EKB News

Alleged Murder Suicide In Kanawha County

2010-03-20T13:50:00.002-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Kanawha (kaw-naw-wah') County Sheriff's Deputies say, when they responded to a home on Spring Fork Drive in the Cambells Creek area around 10:30 P.M. Friday night, they discovered 39 year old Anita Hicks dead inside the home from multiple gunshot wounds. Her husband, Leonard, had suffered a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and was taken to a hospital where he was placed on life support. Deputies say evidence indicates this was a murder-suicide attempt.

Body Of Volunteer Firefighter Recovered

2010-03-20T13:48:00.001-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
The body of Glasgow volunteer firefighter Donnie Adkins was recovered in Piney Creek Friday afternoon after hundreds of volunteers throughout the state, including the State Fire Marshal, Sterling Lewis, countless firefighters, EMS, law enforcement and the National Guard had searched since his body was swept away by floodwaters on March 13th. Adkins was found about 4.5 miles from where his boat capsized during a water rescue in the Beaver Creek area near Beckley.

Alleged Purse Snatchers Arrested

2010-03-20T13:46:00.003-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Twenty-four year old Esta Blackburn and 50 year old Ronald Ray McComas, both of Huntington, were arraigned in Cabell (cab'-el) County Magistrate Court Friday evening after police determined they committed three unarmed robberies involving elderly women who had their purses snatched from them. Two previous incidents occurred in the 600 block of Roby Road and the 900 block of 14th Street in Huntington. Friday a third incident occurred around 4:00 P.M. at Gabriel Brothers on US Route 60. Blackburn and McComas are charged with three counts each of second degree robbery.

Pedestrial Killed In Hit And Run

2010-03-20T13:44:00.001-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
West Virginia State Police say Zachary Thompson was hit and killed by a vehicle on Centerville Road in the Prichard area of Wayne County around 1:00 A.M. Saturday morning. Troopers say the vehicle that hit Thompson and then fled the scene was a burgundy Ford Ranger.

W. Va. PSC Approves Rate Increase

2010-03-20T13:42:00.002-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
The West Virginia Public Service Commission has approved a rate increase for more than 220,000 customers of Mountaineer Gas Company. The company sought a 6.6% rate increase, but, on Friday, the PSC approved a 4% increase effective March 29th followed on November 1st by another .07% increase However, because of a commission-ordered reduction in the company's costs for purchasing natural gas, residents should see their monthly bills actually go down an average of $44.

Gun Buyers To Get Tax Break

2010-03-20T09:06:00.003-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA...
West Virginia lawmakers want to give gun buyers an annual break from the state sales tax. The Legislature sent the governor the necessary bill Saturday after it passed the Senate 25-9. It earlier won House approval 96-2. The bill sets the sales tax holiday during the first weekend of each October. Supporters say it should help businesses that sell firearms, particularly in border counties. Critics include the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, which faulted Oklahoma lawmakers for a similar proposal earlier this year. It frowns on temporary tax measures. State officials estimate it would save consumers, and cost general revenue, around $25,000 a year.

Prestonsburg Drug Dealer Gets Record Sentence

2010-03-19T16:09:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
A two-day drug trial resulted in what prosecutors believe to be the largest recommended sentence for an accused drug dealer in the county’s history. Gary Warrick, 43, of Town Branch Road in Prestonsburg, was found guilty by a Floyd County jury on two counts of first-degree trafficking of methadone and an additional charge of persistent felony offender. The jury recommended a maximum sentence of 20 years for the trafficking charges and then another maximum recommendation of 10 years to run consecutively on the persistent felony offender charge. Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney Brent Turner said a recommended sentence of 30 years on a drug trafficking case is a first for his office. Warrick will be in court for formal sentencing on April 23 before Floyd Circuit Court Judge John David Caudill.

Cabell County Awards Contract

2010-03-19T11:50:00.002-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
At their regularly scheduled meeting this week, Cabell County commissioners voted to award Oval Construction of Charleston a $1.24 million contract for construction of a new ambulance station along U.S. 60 on the east end of Milton. Oval was the second-lowest bidder, but commissioners determined the lowest bidder should be rejected based upon its failure to meet criteria. Commissioners also approved an estimated $53,773 in material costs for a water extension project in Milton. The water project extends public water to an estimated one-mile stretch of unserved customers, including the Girl Scout Camp.

Federal Bonding To Be Reallocated

2010-03-19T11:41:00.003-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA...
Through a federal stimulus program, West Virginia was allocated $90 million in bonding capacity allowing local governments in 44 eligible counties to issue tax-exempt bonds for public projects. The West Virginia Economic Development Authority says county commissions and municipalities in only 14 eligible counties took advantage of the program and applied to issue bonds totaling $36.8 million, leaving $53 million in bonding capacity which the authority plans to reallocate by April 1st. The deadline for issuing bonds is December 31st, and any portion of West Virginia’s allocation that hasn't been used by then will be lost.

