Charleston Gazette

Impact Trip Planned to Charlotte

When Tamika Latta was growing up in the South Park housing development in Kanawha City, she spent her time in the summer with counselors at IMPACT, a camp for Charleston's inner-city children. She and other children who lived in the projects would play games, attend Bible study and swim in the afternoons.

Viewers Protest 'Nightline' Blackout

A national media reform group plans to challenge Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.'s license to operate WCHS-TV, Charleston's ABC affiliate, after Sinclair ordered all of its ABC affiliates not to air Friday's special "Nightline" tribute to fallen U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Also on Friday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sent a letter to Sinclair CEO David Smith calling the blackout "deeply offensive."

Work Comp Exec Fired

Gov. Bob Wise removed the small-business representative from the West Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission on Friday because his business owes more than $183,000 in unpaid premiums, penalties and interest, according to state records. John L. Johnson of Beckley also is suing the Workers' Compensation Commission and its former director, Bob Smith. In the lawsuit, he accuses Smith of leaking information about his business to the Sunday Gazette-Mail, and says he doesn't owe the state anything.

Marines Cede Fallujah,: ; Car Bomb Kills 2 Americans; U.S. 'Enemy of Islam,' Cleric Says

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Led by a former Saddam Hussein general, Iraqi troops replaced U.S. Marines on Friday and raised the Iraqi flag at the entrance to Fallujah under a plan to end the monthlong siege of the city. A suicide car bomb on the outskirts of the city killed two Americans and wounded six, but it failed to disrupt the pullout of Marines from hard-earned parts of the city. The two deaths raised the U.S. death toll to 136 for April, adding to what already was the deadliest month for U.S. fo...

Eu Expands to 25 Nations

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - The European Union expanded at midnight Friday to take in 10 nations isolated during the Cold War, creating an economic giant with the potential to rival the United States. Church bells rang and fireworks exploded over eastern Europe as hundreds of thousands jammed city squares in celebration. The historic enlargement increased the EU to 25 countries by encompassing a broad swath of the former Soviet bloc - a region separated for decades from the West by barbed wire a...

Connecticut Panel Begins Impeachment of Governor

HARTFORD, Conn. - Members of a special legislative committee that has been considering whether Gov. John G. Rowland should be impeached asked its lawyer to draft an article of impeachment Friday because he has not cooperated with their probe. The decision came after a lawyer for Rowland refused to testify, under oath as a witness, before the House Select Committee of Inquiry about why Rowland and his wife have not yet turned over almost 10 years worth of personal financial records.

Law Day Sets Stage: ; for Re-Enactment

On a day when the state's legal system used Law Day to celebrate equality and desegregation, 27 religious leaders announced their support for same-sex marriages and began a petition that they hope will get lawmakers' attention and bring equal treatment for gay couples. At a lightly attended gathering outside the Cultural Center on the Capitol grounds Friday, same-sex marriage supporters sang songs and read aloud from a "Defense of Marriage" statement already signed by 27 religious leaders. Fo...

W.Va. Black Unity Council Holding Candidate Forum

The West Virginia Black Unity Council is sponsoring a candidate forum Sunday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Laidley Field in Charleston. The gathering will give residents a chance to meet with candidates and enjoy free food and entertainment for adults and children.

Lynch Meets Iraqi Who Helped with Rescue

HUNTINGTON - Former POW Jessica Lynch and the Iraqi lawyer who provided information that led to the Army supply clerk's rescue last year have finally met. Lynch and Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief met April 7 in Washington, D.C., while the Wirt County native was speaking at a seminar. Al- Rehaief's wife, Iman, and daughter accompanied him to the meeting, which lasted about an hour, Lynch's lawyer, Stephen Goodwin, said Friday.

Big Names in Climbing Will Attend Fayette Event

FAYETTEVILLE - Some nationally recognized climbers will roll into Fayette County for the second annual Eastern Climbers Rendezvous, and for those who like their thrills with a sedentary flavor, the weekend events include a "Dessertapalooza." Last year's event attracted 350 people, even though it rained all weekend, Maura Kistler, an event organizer, said Friday.

