Free Republic

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Greyhound Bus Lines is offering free travel vouchers to passengers who were stranded for about three hours in West Virginia on a bus with no heat. A bus driver abandoned 45 passengers in Charleston around 8 p.m. Monday after telling them another driver would arrive within the hour to drive them on to Columbus, Ohio, and Detroit. Greyhound spokesman Timothy Stokes says the bus wasn't scheduled to arrive in Charleston from Charlotte, N.C., until 11 p.m. That's the time the bus station reopened and the new driver arrived. Greyhound plans to conduct an internal investigation into...

Byrd's climate stance surprises W.Va.Published: Dec. 18, 2009 at 8:33 AM WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- West Virginia politicians and coal industry leaders say they're surprised and puzzled by remarks on coal mining from Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va. Byrd, 92, a longtime opponent of environmental restrictions on his state's $3.5 billion coal industry, said this month, "The truth is that some form of climate legislation will likely become public policy" and will adversely affect coal mining, warning, "West Virginians can choose to anticipate change and adapt to it or resist and be overrun by it." Those remarks have flabbergasted many...

Interstate 64 is shut down until further notice. CHARLESTON W.Va.-- Officials say that both Northbound and Southbound lanes of Interstate 64 between Charleston and Beckley are shut down until further notice. Road crews and the National Guard are working to clear the roadways and help stranded motorists along the Interstate and across the state. Keep clicking wowktv.com for further updates.

TEAYS VALLEY W.Va. -- With two weeks left till Christmas, it seems the Grinch has struck a church in Putnam County, stealing something very special from an 87-year old member. Otis Wells discovered someone stole his 1967 Gibson acoustic guitar, a gift he received 42 years ago. "It's just a part of me. I don't make music or hardly even sing without my guitar." Somehow, someone pulled the amplifier plug from the Gibson stored at the Teays Valley Nazarene Church where he plays on the "praise team," along with a Charleston police officer. "The musician in me just wants him...

Areas receiving funding will include health, safety, education and training programs More federal funding could be headed to West Virginia. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., Dec. 14 announced that the House of Representatives and Senate have completed action on the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. The measure includes funding for health, safety, education, and training programs in the Mountain State. The bill includes more than $630 million for programs in West Virginia. The bill is part of an Omnibus Appropriations bill, which combined six of the 12 annual spending appropriations measures. The bill...

HUNTINGTON -- Bar owners are worried about what a smoking ban would mean for business. We stopped by some establishments in downtown Huntington this evening to ask bar owners about a recent USA Today article that showed bar owners all over the country ignoring smoking bans because paying customers outweigh local fines. Although many like the idea, they're not willing to lose their business for the sake of smoking. Cabell County is on a dwindling list of West Virginia counties that allow smoking in bars. Rivals Sportsbar and Grill bartender Kristan Johnson said she hopes nothing changes. "I think it's...

WINFIELD W Va -- According to a Sheriff's Department spokesperson, Lura Fisher beat her daughter because she wasn't happy with her grades. Fisher turned herself into the Sheriff's Department late Wednesday morning. The investigation started earlier this week when administrators at her daughter's school noticed marks on her. Fisher's daughter is in fifth grade, and Fisher is free on bond.

State Sen. Dan Foster says he'll propose an increase in the West Virginia cigarette tax again this year. CHARLESTON W Va-- State Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, said he always pushes for a cigarette tax increase. Foster calls a dollar-a-pack hike a good idea for two reasons. "It raises revenue for the state, in the sort-term, greater than $100 million a year," he said. "And, it decreases the number of smokers which has the potential to decreases our long-term health care costs." And, if you believe two-pack-a-day smoker, Dylan Pugh, it might work. Pugh said a dollar increase might be enough...

Recently Jim Robinson posted two threads declaring Free Republic’s determination to see Conservatives elected and ousting Rino's from government. Jim and a great many Freepers believe that we need to take back control. But the RNC is not hearing us. Activism is called for NOW. 2010 is nearing and we need Conservative candidates to run. The time is ripe and people are ready for another 1994 type election. But we need to make the RNC hear us loud and clear. This is the Rino Free America Project. Get involved. Make them listen. Write a letter and MAIL it. Republican...

A few years ago, we wrote a series of pieces about Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WVa) who in 2006 became the target of ethics inquiries. The inquiries stemmed from the fact that between 2000 and 2004, Mollohan's net assets increased from $562,000 to at least $6.3 million. During that same time, he steered $250 million in earmarks to nonprofit groups, some of whose leaders had business relationships with him. In some cases, the earmarks involved not just worthless projects, but projects that actually harmed his district. ... In this case, however, the request may not have been necessary; the ethics committee...