ARH/Union Reach Contract Agreement

2010-03-19T11:39:00.003-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
More than 2,300 Kentucky and West Virginia union workers will soon vote on a proposed new contract with Appalachian Regional Healthcare that was agreed upon this week by United Steelworkers and ARH negotiators. The Steelworkers union, which represents ARH workers, says it expects to hold meetings with workers next week, and a vote on the contract will follow.

Cemetery To Be Relocated

2010-03-19T11:37:00.003-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
West Virginia Division of Highways Cemetery Coordinator Ivan Kapp says, beginning Monday, a family cemetery along the Raleigh-Wyoming county line is being moved to make way for a section of the Coalfields Expressway from Sophia to Mullens. The Division Of Highways plans to move the remains to a new site it will build called Allen Creek Cemetery. Officials say all families have been contacted and the agency is waiting for a judge to approve the plan. The DOH has contracted with Chafin Funeral Home of Delbarton to relocate the remains.

Yeager Airport Announces Additional Flights

2010-03-19T11:35:00.004-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
During a reception at the University of Charleston Thursday, American Airlines announced that, beginning April 6th, its American Eagle division will be offering the second competing route from Yeager Airport to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. United Airlines' United Express already offers a route to Chicago, and, by adding American, Yeager doubles the number of seats to Chicago everyday while going from two flights a day to four and offering a choice of two network carriers. Senator Jay Rockefeller says the new nonstop jet service will create more competition essential to maintaining affordable fares.

ATV Accident Kills Mingo County Man

2010-03-19T11:33:00.004-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Mingo County officials say an ATV ride turned deadly Thursday evening when, around 7:30 P.M., 47 year old William James Copley, of Delbarton lost control of his four-wheeler in the Upper Bias Hollow of Delbarton. According to witnesses, Copley and 30 year old Sara Doyle, also of Delbarton, were riding off of a hill and it appeared Copley had no use of his brakes. The ATV traveled over an embankment, where both Copley and Doyle were found around 50 feet from the road. Doyle was airlifted to St. Mary's Hospital

Death Row Inmate...Can He Be Executed?

2010-03-19T09:13:00.004-04:00

KENTUCKY...
A Kentucky death row inmate seeking to end his appeals could have an execution date set for next month, but whether he can be put to death remains in question. The Kentucky Supreme Court rejected the last mandatory appeal of 61-year-old James Hunt, who is seeking to fire his public defenders and waive all remaining appeals. Once the court issues the mandate making the decision final, by law, Hunt's execution date would be set the fifth Friday after the ruling is issued. In this case, that could be as soon as April 16. But Kentucky is currently barred from carrying out executions while it reenacts its lethal injection protocol. The state supreme court threw out the three-drug method in December, saying Kentucky officials improperly adopted it and could not execute any inmate until it was properly readopted. That leaves open the question of whether Hunt's execution can be legally carried out if the protocol isn't adopted by the scheduled execution. Hunt was sentenced to death on July 28, 2006, in Floyd County for the murder of his estranged wife, Bettina Hunt.

Man Killed At Lexington Landfill

2010-03-19T09:03:00.002-04:00

KENTUCKY...
A worker at a Lexington landfill who was flown to UK Hospital Wednesday morning following an accident involving a one-thousand pound metal container has died of his injuries. The incident happened at about 11 a.m. at the landfill on Hedger Lane near the Fayette-Clark County line. Managers say 26-year-old Jesse Hodges was crushed between two dumpsters while they were being loaded. The manager said employees were emptying one dumpster into another with materials when apparently, a chain got caught. Hodges went inside the dumpster to get the chain loose. When that happened, the dumpster rocked and pinned him against both containers. The manager says workers were able to get the dumpster off Hodges after only a few seconds.

Endangered Bats

2010-03-19T08:51:00.001-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Thirty-one year old Lonnie Skaggs of Sandy Hook, Ky. was sentenced Thursday to eight months in federal prison and one year supervised release while 20 year old Kaleb Dee Morgan Carpenter of Olive Hill, Ky. received three years probation. Each pleaded guilty to a charge of killing an endangered species, admitting that, in December 2009, they used flashlights, rocks and their feet to kill endangered Indiana bats in Laurel Cave at Carter Cave State Park. Prosecutors say combined they killed 23, but Skaggs admitted he killed an additional 82.

Flowers On Mountaintop Removal Mines?

2010-03-19T08:41:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
Gov. Steve Beshear has signed a bill intended to restore native flowering plants on mountaintops that have been defoliated by mining. The intent is to bring back pollen-producing vegetation that honeybees need to survive in the central Appalachians, where mining has obliterated entire ridgetops and the blooming trees and shrubs that once grew on them. The new law puts the spotlight on an issue that has received little attention in the debate over a controversial mining method known as mountaintop removal: how it affects Appalachia's insect population, particularly honeybees that need flowering plants to survive. In mountaintop removal mining, forests are cleared and rock is blasted apart to get to coal buried underneath.

