Two arrested following discovery of meth lab

CHAPMANVILLE, W.Va. -

Two men are facing charges in connection with a meth lab that was found in an old barn.

David Belcher Jr., 32, and David Madden Jr., 31, are both being charged with operating a clandestine drug lab.

According to a news release from the Chapmanville Police Department, officers got a tip that about a possible meth lab on Crawley Creek Road.

Monday night, officers went to the home and were given permission to search on old barn behind the home.

According to the release, officers found meth cooking supplies and several bottles full of what they believed was meth.

Both men are currently being held in the Southwestern Regional Jail.

Foster Father Facing Several Charges

LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. -

A foster father is accused of sexually abusing two teenage girls.

The allegations against him are serious, but he says they never happened.

Adam Thompson, 28, was arrested and taken to Southwestern Regional Jail; accused of sexually abusing his two teenage foster daughters.

His next court hearing has not yet been set. He is charged with two counts of sexual abuse by a custodian/guardian.

The two girls had lived with Thompson and his wife for five or six years.

They have since been removed from that home.

Sentencing for Former Massey Mine Boss Postponed

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Sentencing is being delayed for a former Massey Energy mine president who pleaded guilty to charges resulting from an investigation into the 2010 explosion at another Massey operation that killed 29 men.

The Associated Press reports that a federal judge has agreed to postpone David Hughart's scheduled June 25 sentencing until Aug. 1 at the request of his attorney.

Hughart pleaded guilty to two federal conspiracy charges for working with others to ensure miners at Massey operations got advance warning about surprise federal inspections between 2000 and March 2010.

He is cooperating with federal investigators and has implicated former chief executive Don Blankenship in safety violations at the company. Blankenship has denied wrongdoing.

Hughart faces up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $350,000.

Lockheed Martin shows F-35 Lightning II demonstrator in Ravenswood

RAVENSWOOD, W. VA.– State and Local elected officials and employees at Constellium got to take part in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II mobile cockpit demonstrator in Ravenswood Thursday.

Constellium is a key supplier of aluminum plates for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II program.

Over 800 employees at Constellium’s Ravenswood facility contribute to the manufacture of aluminum plates for the aerostructure of the F-35. Roughly 125,000 direct and indirect jobs are tied to the program nationally.

During the event, those in attendance received an update on the status of the program as well as given the opportunity to “fly” the F-35 cockpit demonstrator to experience stealth capability, fighter agility and integrated information through the eyes of a pilot.

The F-35 Lightning II is a 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth with fighter speed and agility, fully-fused sensor information and network-enabled operations.

Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 118,000 people worldwide.

The company is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services.

Boone fires believed suspicious

Boone County investigators believe arson is the cause of two separate fires early Thursday morning which destroyed two vehicles.

Firemen responded to the calls which came in five-minutes apart shortly before 2:00am on Hewett Creek off Route 17.  One fire destroyed a handicap accessible Boone County School bus.  The other fire destroyed a pickup truck.  Deputies say the windows of a third vehicle were also broken.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Boone County 911 304-369-9913 or the state Arson Hotline at 1-800-233-FIRE.

WV birthday stamp coming

First there was the Sesquicentennial license plate, then the Sesquicentennial coins.  Thursday Governor Earl Ray Tomblin unveiled the Sesquicentennial stamp. 

It’s a showstopper according to Chelsea Ruby, the executive director of the West Virginia Sesquicentennial Commission.

“It’s beautiful! I think it’s a great depiction of West Virginia’s landscape. It shows the mountains. It shows a sunrise,” Ruby said.

The image was captured by Roger Spencer along the Highland Scenic Highway in Pocahontas County. The U.S. Postal Service chose the picture to grace the special stamp.

“The postal service is going to be producing 30 million of these stamps which will be sold nationwide,” according to Ruby.

They go on sale on the state’s 150th birthday, June 20, in all 50 states.

“You can get them anywhere but what you can only get in West Virginia is the first day cancellation which will be available at the [Sesquicentennial] ceremony on the Capitol steps on June 20th,” Ruby said.

Unlike the Sesquicentennial coins, which went on sale earlier this month and were limited to just 1,863, the stamps will be widely available. But Ruby predicts they won’t be around for long, even with 30 million in print.

“Just releasing [the information] Thursday morning, we’ve got so much interest, people saying, ‘Where can I get these stamps? How many can I get? Where do I get them canceled?’ I think this is going to become a real collector’s item.”

