Charleston Gazette

Work Begins On Casino Rules: ; Commissioners Have Wide Range of Areas to Cover

philk@wvgazette.com State Lottery commissioners got down to the nuts and bolts of regulating casino-style table gambling Thursday, in case voters in any or all of the four racetrack counties approve table games in elections next month.

Promise of Fair Hearing Cools Coal-Dock Annexation Battle

rustymarks@wvgazette.com Kanawha County Commissioners Kent Carper, Dave Hardy and Hoppy Shores headed off a cat fight - and possible court battle - over a controversial annexation plan on Thursday by promising a fair and professional hearing process with all sides given a chance to have their say.

Senate Oks Bill to Pull U.S. Troops Out of Iraq: ; White House Declares Plan 'Dead Before Arrival'

WASHINGTON - In a bold wartime challenge to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Congress cleared legislation Thursday to begin withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later. The White House dismissed the legislation as "dead before arrival." The 51-46 Senate vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage a day earlier it underscored that the war's congressional opponents are far short of the two-thirds majority needed to ove...

Inside

Send-a-Child-to-Camp Fund: ; Kids Learn About Nature at Web of Life Camp

tara@wvgazette.com Ask a Web of Life Ecology Center camper what they remember most about the experience, and they might mention bathing with rainwater in the outdoor showers, or the starlit nighttime hikes.

Suspects Come Out of Mine: ; Accused Copper Thieves Spent 48 Hours Underground

jamesdavison@wvgazette.com davinwhite@wvgazette.com

Spaces Open for East End Sale

balow@wvgazette.com If you've got a bunch of old stuff you no longer use, you just might be able to sell it at the East End Yard Sale.

Cigar Store to Add Drinks, Gambling

balow@wvgazette.com Customers of Charleston's downtown cigar store will soon be able to swig a beer with their favorite stogie.

State Briefs

Veterans nursing home to open in May After several months of delays, the state's first nursing home for West Virginia veterans is scheduled to open in May.

Cecil Roberts to Speak at Wvu-Tech

MONTGOMERY - United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremonies for West Virginia University Tech and Tech's Community and Technical College. Roberts, a Cabin Creek native and sixth-generation miner, is a 1987 Tech graduate and received an honorary doctorate from the school in 1997.

Massey Reports First-Quarter Rise

Massey Energy Co. said Thursday its first-quarter earnings increased nearly fivefold to $32.6 million. The Richmond, Va.-based coal company said it earned $32.6 million, or 40 cents per share, in the period ended March 31. Revenue increased more than 8.5 percent to $607.3 million.

2 Cops Plead Guilty in Police Drug-Raid Death

ATLANTA - Two police officers pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter in the shooting death of a 92-year-old woman during a botched drug raid last fall. A third officer still faces charges. Officer J.R. Smith told a state judge Thursday that he regretted what had happened.

Coal Operators Submitting Mine-Shelter Plans

West Virginia is reporting good compliance with a new regulation that requires state coal operators to submit plans on the installation of airtight emergency shelters in the state's 177 underground mines. Only seven mines failed to submit plans by the April 15 deadline, Terry Farley, administrator of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training said Thursday. "We should have plans from all but one of them by the end of the week."

Industry Reviews Work yet to Be Done On Coal-Mine Safety

kward@wvgazette.com WHEELING - Davitt McAteer opened Thursday's International Mining Health and Safety Symposium with bad news.

U.S. Court Affirms Ex-W.Va. School Official's Sentence

RICHMOND, Va. - A federal judge acted appropriately when imposing a harsher sentence for a West Virginia school official who pleaded guilty to extortion and filing a false tax return, the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled. G.A. McClung, former assistant state schools superintendent, was sentenced to seven years in prison in August 2005. Sentencing guidelines called for a range of four years and three months to five years and three months.

Sc Woman Arrested in 'L.B.' Booker Slaying

jdavison@wvgazette.com A South Charleston woman was arrested Thursday and charged with felony murder in connection with the shooting death of former Capital High School basketball star Lawrence "L.B." Booker last week.

State Bar to Offer Free Legal Information

The West Virginia State Bar, through its Young Lawyers Section, will operate a toll-free telephone service to provide legal information for West Virginians from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the State Bar office in Charleston. The event is in honor of Law Day, a nationwide event to celebrate the country's legal system.

Preston Man to Face Third Murder Charge

jamesdavison@wvgazette.com KINGWOOD - A Preston County man charged with killing a pregnant woman and her 4-year-old son will likely face a third murder charge, under a state law passed two years ago, because the woman was pregnant.

Ohio Fugitive Fled Days Before Release, Police Say

An Ohio prisoner, who escaped last month just days before his release, was arrested by Charleston police on Thursday and now faces two felony charges. Police arrested John McAllister, 35, after he was spotted breaking into a vehicle in the 400 block of Virginia Street West and running into a nearby house, said police Lt. A.C. Napier.

Police Briefs

Raleigh man stabs wife, shoots self BRADLEY - A Raleigh County man stabbed his wife repeatedly before turning a gun on himself in a domestic dispute early Thursday, police said.