Charleston Gazette

Senate Expected to Cut Employer Mandate

The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Businesses would not be required to provide health insurance under legislation being readied for Senate debate, but large firms would owe significant penalties if any workers needed government subsidies to buy coverage on their own, according to Democratic officials familiar with talks on the bill.

Alternative Energy Seen As Spark Plug for Region

The Associated Press CINCINNATI - Appalachian leaders are seeking ways to use alternative energy initiatives to drive the 13-state region's economy.

County Code Enforcers Have Full Plate

Staff writer Those who keep an eagle eye out on the moves of their neighbors may seem like busybodies to some, but Kanawha County Planning Department Director David Armstrong said that many of the complaints these people have drive much of the work his department does.

Suicide Blasts Kill Up to 147 in Baghdad, at Least 721 Wounded in Attacks On Two Government Buildings

The Associated Press BAGHDAD - A pair of suicide car bombings Sunday devastated the heart of Iraq's capital, killing at least 147 people in the country's deadliest attack in more than two years. The bombs targeted two government buildings and called into question Iraq's ability to protect its people as U.S. forces withdraw.

Organizations Name New Officers

The following organizations have elected officers for the 2009- 10 term: West Virginia Hospital Association, representing the 73 acute care and specialty hospitals and health systems in West Virginia, recently elected new officers and appointed trustees for 2009-2010. Officers include: Chairwoman, Karen Bowling; chairman-elect, Mark Doak; immediate past chairman, Brent Marsteller; and treasurer, David Ramsey.

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Harvard Researchers Sickened by Poisoned Coffee, Officials Say

BOSTON - Six Harvard University medical researchers were poisoned in August after drinking coffee that was laced with a chemical preservative, according to university officials. In an internal memo first reported in the Boston Herald's Sunday editions, the school said the coffee came from a machine near their lab that later tested positive for sodium azide, a common preservative used in labs.

Locator Beacons Being Used As Yuppie 911 by Some Hikers

The Associated Press FRESNO, Calif. - Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop. Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon - just in case.

Feds Interview Crew of Plane That Overshot Airport

MINNEAPOLIS - Federal investigators interviewed the crew of the Northwest Airlines flight that overshot the Minneapolis airport by 150 miles on Sunday. National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said investigators were interviewing the pilot and co-pilot in person in Minneapolis. He would not provide additional details, but did say the NTSB would not comment on the substance of the discussions until Monday at the earliest.

Class Notes

Students win Friends of Coal scholarships Three Marshall University freshmen from Southern West Virginia have been awarded the Friends of Coal scholarships for 2009.

More Than 1,000 Tips, but Still No Suspects

The Associated Press ORANGE PARK, Fla. - Investigators have received more than a thousand tips but are still trying to figure out what happened when 7-year-old Somer Thompson disappeared on her walk home from a north Florida school last week.

Wildfire in California Prompts Evacuations

San Jose Mercury News SAN JOSE, Calif. - A wind-whipped fire that broke out early Sunday morning has burned 600 acres west of Mount Madonna in Santa Cruz County, Calif., forcing the evacuation of up to 100 households in the area.

Program Targeting W.Va. Dropouts Wins Funding

The Associated Press Kanawha County officials hope a new approach toward keeping would- be dropouts in school will prove a model for the rest of West Virginia and beyond.

Workers Don't Like 'Fat Tax' Proposal

Gov. Joe Manchin's proposal last week for the Public Employees Insurance Agency to consider the possibility of imposing a "fat tax" in the form of higher premiums for overweight insurees went over like the proverbial lead balloon with state employees. I was talking with Gordon Simmons, an organizer for state Public Employees Union UE 170, who confirmed that state employees were infuriated by the proposal, particularly in light of not getting pay raises this year and having a $500 one-time bon...

God Blessed Me with a Voice, Joy of Theater Rooted in Audience Rapport

Staff writer "I grew up in Weirton. My dad was in life insurance. My mom was a housewife but also worked in the school cafeteria. I had a wonderful childhood. I have three sisters, and that's why I'm spoiled.

Business

Madoff Associate Found Drowned in Florida

PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jeffry Picower, a Florida philanthropist alleged to have extracted billions from Bernard Madoff's investment scheme, drowned in his pool Sunday, police said. He was 67. The former New York lawyer and accountant had been a friend of Madoff for decades.

Great Expectations?, Companies Are Gaming a System That Lowballs Forecasts, Then Surpasses Them

The Associated Press CHICAGO - More than 80 percent of major companies reporting third- quarter results this month have beaten Wall Street expectations.

Philadelphia Public Transit Strike Possible

PHILADELPHIA - Transit system workers in Philadelphia voted to authorize a union strike Sunday, less than a week before the Phillies play their first home game of the World Series, but a transit spokesman said he hopes a deal can be concluded soon. Willie Brown, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 234, said they voted to allow him to call a strike if negotiations fail.