Charleston Gazette

Wheeling Native Among Soldiers Killed in Mosul

SAND HILL - A Wheeling native who enjoyed discussing sports and editorials with his grandmother was among several U.S. soldiers killed this week in a bombing attack near Mosul. Cpl. Cory Michael Hewitt, 26, a member of the U.S. Army's Fighting 705th Ordinance Co., was among 14 U.S. servicemembers killed in Tuesday's blast. Four American civilians, three Iraqi national guard members, and one "unidentified non-U.S. person" were also killed.

Former Conn. Governor Rowland Pleads Guilty to Corruption Charge

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Six months after being driven from office by scandal, former Gov. John G. Rowland pleaded guilty to corruption charges Thursday, admitting he traded his office for more than $100,000 in flights to Las Vegas, Vermont vacations and repairs to his vacation cottage. Rowland, 47, will probably get 15 to 21 months in federal prison, lawyers said.

Bush to Renominate 20 for Federal Judgeships

WASHINGTON - Refusing to be brushed off by Democratic opposition in the Senate, President Bush plans to nominate for a second time 20 people who did not receive up or down votes on their nominations for federal judgeships. The Democrats' ability to stall certain White House picks for the federal bench was one of the most contentious issues of Bush's first term. During the past two years, despite the GOP majority in the Senate, Democrats used filibusters to prevent final votes from occurring o...

Heavy Fighting Erupts Again in Fallujah

FALLUJAH, Iraq - U.S. Marine infantrymen fought with insurgents in Fallujah on Thursday as warplanes and tanks bombarded guerrilla positions in the heaviest fighting here in weeks. The clashes raged as nearly 1,000 residents returned to the devastated city for the first time since U.S. troops drove out most of the militants last month. Hours later in Mosul, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld paid a surprise visit to soldiers wounded in a deadly attack at a U.S. air base.

State Dnr Lifts Ban On New Deer Farms

johnmccoy@wvgazette.com Over the objections of some wildlife biologists, West Virginia's top natural resources official has lifted a nine-month-old ban on new deer farms.

'She Was My World': ; Powerball Winner Says Illegal Drugs Killed Granddaughter

HINTON - Record Powerball winner Jack Whittaker said Thursday that illegal drugs killed his 17-year-old granddaughter, and he wants to find whoever gave them to her and put them in jail. Brandi Bragg was to be buried Christmas Eve at a family cemetery in southeastern West Virginia, nearly two years after Whittaker won the largest single-payout lottery jackpot in history on Christmas Day.

The Spirit of Giving

Inside

WE CAN Francine Stanley talks with mom-like mentor Michelle Steele and state Children's Home Society officials about how she and her sister Corlisa benefited from the WE CAN program.

Inside

Cheaper prices In a survey this week of grocery stores in the Charleston area, Wal-Mart prices were consistently lower than competitors. But how does Wal-Mart do it?

Coming

Inside

Heavy snow A sloppy storm dumps more than a year's worth of snow on parts of the Midwest and makes a mess of holiday travel and last-minute Christmas shopping.

Inside

Herd falls Marshall caps off a lukewarm season with a 32-14 loss to Cincinnati on Thursday in the Fort Worth Bowl.

Record Snow Buries Midwest, South

A sloppy storm dumped more than a year's worth of snow on parts of the Midwest and made a mess of holiday travel and last-minute Christmas shopping Thursday. At least 12 traffic deaths were blamed on the storm. The heavy snowfall and icy roads stranded motorists and delayed flights ahead of a holiday weekend in which a record 62 million were expected to travel.

Christmas Dark in Sunshine State: ; Poor in Florida Still Feeling Ravaged by Back-to-Back Hurricanes

LAKE WORTH, Fla. - For Thanksgiving, Annie Johnston, her grandson and some neighbors made green bean casserole and stuffing and ate outside by flashlight. They had the meager leftovers for the next three days. They had hoped that by Christmas - three months after back-to- back hurricanes hit - life would be easier, that power would be restored in their rundown circle of trailers and that they could have a present or two under a tree blinking with lights.

U.S. 60 Wreck Victim Identified

The woman who died in a wreck near Riverside High School on Wednesday morning has been identified as Peggy Malcolm, 58, of Quincy, according to a Kanawha County Sheriff's Department dispatcher. An armored truck that crossed the median of U.S. 60 near Riverside High School struck Malcolm's car and a pickup.

Clarksburg: ; Hospital to Fight No-Build Ruling

CLARKSBURG - United Hospital Center has decided to appeal a circuit judge's ruling prohibiting it from building a new $265 million hospital. The hospital board of directors Tuesday approved filing an appeal, said President Bruce Carter.

Alcan Spin-Off Plan Includes Ravenswood Sale

Alcan Inc.'s shareholders have approved a plan to spin off its rolled products businesses, including its aluminum rolling mill in Ravenswood, into an independent company. If a federal judge in Washington, D.C., approves the spinoff, the new company will be called Novelis Inc., with annual revenue of about $6.2 billion, facilities in 12 countries and 13,600 employees, Alcan said Wednesday.

Tobacco Farmers to Appeal Payments Ruling

RALEIGH, N.C. - A group overseeing payments to tobacco farmers and quota holders from a 1999 settlement said Thursday that it will appeal a judge's decision that cigarette companies don't have to make the last of those payments. The board overseeing distribution of the payments, called Phase II funds, filed the notice of appeal in North Carolina Business Court.

Things to Do Today

LIGHTS: Kanawha Parks and Recreation offers its annual holiday display, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Coonskin Park. Call 341-8000. FEED THE HUNGRY: Galaxy Lanes will sponsor its second annual Feed the Hungry Christmas Eve Dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Christmas Eve at its location, beside Kmart in Kanawha City.

Obituaries: ; Obit

June Lane Allen June Lane Allen, 82, of Oak Hill died Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2004, at Plateau Medical Center, Oak Hill, after a long illness.