Lincoln Walks At Midnight

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ABC News Walks on the Fightin' Side of Blankenship
2008-04-04 01:07:00
"Massey Energy Co. CEO Don Blankenship threatened to shoot an ABC News producer and physically attacked him when the newsman tried to interview the coal company executive in a parking lot near Blankenship's office," The Associated Press reports, quoting a network spokesman.The Charleston Daily Mail also has a story about the alleged tussle "in the parking lot of the Massey Energy chief's Kentucky office.""ABC is working on a story about Blankenship's relationship with state Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott 'Spike' Maynard," AP explains. "The two were photographed vacationing in Monaco in July 2006 while Massey had cases pending before the court."Blankenship told the Daily Mail "he grabbed the reporter's shirt Tuesday but only after the reporter aggressively shoved a camera in his face and hit him in the chest with it."As AP relates, Blankenship then says "the producer grabbed his arm and he grabbed the producer's chest to keep his balance. Blankenship said he slowly moved ...
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Quote of the Day
2008-04-03 21:20:00
"If you're going to start taking pictures of me, you're liable to get shot." -- Massey chief executive Don Blankenship to an ABC News camera crew, during a less than successful Tuesday interview attempt, as reported by The Associated Press.
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Hechler Documentary to Debut
2008-04-03 21:18:00
Marshall University will host the Saturday premiere of "Ken Hechler: In Pursuit of Justice," which the Herald-Dispatch describes as "a two-hour documentary focusing on the life, career and legacy of the former West Virginia congressman and secretary of state."The Associated Press also spoke to Hechler about the film, which involved more than 50 interviews and footage from the Truman Library and other archives. Those who contributed include Bob Dole, George McGovern, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Chuck Yeager.The Huntington newspaper also offers a gallery of photos from throughout the life of Hechler, 93.Free and open to the public, the documentary will be shown at 7 p.m. the Memorial Student Center's Don Morris Room. "Lionel Cartwright, the country singer-songwriter who produced its soundtrack, will also perform," AP notes.
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Graham Speaks
2008-04-03 20:55:00
Having beaten the resulting federal criminal charges, Bob Graham fielded questions Thursday on MetroNews' Talkline about his tenure at Wyoming County's Council on Aging.Graham lashed out at federal prosecutors, the media and state Attorney General Darrell McGraw while defending the pay and perks he received while the agency's director."In March 2002, Graham signed a contract for a base salary of $185,000 with the Council on Aging," MetroNews explains. "That contract included 54 days of paid vacation time a year along with 24 days of paid sick leave, 18 state holidays and overtime. Graham's contract included a number of other bonuses like a company car."Graham cited such other nonprofits as Charleston Area Medical Center and West Virginia University Hospitals to conclude that his compensation package was not excessive."I can say that it was justified by salary studies and based on the number of years and the growth in the companies," Graham told Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval.Gra...

Manchin Sounds Off on BrickStreet Jaunt
2008-04-03 14:34:00
West Virginia created the BrickStreet Insurance Co. in 2005 to replace the state-run workers' compensation program. To aid its transition from public agency to private company, BrickStreet will remain free of competitors until July 1.As that deadline approaches, the company held its annual gathering this week at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort & Spa in Lexington. As the Charleston Daily Mail has reported, BrickStreet has declined to comment on that out-of-state choice.But the Daily Mail found Gov. Joe Manchin not nearly so reluctant:When told that BrickStreet officials refused to comment for the story, Manchin said, "Bull," wheeled around and asked Press Secretary Matt Turner to get BrickStreet President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Burton on the phone.After a brief talk with Burton, Manchin told the newspaper that "I think it's wrong for a company born out of West Virginia, by West Virginians and for West Virginians to do this."The Register-Herald also has a story on Manchin...
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Wesleyan Hosts Debate
2008-04-03 14:21:00
The Republican candidates for state attorney general and the Democrats vying for the nod in the 2nd U.S. House District squared off separately at debates hosted Wednesday by West Virginia Wesleyan College.The Associated Press offers details from the congressional candidates' remarks, while Public Broadcasting has both that and highlights from the AG debate.
