Free Republic

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A Morgantown-based anti-abortion group has filed a legal objection in federal court to West Virginia's new political advertising laws, claiming they wrongly prevent the organization from advocating its position to potential voters. On Tuesday, West Virginians For Life Inc. filed a 51-page complaint asking U.S. District Judge Thomas E. Johnston to declare the new election laws unconstitutional. The filing asks Johnston to grant an injunction preventing election officials from enforcing the new laws, which went into effect Oct. 1. Shirley Stanton, the group's president, said the new law wrongly defines the group's efforts as "express advocacy," or...

The rush to tie up drilling rights in Marcellus shale is ramping up just west of the Interstate 81 corridor, as companies compete to sign leases. The black sedimentary rock runs from western New York south into West Virginia. It has been promoted as one of the most promising natural gas sources in the United States. Piping the gas through the hills and mountains of Appalachia, however, will not be easy. New technologies that include horizontal drilling and pumping in water to fracture the rock, have been found to release more gas and make recoveries in shale more economical. Rising...

MILTON -- Milton Volunteer Fire Department assistant chief Steve Vititoe tells 13 News the fire at the Milton Flea Market has been contained. As of 1:45 p.m. a few hot spots remained as crews worked the scene. First responders say the Milton Flea Market is a total loss. Every fire department in Cabell County including the Huntington Fire Department responded after fire erupted at the flea market Wednesday about 11:15 a.m. Route 60 was closed in both directions and portions of Interstate 64 had been closed as well as fire fighters worked to contain the blaze. Crews were challenged by...

INSTITUTE, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- While the people who work at the Bayer CropScience site are trying to cope with the aftermath of Thursday night's explosion, investigators are trying to figure out what went wrong. Broken glass and caution tape are two signs that Thursday night’s explosion reached far beyond the confines of the Institute plant. Jill Oliver of Oliver Oils and Fuels had some glass shattered at her business from the explosion, but knows what she lost can be replaced. "I hated that that man lost his life," she said Friday, referring to Barry Withrow, the Bayer CropScience employee who...

MARTINSBURG, WV - A pro-gun group wants to do away with a Martinsburg law that bans guns in city buildings, but city officials intend to keep the rule in place. As a gun owner and owner of Shep's Sporting Goods store in Martinsburg, Brad Sheppard believes in the right to bear arms. "If a person has a right to carry a gun for their protection, then they should be allowed to do so," he said. On the other hand, he also understands Martinsburg's ordinance that says people can't carry a firearm or other deadly weapon into a building owned, leased,...

But that has not stopped Project Vote Smart from offering a detailed rundown of at least some of the state's federal hopefuls in advance of November. Just two of the seven active congressional candidates had responded to the group's Political Courage Test by last week's deadline. They are Marty Gearheart, the Mercer County businessman challenging Rep. Nick Rahall in the state's 3rd District; and Jay Wolfe, in a rematch against Sen. Jay Rockefeller.

ELKVIEW, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Kanawha County Sheriff's Deputies are asking for the public's help to identify a man they say stole nearly $2,000 in high-end beef. The crime happened at the Elkview Kroger on Sunday, July 27, between 10:15 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. Lieutenant Sean Crosier says the suspect loaded his shopping cart with expensive steaks and entire loins, then walked out through the loading dock at the back of the store. In all, $1,930 worth of meat was stolen, according to Crosier. Anyone with information about the suspect in the picture is asked to call the Kanawha County Sheriff's...

CHESTER, Ill. -- The rookie state senator from Chicago had driven 340 miles to explore southern Illinois, but Barb Brown could muster only 20 Democrats in this small town on the Mississippi River to have breakfast with him. She asked her niece and sister-in-law, who were helping in the kitchen, to come out to pad the audience. "We tried to convince people that they needed to come out and meet with this senator from Chicago, who on top of everything else was African American," Brown, a circuit court clerk, said of the 1997 gathering. "We had people looking at us...

Company's Eastern Division will remain in capital city. CHARLESTON -- Nine months after breaking ground on its Eastern Division headquarters building in Charleston, Chesapeake Energy Corp. announced May 29 it has scrapped those plans. In a prepared statement, Scott Rotruck, vice president for corporate development, said a May 22 decision by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to not hear an appeal in the case of Tawney v. Columbia Natural Resources caused company officials to rethink locating the headquarters in West Virginia. Chesapeake had projected the cost of the building at $35 million. “This decision was stunning, as it...

