Man arraigned on threats to bomb playground

A Jackson County man was arraigned Thursday after being indicted on charges he threatened to set off a bomb on a school playground earlier this year. 

Jackson County prosecutors secured an indictment this week from a grand jury against Blake Ryan Garnes. The 20-year-old Garnes, of Evans, was arrested June 26 after police found what they called a functioning bomb in his house.

Garnes admitted to making the bomb, according to the criminal complaint. A raid on his home also found writings about his desire to harm children.

Police also used information from a confidential informant.

Garnes originally was charged with making a terroristic threat and being in possession of an explosive device. He remains in the South Central Regional Jail on $500,000 bail.

Court suspends Wilfong for rest of term after affair

The state Supreme Court suspended Randolph County Circuit Judge Jaymie Wilfong for the rest of her term without pay in an order handed down Thursday afternoon. 

In an opinion authored by Justice Menis Ketchum, the court found Wilfong violated the code of conduct for judges 11 times in connection with a 26-month affair she had with Travis Carter, who was at the time director of the North Central Community Corrections program.

Justice censured Wilfong on each of the 11 violations, suspended her through Dec. 31, 2016, and ordered her to pay all costs with the investigation and prosecution of the case.

Judicial ethics prohibit Wilfong from taking another job while she is suspended as a circuit judge, though she could resign. The Supreme Court reduced the hearing board’s proposed $20,000 fine, instead requiring Wilfong to pay $8,000 in prosecution costs. 

Man Arrested For Desertion From The Marine Corps

A man wanted for desertion from the U.S. Marine Corps was apprehended Thursday by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.

Police say, James Patrick Gray, Jr,. allegedly deserted his duty station in Camp Lejeune, NC on July 21, 2014. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department received a tip that Gray was hiding in the Victor area of Fayette County.

Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler said the tipster was a great help in the arrest.

According to police, Gray was apprehended without incident.

Hi Tech Vote Buying

Be careful if you use your cell phone while you're voting next Tuesday.

Many, but not all poll workers are on the alert for cell phone vote buying.

Local election officials say with so many hotly contested races, conditions are ripe for this high tech criminal act.

What exactly is cell phone vote buying?

Authorities say it’s when someone sneaks their cell phone into the voting booth.

They mark their ballot, take a picture of the ballot, take that picture and go down the street and sell their vote.

Authorities say that cell phone vote buying suspect can expect swift prosecution.

Public Service Commission schedules public hearings regarding AEP rate increase

The Public Service Commission has scheduled ten public comment hearings regarding the pending Appalachian Power Company and Wheeling Power Company rate increase.

American Electric Power, which owns the two companies, has requested a $226 million, or approximately 17 percent, increase of rates and charges for their West Virginia customers and a revision of its depreciation rates.

The Commission has set an evidentiary hearing on these requests for January 13 – 16, in Charleston.

AEP serves approximately 476,600 customers in Boone, Cabell, Clay, Fayette, Greenbrier, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Raleigh, Roane, Summers, Wayne, and Wyoming Counties.

Early Voting Up

If early voting numbers are any indication, Election Day could see a larger turnout than originally predicted.

Kanawha County Clerk Vera McCormick said she had a feeling early voting would be busy when she saw how busy her office was on the final day to register to vote.

“We had lines all day,” McCormick said. “We haven’t had that in the last few years.”

Kanawha County has the most registered voters in West Virginia. McCormick said there had been more than 5,600 early voters by Wednesday afternoon. There were just more than 9,000 early voters in the 2010 midterms in Kanawha County.

Berkeley County Chief Deputy Clerk of Elections Bonnie Woodfall said there are some very important races in this election and that’s boosting early voter turnout.

“We have a U.S. Senate race to replace Jay Rockefeller, the U.S. House of Representatives race,” Woodfall said. “And all of our delegates are running.”

Woodfall is also predicting more early voters than in 2010.

Cabell County Clerk Karen Cole said with early voting candidates have to change their strategy.

“It’s no longer down to one specific day,” Cole said. “It’s a two-week period you’re looking at.”

Cole said the early voter turnout during the first three days this year was four times more than 2010 in her county.

Early voting runs until Saturday at 5 p.m.