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Starcher Fighting Move to Block Massey Recusal Hearing
2008-04-03 13:45:00
Justice Larry Starcher is hoping to keep his unprecedented April 10 hearing on a pending recusal motion targeting him from Massey Energy Co."In a Wednesday letter to his fellow justices, Starcher reminded them that Massey is suing the high court over its rules governing recusal requests," The Associated Press reports. "Starcher also noted that it was Massey chief executive Don Blankenship who was photographed with Chief Justice Elliott "Spike'' Maynard in Monaco while the company had cases pending before the court."During public appearances, Starcher has criticized Massey while calling Blankenship "stupid,'' a "clown'' and a "cancer'' on the court. The coal producer has invoked such statements in seeking his disqualification as it appeals a $240 million judgment won against it by Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp."Starcher recused himself in a separate Massey appeal before scheduling the April 10 public hearing in the Wheeling-Pitt case," the AP article said.The Charleston Gaz...
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Chelsea Clinton Coming to W.Va.
2008-04-03 13:38:00
The former first daughter has added stops in Montgomery and Huntington to her previously announced visit to the state, on behalf of her mother's presidential campaign.The appearances at West Virginia University Institute of Technology and Marshall University are scheduled to precede her address to the Charleston convention of the state's Young Democrats.The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington and MetroNews are among those with details.
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Election 2008 Shorts
2008-04-02 18:42:00
* MetroNews' Talkline hears from Republicans Dan Greear and Hiram Lewis about their respectfully dueling campaigns that seek to take on Democratic Attorney General Darrell McGraw in the fall. With audio. Highlights include Greear opining on the fate of Chief Deputy Attorney General Fran Hughes, were he to win, and Lewis stating that "I believe that there is a quid pro quo there and I believe that, ultimately, those attorneys that were appointed Special Attorneys General donated to Darrell McGraw and, in return, they received $3.3 million in attorney fees."(Lewis also said that, despite the sizable uproar over the recent departure of WVU's football coach, his "Pay Up, Rich!" campaign has taken a bath.)* GOP gubernatorial candidate Russ Weeks tells Talkline that he's "considering filing a lawsuit against the Legislature and the Governor" over the retroactive increases to certain per diem payments in this session's legislative pay raise bill.
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Legislature 2008: Epilogue
2008-04-02 18:28:00
At last count, Gov. Joe Manchin had vetoed 12 (corrected figure) of the 246 bills passed by the House and Senate during their recent 60-day regular session:HB 4010 - Removing the limitation on terms for board of library directors;HB 4307 - Relating to bona fide residents wholly or solely owning greyhounds;HB 4407 - Requiring automatic tire chains as standard equipment on all new school buses;HB 4554 - Testing school bus operators every other year; SB 207 - Relating to Deputy Sheriff Retirement System Act;SB 227 - Relating to State Teachers Retirement System (added);SB 242 - Allowing point deduction for certain licensees attending defensive driving class; SB 337 - Eliminating obsolete language concerning Supreme Court clerk; SB 477 - Increasing conservation officers' salaries and length of service; SB 606 - Requiring hiring preference for summer school program positions; SB 638 - Requiring information collection from catalytic converter purchasers; SB 696 - Providing appraisal met...
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Massey Moves to Block Starcher Hearing
2008-04-02 14:31:00
Massey Energy Co. has petitioned the state Supreme Court for a writ of prohibition to bar the April 10 hearing scheduled by Justice Larry Starcher for its recusal request targeting him.As The Associated Press reports, the coal company's filings argue the hearing "would create a precedent that would justify unilateral actions by future justices who wish to conduct business outside the corporate body that is this Court."To bolster its recusal motion, Massey also alleges that Starcher has persisted in his public comments deriding the company and its chief executive, Don Blankenship.Also Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving Blankenship. Deborah K. May is seeking unemployment benefit from a company that hired her as a personal maid, then assigned her to Blankenship through one of Massey's subsidiaries."May's duties began when Blankenship lived in a three-story house in Mingo County," AP reports from the hearing. "Over time, they grew to include a two-cabin c...