BARBOURSVILLE, WV (WSAZ)-A trip to Wal-Mart turned into a trip to the hospital for the Templeton family. A scorpion from Mexico found its way into a box of watermelons at the Wal-Mart in Barboursville. William Templeton says his daughter Megan was in the produce department picking out a watermelon Sunday afternoon. The scorpion stung her finger and then hung on. She had to shake her hand to get the scorpion to let go. William says store managers were very helpful. They even helped him catch the scorpion. He took his daughter to Cabell Huntington Hospital to see if she is...

CBS/AP) Hillary Rodham Clinton has defeated Barack Obama in the West Virginia primary, CBS News projects. CBS News exit polling shows that Clinton could win the state by a sizable margin. West Virginia Results Obama conceded defeat in advance in the state as he looked ahead to the Oregon primary later in the month and the campaign against Republican John McCain. Clinton won with nearly every demographic group, according to exit polls, including men, women, young voters, older voters, people earning less than $50,000 a year and those earning more than that. (See more exit poll analysis.) Obama won the...

Police want to speak with people who may have been in the area. St. ALBANS -- Police in Kanawha County were investigating Tuesday after a teenager was shot and killed during a hunting trip in a wooded area off Kanawha Street. The victim, identified as 16-year-old Nicholas Caldwell, left his home about 6:30 a.m., according to police. He was supposed to return by noon, but when he failed to show up a family member went searching for him. "A family member went out looking and found the young man deceased in the woods," said Lt. Sean Crosier of the Kanawha...

FINAL: (7)WEST VIRGINIA 73 (2)DUKE 67 Somehow the sun seems to be just a bit brighter once Duke is eliminated. Congrats and thanks to West Virginia.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Rich who? The West Virginia Mountaineers didn't need coach Rich Rodriguez. They had Pat White, and their elusive quarterback led them to a surprising 48-28 romp over Oklahoma (No. 4 BCS, No. 3 AP) in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night. White ran for 150 yards and threw for 176 and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers (No. 9 BCS, No. 11 AP), who rushed for 349 yards, most allowed by Oklahoma in a bowl game. Since arriving in the desert last week, the Mountaineers (11-2) said they had bonded behind interim coach Bill Stewart, who took...

Hurricane, W.Va. -- Hurricane police called a press conference Thursday to say they were investigating a restaurant in Putnam County. Detectives say they started taking a closer look at the Mi Pueblito restaurant when people came forward noticing purchases on their debit and credit cards, they didn't make. We're told there have been dozens of people that have come forward. Detectives in Hurricane say they're hearing about these types of situations at other restaurants in our region. At the press conference, police urged consumers to use cash instead of their debit or credit cards. Investigators say its easy for someone...

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Most students are excited to get their high school diploma, but a former student at Sissonville High is suing the Kanawha County School Board for letting him graduate. Now the state Supreme Court has decided to hear the case. Thomas Sturm's attorney says Sturm shouldn't have graduated because he still reads on a third grade level. The school board's attorneys say Sturm had an individualized education plan, and neither he nor his parents filed any complaints while he was in school. “IEPs are developed and formulated and put in place anytime the parent would have...

West Virginia boils at 'inbred' epithet; movie casting director fired By David M. Brown and Mike Wereschagin TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, February 27, 2008 The producers of the horror thriller "Shelter" have fired the Pittsburgh casting director who outraged West Virginians by publically seeking odd-looking -- even physically deformed -- people to portray residents of a West Virginia "holler." The reaction from West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and others was swift after a story appeared in the Tribune-Review with a comment from Donna Belajac Casting of Pittsburgh indicating the script for a movie being shot here needs actors with an inbred look...

Film's casting call wants that 'inbred' look By David M. Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Tuesday, February 26, 2008 A movie about to be filmed in Pittsburgh is casting Gothic characters -- including an albino-like girl and deformed people -- to depict West Virginia mountain people. "'Regular-looking" children need not apply.

When a train conductor was performing an inspection, he was goosed and fell down; he sues his employer on February 4, 2008.

A deep reservoir of long-hidden natural gas, stretching from New York through Pennsylvania and into West Virginia, could pump more than $400 billion into the Mid- Atlantic economy and push the U.S. toward energy independence, a Penn State researcher has found. Geosciences professor Terry Engelder, collaborating with Gary Lash at the State University of New York, recently completed the analysis after spending 30 years and an estimated $3 million on research. Penn State released overall findings on Thursday. State and industry experts said some companies already have begun to explore the prospects — with some early success within the past...