The Sesquicentennial stamp is a first-class Forever stamp. That means it will always be equal to the current value of USPS stamp.

To learn more about the Sesquicentennial celebration, log on to www.wv150.com.

Jury convicts on lesser charges in Putnam DUI death case

WINFIELD, W.Va. — A Putnam County man could be sentenced to 18 months in jail after being convicted on two misdemeanor charges following a deadly car wreck last year on Poca River Road.

The Putnam County jury found Caleb Beckner, 25, of Red House, guilty Thursday on two lesser charges of DUI with death and aggravated DUI.

Beckner was driving drunk on March 9, 2012 when he lost control of his car in a bad curve and flipped the vehicle. It landed in a ditch. The wreck claimed the life of passenger Heather Brooks.

Prosecutors indicted Beckner on felony charges but were unable to prove during the three-day trial that he was driving recklessly. He was going 43 mph in a posted 35 mph zone. Evidence showed he never used his brakes in the curve.

Beckner will be sentenced August 1. He’s been in jail since last year’s arrest after having his parole revoked. He had been convicted of separate felonies before the wreck.

Lincoln County mine issued multiple citations through recent inspection

SUMERCO, W. Va.– A Lincoln County mine was one of nine coal mines in West Virginia that were issued multiple citations and orders after special impact inspections were conducted last month.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration conducted an inspection April 17 at Fork Creek No. 1 Mine, Coal River Mining, LLC in Lincoln County and issued four closure orders and 10 citations.

The mine was cited for inadequate examination of one of the conveyer belts where hazardous conditions existed. Inspectors found that top-structure rollers were not immediately removed or repaired on the belt during the examination.

Inspectors also found 31 locations where belt strings (cords) intertwined with the belt roller and hanger which has the potential of creating a fire and smoke inhalation hazard.

In addition, the inspection uncovered the failure of mine operators to follow the MSHA-approved methane/dust control plan for the roof bolter. By not doing so, miners were exposed to respiratory hazards that increase their risk of developing black lung, silicosis and other respiratory diseases.

Power cables on a shuttle car operating in a wet area of the mine were also found to be not properly maintained and posed an electrocution hazard.

Last months inspection was not the first impact inspection conducted at the Lincoln County mine this year. An inspection in February resulted in the issuing of 16 ventilation violations, 13 of which were closure orders.

In a news release Thursday, Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, stated that  Fork Creek No. 1 Mine is just an example of a mine that is still not getting it.

“The violations that were issued show the troublesome behavior that takes place at some mines when MSHA inspectors are not expected to show up,” said Main.

Ever since the April 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine, the MSHA has been conducting monthly inspections of certain mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to their poor compliance history or particular compliance concerns.

In total last month, federal inspectors conducted special impact inspections at nine coal mines and two metal/nonmetal mines in West Virginia resulting in 106 citations being issued along with 13 orders and one safeguard.

WV State Trooper thanked by deer in Cabell County

A West Virginia State Trooper was rewarded Thursday for a good deed performed on a deer.

State Trooper Will Hash responded to a call of a deer stuck in a fence on Johns Creek in Cabell County.

Upon arriving on scene, Hash feared he may have to euthanize the animal, so instead he decided to simply free the deer from the fence.

Following completion of the task, Hash was reportedly followed back to his cruiser by the deer and given a “kiss” goodbye.

Former Pennington Gap police chief sentenced

BIG STONE GAP, Va. Former Pennington Gap Police Chief William Bryan Young will serve nine years in prison for staging the burglary of a town pharmacy and conspiring to sell the haul of prescription painkillers.

U.S. District Judge James P. Jones sentenced Young, 39, of Duffield, Va., to federal prison Tuesday in Western District court in Big Stone Gap, following a plea agreement that also includes $11,571 in restitution and $200 in fines, court records show.

Young had headed the town's Police Department for nearly a year when federal agents arrested him in October following a two-year investigation initially focused on other suspects.

In December, he pleaded guilty to the September burglary of a local Rite Aid and to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, court records show.

Also pleading guilty in December to similar charges were co-defendants Kevin Andrew Young, 35, Chris Miles, 35, and Jimmy Edward Johnson, all of Duffield. They have not yet been sentenced.

Young set up the burglary by telling his police officers to quit working the evening of Sept. 27, 2012, so that he would be the only officer on duty that night and early into the next morning, court documents show.

Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charges

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- An Ohio man who illegally sold several firearms to a convicted felon in 2012 pleaded guilty Tuesday in Huntington to federal charges, according to information from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin’s office.

Jeffrey Allen Jones, 50, of Chesapeake, Ohio, pleaded guilty to knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon. On March 15, 2012, a police informant contacted Jones by telephone and arranged to purchase a .22-caliber pistol.

Afterward, Jones met the informant at a predetermined location in Huntington and sold the pistol in exchange for $150.

Jones knew that prior to conducting the firearm transaction, the informant had been convicted of a felony and was not permitted to possess a firearm.

During the firearm transaction, Jones told the police informant to wipe the firearm down and if anything happened he would report the gun stolen.

Jones also sold an additional five firearms to the same police informant. All of the firearm transactions were monitored and recorded by police.

Jones faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced Aug. 26 by Chief U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers.

Labor groups back Delegate Tim Miley for House Speaker

Harrison County Delegate and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Tim Miley now has the backing of the key labor groups in his pursuit to become the next Speaker of the House.

The West Virginia AFL-CIO, including its largest affiliate the American Federation of Teachers, and the West Virginia Education Association have endorsed Delegate Tim Miley to take over as Speaker of the House of Delegates after current Speaker Rick Thompson resigns.

“After much discussion and careful consideration, the WV AFL-CIO Executive Board unanimously endorsed Tim Miley for Speaker,” said state AFL-CIO President Kenny Purdue in a news release.

AFT-WV President Christine Campbell commented in a news release Wednesday that she believes Miley is the best choice for Speaker of the House.

“Tim Miley has always been there for West Virginia’s teachers and service personnel and we’re going to be there for him,” she said. “He has long been an advocate for public education and has always worked to improve the quality of life for West Virginia’s working families.”

Current House Speaker Rick Thompson is resigning to become the next Secretary of the Department of Veterans Assistance.

A new Speaker will likely be selected in early July.

UMWA’s efforts in Patriot Coal case knocked backwards

CHARLESTON, W.Va.–A federal bankruptcy judge says Patriot Coal can eliminate its collective bargaining agreement with the United Mine Workers of America and change retiree health care benefits as it tries to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Wednesday’s ruling by St. Louis-based U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kathy Surratt-States is a blow to the UMWA. Union President Cecil Roberts said the ruling is “wrong, unfair and fails to fully recognize the coming wave of human suffering that will be experienced by thousands of people throughout the coalfields.”

The union has held a number of emotional rallies in recent months in Charleston and St. Louis blaming Patriot’s financial problems on Peabody and Arch coal companies. Roberts has claimed many times Patriot was set up to fail when it was formed by Peabody with more liabilities than assets in 2007. The next year Patriot purchased Magnum Coal from Arch, which shifted retiree benefits to the new company.

Patriot President and CEO Ben Hatfield called the ruling “a major step forward for Patriot, allowing our company to achieve savings that are critical to our reorganization and the preservation of more than 4,000 jobs,”

Roberts says it’s not surprising that bankruptcy court “cares more about the short-term interests of the company that it does the dedication of thousands of workers.”  He says the union will appeal the ruling to U.S. District Court.

The door is now open for Patriot to pay its union workers less. The union says that will also mean eliminating some paid time off and increasing out-of-pocket health care costs. Patriot can also begin changing retirement benefits to thousands of retirees, many who did not work for Patriot, as early as July 1.

Judge Surratt-States said in her ruling the union has to take some responsibility for Patriot’s financial problems.

“Unions generally try to bargain for the best deal for their members,” she wrote. She also said Congress can be blamed for unfunded retiree medical costs along with “the benign neglect and false hopes of companies and unions alike.”

The UMWA’s Roberts says the union’s fight is not over.

“But I want to make it emphatically clear that despite this ruling, the UMWA’s effort to win fairness for these active and retired workers is by no means over,” Roberts said in a statement. “Indeed, this ruling makes it more important than ever for the architects of this travesty, Peabody Energy and Arch Coal, to take responsibility for the obligations they made to thousands of retirees who are now at imminent risk.”

The union has a lawsuit against both Peabody and Arch in Charleston.

Roberts says he will continue to have talks with Patriot; in fact, he was speaking with the company Wednesday afternoon not long after the judge’s ruling came out.

Patriot’s Hatfield says for the coming days the company plans to continue to operate under the current UMWA contracts.