Logan County assessor charged with “structuring” in federal information

The assessor for Logan County has been charged with violating federal banking laws.

Russell “Rick” R. Grimmett was named in a federal information filed by U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin on Wednesday, alleging he and an associate withdrew cash from the Logan Bank and Trust in Man, West Virginia in amounts less than $10,000 to prevent triggering a federal reporting requirement.

Banks are required by federal law to report all cash transactions in excess of $10,000 and the practice Grimmett is accused of known as “structuring,” is a federal crime.

Grimmett  faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.

Wednesday’s charge stems from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the West Virginia State Police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith George Thomas is handling the prosecution on behalf of the government.

Tourism chair supports proposed constitutional amendment

The chairman of the state Tourism Commission supports a proposed constitutional amendment that would help the large Boy Scouts facility in Fayette County.

Chairman Oshel Craigo said the Boy Scouts have an attractive venue that they should be able to use to its full potential. The proposed constitutional amendment would permit the organization to rent the Summit Bechtel Reserve to for-profit businesses without paying property taxes.

Craigo said the entire region would benefit if events like large concerts are held at the reserve.

Opponents have expressed concern about using the state Constitution to give special breaks to a specific entity. Craigo said it’s not unusual. He state lawmakers have crafted state laws before to help particular projects including gambling at the Greenbrier Resort.

The proposal will be up for vote statewide Nov. 4.

EPA adjusts public comment period on Clean Power Plan

The federal EPA has received 1.5 million public comments on the agency’s Clean Power Plan that will impact the emissions of existing coal-fired power plants.

EPA acting assistant administrator for the agency’s Office of Air and Radiation Janet McCabe told reporters yesterday the agency is making more information available for comment.

McCabe said there have been lots of comments made about natural gas, the response by states to the new rule and timelines. She said that information will now be made available for other people to see so they can comment.

The public comment period ends Dec. 1.

Early Voting Begins Today in W.Va.

Thousands of West Virginia voters are expected to head to polling places Wednesday, the day the early voting period for the 2014 general election begins in the state.

In recent elections, early voters have made up about twenty percent of total turnout in West Virginia.

During the early voting period this year, which lasts until November 1st, people can cast their votes at county courthouses, a county courthouse annex or at a community voting location.

Early voting will be not be available on Sunday, October 26th.

On election day itself, November 4th, polls will be open across the state from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Mines Meeting Tougher Limits on Coal Dust in W.Va.

Federal officials say almost every mine sample taken since August would meet tougher limits on coal dust.

A U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration news release Monday said 99 percent of about 7,500 samples were below the new standard.

Initial requirements of the coal dust rule became effective Aug. 1. The federal rule proposed in 2010 aims to reduce black lung disease.

New requirements include increased dust sampling in mines and citations when coal operators don't take immediate action for high levels.

In February 2016, better monitoring equipment will be required. In August 2016, the allowable concentration of coal dust will drop. Officials will be able to cite violations based on single samples, instead of average levels.

Federal officials said mines met the new standard despite voicing concerns they couldn't.

Logan County man charged with attempted murder after firing shots at troopers

A Logan County man was charged with attempted murder yesterday after firing shots at troopers with the West Virginia State Police.  

Court documents state that Roy Clinton Richards, 43, of Eagles Roost, was distraught Tuesday morning.  He "threatened to shoot any police officer that came to his residence," the documents said. 

Upon arrival, troopers said he fired "at least two times" before complying with officers commands.  

Richards was arrested shortly afterwards.  He was brought to South Western Regional Jail, held on $50,000 bond.  

Internet Lawsuit

Some customers are suing Frontier Communications over its high-speed Internet service.

Three customers filed a class-action lawsuit last week in Lincoln County Circuit Court.

The lawsuit says Frontier's service is at much-slower speeds than advertised, while the company has frequent outages that forces customers to reboot their modems to restore broadband service. The lawsuit says Frontier advertised Internet speeds up to 12 megabits per second, but customers received much lower speeds while paying for the faster service.

Frontier spokesman Dan Page says the company tested each plaintiff's Internet line and found subscribed broadband speeds were met or exceeded. 

Bodies found in burned vehicle

West Virginia State Police are investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found in a burned vehicle in McDowell County.

The bodies were discovered early Sunday morning in the Longpole community north of Panther.

