Friday, March 04, 2011
EKB Capsule News....West Virginia...3-5-'11
- Ohio Governor John R. Kasich signed extradition papers Friday for Sam Littleton, 37, of Bellefontaine, Ohio, who has contested extradition from West Virginia to Ohio to face multiple charges stemming from the death of 26 year old Tiffany Brown, his girlfriend's daughter. In addition to the murder, police believe Littleton kidnapped and killed Richard and Gladis Russell. Richard Russell's body was found in Chattanooga on February 26th. His wife, 85 year old Gladis Russell, remains missing. A report from the Hamilton County, Tennessee medical examiner's office rules the death of 84 year old Richard Russell a homicide. Authorities say a stab to the chest and head trauma likely caused the death of Russell.
- Friday morning, Charles Christopher Poore pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and unlawful wounding for the shooting of Robert Veltri and his brother Antonio Veltri in a house on Lovell Drive on Charleston's West Side last June. Robert Veltri died as a result of the shooting. Poore could face a maximum of 20 years in prison when sentenced May 10th.
- Twenty-four year old Lucas McCain Brumfield of Huntington was arrested Thursday and charged with one count of 2nd degree unarmed robbery after he and Amber Fowler allegedly robbed Smoking Joe's in Barboursville on February 26th. Police say Brumfield jumped over the counter and stole a cash drawer containing $1,000 to $1,500 after Fowler unlocked the front door to let him in and then distracted an employee. Fowler was arrested shortly after the robbery.
- Under an adjusted state budget proposal from acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, West Virginia’s mine inspectors would see pay and benefits increase by $750,000. That money is separate from a public employee pay raise bill pending in the Senate. In his revised budget, Tomblin also included $500,000 to help police clean up methamphetamine labs. The revision updates about three-dozen lines in the budget bill presented January 12th and proposes $11.2 billion in spending for the budget year that begins July 1st. The biggest change frees up $14.4 million because counties can devote more property tax revenues to funding schools than first estimated. Administration officials expect that will help shore up teacher pensions.
- West Virginia health officials are warning that wrestlers who competed in the February 24-26th state tournament in Huntington may have been exposed to skin herpes. The warning also went out to wrestlers who participated in regional tournaments the week before. The Bureau for Public Health said Friday that five members of a high school wrestling team contracted herpes gladiatorum. Coaches and physicians are being urged to report new skin herpes cases to their local health department.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:47 PM 