“Patriot management will continue diligent negotiations with the UMWA leadership to address their concerns about our court-approved proposals,” Hatfield said in a prepared statement. “While the Court has given Patriot the authority to impose these critical changes to the collective bargaining agreements, and our financial needs mandate implementation by July 1, we continue to believe that a consensual resolution is the best possible outcome for all parties.”

Patriot has previously offered the union a 35 percent stake in the new company.

The next UMWA rally is set for next Tuesday, June 4, in Henderson, Ky., where more than 4,000 people are expected.

West Virginia State Police to implement new child abuse program

The West Virginia State Police is starting a new pilot program to combat the increase in child abuse incidents in relation to incidents of prescription drug abuse.

Over the past few months, the state police has seen a rise in incidents of prescription drug abuse directly correlating with incidents of child abuse/neglect in West Virginia.

Due to the increase of these acts, the West Virginia State Police, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in a pilot program named the Drug Endangered Children Tracking System (DECSYS) beginning July 1.

The program is merely a system designed to share intelligence information between law enforcement and child protection services.

In the program, each felony drug arrest in Putnam and Kanawha Counties of West Virginia will be entered into the secure pointer index system in hopes that child protection services will better be able to identify situations where children are being either neglected or abused.

West Virginia becomes one of only five states currently participating in the DECSYS. The hope is that the program will be implemented across the entire state at some point in the near future.

Two Men Arrested on Drug Charges

WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. -- Two men were arrested in separate drug busts Monday and Tuesday in Wayne County, according to information from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

Norman Pauley, 62, of Mill Creek, was charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and one count of manufacturing a controlled substance.

Deputies executed a search warrant at Pauley’s home and found marijuana packaged for sale, marijuana plants near the home and evidence of a former indoor marijuana grow. Deputies also found a small amount of suspected crack cocaine and about $2,000 cash.

Pauley was taken to the Western Regional Jail.

In a separate incident, 74-year-old Drewie Browning of Genoa, was arrested and charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Deputies say an undercover officer bought oxycodone pills from Browning twice, and they found more pills inside the home.

Results of the search warrant are expected to lead to more arrests and charges, deputies say.

Check for TB advancing in Cabell County

The Cabell-Huntington Health Department has tested nearly everyone who might have come in contact with two people with confirmed cases of tuberculosis.

“To date we have tested 138 people who were possibly exposed to those two different cases,” said department spokesperson Elizabeth Ayers.

A health advisory was issued earlier this month in hopes of reaching out to anyone who might have come in contact with the individuals. Ayers said they’ve been successful so far, and so far there are no new confirmed cases of TB.

Though tuberculosis is rare these days, it is still a communicable disease.

“We do see one to two cases a year,” Ayers said. “For the past couple of years, we’ve had an increase in those numbers.”

It will take anywhere from a month to two for the final results of those tests to come back. But Ayers said she’s confident the health agency was able to stop it from spreading.

Though tuberculosis is an airborne disease, Ayers said residents shouldn’t worry about contracting tuberculosis merely by passing someone.

“Walking down the street, passing somebody that has active TB, your chances of getting it that way are very, very low,” she said. “You have to be in very, very close contact with somebody that has it, somebody that you’re around quite a bit.”

Tuberculosis typically attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body.

Turnpike traffic down slightly for holiday weekend

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The General Manager for the state Parkways Authority said travelers on the West Virginia Turnpike decreased minimally during this past Memorial Day holiday weekend compared with 2012.

 Traffic decreased about 1.25 percent, adding up to 7,000 fewer transactions, between Thursday and Monday, Greg Barr said. That’s a smaller holiday travel decline than the turnpike saw in recent years, when declines of between 2 percent and 3 percent were typical.

According to the toll collection numbers, the busiest day on the turnpike for the holiday weekend was Friday with 145,000 transactions. A total of 118,000 transactions happened on Thursday followed by 114,000 on Monday.

Barr said the budget for the Parkways Authority in the coming year reflects a projected overall 2-percent decline in turnpike traffic.

“Hopefully, we’ll do better, but it’s a conservative estimate. We’d much rather be surprised in a good way than in a bad way about what our budget is,” he said.

County prosecutors to get a better shot at drug money

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — County prosecutors in West Virginia will have a better chance to get drug forfeiture money under the provisions of a new state law.

The legislature approved and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed into law the West Virginia Contraband Forfeiture Act earlier this year. It takes effect July 9.

