Charleston Gazette

Democrats Delay Vote On Bolton: ; Senators Demand Classified Material, More Information On U.N. Nominee

From wire reports WASHINGTON - 's nomination to be U.N. ambassador, the latest setback for the tough-talking nominee President Bush has called strong medicine for corruption and inefficiency at the United Nations.

State Gains Big with Bond Sale: ; Refinancing Saves State $18.8 Million

philk@wvgazette.com Attracting lower interest rates than expected, the state saved about $18.8 million when it refinanced $321 million in road fund bonds last week - nearly $5 million more than projected.

Gw Grad Found Dead: ; Man Charged with Her Murder in California

A former Charleston resident described as a brilliant criminal case lawyer died in Orange County, Calif., last weekend and a man has been charged with her murder. Melissa Sue Mitchell, 30, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., graduated from George Washington High School in 1993. Orange County sheriff's deputies found her body Saturday at her home, The Orange County Register reported.

Veterans Divided: ; Parents Who Served Split Over Whether Children Should Enlist

Fresh out of high school in 1971, Alan Cook enlisted in the Army and served in Vietnam in the waning months before the U.S. pullout. He opposes America's war in Iraq, yet is proud of his two sons - one serving there now, the other scheduled to go soon - who decided on their own to follow his path into military service. Cook's mixed emotions reflect a broader split among the nation's veterans at a time when Army recruiters are failing to meet their quotas. A recent Pentagon poll indicated that...

Operation Will Regain 'Initiative,' Leader Says

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, announcing plans for a massive police presence in and around the capital, acknowledged Thursday that "you can't fix in six months what it took 35 years to destroy." As outlined by al-Jaafari, the plan originally called for closing all of Baghdad's entrances to catch the insurgents responsible for killing more than 620 people since he took office last month.

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Thursday, May 26, 2005, at least 1,650 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,263 died as a result of hostile action, according to the Defense Department. The figures include four military civilians. The AP count is four higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated at 11 a.m. EDT Thursday.

Iraq to Deploy 40,000 in Show of Force

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq announced plans Thursday to deploy 40,000 police and soldiers in the capital and ring the city with hundreds of checkpoints "like a bracelet" in the largest show of Iraqi force since the fall of Saddam Hussein. In a reminder of the difficulty Iraqi security forces face in stopping insurgent attacks, violence claimed at least 15 lives Thursday in Baghdad including a car bomb that exploded near a police patrol, killing five people and wounding 17.

Lawmakers to Study Child Agency: ; Baby's Death, Turnover Rate Prompt Scrutiny

Lots of turnover among Child Protective Services workers and the death of a 5-day old boy whose mentally disabled mother was under the state's care have prompted lawmakers to form a committee to examine the agency. House Speaker Bob Kiss, D-Raleigh, appointed Delegate Virginia Mahan, D-Summers, to serve as the joint committee's House chairwoman.

Saturday: ; Flipside

Saturday: ; Faith & Community

State Briefs

Temporary tollbooths may ease holiday traffic Temporary tollbooths should help speed holiday traffic on the West Virginia Turnpike during the Memorial Day weekend, says Greg Barr, general manager of the agency that oversees the toll road.

Inquiry Finds 5 Cases of Quran 'Mishandling'

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials have substantiated five cases in which military guards or interrogators mishandled the Quran of Muslim prisoners at Guantanamo Bay but found "no credible evidence" to confirm a prisoner's report that a holy book was flushed in a toilet, the prison's commander said Thursday. Brig. Gen. Jay W. Hood, who commands the detention center in Cuba, told a Pentagon news conference that a prisoner who was reported to have complained to an FBI agent in 2002 that a military gua...

Bush Praises Palestinian Leader

WASHINGTON - President Bush embraced Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday as a courageous democratic reformer and bolstered his standing at home with $50 million in assistance to improve the quality of life in Gaza. Abbas, the first top Palestinian leader to visit the White House during Bush's presidency, said that Palestinians were "in dire need to have freedom" from Israeli control and that the need for U.S. help was urgent. He spoke just weeks before scheduled parliamentary electio...

In Perspective

Lighter-Toting Robber Handed Guilty Verdict

cshumaker@wvgazette.com WINFIELD - Andria M. Brooks told a Putnam County jury this week that she stuffed a garbage bag full of cash, cartons of cigarettes and lottery tickets because she thought the man staring across the counter would shoot her.

Lawsuit Accuses Rahall of Slander

pjnyden@wvgazette.com Paul Chapman, who ran against Rep. Nick J. Rahall, D-W.Va., in 2002, filed a lawsuit May 20, charging Rahall with libel, slander and defamation.

Alloy Plant Owner Scoffs at Warrant for His Arrest

NEW HAVEN - The owner of a Mason County alloy manufacturer accused of violating a court order that barred him from selling company assets says a warrant for his arrest is outrageous. Boris Bannai, owner of Global Industrial Products in New Haven, is currently on a business trip to his native Israel and said his return could be delayed by negotiations to raise more capital to operate the plant.

Hampshire Board to Vote On Superintendent's Dismissal

ROMNEY - The Hampshire County Board of Education is planning to dismiss David Friend as superintendent of the troubled school system, offering him a chance to plead his case before taking a final vote. The board voted unanimously earlier this week to send Friend a letter explaining its reasoning. It will most likely be mailed today and will offer Friend a hearing date, board attorney Norwood Bentley said Thursday.

Hearing Set for Budget Digest Case

Legislative leaders will get a chance June 15 to argue against the Supreme Court order that blocks them from approving a digest for the state budget that kicks in July 1, the justices ruled Thursday. The court set the hearing for a motion by Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, D-Logan, House Speaker Bob Kiss, D-Raleigh, and the clerk of each chamber. The filing asks the justices to reconsider their Dec. 1 order in a pending lawsuit that questions the state's funding priorities. The filing also...

Food Bank Honors Helpers, Issues Call for Volunteers

susanwilliams@wvgazette.com Officials with the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway honored their volunteers in a ceremony earlier this month, and, once again, they invited new people to volunteer for the state's largest food bank.