CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gary Southern, the last of six former Freedom Industries officials to face sentencing, will spend 30 days in jail and pay a $20,000 fine for his role in pollution crimes that caused the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill that contaminated the drinking water supply for hundreds[Read More…]
Month: February 2016
WV lawmakers pass English language bill
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A bill that would require all official business of the state to be conducted in English was passed almost unanimously in the House during the Wednesday legislative session in Charleston. House Bill 3019 received support from all delegates except four voting in opposition and one abstaining from[Read More…]
$72M plan to extend broadband wasn’t smart
An editorial from The Journal MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Many of us have known people who spent far beyond their means on cars, vacations, etc., to keep up with the Joneses. State government simply cannot afford to do that in West Virginia. Better high-speed Internet service would be an asset to our[Read More…]
Senate panel adds to tobacco tax increase
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Senate Finance Committee added its own increase to a proposed tobacco tax increase Tuesday evening. The committee approved the advancement of SB 420 to the Senate floor after it voted to bring the total tobacco tax in West Virginia to $1.55 in an attempt to alleviate[Read More…]
WV chief justice publishes jury instruction book
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After five years of research by Chief Justice Menis Ketchum, West Virginia courts will now have availability to pattern jury instructions in civil cases, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia announced Wednesday. Ketchum, a Wayne County native and Huntington resident, said he believes the uniformed[Read More…]
Broader access to life-saving drug a wise step
An editorial from The Herald-Dispatch HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is considering taking a step that many of its neighboring states already have taken – making an opioid-reversing drug more available to its citizens in hopes of saving more lives from potentially deadly overdoses. The Mountain State, with the nation’s highest[Read More…]
Students from deaf, blind school sing at Capitol
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Students from the West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind made their annual visit to the Capitol to perform songs for the members of the House of Delegates. The children of all ages came to Charleston to spotlight their school, which began serving students in 1870…
Fires claim six lives in WV over five days
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Five fires have claimed six lives in West Virginia over the last five days. The most recent fatal fire occurred at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Ritchie County and resulted in the death of a 97-year-old woman, said Lawrence Messina, communications director for the Department of Military Affairs and[Read More…]
WV Senate OKs ban on ‘dismemberment abortions’
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Over objections from doctors and medical groups, the West Virginia Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would outlaw the most common and safest procedure for second-trimester abortions. By a 24-9 vote, senators passed legislation (SB 10) that bans so-called “dismemberment abortions.” The procedure was spotlighted in a series of[Read More…]
McDowell County latest to add ‘In God We Trust’
WELCH, W.Va. — McDowell County Sheriff’s Department is following suit with other regional law enforcement departments in placing “In God We Trust” on their police cruisers. “We need all the protection we can get, nothing wrong with asking God to protect us,” McDowell County Sheriff Martin West said. The Sheriff[Read More…]