Romney, WV – 8 Jan 2008)  A time capsule was placed under a bronze medallion bearing the inscription “CANON 915,” at the center of a Millstone which is part of a Memorial to the Unborn at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Romney, West Virginia.  The time capsule was sealed with the bronze medallion on January 7th, 2008, the Feast of Saint Raymond of Pennafort, Patron of Canon Lawyers. The capsule contains Church Documents, the Code of Canon Law, Bishop’s statements, various articles and other items connected to contemporary news regarding Canon 915. The marker and capsule are especially...

<p>HUNTINGTON -- It was the ending no one wanted to hear. Huntington Police detectives tell 13 News the body of Leah Hickman's was found Friday evening. It was found in the basement of Hickman's 8th Avenue apartment building near a common laundry area.</p>

*snip* Missouri - fresh of Saturday’s 36-28 victory over Kansas in Kansas City on Saturday night - had been voted No. 1 football team in the nation in the Associated Press Top 25. And soon after the MU basketball team’s 91-52 blowout of Western Illinois on Sunday, Missouri was announced No. 1 in the all-important BCS standings. *snip* Everyone in Columbia seemed to be grinning Sunday over the football team’s first No. 1 ranking since 1960, a ranking the Tigers held for one week before being upset by Kansas. MU was ranked No. 2 by the USA Today/Coaches poll, but...

We have a Lion problem in WV! I read this in the local paper (The Bluefield Daily Telegraph) last week but they did not have it on line. The AP and Fox have now picked up on it. LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Using a video camera and raw chicken, state officials hope to learn whether the king of the jungle is prowling the woods of West Virginia. Bow hunter Jim Shortridge believes he saw a full-grown, male African lion weighing between 250 and 300 pounds at the foot of Cold Knob Mountain earlier this month. The state Division of Natural Resources...

Dear PA, OH and WV Eagles,Right now, I have 40 seats on the bus firmly sold. That leaves me with 16 empty seats at this moment. I priced the bus fare of $45.00 to be as inexpensive as possible (breakfast included), so as many people as possible could afford to go.My challenge: With 16 unsold seats, I am going to be $720.00 short to pay Anderson Coach and Travel in full (Total $2404.00 for the 56 passenger bus). My final payment (being made by V V A 862) will be due in a few days.I need help to raise the...

anyone out there work for borden burger in morgantown west virginia in the 1970's or frequently visit this place in the 70's?

TEN REASONS WHY WE NEED MORE GAMBLING IN WV 1. Government should promote vice—otherwise the police agencies could become idle. 2. Preying on people’s weaknesses and pleasure seeking is good—just like drug trafficking is. 3. There are not enough starving and neglected children. Drunks and drug addicts can’t do all the harm. They need help! 4. Pathological gambling will give idle psychiatrists and addiction centers something to do. 5. Losers will be more dependent on the state and welfare—thus, better Democrats. 6. There is too much honest industry and hard-earned wealth. 7. Why should Tribal Gambling Casinos have exclusive rights...

State Senator Randy White will pay a $100 fine after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of a wreck. The 11th District Democrat entered his plea Tuesday in Charleston Municipal Court. He was fined the maximum allowed by state code and was also ordered to pay $57 in court costs. White sideswiped a car near the state Capitol Complex with his pickup a little after midnight on Jan. 30. White told city police it was too late to look for the car's owner or report the accident, so he left the scene. The 52-year-old Webster Springs...

NLPC IN THE NEWS Associated Press W. Va. Democratic Rep. Steps Aside Amid ProbeCongressman Mollohan Denies Wrongdoing, Calls Concerns 'Rubbish' WASHINGTON - Rep. Alan Mollohan, under Justice Department investigation about whether he has benefited from directing federal funds to nonprofit groups he helped start, stepped aside Wednesday from working on key elements of the department's budget. The move came on the day Mollohan, D-W.Va., was named chairman of an Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the department's budget. Mollohan will not have anything to do with setting the budgets for the attorney general's office, the FBI or the Justice Department's criminal...

WEST UNION — Doddridge County Clerk Janice Ellifritt Cox has heard that her rural, north-central county once had a Democratic sheriff. “Years and years and years ago they said we had a Democrat sheriff, but I don’t remember that,” the 75-year-old Cox said. No such animal exists today. All current county officeholders are Republicans. In fact, last week the county gave the majority to every GOP candidate on the ballot. That gave Doddridge County the odd distinction of being the only one of West Virginia’s 55 counties to vote against Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va. The 88-year-old Byrd won a...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - In a state where politics is a spectator sport, Don Blankenship stands center stage. The chief executive of West Virginia's largest coal company is using his personal fortune to try to give Republicans control of the state Legislature - something they haven't enjoyed in more than seven decades. To date, Massey Energy Co.'s chief executive has spent more than $1.8 million to promote 41 hand-picked GOP candidates through contributions and his personal political action committee, "And for the Sake of the Kids." When talk turns to politics in West Virginia these days, it invariably leads to Blankenship...