Two men attempted to Rob Gifford's gas station in Reader Sunday night, but all they got away with were some ventilation holes in their getaway vehicle. At approximately 11:20 p.m. a man went to the residence next door to the station and asked owner Tom Gifford if he could use his phone because his car had broken down. Gifford got the phone and when he turned around, the man was holding an knife and a second man wearing a ski mask was in his house holding a pistol. The unmasked man asked for money and drugs; Gifford complied. "They didn't...

HUNTINGTON W.Va.-- The Huntington Police Department made a gruesome discovery Wednesday evening during an unrelated criminal investigation. The officers said they were responding to a report of breaking and entering at around 7 p.m. When they arrived at 24th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, they reporting finding a door forced open to an abandoned concrete building. Inside, the officers said they found a badly decomposed body. The body was so decomposed it appeared mummified. Police officers believe the body had been there for a quite some time. This will be considered a suspicious death until further investigation from the...

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., joins Saturday's debate on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trillion-dollar, 2,000-page health care reform bill. Congresswoman Capito uses her remarks to highlight the concerns of her constituents regarding troubling Medicare cuts included in the Pelosi legislation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp2UqBWRI9o

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Former Cabell County Magistrate Candidate Amy Walker Irwin, formerly known as Amy Daugherty, was arrested Sunday night and charged with possession of a controlled substance. According to the criminal complaint, Irwin was in her car outside a "known crack house" on 17th Street and Dalton Avenue in Huntington when officers approached the car and saw a small piece of apparent crack in plastic next to the gear shifter. The complaint goes on to say Lt. J.T. Combs conducted a field test on the substance and it tested positive for the presence of cocaine. Magistrate Dan Goheen...

"Recall that Alan Mollohan (D-WV) is a former chair of the House Ethics Committee. That's the same Mollohan under federal investigation after the National Legal and Policy Center filed a complaint with the department regarding a bizarre increase in Mollohan's net worth. For 2005, Mollohan and his wife reported assets worth $6.8 million to $25.7 million, up from $116,000 to $315,000 in 1999. His financial disclosure restatements came only after the group's complaint." --Doug Ross, Draining the Swamp NOTE: If the reader is a resident of WV-1 and feels moved to contact Alan Mollohan's office, contact information is provided throughout...

Saturday, friends and family announced they will gather at the Point Pleasant boat dock Sunday at 10 a.m. to search for Charles Ray Denny. MASON W.Va.-- Deputies in Mason County continue searching for a missing man. Saturday, friends and family announced they will gather at the Point Pleasant boat dock Sunday at 10 a.m. to search for Charles Ray Denny. The 31-year old hasn't been heard from since his cell phone died during a phone call a week ago. If you have any information on Denny's location, call the Mason County Sheriffs Department at (304) 675-3838.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Charleston Mayor Danny Jones revealed at a Sunday evening news conference that "there's every reason to believe" friendly fire killed Patrolman Jerry Jones. Patrolman Jones was shot and killed during a chase that ended in the Quick area of Kanawha County after 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Mayor Danny Jones says police can't prove it at this point, but they believe the shot that killed Patrolman Jones came from one of the city's officers. Mayor Jones says they are not sure which gun the bullet came from, but police believe the suspect during the chase was "armed...

LOGAN -- 100,000 people are expected for the rally, and as you can imagine getting that many people in and out of one location takes a lot of preparation. Hours before the Friends of America Rally begins, crews continue to unload the needed equipment, putting the finishing touches on stage preparations that began 5 weeks ago. "It's a continuous show. There's no stopping. That's why we have 2 stages, so there's something constantly being prepared. While someone is performing, something is being torn down while something is being set up," says David Dodd, Event Production Manager for the "Friends of...

In a recent congressional hearing, Senate Commerce Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D.-W.V.) told John P. Holdren, President Barack Obama’s science czar, that he sometimes refers to Holdren as “walking on water.”

