Charleston Gazette

Obama or Biden Could Speak at Democrat Dinner

Either Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama or vice presidential nominee Joseph Biden probably will headline the West Virginia Democratic Party's annual dinner, state Democratic Chairman Nick Casey said Tuesday. With less than a month until the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, the state Democratic Party has yet to confirm a keynote speaker for the event. But Casey said there's no need for Democratic faithful to panic.

State Delegates Ready for Obama: ; Democrats Living American Dream, Gov. Manchin Says

Tucked up in a right-hand corner in the rafters of the massive Pepsi Center in Denver, the West Virginia delegation's seats at the Democratic National Convention aren't exactly ideal - but none of the delegates was complaining Tuesday. "We certainly don't have as good seats as we had four years ago, but the important thing is that history is going to be made here," said Natalie Tennant, a Clinton delegate and Democratic nominee for secretary of state.

Hillary: Obama 'My Candidate': ; 'No Way. No How. No Mccain,' Clinton Tells Cheering Democratic Convention

DENVER - Hillary Rodham Clinton summoned the millions of voters who supported her in the primaries to send Barack Obama to the White House Tuesday night, and drew thunderous applause at the Democratic National Convention when she declared her one-time rival is "my candidate and he must be our president." "We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare," said the former first lady, writing the final chapter in a quest for the White House every bit as pioneering as Obama's own.

In Focus L Food

In Local L Comes in Black

Ala. Duo Arrested in Credit Union Robbery: ; Envelope at Scene Led to Suspects, Police Say

An Alabama man was arrested Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after he robbed a credit union in Charleston's East End, police said. An envelope left at the crime scene led officers to him, police said. Shawn Camille Elmore, 33, of Birmingham, Ala., was arrested about 3 p.m. at Orchard Manor, said Sgt. Aaron James of the Charleston Police Department.

Road Closures

Motorists and pedestrians should note the following street and ramp closures during the Charleston Regatta, to be held Aug. 28-31 in downtown Charleston: Kanawha Boulevard from Capitol to Clendenin streets. Closed from 6 p.m. Tuesday through 3 p.m. Sept. 2.

Road Work

West Virginia Paving will mill the following streets between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. today: * Stockton Street: from Washington Street to Fourth Avenue

The Read: ; Mccain Ad Borrows From Hillary, 3 A.M.

McCain campaign takes cue from Clinton ad PHOENIX - Republican John McCain is stealing a chunk from Hillary Rodham Clinton's best-known TV attack, questioning in his own ad whether Barack Obama is ready for that 3 a.m. phone call signaling an international crisis.

Huntington Man Faces Murder Charge in Woman's Slaying

HUNTINGTON - Police have charged a Huntington man with first- degree murder after finding the woman he lived with dead on Monday. Robert Scott Frazier, 51, of 530 Richmond St. allegedly killed Kathryn Gale Smith, 58, in their home, according to a release from the Huntington Police Department.

Huntington Sues Barge-Facility Builder

HUNTINGTON - A company that has been planning to build a barge- mooring facility along the Ohio River for the past 14 years is being sued by West Virginia's second-largest city for breach of contract. A lawsuit was filed Friday in Wayne Circuit Court against Huntington Marine Services, according to Huntington Mayor David Felinton.

Drug Testing for Contractors Moves Closer in Putnam

WINFIELD - Putnam County commissioners took the first step Tuesday to ensure contractors employed by the county enforce a drug- and alcohol-free work environment. The proposal will require all contractors employed in the county to implement a drug- and alcohol-testing program for their workers on county-funded construction projects.

Msha Belt Rules Not Enough, Umw Says

Proposed federal rules on the use of conveyor belt tunnels to ventilate underground coal mines don't go nearly far enough, officials from the United Mine Workers union said Tuesday. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration should have banned the practice altogether, union safety officers said.

Red Cross Schedules Blood Drives

American Red Cross is experiencing critical or emergency levels, with a day's supply or less in reserve of O negative, O positive and A negative blood. Area blood drives are scheduled for the following locations:

W.Va. Military to Have E-Mail, Fax Voting Option

A new absentee voting system for deployed West Virginia military personnel will be available for the Nov. 4 general election, Secretary of State Betty Ireland and Adjutant General Allen E. Tackett announced on Tuesday. Under the new system, service personnel registered to vote in West Virginia will be able to request and receive absentee ballots via e-mail or fax, then either fax or mail completed ballots back to the county clerks in the counties in which they are registered.

Oil Prices Jump As Gustav Slams Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Hurricane Gustav dumped torrential rains across southern Haiti on Tuesday, killing at least one man and threatening crops amid protests over high food prices. Global fuel futures soared on fears Gustav could move into the Gulf of Mexico as an "extremely dangerous" storm. Trees toppled as the storm lingered for hours over Haiti's poor, deforested southern peninsula, and water levels were rising in banana, bean and vegetable fields. One man was killed in a landslide in t...

State Briefs

Teacher, school worker unions form partnership After winning better-than-expected raises from the Legislature this year, a group of West Virginia teachers and school workers is forming a permanent partnership.

City Saloon Owner Ready for Smoking Fight in Court

The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department issued a warning Tuesday to a Charleston bar that openly defied the county's smoking ban. Kerry Ellison, owner of the Black Hawk Saloon, said he instructed his bartender to tear up the warning letter.

Three Arrested in Two Texas School Threats

SAN ANTONIO - Police have arrested three people in two separate incidents of alleged threats of violence at schools. A 46-year-old man was arrested before class Monday outside St. Matthew Catholic School with a gun, a baseball bat and a knife, police said. Days earlier, two teenagers were arrested and accused of planning a plot resembling the 1999 attack at Colorado's Columbine High at a high school in nearby Boerne.

Kanawha Sat Scores Down Slightly, but Still Top State and Nation

This year, more than 300 Kanawha County high school students performed better on the SAT when compared to their peers across the country and in West Virginia. But scores in math, critical reading and writing dropped slightly from last year among the 311 Kanawha County students who took the college-entrance exam. Last year, 307 Kanawha students took the SAT.