FAIRMONT — The children of three Morgantown developers pulled away tarps to reveal giant renderings of an $87-million development proposed at the site of a former coke plant Monday afternoon. The brainchild of developers Michael Vecchio, Mark Tampoya and David Rees, who make up The Water Works LLC, Volcano Island Indoor Waterpark Resort is only the first phase of a redevelopment plan for the 107-acre property on the site of the former Sharon Steel plant on the East Side of Fairmont. The children will probably be among the first to experience the 12 water slides, surf machine, water roller coaster,...

The campaign to elect Republican Chris Wakim to the First Congressional District of West Virginia filed a Federal Election Commission complaint Thursday alleging that Democrat incumbent Alan Mollohan coordinated illegally with a 527 political group. The Mollohan campaign denies the accusation, calling the complaint a "fairy tale." Federal law prohibits any coordination between campaigns and 527 organizations, which are allowed to raise and spend an unlimited amount of money to advocate for or against candidates but may not expressly say "vote for" or "vote against" a certain candidate. The complaint states that Jeffrey Burum, the principal donor to West Virginia...

While addressing the Berkeley County Republican Club, the Journal reports that John Raese pledged to cut taxes and downsize the government. During his address, "Raese said if 'Government is not the solution to the problem. Government is the problem." In addition, "the self-proclaimed 'Reagan Republican' said that if elected, he will also cut income taxes. In a clear swipe at his Democratic opponent, Raese "would like to implement term limits because there are too many long-term politicians in office."

CHARLESTON -- U.S. Senate candidate John Raese has reached the campaign goal of more than $850,000 raised in contributions, the campaign announced today. "The show of support from not only West Virginia but around the nation is impressive, and humbling," said Raese. "Thousands of individuals understand the need for a new direction and a change in course from the outdated philosophy and out of step politics of Senator Byrd." Raese noted that such an outpouring of support indicates an underlying weakness in the Byrd campaign which has raised large sums of money but much of it from out of state...

After garnering support levels in the high 50s for the last several months, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd has pierced the 60% threshold in our polling to now lead Republican John Raese 63% to 30%. That adds eight points to the spread. Our August survey showed the Senator over-flying his Republican opponent 56% to 31%, a mere twenty-five-point advantage. Byrd, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate, is known for his oratory, unabashed vigor in bringing pork projects to his state, and opposition to the war in Iraq. Should he win, he will be 89 as he begins his new term....

Here is a quote from the blog: "If a non christian student steals or destroys the portrait of the person that the Bridgeport WV High School alleges to be Jesus. How will the school board punish the kids religious dissent without violating the kids civil rights?" http://www.sheck.com/serendipity/

Dear Friends, On August 8th, Dr. Dallas Bailey of Lost Creek sent me a nasty email suggesting that my support of the effort to keep a portrait of Jesus hanging in a local school was unethical since I am an elected member of the Harrison County Board of Education. He further suggested that he was going to seek an opinion from the WV Ethics Commission to stop my public support of the portrait. At 10am this morning, the West Virginia Ethics Commission contacted me and asked that I immediately stop soliciting contributions for the "Christian Freedom Fund" . That...

Commercial attacks Byrd record on taxes Friday, August 04, 2006 Tom Searls The Charleston Gazette Republican U.S. Senate nominee John Raese hit the television airwaves this week, continuing a vigorous ad campaign that began with full-page newspaper advertisements last week. Raese’s 30-second commercial focuses on U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s voting record on tax matters, saying that since 1991 the Democrat has voted 18 times to increase income taxes, 13 times to keep the marriage penalty tax, five times to increase taxes on Social Security benefits and seven times to raise the gasoline tax. “The people of West Virginia...

There is urgent need for prayer ASAP for a small boy (5 or 6) who fell off a farm Gator and was run over. He has been life-flighted to Huntington, WV, which means he's in trouble. Please pray now for his recovery. He is a twin and the next door neighbor to my son. His name is Caleb. Thank you.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., Jul. 25, 2006 (CNA) - Charles Town, West Virginia, has a new city landmark — St. James Catholic Church — believed to be the largest Catholic church in the state. Bishop Michael Bransfield of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston will preside at the dedication mass for the new church this evening.About two years ago, parishioners decided it was high time their growing congregation, currently numbering 3,400, had a new home. The old church seats only 276 people and seven services had to be held on the weekends to accommodate everyone, reported the Charles Town Herald. The parish also...

