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Election 2008 Shorts
2008-03-27 02:14:00
The Charleston Daily Mail interviews two of the Democrats running for Kanawha County's two state Senate seats on the ballot this year (Update: So did The Charleston Gazette).MetroNews interviews former South Charleston mayor Richie Robb, one of three Democrats running for the U.S. House in the 2nd Congressional District. With audio.
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W.Va. Electioneering Law Challenged
2008-03-26 13:45:00
The Beltway-based Center for Individual Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit targeting West Virginia's rules regulating corporate political spending and independent campaign advertising.As The Associated Press reports, the group "wants to run television and radio ads targeting West Virginia's upcoming Supreme Court elections, but doesn't want to disclose how much it spends or who is footing the bill.""The Center's values compel it to avoid speech that is conditioned on reporting and disclosure," the group's lawyers wrote, adding that "As a matter of policy, and because its supporters are not willing to be identified, the Center must either refrain from speaking or accept the risk of punishment if its speech is determined to be subject to regulation."The center also seeks a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the relevant statutes, so it can air ads in time for the May 13 primary."To be clear, but for those laws and the injury they threaten, the Center would be proceed...

Coalfield Living: a Health Hazard?
2008-03-26 13:35:00
A West Virginia University study that combined study coal production data and mortality rates in eight coal-producing states with a telephone survey of 16,400 state residents "concludes that people who live in Appalachia's coalfields are far more likely to have chronic heart, lung and kidney problems," The Associated Press reports.Public Broadcasting and The Charleston Gazette also report on the new study, which will appear in the American Journal of Public Health next month."Residents in major coal counties had a 70 percent increased risk of kidney disease and a 64 percent increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease such as emphysema," The Gazette article said of the findings. "Coal county residents were also 30 percent more likely to report high blood pressure."
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The Flip Side of the Gas Tax
2008-03-26 13:26:00
Rising gas prices have revived resentment toward West Virginia's 32.2 cents-per-gallon tax. But as The Charleston Gazette reports, "for the 2008-09 budget, the gas tax is projected to bring in $380 million - by far the largest source of state funding for highway construction and repair. All other state vehicle taxes, registration and fees will account for less than $258 million."
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Hillbilly-esque
2008-03-26 13:20:00
A recent casting call prompted The Associated Press to explore the ins and outs of the famed Appalachian moniker."When it?s self-described, it?s a term of endearment. When someone else uses it, particularly an outsider, you better watch out,? John Lilly, editor of Goldenseal, told AP's Tom Breen and Shaya Tayefe Mohajer.
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Election 2008 Shorts
2008-03-25 13:24:00
Former President Bill Clinton has added a Kanawha County stop to his Wednesday campaign schedule in West Virginia. The Charleston Gazette has details, while The Register-Herald focuses on his Beckey visit and The Parkersburg News highlights his appearance there. MetroNews also has an item.The Associated Press explains that while voters in the May 13 Democratic primary will be picking a presidential candidate, that party's pledged national convention delegates won't be decided until June.The Gazette interviews the two Republican candidates for state attorney general. Dan Greear and Hiram Lewis say they're not so much running against each other as they're running against Democratic incumbent Darrell McGraw.
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Bill Clinton Coming to W.Va.
2008-03-23 22:59:00
Former President Bill Clinton plans to stump for his wife in Parkersburg and Beckley on Wednesday, her campaign told The Associated Press.On the heels of Hillary Clinton's visits to Charleston and Huntington last week, the former president is following up on his October speech at a state Democratic Party dinner (before which he headlined a fundraiser for the New York senator's White House run.)