Authorities say both bodies were male and positive identification has not been made due to the condition of the remains.

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office is offering a $5000 reward for information in connection with the deaths.

Another year, another small Social Security bump

For the third straight year, millions of older Americans who rely on government benefits can expect historically small pay increases come January.

Preliminary figures suggest the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees will be less than 2 percent.

That translates to a raise of about $20 a month for the typical Social Security beneficiary.

The government is scheduled to announce the increase Wednesday, when it releases the latest measure of consumer prices.

By law, the increase is based on inflation, which is well below historical averages so far this year.

More than 70 million people receive benefits affected by the annual increase.

The average monthly Social Security payment is a little less than $1,200 a month.

DUI traffic stop leads to drug bust in Harrison County

A traffic stop in Harrison County lead to an arrest after the discovery of various drugs and over $10,000 in cash.

Cirk Douglas Friend, 36, of Mt. Clare was travelling south on I-79 near the Anmoore exit early Saturday morning when he struck a guard rail and kept going.

McCarty observed Friend remove large sums of cash from his pockets in an attempt to hide the cash in the vehicle. It was then McCarty contacted the Salem Police Department’s K-9 handler, Lt. Jeff Beach, requesting a respond to the scene.

Once the K-9, Dairo, gave a positive alert for drugs, the Department’s Street Crimes and Drug Unit was then searched the vehicle. As a result of this search approximately one and a half pounds of marijuana, 30 Clonazepam pills, anabolic steroids, customer lists with corresponding owe sheets, and $10,781 in cash were located.

Friend was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which is a felony. He will face the additional charges of DUI and possession of steroids and Clonazepam when his case is presented to a Grand Jury. 

Turnpike to replace aging maintenance facility

One of the original maintenance facilities built for the West Virginia Turnpike will soon be razed and a new, state of the art facility will take its place.  The Parkways Authority recently signed off on the project slated for the operations in the Beckley area.

“We want to tear those down and put in a new maintenance facility to replace the ones that were built in the 1950′s,” said Parkways General Manger Greg Barr. “Also replace the State Police facility which is one of the old buildings from the 1950′s which was reengineered to support a State Police barracks.”

The cost of the project is expected to be $3.6 Million and it will take about two years to complete the 18,000 square foot facility.  Barr said they’ll have to cope with the construction.

“We’ll start construction where the parking lot is now and work our  way back into the existing maintenance building,” Barr said. “Our maintenance crews will be dispersed over to the heavy equipment shop which is across the road.”

Barr said it’s a project sorely needed because it’s one of the busiest garages on the Turnpike.

“It will have three maintenance bays capable of lifting three salt trucks.  It will house the maintenance staff and equipment as well as the State Police in the central part of the Turnpike,” he said.

The construction will also include demolition of the existing salt storage facility which has fallen into disrepair. It will be rebuilt and made larger with the work which should get underway in a few weeks.

Summit from Education Alliance set for Monday

Leaders in education in West Virginia are starting out the week in Charleston for The Education Alliance’s annual statewide education summit dubbed “Excellence In Education: It’s Everyone’s Business.”

This is the second year the Education Alliance has held such a summit for business, education and community leaders. It will open at 9 a.m. at Embassy Suites.

“As a former teacher and as a father, I understand the importance of a good education, and as Governor, I recognize providing a world-class education is essential to West Virginia’s future,” Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said in a statement.

“Through continued collaboration at events like this year’s Education Summit, we can continue to improve and increase educational opportunities to ensure our state’s continued growth and economic success.”

At the event, Tom Vander Ark, author and CEO of Getting Smart, will talk about how digital tools can be used to personalize learning for all students. Attendees will also hear from Dr. Michael Martirano, the new state Superintendent.

Senate President questions gas rate increases

A recent increase in natural gas rates for two providers in West Virginia has the West Virginia Senate President concerned.

Sen. Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall) said he cannot understand why Peoples Gas and Mountaineer Gas are increasing their rates while West Virginia is sitting in the heart of a modern-day natural gas boom.

“We’ve got a glut of it and prices are going up,” Kessler.  ”Then, in the next headline, I read Chevron posted an $8 billion dollar profit in the last quarter.  Something doesn’t add up.”

