http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/wv-news/ en-us Sat, 4 Jul 2009 03:06:54 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285242/posts CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A mom is in jail because police say her son got his hands on something no toddler should ever touch. Officers have charged 24-year-old Hannah Workman with gross neglect after police say her four-year-old son shot himself in the leg. The gunshot wound is not life-threatening, but the little boy did have to undergo surgery today. According to the criminal complaint, it was Workman's other son, a 2-year-old, who found the gun, which he then gave to his 4-year-old brother. "There was a gun underneath my couch,” Workman said. “My boyfriend put it there. My son... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2285242/posts#comment Sat, 4 Jul 2009 03:06:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282768/posts One of West Virginia's U.S. senators is opposed to the landmark global warming bill that passed the House Friday, while the other has "serious concerns" about the measure. Charleston Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282768/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:16:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282154/posts CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The West Virginia State Troopers Association said leaving new employees to cover the costs of state insurance coverage will hurt everyone. Leaders said it will make it impossible for them to recruit and keep qualified state troopers, which will hurt public safety. Several troopers joined teachers and other state workers at a public hearing Monday night to speak out about the proposal. The idea is to eliminate the health care retirement subsidy for anyone who is hired by the state after next year. That would make the cost of health care about $1,000 each month after... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282154/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:24:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282153/posts KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Nearly a year later, many lessons have been learned from Kanawha County's smoking ban. Now, the health department is taking a look back at its success and downfalls. Health Department officials said they've received a lot of positive feedback, but they don't ever expect to have a 100 percent compliance rate. They've taken 12 business owners to court so far, but all of those cases are still pending. Environmental services director Anita Ray said she wishes they would have educated the public more on the dangers of smoking before they passed the ban. Complaints are... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2282153/posts#comment Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:19:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280903/posts A Logan County judge ruled last week that the state Department of Environmental Protection should grant Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. the permits it needs to develop gas wells in the 3,300-acre Chief Logan State Park. Story by Dan Page Email | Bio | Other Stories by A Logan County judge ruled last week that the state Department of Environmental Protection should grant Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. the permits it needs to develop gas wells in the 3,300-acre Chief Logan State Park. Let's give a rousing cheer for Logan County Circuit Judge Roger L. Perry, whose opinion protects the... WTRF http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280903/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:55:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280453/posts JACKSON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A Ravenswood man is facing sexual assault charges for allegedly abusing his then girlfriend's 10-year-old relative. 49-year-old Myron Starcher is behind bars at the South Central Regional Jail. He is charged with sexual assault in the first degree, sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust, sexual abuse in the first degree and filming/photographing a sexual act on a minor. According the criminal complaint, the crime took place in May 2007 at a trailer in Ravenswood. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280453/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:15:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280053/posts Ending his neutrality on a controversial climate bill meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Rep. Nick Rahall came out in opposition Thursday on the eve of a planned showdown in the House. Known as cap and trade, the proposal would compel industries to curtail emissions by 17 percent by 2020, out of concern they contribute to the unproven theory of global warming. Rahall told The Register-Herald the 17 percent standard was “still too high,” and he wants to see more emphasis on the development of clean coal technologies. In its original draft, the bill specified a 20 percent reduction. “That’s... http://www.register-herald.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280053/posts#comment Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:26:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277606/posts A group of eco terrorists last week invaded a coal mining operation in our county and caused a load of trouble. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2277606/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:29:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276190/posts The upside to Gerald Walpin’s firing as inspector general for the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps is that he could appear in one of those “Organizing for America” ads that highlight Americans who have lost their jobs along with their health care. It’s just a thought. Walpin became the center of some media attention last week for suspending Barack Obama supporter Kevin Johnson, a former NBA star and now mayor of Sacramento, for irregularities in his use of federal money when he ran a charity. Walpin was asked by the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service to... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2276190/posts#comment Sun, 21 Jun 2009 11:23:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274789/posts Jamie Michael Overstreet sentenced to 240 months in prison. HUNTINGTON W.Va.-- Jamie Michael Overstreet, 29, of Huntington, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers to 240 months in prison for producing, possessing and trafficking in child pornography. Overstreet previously pleaded guilty in December 2008, admitting the federal charges. The conviction stems from an investigation in California of an individual suspected of possessing child pornography. Evidence from that investigation divulged that the target was sharing child pornography with Overstreet, who resided in Huntington, WV. Authorities in West Virginia were alerted and a search of Overstreet’s residence was... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274789/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:34:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273929/posts CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Police in Charleston have arrested a teenager in connection with the murder of an elderly woman. The suspect is a 14 year old male, so they are not releasing his name. Police say Phyllis Phares was found dead in her home on the city's west side Sunday evening. Police have yet to say how she died. Phares was 82-year-old and she lived alone. Right now, the teen is being charged as a juvenile, but prosecutors hope to try him as an adult. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273929/posts#comment Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:34:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271787/posts WASHINGTON, DC - The nation's longest-serving United States senator remained under a doctor's care this week in Washington. Senator Robert C. Byrd, 91, a West Virginia Democrat, was said by his staff to be receiving treatment for a staph infection. Media accounts have said that Byrd, who has been in frail physical condition for some time, has been confined to a Washington, D.C. area hospital since May 15. Byrd's spokesman, Jesse Jacobs, would not reveal the site where Byrd was confined when asked last week. He also would not discuss the severity of Byrd's illness. A source, usually reliable, said... The Lincoln Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271787/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:11:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271346/posts Killed estranged husband while he was in intensive care CHARLESTON W.Va.-- Sammy Lee Stewart, 56, is dead after his estranged wife of three years Rhonda Kay Stewart, 53, shoots him inside CAMC Memorial Hospital in Charleston. Charleston Police tell us Rhonda went to the hospital to visit Sammy in the intensive care unit. While there, the two got into an argument and she was asked to leave. Police then say she returned a short time later, walked into the room and shot the victim in the head with a pistol. She reportedly then handed the pistol to a doctor. Sammy... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271346/posts#comment Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:57:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269818/posts The current president and his administration, along with a select few, are seeking to redefine a century’s old and sacred institution. Marriage has been one of the most widely discussed topics, especially in light of activist judges and state legislatures that are willing to forego the whole will-of-the-people thing and do what they want. Even if what they want is diametrically and categorically in opposition to what the majority of people desire. Some would like to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples. But many of us know all too well that to begin messing with the definition of marriage is... http://www.familypolicywv.com/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269818/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:01:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269792/posts CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled Friday that a gay couple should have custody of an 18-month old foster child, overturning a judge's order that the girl should be placed with a heterosexual couple who might adopt her. In an unsigned opinion issued Friday, the court barred enforcing Fayette County Circuit Judge Paul Blake Jr.'s order that the girl should be taken away from Kathryn Kutil and Cheryl Hess. The girl has remained in the couple's custody throughout the court proceedings. The court noted there was no reason to believe the girl wasn't thriving with Hess... http://www.dailymail.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2269792/posts#comment Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:25:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267945/posts The march away from a credible, accountable judiciary took another leap yesterday, as a 5-4 Supreme Court majority gave federal judges unprecedented oversight of state court recusal standards. This is more damaging than it sounds. West Virginia's Massey coal company CEO Don Blankenship spent some $3 million in 2004 on the judicial election of Brent Benjamin to the state Supreme Court of Appeals, including donations to outside groups. When a case involving Massey later came before Judge Benjamin's court and he ruled in favor of Massey, the loser sued and claimed a denial of due process because the judge didn't... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267945/posts#comment Tue, 9 Jun 2009 13:37:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267511/posts WASHINGTON, D.C. -- West Virginia's senior senator continues to recover in a Washington hospital, more than three weeks after he was admitted. Senator Robert C. Byrd's office reports he continues to fight a staph infection he developed while hospitalized. He remains in contact with his staff, but is not expected to return to his work on capitol hill this week. The 91-year-old says he appreciates well wishes from friends and collegues. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267511/posts#comment Mon, 8 Jun 2009 22:10:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266890/posts CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a same-sex couple fighting to retain custody of an 18-month-old foster child. In an unsigned opinion issued Friday, the court barred enforcement of a Fayette County Circuit Court order that the girl should be taken away from Kathryn Kutil and Cheryl Hess. Judge Paul Blake Jr. had ruled the child should be placed with a heterosexual couple who might adopt her. he court says that was an error. The justices say Blake blurred legal principles applicable to abuse, neglect and adoption. Current law, the court says,... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266890/posts#comment Mon, 8 Jun 2009 02:04:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266886/posts BEAVERTON, OREGON (WSAZ) -- A pregnant woman from St. Albans was found murdered in a home in Oregon. The Washington County Sheriff's public information officer says the pregnant woman has been identified as Heather Megan Snively from St. Albans. Snively was 21 years old and still has family in our area. According to KGW News, an NBC station in Oregon, Snively's body was found in the crawl space of a Beaverton home, and the woman who lives there is facing murder charges. Police held on to the details of the bizarre murder scene for more than 24 hours after making... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2266886/posts#comment Mon, 8 Jun 2009 01:56:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265197/posts According to Mason County Court records, Curtis Kimble, 57, faces 31 counts of sexual abuse. POINT PLEASANT W.Va.-- Another case of sexual abuse hits a local school system. A Mason County elementary school teacher has been charged with numerous sex charges Thursday. According to Mason County Court records, Curtis Kimble, 57, faces 31 counts of sexual abuse. Court documents state that the alleged abuse happened for 10 year between 1980 and 1990. The charges also claims that one of the incidents happened at Hannan High School where he is a teacher. Kimble also teaches at Ashton elementary. Bond has been... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265197/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 03:55:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265195/posts RIPLEY W.Va.-- Robin Wise, a former financial secretary at Ripley High School, was arrested back in March and charged with embezzling after an audit of the school's records found more than $52,000 missing. The details of the audit were not made public until now. During the Jackson County School Board Meeting Thursday we were able to obtain a copy of that report. The audit found numerous instances where the cash portion of funds collected were not deposited. Money was missing from a variety of school accounts. A significant amount was missing from the money collected at the gates for admission... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265195/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 03:51:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265075/posts CHARLESTON, WV—Aaron Cain Adkins, 35, of Summersville, WV, pled guilty today before United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., admitting he used the internet in an attempt to entice and persuade a minor to engage in sexual intercourse with him. The conviction stems from a joint federal and state investigation. The investigation revealed that in May 2007, Adkins created a MySpace account purporting to be a 16-year-old female. He then began contacting two 13-year-old girls via the internet through the minor's MySpace account. Using the false identity, Adkins told the minors "she" had a friend who would pay $300... Department of Justice http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265075/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 00:53:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2262960/posts BERKELEY SPRINGS - Morgan County Sheriff Vince Shambaugh said Monday that a local man has been arrested and charged with making threats against President Barack Obama. While the details of Meadows' alleged actions have not been made public, Shambaugh said that his prior military background may have played somewhat of a role. When his name was run through the system, Meadows was not found to have any previous history with law enforcement, Shambaugh said. "We took extra precautions because he is a veteran and has had weapons training, so we felt it was better to err on the side of... The Martinsburg Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2262960/posts#comment Tue, 2 Jun 2009 15:46:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2262247/posts WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, the Senate's longest-serving member, has developed a serious infection and is being treated in the hospital with antibiotics. AP via SFGate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2262247/posts#comment Mon, 1 Jun 2009 17:11:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2259969/posts Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) is still in the hospital two weeks after he was admitted for a minor infection, and it remains unclear whether the 91-year-old lawmaker will return to work next week. Rumors have circulated around the Capitol over the last 72-hours that the true nature of the Senator's illness is being fully disclosed. Roll Call http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2259969/posts#comment Thu, 28 May 2009 17:51:14 GMT