The Kanawha County Republican Executive Committee (KCREC) is without a doubt one of the best Republican county executive committees in the state and it shows. In fact, the KCREC is probably more active and more effective than the West Virginia Republican State Executive Committee. Read more... http://www.wvared.com/?p=1956

CABELL COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Cabell County Sheriff Tom McComas says a man wanted in connection with the disposal of a body alongside Interstate 64 near Milton is now under arrest. Erick Deickman will be charged with the felony concealment of a body, after deputies say he disposed of his roomate, Andrew Mulvany, Jr., in a trash can in April. Dieckman and Mulvany apparently had no ties to West Virginia. McComas says police pulled over a vehicle belonging to Deickman in Bardstown, Kentucky after 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff says Deickman's girlfriend, Fawn Bishop, was driving the vehicle and...

The good news is that a brave Muslim woman and surprisingly PBS (which airs Al-Jazeera) has exposed another US Mosque of hate. The Mosque is preaching the Islamic usual of intolerance towards women and us non-believers. The bad news is that even the so called "moderate" Muslims want her thrown out, while admitting what is being preached there is Islam itself. Like I keep on saying, Islam cannot reform.

Logan County Politician indicted

BEAVER, W.Va. Environmental group Mountain Justice says six people arrested on trespassing charges during a coal mining protest are still jailed. The group said Sunday the six have been unable to raise $2,000 cash apiece to make bail. All six were arrested a day earlier at Richmond, Va.-based Massey Energy Co.'s Marfork Coal mining complex in Pettus. Mountain Justice says they were protesting Richmond, Va.-based Massey's plan to blast at the mine. Mountain Justice and a group called Climate Ground Zero say blasting could cause a coal slurry dam at the site to collapse. The arrests are the latest in...

U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-WV, on Thursday, May 21, 2009 submitted testimony to the House Committee on the Judiciary hearing on the ramifications of auto industry bankruptcies to express his grave reservations with recent announcements by Chrysler and General Motors to cut nearly 1,800 dealerships nationwide. Thursday's action follows Rahall’s letter last week to President Obama’s Auto Task Force urging reconsideration of their current strategies to avoid the substantial negative impact on West Virginia’s economy and the Nation as a whole. “Automotive dealerships are an important economic engine. Removing them will cause significant losses to West Virginians – losses...

Over 800 people turned out to protest the current government runaway spending that will raise our taxes for generations to come. These 800 West Virginians, represent by default the many thousands that couldnt make it due to it being a work day, and a miserable cold wet environment that many older folks had to avoid. We hope that this and the hundreds of protests held this day across America will help to send a message to Washington that we taxpayers have had enough!

Below is a message from Delegate Craig Blair. He needs your help to get House Bill 3007, the Random Drug Testing of Welfare, Food Stamps, and Unemployment Recipients Bill, passed... It is with a heavy heart that I must report that Chairperson Carrie Webster believes that there is not enough public support to take up and consider House Bill 3007, the Random Drug Testing of Welfare, Food Stamps and Unemployment Recipients bill. In a recent article, she stated, "her office had not received no calls or e-mails on the issue". In the same article she stated, "If it is really...

Smokers Don't Like The Hike HUNTINGTON W.Va. -- The federal tax on tobacco will increase from 39-cents to $1.01 in April. That increase has some smokers angry while others say it may be a reason to cut back or quit for good. Smokers in West Virginia are bracing for a huge increase in price next month. According to national report, New Yorkers pay the highest state tax at $2.75 per pack. South Carolina residents pay only 7-cents. State taxes on cigarettes in West Virginia are 25-cents per pack. Some smokers say the increase in taxes, whether state or federal will...

March 11, 2009 · The West Virginia Supreme Court is set to consider whether a foster baby would be better off adopted by a husband and wife or the same-sex couple who have cared for her since birth. Oral arguments in Kathryn Kutil and Cheryl Hess' appeal are scheduled Wednesday. The lesbian couple is challenging a November ruling by Fayette County Circuit Judge Paul Blake to place the now 15-month-old girl under the care of a heterosexual couple who might adopt her. State law allows a single person or a married couple to adopt. The infant has temporarily been returned...

Charges of improper billing to Medicaid. CHARLESTON -- United States Attorney Charles T. Miller announced that Cornerstone Hospital of Huntington, WV has agreed to pay the United States $690,000 to end an investigation into the improper billing practices of Cornerstone’s former owners and administrators. The investigation was initiated after two former employees filed a civil complaint against Cornerstone under the qui tam provisions of the Federal False Claims Act. These “whistle blower” provisions allow private citizens, called relators, to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and themselves. The civil complaint is kept under seal while the United...

