The Charleston Gazette - News

Wheeling man charged in threat at federal building

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 08:31:15 -0500

WHEELING, W.Va. -- A Wheeling man is charged with threatening to shoot up a federal building that was previously targeted by a gunman who was killed by police. Charles Edwin Coffman, 43, is charged with threatening to commit a terrorist act, according t...

State Roman Catholic Diocese plans June conference

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 08:33:25 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of West Virginia has scheduled a conference intended to promote social ministry in parishes across the state.The Wheeling-Charleston Dioceses Office of Social Ministries and Catholic Charities of West Virgini...

W.Va. blacks featured in museum photo exhibit

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 08:35:40 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A new exhibit in Charleston is offering an expansive look at blacks in West Virginia. Through 51 photographs, the Culture Center exhibit captures black West Virginians as workers and artists and engaged in school, church and social ...

State Senate passes bill to start Future Fund

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 08:40:46 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Senate unanimously passed a bill Friday to conserve and invest a portion of oil and gas revenues to use for future infrastructure and economic development. The Future Fund Bill sets aside 25 percent of the sev...

Charges dismissed in witness tampering case

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 08:44:58 -0500

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. -- A judge has dismissed charges against a Wheeling lawyer and a private investigator in a witness tampering case. Harrison County Circuit Judge John Lewis Marks Jr. granted a motion by prosecutors to drop the case after two key witnes...

Storm leaves thousands without power in W.Va.

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 09:27:12 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Strong winds late Thursday and early Friday left thousands of people in West Virginia without power on Friday. About 8,400 Appalachian Power customers were affected, with most issues in the western part of the state, according to Ap...

Man sentenced to more than 100 years

(Kate White) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 10:57:14 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Fifteen years ago, when Raymond Richardson burned his girlfriend with cigarettes, doused her with gasoline and threatened to shoot her, the state Supreme Court said the sentence was too harsh. In an unusual move, just...

Freedom Industries to shut down sooner rather than later

(David Gutman) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:17:28 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- What has seemed inevitable for weeks was made official today: Freedom Industries will soon be finished as a company. Mark Freedlander, a lawyer representing Freedom, told U.S. Bankruptcy Court Friday morning that the company...

Undisclosed tests showed low levels of MCHM in water

kward@wvgazette.com (Ken Ward Jr.) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 13:20:15 -0500

Read the results here Progress on home testing p...

Breaking down the faith

(Lydia Nuzum) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 23:45:00 -0500

CHARLESTON W.Va. -- Catholicism is one of the oldest and most widely practiced Christian traditions in the world, yet like any religion, there are misconceptions about how and why Catholics practice their faith. ...

Bulletin Board: Feb. 22, 2014

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 15:04:44 -0500

Elk Valley PSD Elk Valley Public Service District commissioners will have their monthly board meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday at 100 Bream Drive, Elkview. Housing authority The South Charleston Housing Authority board of co...

Things to do Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 15:14:36 -0500

Music GOVT MULE: 8 p.m. Tickets $23.50, $28.50 and $33.50. Clay Center. Call 304-561-3570 or visit www.theclaycenter.org. SPURGIE HANKINS: ...

Church Activities: Feb. 22, 2014

( ) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 23:45:00 -0500

Miscellaneous The Young at Heart group of First Presbyterian Church of South Charleston will present Jefferson Davis as its main speaker at the 1 p.m. March 3 meeting. Jefferson Davis will be portrayed by John Halstead. Davis is amongst...

Former longtime Kanawha Republican leader dies

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 15:55:04 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Betty Peters White, former longtime executive director of the West Virginia Republican Executive Committee in Charleston, has died while undergoing cancer treatment in Arkansas. Republican figure Stephen Reed said White had been sta...

Police hold details on South Charleston beating death

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 15:55:49 -0500

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Police are not releasing details about a Dunbar man who died after a beating at a South Charleston apartment complex on Tuesday. Anthony Coles, 27, was pronounced dead Friday, said South Charleston Detective A.R. Gordon. Poli...

