Charleston Gazette

The Environment: ; Obama Plans for Mining Buffer Rule Still Unclear

U.S. Interior Department officials announced plans Monday to reverse a key Bush administration coal-mining rule change, but hedged about whether they plan to actually enforce the previous version in a manner that would limit mountaintop removal. Citing unspecified "legal deficiencies," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he plans to ask a federal court to remand the Bush changes to the stream "buffer zone" rule to his agency for further review.

Swine Flu Alert Level Raised: ; Outbreak No Cause for Alarm, President Says

INSIDE: Flu affects business 6A MEXICO CITY - The World Health Organization raised its global alert level Monday, signaling the swine flu virus was spreading from human to human in community outbreaks, but it stopped short of declaring a full-blown pandemic.

State Health Officials Believe Flu Will Reach West Virginia

The swine influenza hasn't reached West Virginia, but some state health officials believe it's only a matter of time. "It won't be surprising to see a case in the future," state epidemiologist Loretta Haddy said Monday.

Gazette Charities Send-a-Child-to-Camp Fund: ; Scholarships Make Camp Possible for Kids

"I had this one 12-year-old camper in my cabin last summer who was a total sweetheart," wrote YMCA Camp Horseshoe counselor Brittany Betler of Parsons. "She was so nice to all the other campers and just a really great kid, so I was concerned when a couple days into camp, she seemed sad and upset. I took her for a walk to try and distract her, and then we sat in the grass to talk.

Trash Can Containing Body Found On I-64 Near Milton

MILTON - One lane of Interstate 64 near Milton was shut down Monday afternoon while police investigated the discovery of a body in a garbage can along the highway. Police said a state Division of Highways worker found the garbage can at about 11:30 a.m. Monday. The garbage can was sealed with duct tape and there was blood on it.

In Business L On the Line

In Local L Rate Hike

Maersk Alabama Sailor Sues Over Pirate Risk

HOUSTON - A member of the crew on the U.S.-flagged ship hijacked by African pirates sued the owner and another company Monday, accusing them of knowingly putting sailors in danger. Richard E. Hicks alleges in the suit that owner Maersk Line Limited and Waterman Steamship Corp., which provided the crew, ignored requests to improve safety measures for vessels sailing along the Somali coast.

Water Advisory

'Dancing Outlaw' Faces Drug Charges in Boone County

MADISON - Entertainer Jesco White has been arrested on drug charges, authorities said Monday night. Investigators interrupted a drug buy between White, a family member named Sue Ann White, and a man who was not immediately identified, Boone County Sheriff Rodney Miller said.

Ga. Shooting Suspect's Passport Missing

ATHENS, Ga. - The manhunt for a University of Georgia professor suspected in the shooting deaths of his wife and two men shifted away from this campus town Monday as the FBI revealed he has a plane ticket for the Netherlands later this week and left behind an empty passport wallet. George M. Zinkhan has not been seen since the shootings near campus Saturday, and law enforcement agencies nationwide have been enlisted in the search for the marketing professor, authorities said. His relatives al...

Warrants Issued for 3 in Shooting On West Side: ; Three Suspects Are Cousins of Victim; Fourth Man Also Sought

Three arrest warrants have been issued, and police are looking for a fourth suspect, after a near-fatal shooting on Charleston's West Side Saturday afternoon. Warrants have been issued for Christopher Reese Mitchell, 19, Adam Denson, 21, and Daniel M. Battle, aka Mo, 24, all of Charleston, for the attempted murder of their cousin, Charleston Police Sgt. Autumn Davis said Monday afternoon.

Dropout Summit Seeks Solutions: ; Kanawha Expects Decrease in Number of Students Leaving

State health officials talked to juvenile correctional workers. High school principals shared their thoughts with U.S. Army officers. A teacher or two heard what an employee with Wells Fargo had to say. The idea Monday at the Charleston Civic Center was to find some common ground - and workable solutions - to the high school dropout crisis in West Virginia.

Rate Hike Should Be Cut, Advocate Says: ; Appalachian Power Overstated Construction Expenses, Psc Division Alleges

A state agency alleges that Appalachian Power overstated by $6.9 million a construction surcharge that's part of the company's interim request to increase electricity rates 18.5 percent on July 1. The Public Service Commission's Consumer Advocate Division has asked commissioners to reject that part of the proposed rate increase, saying a reduction in Appalachian Power's request for additional construction charges is "obvious and should be made now," according to a filing with the PSC.

Psychiatric Hospital Crowding 'Startling,' Judge Bloom Says

Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom on Monday called evidence of overcrowding at the state's psychiatric hospitals "frankly startling," and asked lawyers in the case to report back to him in June about possible solutions. Monday was the second day of testimony about conditions at the state's two hospitals. Most of it focused on Mildred Mitchell- Bateman Hospital in Huntington, but witnesses also touched on William R. Sharpe Hospital in Weston.

Love Triangle Allegedly Behind Slaying: ; Skiles Affection for Ex-Stripper Led Him to Finger Wilt, but Wilt Wasnt There, Attorney Says

A Maryland man who allegedly helped rob Jason Venanzi's home in 2007 bears as much responsibility for Venanzi's death as the man who shot him, prosecutors said Monday in Kanawha Circuit Court. But Kurt J. Wilt's defense attorneys maintain that a love triangle centered on a former stripper was the real reason that Charles Ray Skiles shot Venanzi at his North Charleston home on July 11, 2007.

Business Briefs

U.S. Steel reports $439 million loss in 1st quarter PITTSBURGH - United States Steel Corp. says it lost $439 million in the first quarter as the recession pinched demand for the metal.

Flu Appearance Hits U.S. Recovery

WASHINGTON - The U.S. economy, which was showing tentative early signs of a recovery, faces a potentially grave new threat: swine flu. A widespread outbreak could batter the tourism, food and transportation industries in particular, deepening the recession in the U.S. and possibly worldwide. With the U.S. and the global economy already fragile, another severe blow could reverse any progress made in easing the recession.

21,000 Jobs On Line at Gm: ; Restructuring Plan Includes Majority Takeover by U.S., Uaw

DETROIT - General Motors Corp. could be majority owned by the federal government under a massive restructuring plan laid out Monday that will cut 21,000 U.S. factory jobs by next year and phase out the storied Pontiac brand. The plan, which includes an offer to swap roughly $27 billion in bond debt for GM stock, would leave current shareholders holding just 1 percent of the century-old company, which is fighting for its life in the worst auto sales climate in 27 years.

Banks Lobbying for Improved Stress-Test Scores

WASHINGTON - As executives of the nation's largest banks review their stress-test results, even the top performers are lobbying regulators to raise their scores before the numbers are finalized Friday. Any banks found to need more capital face tough choices that would hurt shareholders and put taxpayer money at greater risk.