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A man from Salyersville, Kentucky, has been arrested and charged in a murder-for-hire plot to kill a person from Huntington, West Virginia. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, 70-year-old Robert Barnett hired an undercover ATF agent to commit the murder. He was taken into custody March 6 and charged Monday. The federal affidavit alleges that Barnett gave the agent $5,000 as a down payment and then promised $4,000 more after the murder was committed. Investigators say he also provided an illegal machine gun, pistol, and two silencers to the agent to use...

Jurors Threatened in Sexual Assault Case MASON COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- West Virginia State Police confirmed to WSAZ.com that potential jurors in a sexual assault case in Mason County have received threatening letters. Jury selection was set to get underway Tuesday in the trial of Daniel Hall, but the recent investigation into the threats has delayed the case. Hall is charged with sexual assault and incest. It's still not clear how many letters were sent, but there were 57 potential people making up the jury pool. The list of potential jurors is public record, unless a judge orders it sealed....

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A new advocacy group has been created to promote fair treatment for gay and lesbian residents in West Virginia. Organizers announced the formation of Fairness West Virginia on Tuesday. They said the group's mission is to ensure fair treatment for gay and lesbian residents in their homes, workplaces and communities. Fairness West Virginia board member Christopher Turman of Moorefield says the group's immediate goal is to gain 1,000 members in 20 days. Another board member, West Virginia University professor Donald Hall, says the group is open to everyone.

WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- It is part of the latest craze on the internet, teens fighting and then posting the video on YouTube for all to see. This time, two middle school aged girls from Wayne County were the subject of the latest posting. “It’s sad that it happened to students from Vinson Middle School,” said Tammy Forbush, Principal at Vinson. The two girls fighting in this video are her students. This fight happened off school property and off school time. However, she's still deeply bothered by what she saw posted on the video-sharing website. “We work hard to...

INSTITUTE, W.Va. (AP) - The U.S. Occupational and Health Administration has issued proposed fines totaling $143,000 against a West Virginia Bayer CropScience plant for an August 2008 explosion that killed two workers. Thursday's proposed fines stem from 15 violations the federal safety agency issued against the Institute plant, including 13 serious violations and two repeat violations involving hazardous analysis. An explosion in the plant's Methomyl Unit killed one worker immediately. The second suffered severe burns and died several weeks after the Aug. 28 blast. The company has 15 days to contest the violations and fines. Click here for complete coverage...

Senator says Obama's naming of "czars" potentially undermines power of the legislative branch. WASHINGTON -- West Virginia's senior senator has some strong words for the President of the United States regarding the checks and balances called for in the Constitution. Senator Robert C. Byrd has sent a letter to President Obama, strongly objecting to the President's recent naming of several so-called "czars" to oversee health reform, climate change issues, and urban affairs. The heads of these new offices will not be subject to Senate confirmation in the same way that Cabinet officers are. Sen. Byrd, who has long been known...

Multi-million dollar deal confirmed. BECKLEY-- -- A Russian company has agreed to purchase a family-owned coal company in Raleigh County. According to international reports, Mechel Mining is buying Bluestone Coal Corporation for $425 million, plus stock. Bluestone is owned and operated by James Justice and based in Beckley. In a statement issued to 59News, Justice said, "While a sale of Bluestone Coal Corporation has been the subject of much speculation over the last several months, it is not constructive for us to comment at this time. The transaction is with the global steel, coal and iron ore producer, MECHEL, OAO....

Company says Thursday 215 of its 255 Charleston-based positions will either be relocated to Oklahoma City or eliminated. In other company news, Chesapeake stockholders filed a class-action lawsuit in New York over alleged violations of securities law CHARLESTON W.Va. -- Chesapeake Energy Corp. announced Thursday that it plans to reorganize its Charleston-based Eastern Division from a regional corporate headquarters to a regional field office, according to a release posted on the company's Web site. About 215 of the current 255 Charleston-based positions will be either moved to Oklahoma City or eliminated, with approximately 40 positions remaining in Charleston as part...

Huntington sanitary workers discovered a male fetus Thursday morning during a routine drain cleaning. HUNTINGTON W.Va. -- A gruesome discovery on the East End of Huntington has police searching for answers. The male fetus was found Thursday around 9 a.m. at the water draining pump station on 31st Street and 5th Avenue in Huntington. Sanitary workers made the discovery during a routine drain cleaning. The drain was last cleaned Tuesday afternoon, so police estimate the disposal was recent. The lift station encompasses 769 acres of the city's sewage and rainwater drainage system. The original location of the disposal is still...

