Charleston Gazette

Heartbreaking Milestone, One Year Hardly Dulls Hurricane Mothers Sorrow

alisonk@wvgazette.com HURRICANE - Tammy Nelson dreads the sight of little blonde boys.

10 Sheiks Kidnapped in Baghdad

The Associated Press BAGHDAD - Gunmen in Baghdad snatched 10 Sunni and Shiite tribal sheiks from their cars Sunday as they were heading home to Diyala province after talks with the government on fighting al-Qaida, and at least one was later found shot to death.

Worlds Appetite for Coal Still Growing, U.S. Investors Drawn to China's Industry

The Associated Press As China's appetite for coal is booming, American investors and businesses are cashing in.

World's Appetite for Coal Still Growing, Boom Comes Amid Concerns

The Associated Press JUNGAR QI, China - Almost nonstop, gargantuan 145-ton trucks rumble through China's biggest open-pit coal mine, sending up clouds of soot as they dump their loads into mechanized sorters.

Iowa Democrats Vote to Hold Caucuses Jan. 3

The Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa Democrats voted Sunday to move their leadoff precinct caucuses to Jan. 3, the same date Republicans picked earlier this month, letting both parties continue the tradition of meeting on the same night.

Argentinas First Lady Claims Victory

The Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - First lady Cristina Fernandez claimed victory in Argentina's presidential election Sunday, with early results and exit polls suggesting she had avoided a runoff and become the first woman elected to the post.

State Briefs

ARH, nurses to meet with mediator today BECKLEY - Appalachian Regional Healthcare management and striking nurses from West Virginia and Kentucky are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator today.

Rebels Delay Darfur Peace Conference

The Associated Press SIRTE, Libya - Crippled by the absence of key rebel leaders, a highly anticipated Darfur peace conference was effectively postponed Sunday to give rebel delegates time to prepare before direct negotiations with the Sudanese government.

Hundreds On Hawaii's Big Island Flee Suspected Arson Brush Fires

The Associated Press HONOLULU - Brush fires that appeared to be arson burned out of control Sunday along the coast of Hawaii's largest island, sending hundreds of people fleeing inland, officials said.

Various Trends Back State's Job Figures

The Associated Press West Virginia has seen more of its work force employed in recent months than at any time in at least the last half century, initial figures show. But then there's the question of what - and who - gets the credit.

Readers' Voice

* Those who likes to feed hummingbirds should read the article in the current issue of Audubon magazine on the serious dangers from using commercial red-dyed nectar in their feeders or consult Scott Shalaway's column in the Sunday Gazette-Mail in the spring. * In regard to someone trying to locate black walnuts, I found them at the Amish store in Kanawha City and you can also find them at the Capitol Market at the Purple Onion.

More Autism Testing Urged for Toddlers

The Associated Press CHICAGO - The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys.

Flight Diverted After Door Incident

DALLAS - An American Airlines flight from Orlando, Fla., to Dallas-Fort Worth was diverted to Houston on Saturday night after a passenger tried to open an emergency door. The passenger was unable to open the door and no one was injured.

N.Y. Principal Bans Captain Underpants

Newsday MELVILLE, N.Y. - Blame Captain Underpants. At least a little.

Photos Stir Believers in Bigfoot

RIDGWAY, Pa. - It's furry and walks on all fours. Beyond that, about the only thing certain about the critter photographed by a hunter's camera is that some people have gotten the notion it could be a Sasquatch, or bigfoot. Others say it's just a bear with a bad skin infection.

7 Killed in N.C. Beach House Fire, Victims Were College Students

The Associated Press OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. - An intense fire ravaged a beach house packed with more than a dozen college students early Sunday, killing seven and leaving little left of the structure but its charred frame and the stilts on which it stood.

Canadian Landmark Stars in U.S. Video

The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Oh, Canada! The USA is closer than ever.

16 Billion-Pixel Last Supper Offers Details to Online Viewers

The Associated Press MILAN, Italy - Can't get to Milan to see Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper?"

Ronceverte, 1908

This street scene of Ronceverte nearly a century past shows a thriving community that was once the center of a logging, farming and stock-raising section of beautiful Greenbrier County. With the arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway in 1872, the little town expanded and above the whistling of the railroad locomotives came the scream of band saws sawing lumber. In 1882, Ronceverte was incorporated and in the 1890s, timber from virgin forests was floated down the Greenbrier River. In the rai...

Archaeologists Uncover Major Pre-Columbian Site in Puerto Rico

The Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - U.S. and Puerto Rican archaeologists say they have found the best-preserved pre-Columbian site in the Caribbean, which could shed light on virtually every aspect of Indian life in the region, from sacred rituals to eating habits.