Raymond Chafin, 1917-2008
2008-03-23 22:54:00
Another "West Virginia Tough Boy," credited (or accused) in the alleged vote-buying that marked the state's 1960 Democratic presidential primary, has died.The Logan Banner has a report on the death of Raymond Chafin, "most famous for his support of John F. Kennedy in the 1960 primary race. Chafin was one of the key figures in Kennedy winning West Virginia in the May 1960 primary and was invited to the White House by Pres. Kennedy himself."The article also cites Chafin's presence in the book West Virginia Tough Boys: Vote Buying, Fist Fighting, And A President Named JFK.
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Wielding Line-Item Veto, Manchin Signs Budget Bill
2008-03-23 22:43:00
Gov. Joe Manchin trimmed about $8 million from the general revenue and lottery sections of the recently passed budget bill before approving the spending measure for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.As The Associated Press reports, "casualties include nearly $1 million for 4-H camp improvements, $50,000 for a new authority to oversee State Route 2, and $250,000 for the Senior Corps volunteer program."Manchin also reduced or zeroed out funding for 51 of the 414 fairs and festivals earmarked by lawmakers in the legislation. Deleted events include "Fourth of July events in Chester, Hurricane and Hampshire County, the Nicholas County Fair, four events in Greenbrier County and the Taste of Parkersburg," AP reports.As both AP and The Charleston Gazette report, Manchin vetoed $24.5 million out of a separate bill meant for the pending transfer proposal involving the Teachers' Retirement System."Manchin, in his veto message, said the actual expense won't be known until the Teachers Defined Contrib...
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Starcher to Hold Public Hearing for Recusal Bid
2008-03-23 22:33:00
Massey Energy Co. will get a change to argue in open court for Justice Larry Starcher's recusal from a pending appeal."Richmond, Va.-based Massey unsuccessfully sought to disqualify Starcher before appealing a $240 million judgment awarded to Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel and Mountain State Carbon," The Associated Press explains. "Massey is trying again and Starcher said Thursday he?ll hear arguments on the request April 10."The article also notes that "West Virginia?s Supreme Court has been buffeted by disqualification requests involving Massey Energy cases since photos surfaced of Chief Justice Elliott ??Spike?? Maynard with Massey Chief Executive Don Blankenship vacationing in Monaco while the company had appeals pending. Maynard has since stepped aside from at least three Massey cases, including the Harman appeal."The MonacoGate scandal helped fuel a Saturday op-ed in The Wall Street Journal.On a related note, John Grisham's The Appeal has fallen to #2 on The New York Times' best...
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Lottery May Up the Ante on Its Video Machines
2008-03-21 13:24:00
Gamblers who play the machines at West Virginia's racetracks can win up to 95 percent of the machine's "contents." The Lottery Commission has been asked to consider more generous winnings, The Charleston Gazette reports."IGT Corp., the leading manufacturer of video lottery machines, wants the Lottery to increase that limit to 99.9 percent, which is the standard in most gaming jurisdictions, including Nevada, New Jersey, and - most recently - Pennsylvania," the article said.Supporting the proposal, Lottery director John Musgrave "said the change would not hurt track or state video lottery revenues, since the tracks would still have a mixture of higher- and lower-payout machines," the Gazette reported. "Overall, the tracks operate at about a 92 percent overall payout, averaged over all machines."
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W.Va: Clinton 55%, Obama 27% (Rasmussen)
2008-03-20 18:37:00
So says the latest Rasmussen Reports."Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure."Update: The March 13 survey of 702 likely Democratic primary voters precedes the respective visits by the candidates. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points. Details and questions here.Other highlights:* "By a 48% to 31% margin, the West Virginia voters believe Clinton will be the stronger general election candidate against John McCain;"* More of those surveyed expect Obama to win the nomination;* Obama voters are far more likely to back Clinton as the nominee than visa versa: "Eighteen percent (18%) of Clinton voters say that they are Not Very Likely to vote for Obama and 35% say they are Not at All Likely to vote for Obama."* "Nationally, Obama holds a very narrow lead over Clinton in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll."* 72% rated President's Bush's performance as "poor;"* 57% rated Gov. Joe Manchin's performance as "excellent" or "good."* 54% believe Geraldine Ferrero's co...

Obama in W.Va. (Updated)
2008-03-20 18:12:00
Update: The Associated Press' Tom Breen remains on the presidential campaign trail, filing this report from Barack Obama 's Charleston speech.Update II: AP also has photos, hosted by the Charleston Daily Mail. MetroNews has a report, audio and a slide show.The Register-Herald of Beckley and The Charleston Gazette were among those with items setting the stage for Barack Obama's Thursday campaign stops. Other include WSAZ-TV and WOWK-TV.MetroNews also spoke with Beckley's mayor on the eve of the Democratic presidential contender's stop there, and offers audio.MetroNews Talkline, meanwhile, focused on Obama's recent speech on race both here (with audio) and here.