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Maynard, Bastress Trade Barbs
2008-04-01 21:04:00
Facing a re-election battle, Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard let loose on fellow Democratic candidate Bob Bastress during a recent interview with the Charleston Daily Mail editorial board."Maynard's ire was prompted by Bastress' continued criticism of the much-discussed photographs of the chief justice with Massey Energy chief Don Blankenship while the two were vacationing on the French Riviera in 2006," the newspaper reported."(I)t's a two-way street. If I wanted to attack Professor Bastress, it would be very easy to do," Maynard told the editorial board.Maynard alleged Bastress was campaigning at the expense of his post at West Virginia University, including "using the law school as his campaign headquarters," the article said.Bastress sought to rebut those charges, as well as allegations from Maynard of legislation introduced to benefit Bastress' legal work by his wife, Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, the newspaper reported."And I won't ...
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Quote of the Day
2008-04-01 13:57:00
"I will not appoint myself. I will not do that."-- Gov. Joe Manchin, when asked by The Charleston Gazette "if he would appoint himself to the U.S. Senate in the event that ailing Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., is unable to complete his term."
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DNR Looking at Cuts in Wake of Bill's Failure
2008-04-01 13:27:00
With West Virginia among several states showing declining ranks of hunters and anglers, the state's Division of Natural Resources supported a plan this session that would have offered seniors permanent (instead of annual) hunting and fishing licenses.The proposed fee was $15, but seniors can now hunt and fish for free. That likely helped kill the bill, though it proposed waiving the fee for those age 65 and older already exempt from licensing requirements.The Register-Herald of Beckley reports on the reason why DNR wants seniors to hold a license, even a free or discounted one: the number of licenses a state issues determines its share of revenue from federal taxes on fishing gear, hunting firearms and ammunition."West Virginia could lose upward of $350,000 by one informal estimate under the Pittman-Robinson Act." the article said.?It?s as if they don?t exist," DNR chief Frank Jezioro told the newspaper. "So that matching money for their hunting and fishing equipment goes to other ...
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W.Va. Dems Reaching Out to Independents
2008-04-01 13:14:00
For the first time, West Virginia's unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in either major party's primary on May 13.Following the GOP's lead, the state's majority party has opened their primary, and as The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports, "Democrats expect to draw a large share of those votes because of the close contest for the party's presidential nomination between U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama."As previously noted, "While Democrats still make up the largest share of voters in West Virginia, independents are steadily growing, with their numbers increasing at a higher rate than voters in either of the major parties," the article said.
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Teacher Pension Transfer Plan Begins
2008-04-01 13:10:00
Would-be transfers from the state Teacher s' Defined Contribution Plan can start mailing in the necessary paperwork Tuesday _ though as The Associated Press learned, about 200 have already done so.These folks aren't waiting on the benefit projections that state retirement officials have promised to send each of TDC's 18,989 eligible members, meant to help them make educated decisions.The projections are slated for delivery April 17. The Consolidated Public Retirement Board "also expects to launch a Web site by then that will offer an online benefits calculator and password-protected specifics for each eligible enrollee," AP reports.The Web site will also feature a tally, updated weekly, of those who have requested to transfer. Their ranks have to reach 65 percent _ 12,343 enrollees _ for the transfers to occur. If they hit 75 percent _ 14,242 enrollees _ they face lowered payments for ensuring full benefits under the Teachers' Retirement System."The timetable focuses on May 5 as ...
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W.Va.: McCain vs. Obama/Clinton
2008-03-31 13:43:00
Some of the nation's leading political analysts talked to The Associated Press about the presidential race in West Virginia.Charlie Cook, of The Cook Political Report, predicts the Mountain State will remain red."I don't think either of them would be competitive in West Virginia," Cook told AP. "To be honest, I doubt that between Labor Day and Election Day, you'll see much action there."But Stuart Rothenberg, of The Rothenberg Political Report, sees presumptive GOP nominee John McCain as vulnerable in West Virginia, particularly on pocketbook issues."If the economy is bad enough, if there's enough concern about jobs, it will be about whether McCain is aggressive enough in dealing with issues like the mortgage mess and unemployment," Rothenberg told AP. "I think the Democrats will and can compete."AP also looked at voting records, the state's demographics and funds raised in-state by the respective campaigns.The Charleston Daily Mail parallels the upcoming Democratic Primary wit...