The old law required county prosecutors to file civil lawsuits against drug defendants within 90 days after their arrests if they wanted the forfeited money. The new law only requires a certified letter to the defendant within 30 days. Drug offenders rarely fight for the money seized during a drug arrest.

In recent years, many police agencies have opted to allow the federal government to go after the drug money because its process is streamlined, Plants said. The arresting agency gets 80 percent of the money and the federal government 10 percent.

The new state law is a 90/10 split, with the 10 percent going to the county prosecutor’s office.

The bill was sponsored by Del. Doug Skaff (D-Kanawha) and co-sponsored by Del. Justin Marcum (D-Mingo). Marcum said he believes the new law will help curb the drug problem in the state.

Suspects wanted in attempted ATM heist in Welch

WELCH, W.Va. — Two suspects are wanted by police in McDowell County after they used a stolen vehicle in an attempt to steal an ATM machine from a gas station.

Police said the suspects broke into the Bantam Market over the weekend in Welch, tied a strap around the ATM and pulled it outside through the front of the store. The two used a vehicle they stole from the Town of Gary.

When they realized the ATM was too heavy for them to lift, the pair jumped in the vehicle and left.

The suspects then allegedly drove back to Gary and set the vehicle on fire.

Seatbelts Saved Family in Rollover Crash

SISSONVILLE, W.Va. -- Four people were able to walk away from a rollover accident, and they say seatbelts are what saved their lives.

The crash happened around 10:45 Monday morning on Interstate 77 in the Sissonville area.

The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office say the driver lost control in a curve, crossed the median and the car flipped.

Deputies say wet roads may have played a role in the crash.

Two adults, one child and an infant were in the car. The mother of the children says they were all bucked up and wearing their seatbelts, and that's why there were able to walk away with just some bumps and scrapes.

One wounded in Kanawha County shooting

State Police say a woman is wounded after a shooting incident on Monday morning in Kanawha County.

It happened after 9 a.m. on Memorial Day on Smith Creek Road in South Charleston.

No one has been charged with the shooting.  Troopers say it is an ongoing investigation.

No other details were available.

Wayne murder trial set for Tuesday beginning

Jury selection will begin Tuesday morning in Wayne County Circuit Court in a murder and robbery trial.

Willie Jay Copley, 27,  allegedly killed a Dunlow man in order to steal his prescription drugs. A co-defendant in the case, Dylan Jarrells, 19, pleaded guilty to robbery last month and is expected to testify against Copley.

Prosecutors allege the pair killed James Spurlock, 46, at his home along Route 152 in Radnor  on May 31, 2012. They say the evidence will show Copley and Jarrells rode there on ATVs, befriended Spurlock and then held him at gunpoint.

Prosecutors say their evidence shows Copley pulled the trigger.

A 12-member jury will be chosen to hear the case.

W.Va. governor orders flags at state-owned facilities to fly at half-staff for Memorial Day

State and U.S. flags at state-owned facilities will fly at half-staff in observance of Memorial Day.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has ordered the flags to be lowered on Monday from dawn until noon.

Tomblin says Memorial Day is an opportunity to pay tribute to and remember those who fought to preserve freedom and security.

Meth Lab Found in a Parking Lot

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A shake and bake-style meth lab abandoned in the parking lot of an apartment building has shaken up the community.

Police say someone left the meth lab inside a suitcase outside Terrace Park East off of Kanawha Blvd.

They say a man walking in the parking lot spotted the abandoned suitcase about 1:30 p.m. and called 911. When officers arrived, they found 13 bottles inside filled with drug-making materials.

Police are still trying to figure out who is responsible for leaving the meth lab.

Bikers Honor Slain Sheriff

MINGO COUNTY, W.Va. – More than 100 bikers from around the region rode into Mingo County this weekend to take part in the “Poker Run” memorial ride in honor of Sheriff Eugene Crum.

Crum was murdered in early April while eating lunch in his car.

The ride began in Williamson and went past the spot where Crum was killed, then out into Mingo County past his grave.

During his 93 days in office, Crum’s department managed more than 50 drug convictions.

Rosie Crum, Eugene’s widow who was named sheriff after his murder, came to the Poker Run.

The ride was originally scheduled for early May as part of Rally in the Valley, but it was delayed because of rain.

Man charged with making threat to Boone County school

A Raleigh County man is free on bond charged with making terrorist threats on a school in Boone County.  