Mp Accused of Abusing Pows Described Prison in Diary

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - A soldier facing a court-martial for his role in the alleged abuse of Iraqi war prisoners says commanders ignored his requests to set out rules for treating POWs and scolded him for questioning the inmates' harsh treatment. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick wrote that Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad lacked the humane standards of the Virginia state prison where he worked in civilian life, according to a journal he started after military investigators first questio...

Kerry, Well-Wisher Bond Over Fallen Comrade

COLUMBIA, Mo. - John Kerry came to Missouri to talk about Iraq, but the Democratic presidential candidate was greeted by a personal reminder of a different war more than 30 years ago. As his plane rolled to a stop on the tarmac, Kerry noticed a woman standing outside the airport fence holding a handmade sign that read, "Don Droz Country." Don Droz was one of Kerry's best friends when the two men fought in Vietnam, and the Missouri native was killed two weeks after Kerry returned to the United...

Voter Registration Rises for Primary,: ; 1.1 Million Eligible to Cast Ballots May 11

West Virginia has added more than 42,000 voters to its rolls since the 2002 general election, with 1.1 million residents eligible to cast ballots in the May 11 primary, the Secretary of State's Office announced Friday. The state's main political parties both saw their numbers increase, but their overall share of voters remained roughly the same as it was two years ago.

Campaign Reports Due Monday,: ; Capehart Raises More Funds, but has Less Remaining, Than Mckinney

Republican gubernatorial aspirant Rob Capehart raised more cash than opponent Dr. Doug McKinney since the last campaign reporting period, but has much less on hand for the final 10 days before the May 11 election. Campaign finance reports through last week have to be postmarked by Monday and sent to the secretary of state. So far, Capehart and McKinney are the only gubernatorial hopefuls to file.

Libertarian Party: ; Former Chairman to Visit W.Va.

MORGANTOWN - James Lark, former national chairman of the Libertarian Party, plans to visit Northern West Virginia over the weekend to help with a petition drive to get the party's candidates on the November general election ballot. The party has until May 10 to submit the 13,000 signatures required to get on the ballot.

Mink Shoals Sport Shop Closes,: ; Anglers Roost Had Sold Hunting, Fishing Supplies; for Over a Decade

After selling hunting and fishing supplies to sports enthusiasts for more than a decade, Anglers Roost Sport Shop in Mink Shoals has closed. "We got our last check and helped hang up some stock [to inventory] after that," said Russell Smarr, who worked at the Charleston store for a little more than 11 years.

Railroads Build Up Steam for New Hires

WASHINGTON - The freight railroad industry is kicking its recruitment efforts into high gear to counter an anticipated surge in retirements over the next decade, as well as a stodgy image that executives say hinders their ability to lure young blood. The hiring and marketing push - including local and national advertising, listings on online job services and working with schools - also comes at a time when business is improving faster than expected and railroads face costly congestion on thei...

Price Fears Cause Incoming Eu Citizens to Hoard

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Salt by the shopping cart. A rush for rice. Pasta by the pallet. In some of the eight former communist countries joining the European Union today, a panic over possible price hikes has driven tens of thousands to hoard basic foods in a spectacle reminiscent of the bad old days of communism.

Calif. Bans Voting Machine

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The state's top elections official called for a criminal investigation of Diebold Inc. as he banned use of the company's newest-model touchscreen voting machine, citing concerns about its security and reliability. The ban will force up to 2 million voters in four counties, including San Diego, to use paper ballots in November, marking their choices in ovals read by optical scanners.

Gop's Capehart Struggles to Get Ideas Across

HUNTINGTON - As he tours the state in the waning weeks of the Republican gubernatorial primary, Rob Capehart is doing his best to stay upbeat, genial and on message. But at moments - for instance, as he sat Tuesday in the Cabell Huntington Hospital lobby between fund-raising calls and a policy meeting with a hospital administrator - disgruntlement leaps from beneath his politician's tongue.