Charleston Gazette

Nitro Dioxin Needs More Study, Feds Say

kward@wvgazette.com Dioxin levels found in Nitro's public schools fall into a "gray area" that warrants further study, federal health officials said Thursday.

Pay Raises, Food Tax Cut Top Items for Special Session: ; Sept. 7 Scheduled for Lawmakers' Return

sfinn@wvgazette.com Gov. Joe Manchin has tentatively set Sept. 7 for another special session of the Legislature, the fourth in Manchin's brief tenure as governor.

Inside

ID theft Conscious of the threat of identity theft, government and business are taking precautions to close up loopholes.

Pair Told to Back Off: ; Jarvis and Carney Warned to Stay Out of Murder Probe

Slaying suspect was a federal informant, 1C tomsearls@wvgazette.com

Threats Won't Deter U.S., Bush Says: ; Al-Qaida Will Not Drive U.S. Out of Iraq or Mideast, President Says

* Terrorism arrests, 2A * Insurgent attacks, 6A CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush, facing a grim and growing death toll in Iraq, said Thursday that threats of more violence by al- Qaida's second-in-command would not intimidate the United States into retreat.

Bobbies Patrol As Subway Reopens

LONDON - In a show of force to calm an edgy London, officers armed with submachine guns patrolled uncrowded subway stations and police helicopters hovered over city streets as one of the busiest Underground lines reopened Thursday - four weeks to the day after suicide bombers killed 52 people. Undercover officers mixed with a lighter-than-usual load of subway commuters - many Londoners no doubt mindful that terrorists had attempted similar attacks exactly two weeks after the deadly July 7 tra...

Maryland Man Charged with Aiding Terrorist Group

NEW YORK - A Maryland man was charged with conspiring to help a terrorist organization after describing the time he spent at a terrorist training camp in Pakistan as "one of the better decisions in my life," prosecutors said Thursday. Mahmud Faruq Brent, of Gwynn Oak, Md., allegedly boasted that he had agreed to provide whatever assistance was necessary.

Ex-Broadcaster Rabel to Visit City Bistro

Former NBC News Pentagon correspondent and Charleston native Ed Rabel will be the keynote speaker when The Bridge Road Bistro begins its BRB Guest Speaker Series on Aug. 15. Rabel recently returned to his hometown to help promote his alma mater, The University of Charleston. Rabel is joining the university staff as special assistant for advancement.

Brac Panel Sets Another Hearing On Base Closings

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will hold another hearing next week on the Pentagon's proposal to realign or close Air National Guard bases, including West Virginia's 130th Airlift Wing, Sen. Robert C. Byrd said Thursday. The Defense Department wants to move the 130th's eight C-130 Hercules cargo planes from Charleston to Pope Air Force Base near Fayetteville, N.C. The planes would be paired with eight C-130s from Pittsburgh's 911th Airlift Wing to form a 16-plane unit. The propos...

Things to Do Today

* MULTIFEST: The 16th annual gathering on the grounds of the State Capitol Complex begins at 6:30 p.m. with the opening ceremony. Music schedule: 7 p.m., Kimberly; 7:15 p.m., And One; 7:45 p.m., Off the Wall; 8 p.m. M.O.E.T.; 8:45 p.m., Young 'n Heart; 9:30 p.m., Nathan; 10:15 p.m., nNocent; 11:15 p.m., Nappy Roots. * LIVE ON THE LEVEE: Soul Doctors show begins at 6:30 p.m. Free. Haddad Riverfront Park on Kanawha Boulevard.

Giant Waves Might Be Common: ; Hurricane Ivan Crest Topped 90 Feet

WASHINGTON - Last year's Hurricane Ivan generated an ocean wave that towered higher than 90 feet at one point, says a study that also suggests such giants may be more common than once thought. Research indicates that these are not "rogue waves but actually fairly common during hurricanes," said David Wang of the Naval Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

A Daily Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Thursday, Aug. 4, 2005, at least 1,826 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 1,406 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. The figures include five military civilians. The AP count is eight higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Insurgent Attacks Down, U.S. Says

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military defended its operations in western Iraq, insisting it is reducing insurgent attacks despite the deaths of 14 Marines in a huge bombing. Four more U.S. service members were killed in action, the military said Thursday. Iraq's prime minister sought to assure his demoralized public that the government is on top of the security situation, announcing a new plan for restoring order and declaring "we are in a state of war."

State Briefs

Jackson County man dies after car wreck KENNA - A Jackson County man died Thursday from injuries he sustained in a head-on collision on Wednesday, police said.

Setting an Example: ; High School's Facility Raises Awareness of Pitfalls of Teen Parenting

For 16 years, Capital High School's child development center has allowed students to witness the demands and challenges of caring for a baby. That firsthand experience has paid off, as the majority of parents using the center's day care services has shifted from students to staff.

Gunman Killed After Bus Attack: ; Angry Crowd Bludgeons Jewish Extremist After Four Arabs Shot

SHFARAM, Israel - A 19-year-old Israeli soldier opened fire inside a bus Thursday, killing four Israeli Arabs in the deadliest attack on Arabs in Israel by a Jewish extremist since 1990. An angry crowd then killed the gunman. Thirteen people, including bus passengers and two policemen, were wounded in the shooting, which appeared linked to tensions over the upcoming Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.

Discovery Ok'd for Re-Entry

SPACE CENTER, Houston - After much soul-searching and analysis, NASA cleared Discovery to return to Earth next week, concluding Thursday that there was no need to send the astronauts out on another spacewalk to repair a torn thermal blanket near a cockpit window. Mission managers could not guarantee that a piece of the blanket won't rip off during re-entry and slam into the spacecraft, but they said the chance of that happening was remote and that it would be riskier to try to fix the problem.

Coming Up in the Saturday Gazette-Mail

Osm Adds Charleston to List of Stream Rule Hearing Sites: ; Meetings to Focus On Ending Ban On Mining Near Streams

kward@wvgazette.com Federal officials have added Charleston to the list of locations for upcoming public meetings on a study of changes to a federal rule that prohibits coal mining within 100 feet of streams.

Court Briefs

Woman sues track for prizes not received BECKLEY - A woman is suing Beckley Motor Speedway for breach of contract, alleging it failed to make good on prizes promised to her as winner of its "Last Lap Idol" contest.