Stolen Heavy Equipment Located

2010-03-19T08:36:00.002-04:00

KENTUCKY...
Kentucky State Police say one man has been charged and more arrests are expected after investigators tracked down 43 pieces of heavy equipment stolen from Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio worth $1.3 million. KSP said in a news release that the investigation involved two separate theft rings. Police say among the vehicles recovered were semis, flatbed trailers, excavators, dump trucks, backhoes, bulldozers, wood chippers, bucket trucks and a Ditch Witch. The release says most of the equipment was found in the northeastern Kentucky counties of Carter and Lewis, and the rest in the outskirts of Portsmouth, Ohio.
Police did not disclose the name of the man arrested, who was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property.

House Clears School Makeup Bill

2010-03-19T08:32:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
Kentucky school districts especially hard hit by winter storms or swine flu could seek a waiver from some makeup days under a bill that has cleared the state House. The bill is a recognition that some districts are facing the prospect of long makeup periods due to a series of winter storms along with last year's swine flu outbreak.
The measure won House passage on an 81-16 vote Thursday. It now goes to the Senate.
The proposal would apply to school districts that have missed 20 or more instructional days. School boards in those districts could ask the state education commissioner to waive the makeup of school days missed beyond 20 days, up to a maximum of 10 days.

Operation Clean Sweep Set At Jenny Wiley Park

2010-03-18T23:13:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY....
The public is invited to participate in the 2010 “Operation Clean Sweep” to be held Saturday, March 20th, at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. Registration begins at 9:00 A.M. at the Jenny Wiley Executive Golf Course. A complimentary cookout will be at the office at 2:00 P.M. for all volunteers. “Operation Clean Sweep” T-shirts will be given to all volunteers who pick-up two bags of trash (limit one shirt per person while supplies last). For additional information, contact Trinity Shepherd at (606) 889-1790 or Stonney Burke at (606) 886-6709.

Committee Passes Bill For ATV Trails

2010-03-18T22:55:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY....
House Bill 173, sponsored by Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, was unanimously approved Thursday by the House Committee on Tourism Development and Energy. A system of ATV trails in eastern Kentucky would connect to similar trail systems in West Virginia and south-western Virginia. The bill the committee approved was very different from the original bill which would have elevated the Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority to the level of a state agency and given it power to require that people buy a permit before hiking or riding on state lands. Hall said he changed the bill because the original would have cost several million dollars.

Pike County Road Projects

2010-03-18T22:15:00.005-04:00

KENTUCKY....
House Bill 292 outlines nearly $300 million in road projects. Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford says, while the money will pay dividends for the state and county road programs, officials are working with Senator Ray Jones, as the budget bill moves through the Senate. Officials are working in an effort to get more money. Rutherford expressed disappointment because of a lack of money for the Mountain Parkway. Officials say $193 million will go toward projects in fiscal year 2010, which includes 30 bridge replacements, many in Pike County. Renewed funding for U.S. 460 and U.S. 119 are parts of the plan

Cocaine Found At Airport

2010-03-18T08:39:00.004-04:00

KENTUCKY...
A cleaning crew has found more than 14 pounds of cocaine in a bathroom at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Brian Bell says the drugs were discovered Monday, hidden in a pair of sweat pants in a carry-on bag and stashed in a locked bathroom stall. The bathroom is inside the Federal Inspection Services area. There was no identification on the bag. In a news release, customs officials say the presence of customs agents likely scared the person carrying the drugs. The total weight of the seized cocaine is 14.7 pounds. There were no immediate arrests.

Man Shot After Intending To Shoot A Dog

2010-03-18T08:36:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
A Pulaski County man has been fatally shot after apparently going to shoot at a stray dog that was chasing his livestock. The Commonwealth Journal in Somerset reported that 62-year-old Steven W. Quaid's wife went to look for him Tuesday afternoon when he didn't return to their house and found him dead. Pulaski County Sheriff's officials said Quaid had been shot once in the head, apparently with a bullet from his own rifle. An autopsy is being conducted in Frankfort and investigators hope it yields clues about how Quaid died.

Prison Bathroom Described As A "Slaughterhouse"

2010-03-18T08:27:00.004-04:00

KENTUCKY...
Twenty-year-old Ashley Cox, the Corbin woman accused of murdering her newborn baby, appeared in Oldham County court Wednesday afternoon for a probable cause hearing. During the hour-long hearing, the judge heard gruesome testimony from the detective that investigated the case. Kentucky State Police Detective Todd Harwood explained what he learned from his investigation and what may have happened on Sunday, March 7, when Cox drove from Corbin, KY to LaGrange to visit her boyfriend, an inmate at the Roederer Correctional Complex. Detective Harwood said Cox was accompanied by her boyfriend's family. Witnesses told him Cox went to the restroom, complaining she did not feel well, and that after 20 minutes, the boyfriend's family checked on her. During a search of the facility, Harwood said a nurse found the 6-pound-5 ounce newborn's body in a trash can. Harwood said the infant's body was wrapped in towels soaked in blood, and her mouth was stuffed with toilet paper. Harwood said when he questioned Cox she denied being pregnant. The judge ruled there was enough evidence to send Cox's case to a grand jury. She is charged with murder and concealing the birth of an infant, and remains in the Oldham on a $2.5 million bond.