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W.Va. Casino Workers on Strike
2008-03-31 13:35:00
About 200 cashiers, money counters and video lottery remain on the picket line outside Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.Health benefits are the sticking point, according to one union official who spoke to the Weirton Daily Times. ""Our union members are paying for 37.7 percent of their health care coverage," Tony Helfer, secretary-treasurer of Local 23, told the newspaper. "The management employees at Mountaineer, who make a much higher salary, only pay 18 percent of their health care."Local 23 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union represents about 9% of staff, and began its strike Saturday."Mountaineer Spokesperson Tamara Pettit says the track is open and operating with managers stepping in to fill the roles of those workers who are now off the job," MetroNews reports. " She says the company wants to keep talking."MetroNews also has audio.
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State Agency Buys TV Coverage
2008-03-28 13:42:00
The Charleston Gazette reports that "the state Division of Natural Resources pays a local TV station for control over the content of a news segment about outdoor life in West Virginia."The $90,000-a-year contract with the owners of WCHS-TV and WVAH-TV calls on them to "produce and air 52 90-second 'West Virginia Wildlife' segments, as well as 30-second ads that lead into the segment," The Gazette reports.DNR's Wildlife Resources Section provides the topics, sets up any necessary interviews, and has final approval over all segment scripts as well as promos and commercials, the newspaper found."While the station does acknowledge the sponsorship, there is no indication during the news broadcast that 'West Virginia Wildlife' is any different from other news segments," the article said. "But unlike other advertisers, who might sponsor the station's weather coverage every night, DNR dictates its own coverage."
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DaughterGate Probe Report Delayed
2008-03-28 13:35:00
It will be at least mid-April before a team picked by West Virginia University will have results from its review into "whether the university manufactured an executive MBA degree for Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter," The Charleston Gazette reports.The panel had earlier estimated it would complete its probe into the Heather Bresch situation by late March or early April, the newspaper said.The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which broke the story, continues its coverage as well.
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Manchin Moves Ahead with Private-Public Drug Plan
2008-03-28 13:27:00
Gov. Joe Manchin is proceeding with an earlier-announced partnership with drug companies to increase the amount of free prescription drugs available to uninsured West Virginians, The Associated Press reports."Drug companies have long donated medications to free clinics, but the West Virginia Rx program is being touted as a major streamlining of the process, which hopes to get more medications to more patients quicker," AP's Tom Breen explains.But gaps in the system persist, says Perry Bryant, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care. Bryant told Breen "that the number of West Virginians without prescription drug coverage is about twice the number of uninsured, meaning that as many as 250,000 residents are insured by plans that don't include medication."MetroNews also has details from the plan.
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Report Touts Technology in West Virginia Schools
2008-03-28 13:20:00
For all their shortcomings and challenges, West Virginia schools have more classrooms with computers, a lower ratio of students per computer and even more widespread online course offerings than the national average, according to a new report highlighted by The Register-Herald of Beckley."The state received an overall score of 95.3 on the report, which ranks West Virginia at the top of the class for its use of technology," the article said.The report, Technology Counts 2008: STEM, The Push to Improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, was issued by Education Week and features a separate section on the Mountain State's scores.
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The Byrd Factor in WV-2nd
2008-03-27 18:54:00
(campaign photo)U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd's status as a living political legend could prove a potent boost for his former longtime aide, Anne Barth, as she runs for Congress in West Virginia's 2nd U.S. House District.The longest-serving senator in U.S. history has joined others in the state's Democratic congressional delegation in endorsing Barth in advance of their party's May 13 state primary (to the chagrin of the race's two other Democrats, as the Charleston Daily Mail reports).But WSAZ-TV offers video from a recent Barth event headlined by Byrd, where it interviewed the senior senator. The video prompted a discussion today on MetroNews' Talkline.
