Disabled Hunters Can Apply For Special Areas

{Charleston, West Virginia}…Disabled hunters who have a resident or nonresident permit and want to hunt on national forest and wildlife management area roads can apply to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources for permission. The areas include designated roads throughout the Monongahela National Forest, portions of the George Washington/Jefferson National Forest. Hunters will receive a letter of authorization, which must be in their possession while hunting in the designated areas. The hunter can be assisted by one person, but that person cannot hunt during that time. Those in the program can also  participate in special deer hunts on December 26th and December 27th.

Officials Assess Storm Damage

{Charleston, West Virginia}...U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano joined Governor Earl Ray Tomblin Saturday in Charleston to assess storm damage as cleanup crews continue to deal with the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. A news conference was held at the FEMA staging area of the West Virginia Army National Guard. National Guard leaders recapped the storm's wrath for Napolitano with a slideshow presentation of the hardest-hit areas, while officials from several different counties also spoke with her about the difficulties they're facing. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin said the state has already spent $5 million to $6 million, and it's probably going to spend another $5 to $10 million more to get all the roads and bridges opened and repair  all of its infrastructure. Napolitano says FEMA has already sent about a million meals and a million liters of water to West Virginia and its personnel are working with the National Guard to visit individual homes.

Fatal Accident In Mingo County

{Lenore, West Virginia}...Police are investigating a fatal accident which occurred on Route 65 in the Lenore area of Mingo County about 4:00 A.M. Sunday morning. Investigators say two vehicles hit head-on, and two people in one of those vehicles died.

Fatal Shooting In Raleigh County

{Sprague, West Virginia}...Police say 54 year old Danny Kennedy died at the Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital after being shot outside his home on Cohen Street in Sprague Sunday morning. Investigators say a vehicle occupied by 22 year old Dominic Paige, Antonio Wade and a juvenile, all of Beckley, got stuck in Kennedy's yard while attempting to turn around in his driveway. Kennedy came out of his home and began arguing with the three suspects before returning inside his home for a short period of time, but then he came back outside again and continued to argue. That's when Kennedy was shot once by one of the men. The suspects fled on foot, but deputies later found and arrested Paige and charged him with murder. If you have any information contact the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office at 304-255-9300.

Boy Fatally Struck By Pickup

{Point Pleasant, West Virginia}...Police in the Point Pleasant area of Mason County are investigating after a 10 year old boy was struck when he ran into the path of a pickup truck in front of the Marshall Center on Sandhill Road around 1:30 P.M. Sunday afternoon. The boy was transported to Pleasant Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police say the truck was driven by Jason Richardson of Point Pleasant.

Firefighter Arrested After Police Chase

{Winfield, West Virginia}...Grant Kelly Gunnoe Jr., 39, of Winfield, a firefighter from Charleston, was arrested Saturday evening after police say he ran them off the road and led them on a chase after they caught him driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.282 percent, which is more than three times the legal limit. Gunnoe was driving near the 2900 block of Route 817 in Winfield when he failed to slow down as he traveled through a traffic safety enforcement checkpoint, causing officers to leap from the roadway for their safety. Chief John Perrine chased Gunnoe's SUV as he drove left of center and even passed another car in a no passing zone near Water Circle in Winfield before speeding out of city limits where Perrine was able to pull alongside Gunnoe's vehicle, motioning for him to pull over and stop, but Gunnoe continued the chase. Other officers responded and were able to box Gunnoe's vehicle in and eventually bring it to a stop three miles from where the pursuit began near the Hidden Cove Marina. After several verbal commands were ignored, Gunnoe was pulled from his vehicle at gunpoint, taken to the ground and handcuffed.

Supreme Court Asked To Dismiss Case

{Charleston, West Virginia}...Dave Mincer, the attorney for the Bob Burdette Center in Charleston has asked the state Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 34 year old Jessica A. Hudson of Charleston claiming the organization offered her a job as the executive director and then rescinded the offer after they discovered information leading board members to believe she was a lesbian. Jury selection is scheduled for Monday with the trial slated to start on Wednesday. Kanawha Circuit Judge Carrie Webster denied a motion to dismiss all of the counts in the lawsuit on October 25th but ruled the case could go to trial on the allegation that the center discriminated against Hudson based on gender stereotyping. Webster also ruled that Hudson's claim that the center intentionally caused her emotional distress could go to trial. Hudson's attorney, Rick Brown, argued that the Bob Burdette Center fired Hudson because a woman dating another woman does not fit into their beliefs of how a female should act. Mincer says the claims should be dismissed because sexual orientation is not a protected class under the West Virginia Human Rights Act.