The state Public Service Commission granted the increased rates to the two companies, although in many cases natural gas rates have steadily declined over the last ten years.  Some gas rates for residential customers are half what they were a decade ago.

“My degree in economics still tells me it’s supply and demand,” Kessler said. “I need to see some justification why it’s going up and we’re sitting on the mother load.”

Kessler has instructed his staff members to communicate with the state Public Service Commission’s Consumer Advocate to get a better understanding of the rate hikes.  He said he wants to review the evidence to make certain something wasn’t overlooked.

The change will increase the average rate payer’s bill from on average $6 to $15 a month.  Kessler said, while that may not seem like a lot to some, it’s a big bite to those on a fixed income.

“Everyone deserves to make a profit, but if they’re exorbitant profits and some profits I’m seeing made by the gas companies are significant,” Kessler said. “I just want to make sure we’re not eating the brunt of it as we market and ship this gas out of state.”

DOH keeps prepping for snow

Winter is on the way and workers with the West Virginia Division of Highways are making sure they aren’t caught unprepared for snow and ice.

In Monongalia County, the DOH started preparing their snow removal and ice control equipment this week at the DOH’s Monongalia County Headquarters on Grafton Road.

“This is called a dry run and what it does is allows us to get out here and put our equipment together ahead of the winter season,” said DOH Operations Section Head Jeff Pifer.

Pifer noted it’s better to get all the maintenance issues resolved while the weather is still nice.

Similar prep work is happening at DOH locations across West Virginia.

The first official day of winter is Dec. 21.

State official on Ebola: “Our job is to protect the public’s health”

Saying the United States must monitor Ebola in a much more aggressive way, President Barack Obama has called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to more quickly deploy rapid response teams to areas where Ebola is diagnosed.

The President said Wednesday, if already-established health protocols are followed properly, “The likelihood of widespread Ebola outbreaks in this country are very, very low.”

In West Virginia, Jerry Rhodes, the director of threat preparedness for the state Department of Health and Human Resources, echoed those statements on Thursday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”

He noted how regularly health officials respond to outbreaks.

“Our job is to protect the public’s health and we’ve been doing that for many, many years,” Rhodes said. “When something specialized and acute comes up like Ebola, you don’t reinvent the wheel.”

Rhodes said the response process is not new to public health. “We have great collaborative relationships with our federal partners, with state public health agencies and our local agencies located in every county who work on these types of things constantly,” he said.

As of Thursday morning, no cases of Ebola had been diagnosed in West Virginia.

Rhodes was involved in the emergency response at Charleston’s Yeager Airport on Wednesday evening when those on board a flight from Atlanta, Ga. were held on the plane until three passengers were checked for possible exposure to Ebola.

No such exposure was found. Rhodes said the response was “out of an abundance of caution.”

“In this particular case, there was some conversation that was overheard by another passenger who misunderstood what was said, misinterpreted what was said and, sort of, put it into their own words and expressed some concern to airline officials,” Rhodes said of the Charleston incident.

Ebola, an infectious and generally fatal virus, is characterized by fever and severe internal bleeding. It’s spread through contact with infected bodily fluids.

According to the CDC, the Ebola outbreak — which is affecting multiple countries in West Africa — is considered the largest in history.

One imported case from Liberia and associated locally-acquired cases in healthcare workers in Texas have been reported up to now.

Head-on collision claims one life in Webster County

A head-on vehicle accident in Webster County results in the death of one of the drivers.

Just after 7 a.m. Thursday morning, a vehicle traveling east on Route 15, outside of Webster Springs, and a vehicle turning from Curtain Road collided, sending both drivers to Webster Memorial Hospital.

According to the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the driver of the eastbound vehicle was later pronounced dead.

The investigation into the accident conducted by the Sheriff’s Office is ongoing.

Former Williamson mayor sentenced

A former Williamson mayor will spend three years on probation for lying to federal investigators.

Darrin McCormick, 50, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Charleston Thursday afternoon after pleading guilty in May to making a false statement to the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service during an investigation focused on Aracoma Contracting.

McCormick was a former manager at the Bank of Mingo’s Williamson branch where officials with Aracoma Contracting structured their withdrawals to evade federal reporting requirements, keep much of the company’s payroll off the books and bribe a workers’ compensation auditor.

