Charleston | featured news

By Lori Kersey

A Kanawha County circuit judge on Tuesday granted a motion dismissing an Irish building materials company from an anti-trust lawsuit filed by the state of West Virginia against it and its subsidiaries, West Virginia Paving and other asphalt companies.
Judge Tod Kaufman ruled that Dublin-based CRH is dismissed from the lawsuit, which alleges the companies have worked together to push out competition and inflate prices.

By Staff reports

The Out of the Darkness Community Walk, a suicide prevention/awareness walk, is planned for Oct. 7 in Charleston, according to a news release.

By Giuseppe Sabella

A man accused of killing his wife and trying to make her death look like a suicide will have his case sent to a grand jury.
Kanawha County Magistrate Rusty Casto found probable cause for the first-degree murder charge against Randall Todd Chapman, 47, after an hour-long hearing Tuesday. Chapman is being held without bail at South Central Regional Jail.

By Rick Steelhammer

A portion of fees collected from energy companies to lease publicly owned offshore oil and gas exploration rights will help pay for additional power and water hookups at Pipestem Resort State Park's campground, the restoration of Benwood City Park's swimming pool in Marshall County, a parking lot at Mill Race Park in Parsons, and two new group picnic shelters at parks in Berkeley County.

By Lacie Pierson

An Elkview man who allegedly caused a fatal car crash while under the influence of drugs was among 67 people indicted by a Kanawha County last week.
Kevin Layne Statts, 55, was indicted on charges of driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury and driving on roadways laned for traffic, according to a news release from Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Charles Miller.

By Giuseppe Sabella

A Mingo County woman was charged with murder on Monday after she allegedly supplied the pill that led to a woman's fatal overdose last month.
Kristy Danielle Finley, 32, gave the pain medication to Tammy Browning on Aug. 15, according to a criminal complaint filed in Mingo County Magistrate Court.
Browning allegedly snorted the medication, known as Opana ER or oxymorphone, while at Finley's home in Dingess, the complaint states.

n Richwood Water Department has issued a boil-water advisory for 100 Riverside Drive to the intersection of Church Street and Little Laurel Road, Church Street, Staff Drive and Little Laurel Road - ending at 63 Little Laurel Road. The advisory follows a water main break.
Customers in these areas are urged to boil their water for at least one full minute prior to use until further notice.

By Staff reports

After nearly a decade as Marshall University's top academic officer, Gayle Ormiston announced Tuesday he will step down from his position as provost at the end of the school year.
When he does step down in May, the school says, Ormiston plans to join the philosophy faculty at Marshall's College of Liberal Arts.

By Staff reports

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and the Putnam County Health Department are offering flu shots, according to a news release.
The vaccinations are available from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the health departments in Charleston and Winfield.
"Everyone six months and older should get a flu vaccination by the end of October, if possible," Stephanie DeWees, a nurse and director of clinic services for the health departments, said in a statement. "Getting vaccinated later is still beneficial, even as late as January."

By Ken Ward Jr.

The state Public Service Commission began to hear testimony Tuesday in a hotly contested and controversial case over FirstEnergy's effort to transfer one of its coal-fired power plants to a West Virginia subsidiary, a move that consumer advocates and environmental groups say is aimed at unloading an uncompetitive generation station onto ratepayers in the state's regulated electricity market.