Investigators allege David Henry Linville, 26, of Shady Spring, made the threat Monday evening on social media to a student at Sherman High School. The threat was to “relive the Newtown shooting.”

Deputies say the student reported the threat to the school Tuesday and an investigation began.

Linville was charged Wednesday after he was interviewed by deputies and a search warrant was used on his Raleigh County home.

Security was increased at Boone County schools Wednesday.

“Threats like this are taken very seriously and will not be tolerated. Safety of our school children is our number one priority and we will not allow anyone to compromise that,” Boone County Sheriff Randall White said in a statement.

Putnam storm damage was caused by micro-burst

The strong storm that knocked down large trees, destroyed two mobile homes and injured two residents in Putnam County Wednesday was a micro-burst.   

The National Weather Service says the damage in the Marina Drive area of Teays Valley is consistent with sinking air in a thunderstorm. The damage was confined to an area about 150 yards wide by a third of a mile long. Winds reached about 80 mph.

Putnam County Director of the Office of Emergency Management Frank Chapman says the storm serves as a reminder to residents to take all storms seriously.

“Whether it’s a tornado or high winds or a micro-burst or whatever–it can happen about any given time in a storm,” Chapman said.

The Wednesday afternoon storm knocked down several large trees that fell into the mobile homes.

“Take that into consideration when you are taking shelter in your home,” Chapman said. “If there is a large tree beside it or in the area that could possibly fall they need to take shelter in an area that wouldn’t be obstructed by that tree if it decided to fall,” Chapman said.

Putnam County OEM took damage assessment of the area and turned the information over to the state office. Chapman says there wasn’t enough damage to seek federal assistance.

White-Skaff form coalition in race for House Speaker

There’s an announced coalition in the race for the open speaker’s job in the West Virginia House of Delegates giving a major boost to the candidacy of House Finance Committee Chairman Harry Keith White.

Kanawha County Delegate Doug Skaff said Thursday he’s backing White.

The move apparently puts two camps in the race; the White-Skaff coalition against a group of current leadership team members led by House Majority Leader Brent Boggs and Dels. Tim Miley and Mike Caputo.

Del. White, the House Finance Committee chair, announced on Monday that he’s a candidate for the job. Skaff brings on board a group of younger House members known as the “young guns” and some more experienced delegates who have been mainly left out of leadership roles.

Skaff says White approached him several times in the past week since current Speaker Rick Thompson announced his decision to resign and take a job in the Tomblin administration.

“He (White) is reaching out to people and giving them a chance,” Skaff said. “I think everybody deserves a seat at the table. The bottom line is we have a lot of great, experienced people and we need to bring them into the fold who maybe haven’t had a chance or a voice.”

Skaff says the coalition includes Democratic delegates who are freshmen and those who have been in the House for as long as 16 years. Skaff says the credit goes to Chairman White for bringing the coalition together.

“He was one of the only candidates to come out and say, ‘I’m really open to making some changes and putting people into places where they can contribute,’” Skaff said. “He was against maintaining the status quo.”

Skaff says no leadership positions have been promised in the new coalition but statehouse observers believe Skaff would be in line for the majority leader’s position if White were successful.

The coalition put out a news release Thursday evening with quotes from several other delegates.

Lincoln County Democrat Josh Stowers says he’s looking forward to playing a role in a new direction for the state “with new ideas, new faces, and new agenda combined with the experience, knowledge, and dedication of those Delegates who have been there fighting for West Virginians through the years,” Stowers said.

Cabell County Del. Doug Reynolds is expressing confident in White to bring a jobs agenda to the forefront.

Del. Tiffany Lawrence, D-Jefferson, called the new team a “bold step” for the House of Delegates.

Skaff says he hopes other Democratic delegates will express their support soon for the new coalition.

“If they truly believe that we need to move West Virginia forward….they will come on this team and I’m confident at the end of the day we will have enough votes to turn a new leadership team,” Skaff said.

Speaker Thompson’s resignation is expected to be official sometime in mid-June. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will then have 10 days to call the House into session to take up the Speaker’s position.

Park Service identifies train accident victim

The National Park Service has identified the woman struck and killed by a train earlier this week near the Fayette-Summers county line.

Authorities say Chandra Turner, 49, of Louisville, Ky., was walking the tracks during a rainstorm in the Meadow Creek area. Engineers on a CSX train tried to warn her but she didn’t move in time.