The company itself has since plead guilty to a list of charges.

McCormick resigned from his role as mayor in Williamson in April shortly before he was named in a federal information filing, indicating his cooperation with federal investigators on the false statement charge.

Kanawha County Commission prepares for new prosecutor

The Kanawha County Commission made plans Wednesday during a special meeting to replace embattled Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Plants.

A three-judge panel handed down a 44-page order Tuesday that said Plants should be removed from office for malfeasance and neglect of duty. Less than 24 hours later, the commission met to formulate their plan for the future of the prosecutor’s office.

The judges’ order gives Plants 30 days to respond.

Plants has three different options: he could resign from office, he could appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court or take no action at all. Depending on which decision Plants makes, it will trigger action from the commission.

If he resigns, one code section kicks in. If he waits out the 31 days, another code section kicks in. At some point this commission will have the responsibility, in all likelihood, to appoint a successor.

Former DOH supervisor pleads guilty to providing false information regarding misuse of state resources

A former West Virginia Division of Highways supervisor pleaded guilty to lying about the misuse of state resources.

Barry D. Thompson, 49, of Mt. Clare, entered the guilty pleas to two counts of providing false information to a West Virginia State Trooper Wednesday in the Magistrate Court of Upshur County.

He was sentenced by Magistrate Juanita Adams to one year of probation.

Thompson, who is also under federal indictment for lying to a federal agent, has agreed to cooperate with federal authorities in their ongoing investigation of the WV Division of Highways Equipment Division. If he fully cooperates, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will dismiss the pending federal indictment.

Investigations have revealed Thompson denied any knowledge state employees had misused state resources to repair vehicles no longer owned by the state. However, he admitted Wednesday to instructing at least one state employee to repair a dump truck that had previously been sold at public auction at the state’s expense and on state time.

Thompson was also present when a state employee was directed to travel in his state issued vehicle, on state time, to purchase a replacement muffler for the same dump truck. The muffler did not fit and Thompson exchanged it, receiving a refund for the returned muffler. Then, both mufflers were sold at a discounted rate normally provided to the Division of Highways.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Public Corruption Unit, while the FBI, State Police and State Commission on Special Investigations led the inquiry. Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Parr prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

Airport Reopened after Ebola Scare

Three people were removed from an incoming plane at Yeager Airport very early Thursday morning after a passenger feared they may have been exposed to Ebola.

The flight, Delta 993, came in from Atlanta around 11:40 p.m. Wednesday.

According to Yeager Airport, the suspected passengers were removed from the plane and questioned by state and county health officials.

Those officials determined there was no credible threat of Ebola exposure.

Other passengers were briefed and released.

Yeager Airport officials say all plans they put in place for such an incident were followed through appropriately.

Flu or Ebola?

Flu season is here and some physicians are worried people may confuse flu symptoms with Ebola symptoms.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says there are specific questions doctors will ask right off to determine whether it's Ebola.

Have you traveled to an affected area, which are three regions in Africa? Are you running a fever greater than 100.4? Have you been around anyone who has been sick while you were traveling, within the last 21 days?

If you answer no to these questions, the CDC says it's unlikely you have Ebola.

The CDC is encouraging people to get their flu shot. Also during this time of year people need to wash their hands and keep them away from your face.

Two recalls from national stores in our area were announced Wednesday afternoon.

The Ashland Summer Living Vintage Wood Folding Table.

There have been four reports of consumers sitting on the tabletop and falling when the tables collapsed, resulting in injuries to the back, leg or hip.

Consumers should immediately stop using the tables and return them to any Michaels store for a full refund.

These tables were sold exclusively at Michaels Stores nationwide from April 2014 to May 2014.

The second recall includes the Just Like Home brand toy toaster sets.

No injuries have been reported with this item.

This item was sold exclusively at Toys R Us stores nationwide and online at www.toysrus.com from July 2013 through August 2014.

Consumers should immediately take this product away from children and return it to any Toys R Us to receive a full refund.

Panel: Kanawha County prosecuting attorney should be removed from office

Kanawha County prosecuting attorney Mark Plants could be out soon after a three-judge panel ruled he should be removed from office for malfeasance and neglect of duty.

