes Task Force found images of children in sexual situations on his computer. Wilkinson faces up to two years in prison, a $2,000 fine and will have to register as a sex offender. He will be sentenced September 27th.

Man Pleads Guilty To Incest

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Dean Kinder of Belle appeared in Kanawha County Court Monday, where he pleaded guilty to a single count of incest, admitting he engaged in a sex act with a relative. Prosecutors say the girl was between 6 and 8 years old at the time. Kinder is being held without bond and faces 15 years in prison sentenced in October.

Men Plead Guilty To Battery

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Twenty-six year old Andrew Young and 24 year old James Miller, both of Nitro, were set to go on trial Monday before Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King, but instead, they pleaded guilty to two counts of battery. Two other charges, child abuse resulting in bodily injury and engaging in child abuse creating a risk of death or bodily injury, were dropped. South Charleston Police say, in June 2010, the men were practicing wrestling moves on a two year old girl. Laren Johnson took her daughter to Thomas Memorial Hospital, claiming she fell off her bed. Hospital staff notified police when they realized the girl's injuries, including a spiral fracture of the leg, weren't consistent with the story. Johnson later told police Miller and Young wrestled with the girl, including performing a "choke slam" on her. Young and  Miller each face up to two years in prison when sentenced October 3rd.

Murder Suspect Extradited

{Barboursville, West Virginia}...Twenty year old Quazza Farrow was extradited from Indiana to Western Regional Jail in Barboursville Saturday to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge. Investigators say he killed 26 year old Mikeal Branch in early July. Police say Farrow's relatives had been harboring him in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Fatal Accident In Nicholas County

{Birch River, West Virginia}...Police in Nicholas County say James Edward Lawson was driving northbound on U.S. Route 19 near the Powell's Mountain Overlook in the  Birch River area around 9:30 P.M. Saturday night when his vehicle  apparently hit a guardrail. Lawson was transported to Summerville Regional Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Robbery Suspects Arrested

{Ceredo, West Virginia}...Ceredo Police have arrested 27 year old Ronald Hodge and 23 year old Jamie Gillman after they allegedly robbed an autistic man at gunpoint in the 300 block of First Street East in Ceredo around 2:45 P.M. Saturday, getting away with $300 in cash and a cell phone. Hodge is charged with first degree armed robbery, petite larceny, and brandishing a firearm. Gillman is charged with first degree armed robbery and petite larceny.

Shooting Death In Huntington

{Huntington, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police responded to the scene of a shooting at a gas station on Waverly Road in Huntington  just before midnight Saturday. Twenty-five year old Andrew Burgess was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Police say Burgess 40 year old Thomas Epperly of Huntington in the chest three times during an altercation, and Epperly died while being transported to an area hospital. Burgess is set to appear in a Wayne County courtroom Monday.

Man Found Dead In Charleston

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Charleston Police are investigating after 36 year old John Allen Rogers Jr. of Charleston, was found dead on the railroad tracks near the corner of Wyoming and Madison Streets on the West Side around 8:00 A.M. Saturday morning. Rogers had been shot multiple times. Investigators say Rogers may have previously lived in Rand but was currently staying in Charleston near relatives.

Utah Man Sentenced

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Friday, 37 year old Michael Hurd from Salt Lake City, Utah was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 27 months in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme that included property in Putnam County.  Hurd was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud in West Virginia and for mail fraud tied to a similar scheme in Modesto, California, where about $5.5 million was taken from lenders. Hurd admitted that, in the early 2000s, he operated a company called "The Gift Program," a home down payment assistance program through which he schemed with others to illegally flip six properties at Stonegate in Putnam County after they were appraised at inflated values.

Charges Filed Against Putnam County Judge

Friday, the State Supreme Court of Appeals charged Putnam County Family Court Judge William Watkins  III with violating the Judicial Code of Conduct and trial court rules. Investigators say Watkins failed to make a ruling on a divorce case even after being ordered three times to do so by the Circuit Court and one time by the Supreme Court. He finally made a ruling after being threatened of being held in contempt.  The high court also claims Watkins failed to regularly update the Domestic Violence Protective Order Registry. According to West Virginia Code, a family court judge is required to immediately enter all domestic violence related orders on the West Virginia domestic violence database. Court records indicate there were at least nine formal complaints filed against Judge Watkins’ conduct in the courtroom.

