Charleston Gazette

Health: ; Huntington Hospital Needs More Beds for Veterans

Although the immediate overcrowding problem at Mildred Mitchell- Bateman Hospital in Huntington is contained, state officials said they need more hospital beds and community programs to reach veterans returning from the Middle East. John Bianconi, commissioner of the state Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, said his staff has looked at a lot of options. One is to build more beds at Pinecrest Hospital in Beckley, while others include contracts with Highland Hospital in Charles...

Lawmakers Hear Debate On Doctor Data Mining: ; Access Amounts to 'Gps for Drug Reps,' Physician Critic Says

Prescription data mining is a multibillion-dollar-a-year industry that, among other uses, allows pharmaceutical companies to pitch pricey brand-name drugs directly to individual doctors based on their prescribing habits. On Tuesday, industry and medical officials debated the pros and cons of data mining - and whether the Legislature should crack down on the practice in West Virginia.

Governor's Nephew Testifies in Sex Case: ; Woman Ran Prostitution Ring, Charges Say

Staff writer CLARKSBURG - A nephew of Gov. Joe Manchin testified in federal court Tuesday that he hired two female escorts, one of whom performed oral sex on him.

In Focus L Squashed

In Sports L Wvu Players Charged

Merrifield Gets Home Confinement: ; Doctor Sentenced to One- to Five-Year Term for Not Reporting Injuries of Slain Toddler

A Dunbar doctor will spend one to five years on home confinement for ignoring injuries his son inflicted on the slain toddler Logan Goodall. In a hearing that included several outbursts from the courtroom audience and a standing ovation for the defendant, Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King sentenced Dr. John Merrifield on a felony charge of gross neglect creating a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Shows Early Promise

CHICAGO - A new treatment for Alzheimer's disease significantly slowed elderly patients' mental decline and may have revealed a new way of attacking the illness, according to a study presented Tuesday at a Chicago medical conference. In a study involving 321 Alzheimer's patients in Britain and Singapore, the treatment was found to reduce the rate of mental loss by 81 percent compared with a group that received a placebo, according to a standard test that measures cognitive performance and mem...

The Read: ; Ex-Shaker Child Returns for 90th Birthday

CANTERBURY, N.H. - Eleven-year-old Alberta Kirkpatrick didn't believe she would ever be loved when she arrived in New Hampshire almost 80 years ago. Her mother was dead. Her father drank. Her three siblings had scattered. She had threatened to kill herself if she wasn't removed from an abusive foster family.

Correction

Reunions

* 'Ole Gang' Friends 11 a.m., Saturday, Little Creek Park Shelter No. 2. Young people who hung out together at Elk River Nazarene Church, Newhouse Drive, Magazine Hollow, Mink Shoals Hollow and Elk River Road during the 1960s and '70s are invited. Bring a picnic lunch and drinks. Contact Donna Willey Chatman at 925-4924 or Connie Hill Haddox at 345-1119. * Carbon Fuel Coal Co. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (approximately), Saturday and Sunday in Decota (Cabin Creek). Eddie Burke will serve as master of c...

Spector Lawyers Lose Motions Before Trial

LOS ANGELES - Phil Spector's new defense team lost a series of pretrial motions Tuesday, but the judge promised to reconsider some of his rulings if it becomes necessary during the music producer's second murder trial. Spector, famed for his "Wall of Sound" recording technique in the 1960s, is accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson, 40, at his Alhambra mansion on Feb. 3, 2003. The defense has claimed Clarkson shot herself, either accidentally or on purpose. A jury deadlocked last year and ...

State Debates Video Slots Future

Even though they won't have to act until 2010, legislators Tuesday were already discussing possible changes in the state's limited video lottery law, when the 10-year licenses for video slot machines must be bid again. If the law regulating video lottery machines in bars and clubs doesn't change, the Lottery Commission will begin the bidding process for the 9,000 new licenses in late 2010, Lottery attorney John Melton told a legislative interim committee Tuesday. The licenses would take effec...

State Briefs

Wood County OKs $6.5M 'justice center' PARKERSBURG - Wood County is moving ahead with plans to build a $6.5 million facility downtown to house a number of court and criminal justice offices.

1 in 4 Psych Patients Sent to Private Hospitals

About one of every four mentally ill West Virginians sent to a state-run psychiatric hospital during the past three months was diverted to a private facility, driving up the cost of treatment, according to state records. On some days, more than 100 state patients received care at private psychiatric hospitals where costs can run as high as $1,200 a day - double what's spent at state facilities.

Gore, Reid Wrong About Coal

Recently, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the majority leader in the U.S. Senate, proclaimed that "coal makes us sick ... It's global warming. It's ruining our country. It's ruining the world. We've got to stop using fossil fuel." Never to be outdone, a few days ago, Al Gore served a double helping of silliness when he pronounced that we must cease using fossil fuels within 10 years. It makes one wonder if the initial drafts of Gore's slick PowerPoint presentations aren't written in crayon. Gore's c...

Alaska Republican Sen. Stevens Charged with Hiding Gifts

WASHINGTON - The corruption investigation of Alaska back-room deals began in 2004, mostly targeting state legislators and businessmen. On Tuesday, prosecutors aimed much higher with federal charges on the other side of the continent against Ted Stevens, the nation's longest-serving Republican senator. A grand jury in Washington indicted Stevens, a major figure in Alaska politics since before statehood, on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house reno...

Obituaries: ; Obit

Paul W. Board Paul W. Board, born Feb. 5, 1951, passed away July 24, 2008, at his home after a short illness.

Earthquake Rocks Southern California

LOS ANGELES - The strongest earthquake to strike a populated area of Southern California in more than a decade rattled windows and chandeliers, made buildings sway and sent people running into the streets on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or major damage. The 5.4-magnitude quake - considered moderate - was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, and as far east as Las Vegas, 230 miles away. Nearly 30 aftershocks quickly followed, the largest estimated at 3.8.

Fda Panel Recommends Ok of New Athritis Drug

WASHINGTON - A government advisory panel Tuesday recommended approval of the drug Actemra, promoted as a new type of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, a painful and disabling swelling of the joints generally kept in check with medication. The Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc. drug is already being used in Japan, and the Food and Drug Administration must now decide whether to give its approval for patients in the United States. Actemra's effectiveness was not in dispute, but some of its side effects r...

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