CHARLESTON W.Va.-- Blackhawk Saloon owner Kerry Ellison takes his fight against the Kanawha County smoking ban to the courtroom. "I'm not the smoking police," said Ellison who received citations in August and October from the health department for allowing his patrons to light up. It's something he hasn't been trying to hide. A large "Smokers Welcome" sign hangs on the side of his establishment. The business owner represented himself during trial Wednesday and argued it is not his responsibility to make others comply with the regulations. "I think as a whole if everyone would ignore it it would go away....

A proposed bill would add 70 beds to the two state mental hospitals by 2010. CHARLESTON WV-- Some State lawmakers want to ease the overcrowding at West Virginia's two mental hospitals. Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital shown here in Huntington and William R. Sharp Hospital in Weston have long complained of overcrowding. A proposed bill would add 70 beds to the two hospitals by 2010.

Claims spike compared to last year CHARLESTON WV-- When Bunny Harper helps someone file for unemployment benefits at Workforce West Virginia's Charleston office, she can honestly say she's been there. "I worked for a company, they had laid me off. I went through the process and the lady was so nice to me here that worked with me that I thought I want this job, I want to be able to feel like I'm making a difference to West Virginia people and be able to help them and I love the job," said Harper, who is an unemployment program interviewer...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Governor Joe Manchin, fresh from his trip to Washington, D.C., says if you are "expecting a check for nothing, it won't come. " Manchin says in the time leading up to the distribution of the stimulus money, the best thing to do is "keep on working." West Virginia stands to receive $1.8 billion from the President's stimulus bill. Just where the money is going is ever-changing according to the Governor, but it will be transparent. "We are looking for good partnerships that can show us results," Manchin said, adding that sewer, roads, and water projects will...

HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) - A teacher from western Massachusetts and her 15-year-old student - who disappeared a week ago after the boy's parents complained about the woman's relationship with their son - have been found in West Virginia. Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan tells WWLP-TV in Springfield that police apprehended 24-year-old Lisa Lavoie and the boy in Morgantown, W.Va. on Tuesday morning. Lavoie is being held on charges of child endangerment and is scheduled for a hearing later Tuesday. Sullivan says arrangements are being made to return the boy to Massachusetts. Police say they won't comment yet. The boy's mother contacted...

WASHINGTON, D.C (WSAZ) -- Rep. Nick Rahall announced today that housing programs in Huntington have been awarded $1,597,596 in funding from the federal government. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Continuum of Care programs for homeless housing and support initiatives in the Huntington area. According to a release, The Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless was awarded $537,268 for their Project Hope project and supportive services. While at Project Hope, families are taught basic living skills, how to budget and parenting skills. The Huntington West Virginia Housing Authority was awarded $1,063,328 for their Homeless...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- New graphic details have been released in the arrest of a Charleston Police Officer, accused of soliciting a young girl over the Internet. WSAZ.com obtained a copy of the search warrant used in the case against Patrolman Sean Patrick. There are some new details that a lot of people will probably find disturbing. We were there when Patrick was taken off to jail Friday night. At that time, we knew he was arrested as the result of an FBI investigation. Accused of soliciting a 14-year-old girl from virginia for sex on the Internet. Now: the search...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A Berkeley County Delegate is on a mission to crack down on people taking advantage of the welfare system. Craig Blair has created a bill that calls for random drug testing for anyone who receives welfare, food assistance or unemployment benefits. "I'm a frustrated tax payer," said Blair. Under the bill, the Commissioner of the Division of Health and Human Resources would select recipients at random. If they fail the drug test, they'll get up to 60 days to take another test and can still draw assistance. But, if they fail the second test, it will...

Stan Farley faces DUI charges. Stan Farley was arrested for driving under the influence just days after losing the race for Putnam County Sheriff on the democratic ticket. Officers on the scene say Farley didn't appear drunk, but they could smell alcohol on him. They say Farley failed a portable breathalizer test. Monday morning, a magistrate set a pre-trial date of April 29th for Farley.

Company officials will have to decide to file for bankruptcy or sell a stake of the company MILTON -- Time is ticking for the owners of Blenko Glass in Milton. Last month, the glass maker was forced to stop production laying off about 20 workers. According to published reports, the company only has a few days of inventory left to sell. Once it's sold, company officials will have to decide to file for bankruptcy or sell a stake of the company. Blenko officials are talking to possible investors to help save the glass maker as well.