Tomblin Seeks Reassessment For Individual Assistance

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Friday, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin called on FEMA and state emergency management officials to begin reassessing damage to homes and property after a denial of his federal disaster declaration request for individual assistance. West Virginia received a federal disaster declaration for public assistance following the June 29th derecho, but when Tomblin requested individual assistance for several counties FEMA officials said there wasn't enough damage. Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito says over half the state was without power following the massive June storm, and some areas are still cleaning up debris. She is urging FEMA to reconsider their decision and hopes representatives will accept her invitation to speak with her and other state leaders to discuss the decision in-depth.

Drug Bust In Williamson

{Williamson, West Virginia}...Five people in Williamson were arrested on drug charges Thursday afternoon. Police arrested Albert "Trey" Childress, Christina Tidwell, Robert Wilson and a man who goes by the nickname "Black"after they went to a home on Vinson Street and found a large amount of drugs, cash and weapons. The drugs are believed to have a street value of $20,000. Police then went to a hotel in the area where "Black" was staying and found thousands of dollars worth of more crack cocaine and Oxycontin. Childress, Tidwell, Wilson and "Black" were all charged with possession to deliver cocaine and marijuana. They also face a conspiracy charge. Police later arrested Brittany Cousin, who rented the room "Black" was staying in. Police say Wilson is a fugitive of justice from Waverly, Ohio, wanted on unrelated drug charges.

Man Found Dead Identified

{Huntington, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police have identified the man found dead in a car in the parking lot of Walmart in Huntington Thursday evening as 37 year old Jimmie George. George recently moved from Logan to Huntington. His body has been sent to the West Virginia Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy, but early indications are that George might have died of a drug overdose.

Mingo County Man Pleads Guilty To Murder

Craig Hite of Mingo County pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder and malicious assault. Judge Michael Thornsburg sentenced Hite to 40 years on the second degree murder charge and 2 to10 years on the malicious assault charge, to be served consecutively. Police say, in 2011, he stabbed his stepmother, Charla Hite, to death at a home in Varney. He also stabbed his former step-sister, Laura Muncy, and his father, Homer Hite.

Coal-Mining Employment Dropped In Second Quarter

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...West Virginia lost nearly 1,300 coal mining jobs in the second quarter of this year. Although coal still employs 23,300 people, new data from the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration shows a 5 percent decline over the previous three months. Among the struggling producers are Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources and St. Louis-based Patriot Coal. Statewide employment remains about the same as the last full quarter of George W. Bush's presidency, and employment is up by nearly 1,800 jobs, or more than 8 percent, since the Obama administration began initiatives aimed at cracking down on mountaintop removal mining. The most recent quarter's figures show the seventh-highest number of jobs over the last 10 years, but Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, says the MSHA figures reflect what he continues to hear from industry officials that, while jobs were on the rise over the last few years, there are fears that the recent layoffs are the start of a new trend.

James River Coal Reports Second-Quarter Loss

{Richmond, Virginia}...Thursday, Richmond-based James River Coal Co. reported a second-quarter net loss of $25.8 million, or 74 cents per share, compared with net income of $789,000, or 2 cents per share, a year earlier. Revenue from coal sales fell about 21 percent to $259.6 million. Including freight and handling, revenue was $277.4 million. Coal shipments fell about 11 percent to 2.91 million tons from 3.26 million tons a year earlier. The company says the switch to cheap natural gas to generate electricity instead of coal and a mild winter in the U.S. hurt demand, and the recession in many European countries, combined with a slowdown in Asia, stifled exports. But, it says demand for coal used in power generation is showing signs of recovery. James River Coal has operations in Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana.