Ohio County Sheriff Tom Burgoyne at times has been outspoken in his criticism of federal immigration enforcement officials. In the past, Burgoyne has been known to complain that his deputies were told by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service to simply release illegal aliens — because the federal agency didn’t have the resources to deal with them. During recent months, however, ICE officials seem to have been more cooperative. But the time may be coming — soon — when Burgoyne will be told that his department simply isn’t allowed to apprehend illegal immigrants. The new message from ICE, backed by...

A land deal involving a Democratic congressman and a defense contractor he helped receive a federal contract has come under scrutiny. Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, a 12-term congressman from West Virginia, last year jointly purchased a 300-acre farm along his state’s Cheat River along with Dale R. McBride, chief executive of FMW Composite Systems Inc. of Bridgeport, W.Va. Mollohan’s real estate holdings and financial disclosures have drawn the attention of federal investigators, and the farm purchase "is the most direct tie yet disclosed between Rep. Mollohan and a beneficiary of the federal spending he has steered toward his home state,”...

WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) - A senior Democratic senator plans to force a series of votes on indecency legislation when the Senate Commerce Committee takes up a broad-based telecommunications reform bill in the spring, an aide said Monday. Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, have introduced legislation that seeks to expand indecency regulations to cable and satellite TV providers, include violent content under the same regulations as indecent content and codify the current children's television rules. "Sen. Rockefeller plans to offer his bill, in totality, or section-by-section, as amendments to the telecom bill as this goes forward," James...

DRAWDY, W.Va. — Two mine workers were killed in separate accidents in West Virginia on Wednesday, prompting Gov. Joe Manchin to call on all coal companies to cease production until safety checks can be conducted. "We're going to check for unsafe conditions, and we're going to correct any unsafe conditions before we mine another lump of coal," Manchin said. A miner was killed at an underground mine when one of the supports along the wall popped loose, said Caryn Gresham, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training. A bulldozer operator at a surface mine died...

He's the 100th vote...hasn't been heard from for weeks. Is he in attendance? Will he vote or just let things slide as they will? Maybe old SHEETS' getting some WVA fire in the belly scared Rocky out of the challenge! NOPE! I was wrong. He just voted NO!

I haven't forgotten Senator Rockefeller or his plan. And neither has the DOJ. He's going to get nailed and soon. The "hold up" over the NSA leak investigation for which he is suspect number one, is widening to include his activities in 2002, specifically his act of treason against the US to which he admitted to, but the MSM of course wouldn't report. Last month I was going to post from this very good article that more eloquently than I outlines the exact nature of Senator John Rockefeller's treason against the United States. Quote: "I took a trip by myself...

Hutton Gibson has been making a three-hour drive each week for the past year from his home in Summersville, W.Va., to rural Westmoreland County, a round trip of more than 300 miles, just to attend Sunday Mass. Now, the 87-year-old Gibson plans to have his own church in Mt. Pleasant Township. The church is St. Michael the Archangel Chapel, now located in a ranch-style brick home along Route 982 South between the villages of Lycippus and Weltytown. Gibson is no ordinary parishioner. Gibson is the father of actor-director Mel Gibson and a follower of an ultraconservative branch of Catholicism that...

Families of the Sago miners, Governor Manchin, Mrs. Manchin, Senator Byrd, Senator Rockefeller, West Virginians, friends, neighbors, all who have come here today to remember those brave men who have gone on before us, who ventured into the darkness but instead showed us the light, a light that shines on all West Virginians and the nation today: It is a great honor to be here. I am accompanied by three men I grew up with, the rocket boys of Coalwood: Roy Lee Cooke, Jimmie O'Dell Carroll, and Billy Rose. My wife Linda, an Alabama girl, is here with me as...

HOT Oscar tip Heath Ledger yesterday compared US bans on his gay cowboy film to racism. Critics' Choice Awards Picture Gallery Ledger said he was not surprised a Utah cinema had banned Brokeback Mountain, which depicts a lifelong love affair between two Montana cowboys. "I heard a while ago that West Virginia was going to ban it. But that's a state that was lynching people only 25 years ago, so that's to be expected," Ledger said. "Personally, I don't think the movie is (controversial) but I think maybe the Mormons in Utah do. I think it's hilarious and very immature...