Investigators say Turner was walking the tracks with a blanket over her head during the storm.

Seat belt bill gets governor’s signature

This bill will save lives!”

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said just before he put pen to paper Thursday to officially sign Senate bill 2018, or the seat belt bill, into law.

Starting July 9, if you’re not wearing your seat belt in a moving vehicle in the state of West Virginia, you can be pulled over by law enforcement and fined. That goes for passengers as well as drivers.

Up until now, wearing your seat belt has been a secondary offense. Police could only fine you for not buckling up if you were pulled over for another offense. This bill changes that.
Kanawha County Senator Corey Palumbo introduced the bill six years ago. But it went nowhere. He says many people felt like the legislation infringed on their rights.

“I think there’s just some general resistance to things that people consider to be over reaching of their government,” Palumbo said Thursday.

The senator says he understand that but, in this case, feels the benefit of wearing a seat belt outweighs the negatives.

“The trade off that you have to make, you have to balance considerations. I think the safety aspect of it outweighs the intrusion of it.”

Palumbo says he is very happy that his fellow lawmakers were finally able to come to an agreement and pass a bill that is estimated to save 17 lives each year and reduce injuries by the hundreds.

“It is something that’s been done in the vast majority of the states. It is something, that when it has been done, has reduced roadway fatalities and reduced significant injuries,” he said.

The signing comes just one day before the start of the Memorial Day weekend and during the annual Click It or Ticket campaign.

Pikeville Medical Center Joins Mayo Clinic Care Network

Officials from Mayo Clinic and Pikeville Medical Center announced this afternoon that PMC is the latest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. 

According to officials with both facilities, this networking will allow health care providers at PMC access to Mayo Clinic resources regarding questions of diagnosis, therapy or care management.

The Mayo Clinic Care Network launched in 2011 and has member organizations based in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

The Mayo Clinic Care Network represents non-ownership relationships.  With Mayo Clinic, members of the network share a commitment to improve the quality and delivery of health care.

PMC provides high-quality compassionate care to a region of more than 420,000 people in 15 counties and the states of Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.

Mason County Felman Production plant expecting layoffs

Layoffs are coming at the Felman Production LLC plant in Mason County.

The company announced in a news release they will be temporarily idling one of three electric arc furnaces at its ferroalloys plant in New Haven at the end of the month and begin laying off union workers June 3.

The company stated that it had eliminated several management and contract positions already.

The company blames declining silicomanganese prices and increasing manufacturing costs for the cuts. The furnace will remain shut down until market conditions improve, said Felman.

The plant employs more than 200 members of the United Steelworkers. The company and the union agreed on a new 42-month contract in January.

The number of employees expected to be laid off was not released by the company.

Speaker wannabes start talking

The House Judiciary Committee Chairman says the next Speaker of the state House of Delegates will need help.

“No one of us that has an interest has enough votes to become Speaker without building relationships and we need to do that collectively, I hope, or not,” Harrison County Delegate Tim Miley said.

Miley was scheduled to meet Wednesday with House Finance Committee Chair Harry Keith White, House Majority Whip Mike Caputo, House Majority Leader Brent Boggs and Wayne County Delegate Don Perdue.

All have been named as possible replacements for current House Speaker Rick Thompson, a Democrat, who will resign on June 15th to become the Secretary of the state Department of Veterans Assistance.

Delegate Miley said they all have to start talking.  “I feel like most problems should and can get resolved with face to face, honest, frank, candid discussions and we’re all friends, we’re all colleagues.”

Kanawha County Delegate Doug Skaff’s name has been included on Speaker lists.  Miley, though, said Skaff has “rubbed some the wrong way” and that is why he was not included in the Wednesday meeting.

“We need to get over this hurdle first and then I want to certainly make sure that Doug Skaff and others in the House who have an interest are part of all communications,” Miley said.

“We’ve just got to begin talking with each other and that’s just not happened very much up until now.”

Speaker Thompson, who is from Wayne County, has held that role for the past seven years.

Honoring and remembering our veterans

Frontier Communications honored the men and women of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice. Wednesday, the company unveiled the Honor and Remember flag during a ceremony at their West Virginia headquarters in Charleston.

Eleven-percent of Frontier’s workforce is made up of veterans and the company decided this year to join the Honor and Remember movement.

Greg Barratt, with Frontier, explains the meaning.

“This is a very special flag that is specifically geared toward the sacrifice that our armed forces have had throughout WWII to the present,” explains Barratt.