Bluefield Gas Seeking Reduced Rate

{Bluefield, West Virginia}...Bluefield Gas, which serves about 3,600 customers in the Bluefield area, is seeking a reduction of about 11.6 percent in the rate it charges its customers. The proposed cut would reduce the average residential customer's bill by $9.19 a month. If the Public Service Commission approves the request, the lower rate would become effective November 1st. Vice president John Jessee says natural gas prices have decreased. Blaine Braithwaite with the South Bluefield Neighborhood Association says the company has another pending request to raise the rate it charges for operating costs.

Alpha Officials Report Loss To Shareholders

Alpha Natural Resources, West Virginia's largest coal producer, reported a second quarter loss of $2.2 billion this week. During a conference call Wednesday, Alpha CEO Kevin Crutchfield told investors the low price of natural gas, a mild winter and a reduction in overseas demand for metallurgical coal all contributed to the company's losses. Alpha inherited a number of risk factors with the buyout of Massey Energy, but Crutchfield said time will tell if it was the right move. Although court records are sealed, it's clear the settlements for lawsuits stemming from the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster impacted Alpha Natural Resources earnings during the second quarter. Alpha Chief Financial Officer Frank Wood told shareholders wrongful death and personal injury actions at UBB are nearly completed, and  trying to guess the outcomes and make projections ahead of the litigation and settlements became impossible. The statute of limitations on filing actions has expired. All of the wrongful death cases are settled and most have been paid.  Wood said two personal injury cases have also been settled and a few remain in mediation.

Man Charged With Murder Attempts Suicide

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Officials at the South Central Regional Jail say Charles March, the man charged with murder, attempted to commit suicide by trying to jump off the second tier of a cell block about 7:00 A.M. Wednesday morning. Police say March killed Kathy Goble of Charleston in 2010, dismembered her and buried her remains in a shallow grave in the yard of his home in Chesapeake, West Virginia. Goble, who was March's co-worker at Kelley’s Mens Shop in Charleston, went missing in April 2010, but her remains were never found until May 2012.

Protester Charged With Failure To Register As Sex Offender

{Madison, West Virginia}...West Virginia State Police arrested 34 year old Peter Bryan Garcia Tuesday in Madison and charged him with failing to register as a sexual offender. Garcia was required to register for life as a convicted sex offender after being convicted in Florida in 2002 on a charge of using the Internet to solicit or attempt to solicit a child for sex. Garcia pleaded guilty this week to trespassing after he and other RAMPS, Radical Action for Mountain People's Survival, members chained themselves to heavy equipment during a protest of surface mining at Hobet Mining in Lincoln County on July 28th.

Former Lincoln Commissioner Pleads Guilty

{Hamlin, West Virginia}...Wednesday, former Lincoln County Commissioner 32 year old Thomas Ramey, Jr. was in U.S. District Court in Charleston to plead guilty to the felony charge connected to absentee ballot fraud in the 2010 primary election in Lincoln County. Ramey will be sentenced November 15th after he admitted to lying to a federal FBI investigator when he told the agent he did not know who altered certain absentee ballots before they were submitted to the Lincoln County clerk. Ramey is the third elected official in Lincoln County to resign because of federal charges. Former Lincoln County Sheriff Jerry Bowman and former Lincoln County Clerk Donald Whitten have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced August 29th. Investigators say they instructed voters to vote for certain candidates on absentee ballots or ballots were filled out for voters. Ramey faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He will also be ineligible to run for office for the next 10 years. He is currently out on $10,000 bond.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Robberies

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Wednesday, 26 year old Morgan Marie Mullins from West Hamlin pleaded guilty to robbing the Teays Valley Center Nursing Home in Hurricane on May 2nd and the City National Bank in West Hamlin on May 22nd. Mullins, who worked at the nursing home, says was addicted to Oxycodone at the time of the robberies and had been an addict for more than three years. Police say she stole painkillers from the nursing home and stole $3,000 from the City National Bank. Mullins faces a minimum sentence of seven years in prison and could be sentenced to life in prison and forced to pay $750,000 in fines. Sentencing is set for December 5th.