Charleston Gazette

Library Project Gets Big Donations: ; Charleston Families Give Three Gifts of More Than $1 Million to Library Project

bobschwarz@wvgazette.com A new downtown public library moved a step closer Thursday when Kanawha County Public Library officials announced three gifts of $1 million or more.

Fight Over Water Expected: ; Rate Increase Is Reasonable, Company Says

sarahkwinn@wvgazette.com West Virginia American Water president Deborah Herndon wasn't surprised that Charleston and Kanawha County leaders were opposed to the water company's nearly 25 percent rate increase request.

G-8 Leaders Call for Big Cuts in Global Emissions by 2050: ; U.S. Resists Making Goals Mandatory

HEILIGENDAMM - Group of Eight leaders including President Bush agreed Thursday to call for substantial global emissions reductions to fight global warming and cited a goal of a 50 percent cut by 2050. European leaders hailed the deal as progress in the wrangling between Europe and the United States over global warming, with the Europeans pushing mandatory cuts and the U.S. resisting.

Congress Oks Stem Cell Bill Despite Threat of Bush Veto

WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled Congress passed legislation Thursday to loosen restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research, but the bill's supporters lacked the votes needed to override President Bush's threatened veto. The 247-176 House vote marked the second time in recent weeks that Democratic leaders have chosen to confront Bush over an issue on which they command widespread public support, following a veto struggle over a proposed troop withdrawal timetable from Iraq.

Full Smoking Ban Not Final: ; Proposal Would Not Take Effect for at Least a Year, Possibly Two

ericeyre@wvgazette.com Kanawha County might someday extend its smoking ban and restrict people from lighting up at bars and gambling facilities, but it won't happen anytime soon.

State Farm to Lower Rates for Policyholders in W.Va.

Vehicle owners insured through State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. will get a break on their premiums again this year. The amount of the reduction will vary, but the average savings equals $47.

Culloden Woman Sues Inflatable Slide Supplier

WINFIELD - A Culloden woman is suing an Ohio company that rents out inflatable slides, claiming she sustained permanent injuries when a slide collapsed at her son's birthday party. In June 2005, Misty Smith rented a slide from M&M Inflatables Inc. for her son's party at Valley Park in Hurricane, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Putnam Circuit Court. The slide collapsed when Smith was using it, according to the suit.

Tri-State Now Offers Direct Atlanta Flights

HUNTINGTON - Nonstop flights between Huntington and Atlanta are now available at Tri-State Airport. Tri-State Airport Director Larry Salyers said Delta Air Lines regional carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines' new service affords travelers additional access to the west, as well as better connections to international destinations.

Suspended License - No Atv, Court Rules

All motorized automobiles, including all-terrain vehicles, are off-limits to West Virginians whose driver's licenses are suspended or revoked, the state Supreme Court has ruled. In a unanimous opinion issued Wednesday, the Supreme Court overturned a circuit judge's dismissal of a May 2005 indictment against Robert L. Sarver.

Alcoa Seeks Alcan Takeover Ok

PITTSBURGH - Alcoa Inc. has asked regulators to approve its proposed hostile takeover of Canadian aluminum rival Alcan Inc. for $27 billion. The Pittsburgh-based company said Wednesday that it had filed forms for antitrust clearance with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.

State Ranks Near Bottom in Gdp List

West Virginia's economy ranked as the second smallest in the country last year, according to federal data released Thursday. The state's economy generated $24,748 worth of goods and service per person in 2006, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. That ranks ahead of only Mississippi, with $24,062.

Readers' Voice

* Hats off to the kids who were in the Special Olympics. Thank you for such a wonderful program and we are glad it is in Charleston. * Please tell me how you managed to run an entire article about the indictment of Congressman William Jefferson and never mention that he is a Democrat? I'm sure if he were a Republican you would have run that in the first paragraph, if not the headline.

Cause of Braxton Hospital Illness Remains a Mystery to Staff, Dep

daveg@wvgazette.com Some of the eight Braxton County Memorial Hospital employees who suddenly became sick Wednesday afternoon did not report to work Thursday, the hospital's administrator said.

W.Va. Law Enforcement Groups Oppose Fundraising Ban: ; Ethics Panel Rule Change Called 'Death Knell' for Associations

philk@wvgazette.com Police, sheriffs' and State Police troopers' associations vowed Thursday to fight a proposed West Virginia Ethics Commission rule that essentially would make it impossible for law officers to solicit contributions.

Court Briefs

Cabell man pleads guilty to robbery, carjacking A Cabell County man pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to using a gun during a robbery and carjacking, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

Obituaries: ; Obit

Sherry Marie Adkins Sherry Marie Adkins, 39, of Clay died June 6, 2007. Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at New Antioch Church, Dog Run. Friends may call one hour prior to service at the church. Burial will be in Adikins Cemetery, Dog Run. Wilson-Shamblin-Smith Funeral Home, Clay, is in charge of arrangements.

Tip From Neighbor Points Police to Murder Suspect

OLATHE, Kan. - The next-door neighbor of a man charged with kidnapping a young woman from a store parking lot and killing her contacted police when he saw the man's pickup in a surveillance video, he said. Cameron Migues, 30, said he and his wife laughed when they noticed a similarity between Edwin R. Hall and the man pictured in the video. But then the video of the truck was released, and "we put two and two together," said Migues, who called a police hot line Wednesday morning.

Dead Mayor's Likeness in Tree Trunk, Some Say

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Donald Stephens spent more than half a century at the helm of this Chicago suburb. Now, less than two months after his death, some say an eerie likeness of the late mayor's face has appeared in the peeling bark of a 50-foot sycamore.

Man Drowns in Truck at North Bend

CAIRO - A Tyler County man drowned at North Bend State Park this week after he backed his truck into a lake. Daniel Fisher, 67, of Middlebourne, was trying to load a fishing boat into the back of his truck. The vehicle slid into the lake and submerged in 10 to 13 feet of water, said Ritchie County Sheriff Ron Barniak.

Tires On 47 Vehicles Slashed On East End

daveg@wvgazette.com Someone punctured at least one tire on about 47 vehicles early Thursday morning on Charleston's East End, police said.