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DaughterGate Coverage Turns to Phone Calls
2008-03-27 17:58:00
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that "a top aide to West Virginia University President Michael Garrison had multiple phone conversations with Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch over five days in October - a period when university officials were deciding to award her an M.B.A. degree even though official university records showed she did not earn it."The newspaper also offers a chronology of relevant events.
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In Wake of Table Games, Racetrack Workers Talk Strike
2008-03-27 13:02:00
After helping to persuade legislators _ and Hancock County voters _ to allow casino table games at their track, The Associated Press reports that "Some 200 cashiers, slot technicians and money room employees are set to strike at midnight Saturday at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in Chester, in protest of 'poverty wages' that make health care and other basic needs unaffordable."Track officials are defending their offer to Local 23 of the United Food & Commercial Workers , as the two sides negotiate to replace a contract that expired March 1.One union official told AP's Vicki Smith that "When West Virginia legislators approved both slot machines and table games, 'the intent was to put money into the coffers of the state of West Virginia.' But many Mountaineer workers are turning to the state for help, relying on the Children's Health Insurance Program, food stamps and other public assistance."The article also said that "if a strike takes place, the track's attor...
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Lawmakers Cash in Early from Pay Raise Bill
2008-03-27 12:51:00
The Legislature has already caught flak for voting itself a $5,000 salary hike this year. But while that pay raise won't take effect until 2009, at least one other part of that bill has been deemed retroactive to Jan. 1, The Associated Press reports.The provision is a $16 increase to the daily payment received by "lawmakers who live too far from the Capitol to commute from home during the session."By increasing that per diem to $131, "23 of the state Senate's 34 members have received additional payments totaling $25,136, that body's payroll figures show," AP reports. "Figures from the 100-member House of Delegate were not immediately available."
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Capito, Women in Congress and the 2008 Elections
2008-03-27 12:38:00
The American Enterprise Institute includes U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, among "Republican incumbents facing tough races" in an analysis of the prospects for women in Congress this year. "The bottom line is that the seats House women will gain and lose are likely to be fewer than 10 in each category, and the net gain is likely to be close to zero," the think tank opined.Doing nothing for the self-esteem of certain Democratic challengers, the piece also includes Capito among GOP incumbents who "will square off against female challengers, so there will be no net change."
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Food Stamps in W.Va. at 30-year High
2008-03-27 02:40:00
Putting recent good economic news in context, "about one in every six West Virginians gets food stamps," the Charleston Daily Mail reports, adding that "amid rising food and fuel costs, the assistance is becoming worth less and less."
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Bill Clinton in W.Va. - Updated
2008-03-27 02:37:00
Those with coverage of the former president's three-stop sweep through West Virginia include The Associated Press (with photos hosted by the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington), MetroNews (with audio and a slide show), multimedia from The Charleston Gazette, The Parkersburg News (also with photos), WSAZ-TV (with several video clips), WCHS-TV (w/video), WOWK-TV (ditto), and WTAP-TV (with video of the entire Parkersburg appearance).The Parkersburg News, The Gazette and The Register-Herald of Beckley all previewed his scheduled campaign appearances.Public Broadcasting, meanwhile, examines whether Clinton 's policies regarding steel during his presidency "could affect the Democratic primary in the Northern Panhandle."And WTAP-TV hears from local Republicans that presumptive GOP nominee John McCain " has been invited to campaign in West Virginia, possibly even in Wood County."
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Manchin Draws Ire with Line-Item Veto
2008-03-27 02:15:00
One of the 35 line-item vetoes that whittled down the 2008-2009 budget bill may land the Manchin administration in court, Public Broadcasting reports."Disability advocates are angry with Governor Manchin for vetoing language in the state budget regarding in-home care for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled people," the report said.Update: The Associated Press also has a story, focusing on Wednesday's court filing seeking enforcement of a 2000 federal compliance order.
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