Preston County Circuit Judge Larry Miller, Berkeley County Circuit Judge Christopher Wilkes and Pleasants County Circuit Judge Tim Sweeney issued the 44-page order on Tuesday afternoon after hearing testimony over parts of two days in September.

The order will be suspended for 30 days to give Plants time to appeal.

“Clearly, there is no winner in a difficult matter such as this,” said Kanawha County Commission president Kent Carper in a statement soon after the order was issued.

The Kanawha County Commission had filed a petition earlier this year to have Plants removed from office. At that time, the argument was he could not properly do his job while facing his own charges of domestic battery and violating a protective order.

A special prosecutor had been appointed to handle the domestic cases Plants could not because of possible conflicts.

“I strongly believe that filing this petition was the right thing to do for the taxpayers of Kanawha County,” said Kanawha County Commissioner Dave Hardy who raised questions about the costs of that special prosecutor.

The Kanawha County Commission was scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday to talk about the county’s next steps.

Mingo County family judge to be sworn in Oct. 27

An October 27th swearing-in ceremony is set for Mingo County's new family court judge.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin appointed Sabrina L. Deskins to the position on Sept. 17.

The West Virginia Supreme Court says the swearing-in ceremony will be held at noon on October 27th in the main courtroom of the Mingo County Courthouse in Williamson.

Deskins will complete the remainder of Miki Thompson's term. Tomblin appointed Thompson in July to replace former Mingo County Circuit Court Judge Michael Thornsbury.

Thornsbury resigned and pleaded guilty in October 2013 to a federal conspiracy charge stemming from a corruption probe.

Injured Miner Recovering

A miner hurt Tuesday morning in an accident at Patriot Coal's Gateway Eagle Mine near Wharton is expected to recover, according to information from the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training.

The miner, a roof bolter, was hurt while operating a roof bolting machine. After being flown to a Charleston hospital, it appears his injuries are non-life-threatening.

Jenkins and Rahall Debate

Election Day is three weeks away. One of the hotly contested races in our region is the 3rd District Congressional race in West Virginia between Democratic incumbent Nick Rahall, seeking his 20th term, and Republican State Sen. Evan Jenkins.

The two participated in a debate at the Pullman Plaza Hotel. The discussion covered a variety of issues including coal mining, healthcare and foreign affairs.

Both accused each other of not being truly supportive of the coal industry.

Jenkins criticized Rahall for his support of the Affordable Care Act.

Rahall defended elements of the Affordable Care Act, but also said he’s voted to change parts of it.

West Virginia SAT scores show improvement

The president of the West Virginia Education Association says he’s encouraged by how the Mountain State’s students did on the SAT this year.

“We’re doing some really great things in public education in West Virginia,” Dale Lee said of the results.

Overall, numbers from The College Board showed West Virginia’s students improved in core subject areas of reading, writing and math on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) compared to the previous year’s test results while, at the same time nationally, students showed no gains or declines.

In all subjects, the state’s average was better than the national average, according to the state Department of Education.

The average math score on the SAT in West Virginia was 503 compared with 501. The average state reading score was 515 compared with 492. The average writing score was 497 in West Virginia compared with 478 nationally.

Altogether, the results showed more than 42 percent of West Virginia’s SAT takers met benchmarks for college and career preps while the number was 39 percent nationally.

“We just have to take that — the good news, the positive news — and expand on it and reach more and more students,” Lee said. “We’re never going to stop trying to expand that to where we reach, I say, every child.”

Fewer students took the SAT in 2014 in West Virginia than in 2013.

Most high school students in West Virginia take the ACT.

Campaign for Kanawha library levy taking lots of work

With just three weeks left until the election, the Vote Yes for Libraries committee in Kanawha County is getting the word out about the importance of passing a levy.

“We take for granted that the library’s always been there and it’s always going to be there. If this levy does not pass, we can’t make that assumption anymore,” said Cheryl Morgan, the treasurer of the Vote Yes for Libraries committee.

“We will, unfortunately, have to drastically dismantle the library system as we know it. We certainly don’t want that to happen.”

The committee kicked off their ‘Loving my Library’ campaign one month ago. The goal is to get folks in Kanawha County to vote for a $15 million, 5-year levy that would replace some of the funds the library system lost in 2013 when the state Supreme Court ruled against the Kanawha County Library to continue receiving funds from the Kanawha County School system.