Co-workers to split lottery prize (photo)

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 15:58:20 -0500

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Team claims significant progress on MCHM studies

kward@wvgazette.com (Ken Ward Jr.) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 16:52:39 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Tomblin administration consultants said Friday they have made "significant progress" on a program to test homes and evaluate state and federal health standards used in the wake of Januarys leak of the chemical Crude MCH...

Clarification: Feb. 22, 2014

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 16:56:04 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Pins N Rods Customs in St. Albans is owned by Chad and Morganne Parsons. A story in Thursdays Gazette named only one of them as the owner of the business. ...

Conference on poverty set for June

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 23:45:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Diocese of Wheeling-Charlestons Office of Social Ministries and Catholic Charities West Virginia will hold the second annual Social Ministries Conference on Poverty: Faith, Hope, Love -- Becoming the...

Water advisory issued in Raleigh

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 17:25:57 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Raleigh County Public Service District has issued a boil-water advisory for the entire Arnett water system. Customers are urged to boil their water for at least one full minute prior to use until further notice. A boil-water adv...

W.Va. college savings plan tops $2 billion

pjnyden@wvgazette.com (Paul J. Nyden) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 17:31:49 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The states college savings plan hit a milestone recently when it surpassed $2 billion in financial assets. "Reaching $2 billion in investments is a significant achievement for the SMART529 program," state Treasurer John Pe...

House to vote on Morrisey ethics bill Monday

ericeyre@wvgazette.com (Eric Eyre) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 18:10:30 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Legislation that targets West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and strengthens his offices ethics rules will be up for a passage vote in the House of Delegates Monday. A revised version of the bill strips some sections that...

Teacher pay raise proposal reinstated

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 18:52:41 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As they work to close a $146 million gap in the 2014-15 state budget, members of the Senate Finance Committee Friday amended Gov. Earl Ray Tomblins teacher pay raise bill (SB391), putting it back to its original proposal of 2 percent...

Shepherd sues to have name placed on ballot

rustymarks@wvgazette.com (Rusty Marks) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 18:56:43 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sally Shepherd, a former conservation officer and unsuccessful candidate for state agriculture commissioner, wants a circuit judge to order her name be placed on the ballot for Kanawha County Commission. Shepherd filed to run for th...

WVU changing name of journalism school

mackenzie.mays@wvgazette.com (Mackenzie Mays) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:06:09 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia University Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism will soon be known as the Reed College of Media. Administrators of the 75-year-old journalism school believe the name will reflect a more modern direction of the fi...

Flags ordered flown at half-staff for Hazo Carter

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:09:49 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin ordered all U.S. and state flags lowered to half-staff Saturday at the Capitol and in Kanawha County in memory of former West Virginia State University President Hazo Carter. Carter, who served 25 years as pres...

History bowl fist pump (photo)

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:12:33 -0500

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Senate OKs protections for teacher planning time

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:22:47 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A bill to allow West Virginia teachers to determine how to use their planning time has passed overwhelmingly in the Senate. The bill states that administrators may not require a teacher attend training, meetings or any work-related ...

Keeping Business Fresh

caitlin.cook@wvgazette.com (Caitlin Cook) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:28:23 -0500

From Bob Evans to Chilis to JC Penney, companies are refreshing their image across the Kanawha Valley. Companies undergo refresh campaigns for many reasons but its important to balance the old and new, marketing professionals say. "Youve got to mai...

Senate passes bill to create oil, gas revenue Future Fund

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:29:12 -0500

Senate OKs bill to allow private flood insurance

webmaster@ap.org ( The Associated Press) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:33:48 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A bill to create a private flood insurance option in West Virginia has passed unanimously in the Senate. Sen. Rocky Fitzsimmons, D-Ohio, said his bill provides residents with more flood insurance options and would help lower premium...

Scenes from the week: Feb. 22, 2014

(Staff reports) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 23:45:00 -0500

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Every week, Gazette-Mail photographers scour the city streets and back roads of West Virginia in search of the perfect shot. Not every photo makes it into the daily editions, but many are too good to waste. Click