Election 2008: Supreme Court
2008-03-20 02:22:00
The West Virginia Bar Association hosted all five Supreme Court candidates at a Thursday forum in Charleston, The Associated Press reports.
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Clinton in W.Va.
2008-03-19 13:47:00
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to bring her Democratic presidential campaign to Charleston for a Town Hall-style rally, and then to Huntington for an event with veterans.MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval interviewed the New York senator in advance of her trip (audio here).The Herald-Dispatch sets the stage for Clinton's appearance in Huntington, and for the slated West Virginia visit by rival Barack Obama the following day.As for the Illinois senator, The Register-Herald has an advance piece for his Thursday scheduled stop in Beckley.(And as the talk over Democratic delegates and superdelegates continues, The New York Times interviewed Gov. Joe Manchin for an article earlier in the week on the topic.?Every day that this continues, people can surmise that this is going to the convention in Colorado and it could be decided by the superdelegates,? said Manchin, also quoted as head of the Democratic Governors Association. ?There is not a superdelegate that I have spoken to who want...

Death and the Uninsured in W.Va.
2008-03-19 13:38:00
Adding to the debate over health care, an advocacy group estimates that "210 West Virginians between the ages of 25 and 64 died in 2006 because they didn?t have health insurance."The Associated Press is among those who picked up on the report from Families USA, which "bases its estimates on data collected and analyzed by the Institute of Medicine and the Urban Institute."The Charleston Gazette also has coverage, while MetroNews has a story and an interview with group founder Ron Pollack and local health care advocate Pat White."According to U.S. Census data, 245,000 West Virginians were uninsured in 2006, a drop from 304,000 in 2005," AP reports. "Nationally, the number of uninsured increased from 44.8 million in 2005 to 47 million in 2006."
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Obama Coming to W.Va.
2008-03-18 13:31:00
Barack Obama has announced Thursday campaign visits to Charleston and Beckley, The Associated Press reports.The events are slated one day after Democratic rival Hillary Clinton has scheduled stops both at the capital and Huntington, as AP has reported.Others following up on the presidential campaign appearances include MetroNews, the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, The Register-Herald of Beckley and The Charleston Gazette.Update: In advance of this week's visits, The Intelligencer of Wheeling examines the state's Democratic delegates and superdelegates, as well that party's county and state convention plans. The Gazette also polls superdelegates.

W.Va. Investments Take a Hit on Wall Street
2008-03-18 13:22:00
The Associated Press reports that "while urging a long-term view, state officials predicted Monday that West Virginia's investments will fail to reap their projected 7.5 percent return when the budget year ends June 30.""The state posted $454.9 million in net losses from its holdings in stocks and bonds during the first half of the fiscal year, " reducing the value of its portfolio 4.1 percent, the article said.State officials say the multi-year picture for returns remains healthy, noting that last year's return of 17.6 percent helped cap a five-year period at 11.5 percent. "Over the last five years, IMB has exceeded the median return for all three kinds of investments it handles: domestic stocks, international stocks, and fixed-income securities," officials told AP.
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Graham Still A Target
2008-03-18 13:15:00
After escaping federal criminal charges stemming from his reign at Wyoming County's Council on Aging, Robert Graham still faces state attempts to recoup alleged monetary losses, The Associated Press reports.With a state lawsuit pending against him, the $41,229 that Graham had paid in fines, forfeitures and court costs in the federal case "should be transferred to the circuit court," the article said, citing a Monday filing by Senior Deputy Attorney General Silas Taylor.
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Lawmakers Heading Home
2008-03-17 13:42:00
Sunday saw 11th-hour passage of teacher pension merger legislation, and several other measures placed by Gov. Joe Manchin on a special session agenda, following approval of a new state budget.Both The Associated Press and The Charleston Gazette were on hand for the duration.The budget bill includes $3.9 billion in general revenue and $10.4 billion in overall spending.The Gazette also reports separately on the teacher pension transfer bill, while AP examines some of the surrounding issues.
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Drug Deaths in the Mountain State
2008-03-17 13:34:00
The Charleston Gazette updates its groundbreaking coverage of overdose drug deaths in West Virginia, by mining a new federal-state study to find that "nine out of 10 West Virginians who died of overdoses in 2006 were killed by prescription drugs.""Researchers studied 332 accidental drug overdoses in which a complete autopsy was performed, excluding suicides and the very few poisonings that weren't drug-related," The Gazette explains.Public Broadcasting, which contributed to the previous coverage, follows up by examining the state's residential treatment programs and finding them in short supply. With audio.
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Legislature 2008: Post-Mortem
2008-03-17 13:29:00
DHHR: MetroNews reports on an apparently failed bid to require an interim study review of the Department of Health and Human Resources. With audio.LOCAL AUDITS: A possible topic of interim study, The Register-Herald of Beckley reports on municipalities chafing beneath state audit requirements.STREAMS: The Charleston Gazette reports that environmentalists and industry groups alike are having second thoughts about the legislation that scrapped the Tier 2.5 category for stream protections.VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS: The monthly interim studies will include one exploring "the possibilities of offering volunteer firefighters workers compensation insurance," MetroNews reports. With audio.
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Clinton Coming to W.Va.
2008-03-16 03:54:00
Hillary Clinton has slated a Wednesday visit to Charleston, her campaign told The Associated Press.Details have yet to be announced. She headlined a fundraiser and hosted a Town Hall-style meeting in West Virginia last July.