What’s been the hardest part, according to Morgan, is trying to educate the public what the levy is for.

“In no way, shape or form are these funds to build anything. They’re not to build new libraries. This is just to get us back to fighting weight so that we can provide the level of services that our patrons have come to expect and enjoy,” said Morgan.

Another hurdle has been the wording on the ballot. Even though the heading reads ‘County of Kanawha, Board of Education,’ not a penny goes to the schools. It is all for the library system.

Morgan said, so far, the campaign has gone surprisingly well, with support and funding coming from all areas of Kanawha County. However, their budget is not big. That’s why the committee has relied on getting out and talking with people about the importance of a ‘yes’ vote.

Gas Prices continuing to fall

As gasoline prices continue to fall throughout the country, they varied considerably in our region.

Depending where you live in the Tri-State, you may not be seeing relief at the pump just yet.

As of Monday, the national average for a gallon of unleaded gas was about $3.19.

Near the state Capitol in Charleston on Monday, we found gas selling for $3.39 a gallon.

In Huntington, the price was hovering around $3.22 per gallon.

Agency to hold mine safety conference in W.Va.

Federal regulators are holding a mine safety training conference in southern West Virginia this week.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration's annual Training Resources Applied to Mining conference begins Tuesday. It will be held at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver.

MSHA says the conference offers new ideas, instructional methods and materials to help mine safety trainers improve their programs.

Coal Mining Teams win National Competition

Teams from West Virginia and Virginia are being recognized for their mine rescue skills.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration says the teams took top prizes at the Nationwide Coal Mine Rescue Skills Championship.

Officials say 24 mine rescue teams from across the country participated in two days of competition at the Mining Technology and Training Center in Pennsylvania.

First place went to Alpha Natural Resources Coal River East from West Virginia, second place to Alpha Natural Resources' Brooks Run South Black from West Virginia, and third place to Alpha Maxxim Blue from Virginia.

West Virginia seat belt use makes meteoric rise

Seat belt use in West Virginia has caught on. A recent Washington Post report indicated seat belt use in the Mountain State in 2001 was 52 percent.  In 2013, the Post report revealed seat belt use had increased to 82 percent. It’s the largest percentage increase of any state in the country.

“The primary seat belt law passed a little over a year ago and I think that’s made a significant difference,” said Bob Tipton, director of the West Virginia Highway Safety Program. “It’s told the people of West Virginia that wearing it is important.”

West Virginia’s first seat belt law was passed in the 2001 and was a secondary offense. With the passage of the primary seat belt law, now a motorist can be pulled over and ticketed for failing to buckle up.  Tipton admitted it was a culture change for many, but at the same time there has been considerable effort put into public awareness with a number of programs over the years to encourage more seat belt use.

“Most people don’t think they are going to be involved in a crash,” he said. “History tells us if you’re driving, you’ll be involved in some sort of crash.”

During the year 2000 411 people died in car wrecks in West Virginia, compared to 2013 when the number dropped to 332.  Tipton said even more remarkable was the lower number of serious injuries suffered in automobile accidents in that same time frame. Tipton said in 2000 13,740 were severely injured, but in 2013 it dropped to 4,974.

Hold put on new Charleston to Orlando flights

A budget carrier will not begin flights to Florida from Yeager Yeager in Charleston next week as originally scheduled. PEOPLExpress announced Thursday it won’t be beginning its operations at Yeager or resuming operations at other airports until after the previously announced Oct. 16 date.

The airline has had a series of issues with its fleet and was initially unable to secure a replacement aircraft. A company statement Thursday said it now has an additional aircraft provider, which will alleviate service issues, but it’s going to take a number of days to resume service. The airline also has to get some regulatory approval.

PEOPLExpress was just starting at Yeager with new flights to Orlando. Yeager Airport Director Rick Atkinson said he still believes PEOPLExpress will be a good fit for Charleston.

“It’s disappointing but a lot of things are probably outside their control. It’s just how things work in aviation,” Atkinson said.

All passengers who have booked flights beginning Oct. 16 will receive complete refunds. Atkinson predicted PEOPLExpress will be ready to go sometime in early November.

