Thursday, January 27, 2011
East Kentucky Broadcasting Capsule News...West Virginia
- The state Mine Safety Office says a coal miner died Thursday afternoon at Baylor Mining Company's Jim's Branch underground mining operation in Wyoming County. The death marks the first coal mine related death in the state this year.
- An officer with the Charleston Police Drug unit was was taken to Charleston Area Medical Center General Thursday afternoon after being shot in the hand while attempting to serve a warrant at a home on Bard Avenue in St. Albans. Cash and Oxycodone were allegedly taken from the home during an invasion on January 23rd.
- Environmental group Coal River Mountain Watch is suing Massey Energy, claiming Massey's Marfork Coal subsidiary is dumping untreated water from its White Queen mine into a tributary of the Marsh Fork of the Big Coal River, putting iron, manganese and other pollutants in the water.
- James Smith who pleaded guilty to a series of 2010 burglaries at Shawnee Park has been sentenced to five consecutive one- to ten-year sentences, the first to be spent in prison, the second on home confinement, and three suspended. Smith is to spend five years on probation, pay $15,000 in restitution and stay off county park property.
- West Virginia State Police hit the streets in Boone County Thursday morning, arresting 18 people indicted in a copper theft ring that netted the suspects more than $100,000 and resulted in more than 160 charges. Police say Curtis Adkins of Route 3 Recycling was caught on tape buying copper he was told was stolen.
- Charleston Police say, when they responded to a fight late Wednesday night, they found Steve Worth and Phillip Smith injured, one stabbed. Both will be charged with malicious wounding.
- Jesse Moore of Charleston faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced in March for first degree sexual abuse. Moore pleaded guilty to forcing his four year old son to perform oral sex on him. A psychiatric evaluation will be done before sentencing to determine if Moore's likely to be a repeat offender.
- Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation setting June 20th as the date of a primary election for governor. County clerks across the state have asked for the primary to be held in May, but two Democrat House Delegates say they favor political party conventions as the means to nominate candidates.
- Zachary Jones, the son of Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, was arrested Monday on heroin possession charges.
- The Mine Safety and Health Administration said Thursday it issued 288 citations during impact inspections at 17 mines last month in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Wyoming...up from 250 citations at 22 mines in November.
- DuPont in Belle has hired Jim O'Connor as its new manager and plans to hire 150 new employees to replace retirees expected to leave in the next few years. O’Connor, who joined DuPont in 1981, has experience in plant management and safety.
- Calvin Clements, a Mount Olive Correctional Facility inmate serving multiple life sentences for the double murder of Paula Jo Gray, 17, and Belinda Harper, 20, of Wheeling in 1981, died Monday in prison.
- Jermaine Charles Lawrence of Ohio was charged with nighttime burglary and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver Wednesday night after allegedly trying to break into the home of Fayette County Deputy W.K. Willis while possessing a large amount of cocaine, marijuana and cash.
- A project to widen Island Creek in Logan County is under way. The $5.8 million flood reduction project was awarded to Spencer contractor Heeter Construction, Inc. of Roane County.
- House Bill 2865, introduced Wednesday, would create a new legal holiday, making November 20th Robert C. Byrd Day. Byrd died June 28, 2010 at the age of 92 after serving as a U.S. Representative from 1953 to 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 until his death.
- Nitro Mayor Rusty Casto says payroll funds for the city were mistakenly taken out of the payroll account and put into accounts receivables just before the January 25th scheduled payday, placing more than $750,000 in accounts receivable but not enough in the payroll account to keep 17 payroll checks from bouncing.
- Huntington Police are investigating after the body of 23 year old Dashawn Gilbert was found shot to death inside a Huntington apartment building Wednesday afternoon.
- Mason County Sheriff's deputies searched a house in Leon Wednesday morning and found one pound of marijuana, cocaine, prescription pills, drug paraphernalia, money and 27 guns plus ammunition. No arrests were made during the raid, but police are searching for Stephen Winter.
- Eight community health centers in West Virginia have sued the state over Medicaid reimbursements. They say improper reimbursements have created financial hardships and put patient care at risk. The lawsuit asks a judge to order the state to immediately pay the proper rates as outlined by federal law.
- The West Virginia Citizen Defense League has filed lawsuits challenging city ordinances in an effort to overturn city gun control laws in Charleston, South Charleston and Dunbar that forbid firearms in a number of city properties, including courthouses, city hall and the Charleston Civic Center.
- Senator Joe Manchin has been selected to serve on three committees, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
- David Startzell says he'll step down as leader of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry at year's end after serving 25 years, leading the group that maintains the 2,175-mile trail which runs through 14 states, from Maine to Georgia.
- Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler has introduced a bill to the judiciary committee in Charleston which could help victims who are mentally injured during a crime that happens at work get worker's compensation.
- In a survey of 1,105 West Virginians, Public Policy Polling found Representative Shelley Moore Captio beats out Democratic candidates Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, state Treasurer John Perdue and House Speaker Rick Thompson. But Capito says she not running for governor. The next most popular candidates were Tomblin and Tennant.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:26 PM 