The red field of the flag represents the blood spilled by our forces, the blue star, the active military in combat; the white border, the purity of sacrifice; the gold star, the ultimate sacrifice of active military who will not return home; the folded flag, the final tribute to a fallen warrior and the red flame, an eternal reminder of the spirit of the fallen hero.

“This flag will be prominently displayed inside the [Frontier] MacCorkle Ave. building. It will be year round and we will have what the flag means, the symbolism, for all our visitors and new employees who may be coming in,” says Barratt.

During the ceremony, Frontier recognized, by name, all the employees present who are veterans. Barratt says this is a special time of year and they want their workers to grasp the significance.

“We believe that this is a week long time to reflect about what Memorial Day really means,” stresses Barratt. “And by doing this, with a special Honor and Remember flag, we’re really engaging our workforce all the way from our senior leadership down to the front line technician that might come out to your house or a consultant you might speak to on the phone.”

The company is holding similar ceremonies this week at offices in 26 other states.

Highway group to have final proposal by next month

Six public hearings will be held throughout the state before the West Virginia Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways votes next month on ways to fund West Virginia’s current and future road needs.

“It’s critical that the public take an interest in this,” Monongalia County Senator Bob Beach said after the Blue Ribbon Commission’s meeting on Wednesday.

“Transportation is critical, infrastructure is critical to West Virginia’s future.”

In recent months, the Commission has been working on plans for future funding options for the maintenance, construction and expansion of the state’s roadway system.  There are reportedly four plans now being considered that include a number of possibilities, like an increase to the gas tax or additional road tolls.

Over the next 25 years, West Virginia officials have estimated the state will have about $15 billion in state and federal money to spend on roads, a declining number.  The actual amount of estimated need, though, is closer to $40 billion.

Sen. Beach says it’s a big issue.  “There is a lot that we have to consume,” he said of the Commission’s work on Wednesday.

“This problem has escalated here in the last few years, but the problem has been around for a while and, I think, trying to accomplish everything we need to do in just a six month period is a little bit of a time crunch, but I think we are moving in the right direction.”

The dates, times and locations for the six public hearings are expected to be finalized next week.

After those hearings, the full Blue Ribbon Commission will meet again on June 26th for a final time to vote on the proposal that will then be submitted to Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for action.

It was Governor Tomblin who formed the group last August to take a comprehensive approach to West Virginia’s road needs.

It includes those from transportation, construction, labor, business and state government who are charged with finding ways to address West Virginia’s aging highway system for the long term.

A report last year from TRIP, a national transportation research group, determined 36% of the major roads in West Virginia are in poor or mediocre condition.  A third of the bridges are considered “structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.”

In all, West Virginia has 36,000 miles of state maintained roads and 6,850 bridges.

Firefighters facing arson charges

Two men are facing arson charges in Nicholas County for their alleged roles in a series of fires near Mount Lookout.

State Police say those fires happened between December 2011 and early 2012.  Those fires were set to structures and to brush.

Troopers say Charles Fillmore Barnett and his son, Charles Lindell Barnett, were arrested earlier this week and could face more charges.  Additional arrests could also be made.

Both have worked with the Wilderness Volunteer Fire Department.

Governor Tomblin offers assistance to tornado victims

West Virginia is reaching out to those affected by the devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin stated in a release Wednesday that he spoke with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and offered West Virginia emergency response resources to assist with the recovery efforts following the storm.

“In my conversation with Gov. Fallin, I offered our emergency response resources to assist with recovery efforts-letting her know we are prepared to help out in any way we can,” said Tomblin in the release.

At least 24 people were killed and more than 200 injured Monday afternoon when a massive tornado leveled the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.

In addition, Tomblin said the state has also reached out to Oklahoma’s National Guard and Department of Emergency Management to offer support.

Oklahoma City officials have estimated that around 12,000 to 13,000 homes have been damaged by the tornado along with two area schools.

In the release Tomblin asked for prayers for those affected.

“Joanne and I continue to pray for the communities, throughout the Midwest, affected by the tornadoes and severe storms-especially those in Oklahoma City and the surrounding area,” he said. “We ask all West Virginians to keep the families affected by this disaster in your thoughts and prayers.”

Monday’s tornado has been given a EF5 ranking, putting it in the same class as the deadliest in U.S. history, which hit Joplin, Mo., in 2011, killing 158 and injuring hundreds more.