Newspaper Suing WVU over DaughterGate Records
2008-03-14 14:00:00
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that it has given West Virginia University the required 30-day advance notice that it will sue the school "for failing to comply with the state's open records law.""The newspaper alleges the university committed numerous violations in its response to requests for documents related to the school's decision last fall to retroactively award a master's of business administration degree to Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch, daughter of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin," the article said.The newspaper reports that its lawsuit alleges "the university has engaged in a constant and consistent practice of delay, evasion and concealment."
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No Deal Yet on Teacher Pension Merger
2008-03-14 13:54:00
Gov. Joe Manchin tells The Associated Press that while he "may still ask lawmakers to merge state teacher pension funds before they leave town this weekend," he "remained reluctant Thursday to commit state money to the deal.""The governor believes that requiring the state to pay implies fault for the insufficient investment returns suffered within the 401(k)-style Teacher s Defined Contribution program," AP reports.The Charleston Gazette, meanwhile picks up on a focus by some lawmakers of some of the pensions generated by state-run programs. They include the Teachers Retirement System, which enrollees in TDC would be given a chance to join with the proposal under debate within the administration.
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Election Shorts
2008-03-14 13:48:00
In the shadow of MonacoGate, The Charleston Gazette quizzes the four Democratic Supreme Court candidates about conflicts of interest. On hand for the interview, Chief Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard is also asked about allegations of a federal inquiry into his Riviera Rendezvous with longtime pal and Massey Energy chief executive Don Blankenship.The Gazette also trumpets the move by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to add Anne Barth to its list of candidates that can expect aid from its "Red to Blue" program. This, to the chagrin of Barth's two Democratic primary opponents.
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Timmermeyer Leaving DEP
2008-03-14 13:34:00
Perhaps starting the exodus of appointees that often accompanies a transition between terms, Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer plans to leave the Department of Environmental Protection on July 1."I've been secretary for five years now, and that's a long time in a position like this," she told The Associated Press.Timmermeyer garners praise both from environmentalists and industry types in the article.Others with coverage include The Charleston Gazette and MetroNews.
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Byrd Back on The Hill
2008-03-13 17:58:00
U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd has emerged from the hospital and returned to work at the Capitol, his office tells The Associated Press.MetroNews also has an item.
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Graham Beats the Rap in Wyoming Aging Case
2008-03-13 17:55:00
A federal appeals court has overturned the criminal conviction of Robert Graham , the amply compensated former director of the Wyoming County Council on Aging ."In reversing Graham's conviction, the 4th Circuit Appeals Court in Richmond, Va., ruled Thursday that the trial judge and prosecutors reached the wrong conclusion regarding Graham's actions," The Associated Press reports.
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Quote of the Day
2008-03-13 13:03:00
?The very sad fact, however, is that most people who receive this hoax will believe I said these things and there is virtually nothing I can do about it.? -- Author Homer Hickam, to The Register-Herald of Beckley, about a story circulating on the Web alleging he said "some very vicious, cruel things" about the Democratic presidential candidates during a recent Fox News interview.
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