“They have a new aircraft leasing provider and they have the number of aircraft they need. They will be able to take the time and get the airline up and operating,” he said.

Pre-booking numbers have been tremendous from Charleston according to Atkinson.

“It exceeded their expectations and there are some flights booked up over 100 (passengers) already and fairly far out,” he said.

PEOPLExpress announced service from Charleston to Orlando Sept. 3. A one-way ticket will cost $79.

When the service begins planes are scheduled to originate from Orlando and fly to Charleston with arrivals and departures slated for mid-afternoon Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Passengers will fly aboard 134-seat 737 aircraft on all flights.

Grant County regains control of school system

The state Board of Education granted local control back to the Grant County school system Wednesday.

“It always comes as a surprise. We were certainly hoping for good things and good things happened,” Grant County School Superintendent Deedra Bolton told MetroNews Thursday.

Five years ago, the state board stepped in when a 130-page report cited “serious deficiencies” within the school system including a break down in leadership, a lack of advanced placement and honors classes as well as individual schools failing to meet Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, five years in a row.

“When the state intervened, Grant County Schools was in a state of confusion,” explained Bolton.

Over the last five years, with the help of the state Department of Education, Bolton said the school system has made large strides to correct those problems and putting things back into focus.

“I think the state Board of Education realizes that Grant County Schools, especially the board of education, is 110 percent unified with it’s focus on students,” stressed Bolton.

The school system has continue to focus on three key areas: Increasing student performance with high expectations, implementing a 21st Century learning agenda and maintaining safe and healthy schools.

Bolton admits they’re still working on issues that still need improvement and everyone is on board.

“The leadership from the board of education to the central office, the administrators to teachers and all the way down. Everyone is focused on students. It’s very crystal clear what we need to do and what we’re about. That’s the kids,” said Bolton.

The state Department of Education has made it clear, the school system could be taken over again if any of the original problems crop up again in the next five years.

Residential natural gas rates going up across West Virginia

Many West Virginia residents are going to be paying more to heat their homes this winter. The state Public Service Commission approved new purchased gas rates Thursday for natural gas utilities and most of the rates are going up.

PSC spokesperson Susan Small said the annual rates, which go into effect Nov. 1, are based directly on what the utilities paid for natural gas at the wellhead and this year those prices have increased for most companies.

“The average monthly residential bills are going to go up slightly,” Small said.

Mountaineer Gas has the most customers in West Virginia. The PSC said a customer using 7 Mcf a month, an average amount, will see their monthly bills increase $6.97. Peoples Gas has a projected $4.06 increase. Hope Gas took in more money than it spent on gas last year so rates for the average customer will actually decrease approximately $3.40 a month.

Small said the increases are mainly tied to the companies undercharging the last few years along with transportation costs.

The PSC had decreased purchased gas rates for eight consecutive years before Thursday’s increases.

Purchased gas rates are basically a pass through situation for the PSC. It reviews what the utilities have paid and then approves a rate increase or decrease. It is not part of the companies’ base rates.

CSX provides detailed training for first responders

Dozens of first responders are learning more about how to react in the event of a rail disaster in their region.

CSX pulled its safety train into South Charleston Thursday to offer a demonstration and training to get those emergency personnel familiar with what they could face in a disaster situation.

“They’re giving us a lot of good information,” said Kanawha County Fire Coordinator C.W. Sigman. “They’re making us familiar with railroad procedures, how to identify hazards. They’re showing us where the valves are on a rail car and how to identify materials and take precautions.”

Sigman said it’s been years since a derailment occurred in the Kanawha Valley where there was a threat to the public. However, because of the volume of shipping through West Virginia on the way to the docks at Norfolk there are plenty of hazardous materials passing along tracks through hundreds of West Virginia communities every day.  He said the possibility of a disaster is ever present.

“The concentration is on hauling crude oil and fuels like methanol and diesel fuel and things like that,” said Sigman. “They’re emphasizing that hazard.”

Railroad companies commonly offer training, but Sigman said the level of detail in Thursday’s session was above and beyond anything previously provided.

“This is a whole lot bigger deal. CSX has shown a commitment to keep us safe,” he said. “What we don’t want to happen is for one of our responders to show up and be so overwhelmed they don’t know where they go from here. This gives them information on where to start.”