Suspect Arrested in Mingo Armed Robbery

A woman is behind bars after police say she held up a convenience store at gun point.

It happened in Mingo County about 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Deputies say Tiffany Tesi waved a gun at a cashier at Dano and Spano's Cold Carry-out in Williamson.

Officers say the cashier then begged not to be hurt and hid in a storage room.

Tesi was arrested and charged with armed robbery and petty larceny.

Deputies say she stole $220 from the store. She is now at the Southwestern Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Lincoln County Levy Passes

Residents in Lincoln County, West Virginia voted to pass a $17.8 million dollar levy Saturday.

That levy will provide just over $3.5 million dollars a year to area schools over the next 5 years.

Unofficial results show 1,153 people cast ballots for the levy, while 661 voted no. That translates to roughly 64% to 36%.

The multimillion dollar levy will provide money to fund teachers and staff, as well as fund text books, library materials, and transportation.

Just over 10% of registered voters showed up to cast ballots. That was lower than expected.

The new levy will go into effect July 1st, 2014.

Former Mingo prosecutor set to enter guilty plea

Former Mingo County Prosecutor Michael Sparks will appear before a federal judge Monday to plead guilty to a criminal charge.

Sparks resigned from the office last month after he was indicted on a charge of violating a man’s constitutional rights. According to the court filing, Sparks participated in a conspiracy with other Mingo County officials to thwart a federal investigation into late Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said Sparks will appear before U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston at the federal courthouse in Charleston Monday afternoon at 1:30.

“He’s entered into a plea agreement with our office. We’ve filed an information,” according to Goodwin.

Sparks is the third person to enter a plea deal in connection to a corruption case in Mingo County.

“This is obviously an ongoing investigation. Significant players have already been prosecuted and Monday is yet another step in that direction,” Goodwin said.

Last month former Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury and former Mingo County Commissioner David Baisden both entered guilty pleas Both will be sentenced in January.

Sparks has surrendered his law license and can no longer practice here in West Virginia. He has been cooperating with federal investigators.

Lawmakers return to state capitol this week

State lawmakers have three days of monthly interim committee meetings beginning Monday at state capitol.

Several topics are on the agendas of various committees including pay increases for county elected officials, an update on the WVU College of Law and discussion about funding county boards of education.

Lawmakers also have interim meetings scheduled for early December and in January just before the beginning of the 60-day legislative session. 

'Click It or Ticket' blitz coming to WV for the holidays

Click It or Ticket! Law enforcement agencies across West Virginia will begin the first of four seat belt enforcement blitzes this November 15 through December 1.  

Seat belt use reached an all-time high of 89 percent three years ago according to a news release from the Governor's Highway Safety Program. But there has been a slow decline to 82 percent during the last statewide survey. As a result, the WV Highway Safety Office and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are funding increased campaigns. The goal is 92 percent safety belt use by June 2014.

Not wearing a seat belt is now a primary offense in West Virginia. Officers are able to stop a driver and issue a citation simply for not wearing their safety belt. Most law enforcement agencies will be conducting their patrols during evening and early morning hours. "Every year, statistics prove that you are far more likely to survive a crash is you are wearing your seat belt and remain properly positioned in your vehicle's passenger compartment. Ejections prove fatal more often than not," said Larry Kendall, Director of Region 2 Office of Highway Safety.

During the campaign, officers will also be watching for drivers who are texting and talking on their cell phones without the use of a hands-free system.

Mine Company Scales Back Proposed Surface Mine

Keystone Development has scaled back plans for a proposed surface mine near Kanawha State Forest.

The company is seeking a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection for a 413.8-acre surface mine. In 2009, Keystone proposed a 597-acre surface mine.

Keystone dropped plans for a mile-long valley fill. The company now proposes hauling rock and other debris to an adjacent surface mine.

Keystone also plans to mine no closer than 588 feet from the state forest boundary. The 2009 proposal called for mining as close as 100 feet from the boundary.

Wayne County man will serve probation for stealing supplies from employer

A Wayne County man who defrauded a Huntington-based small business out of more than $10,000 in supplies will serve probation for the crime.

According to a release from U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin’s Office, Shawn Osburn, 44, was sentenced Thursday to five years’ probation by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston.

Osburn had previously pleaded guilty in April to wire fraud.

The release said Osburn prepared and submitted false work orders for supplies at various times while employed at Huntington-based residential window supplier Justice Glass and Supply Company during a period beginning in 2008 and continuing through October 2010.

Once Osburn would receive items from company suppliers during the scheme, he would steal the supplies and then sell the items at a later date.

According to the release, Osburn told investigators that the profits in which he had obtained as a result of the fraudulent work orders were not given to Justice Glass.
He illegally sold a total of at least $13,000 in stolen supplies.

In addition to probation, the Court ordered Osburn to pay full restitution, with interest, to Justice Glass in the amount of $260 each month.