Charleston Gazette

Putnam Circuit Judge Tackles Backlog

WINFIELD - When Putnam County Circuit Court Judge Philip Stowers took office less than a year ago, he had a to-do list of what he wanted to accomplish. Now eight months in, Stowers has been steadily checking off items on that list, including bringing the criminal and civil docket up to date and establishing a drug court in Putnam County, which he hopes to see put in place next spring.

As Internet Hits 40, Openness Erodes

NEW YORK - Goofy videos weren't on the minds of Len Kleinrock and his team at UCLA when they began tests 40 years ago on what would become the Internet. Neither was social networking, for that matter, nor were most of the other easy-to-use applications that have drawn more than a billion people online. Instead the researchers sought to create an open network for freely exchanging information, an openness that ultimately spurred the innovation that would later spawn the likes of YouTube, Faceb...

State Legislature: ; Clock Is Ticking for Cities' Pension Relief

The clock is ticking for municipal officials seeking pension relief to convince Gov. Joe Manchin to call a special legislative session. Advocates of the so-called Huntington Plan believe they've enlisted nearly enough lawmaker and stakeholder support for the consensus Manchin requires.

W.Va. Hospitals, Swine Flu: ; Health Worker Vaccination Plans Up in Air

INSIDE: Fall of the flu? 9B Most hospitals in Kanawha County and across the state haven't made plans for administering the swine flu vaccine among their employees, because they don't know when they'll get the vaccine or how much they'll get.

Nitro Police Seek Help with Student Slaying

Dominique "L.A." Guidry thought he was going to graduate from West Virginia State University last spring. He needed one more class, which wasn't offered until the fall.

In Sports L Little League World Series

In Local L 'I Just Love Photography'

Railway to Be Made Into Hiking, Biking Trail

LEWISBURG - The old Lewisburg & Ronceverte Railway, abandoned in 1931, is being revitalized as a hiking and biking trail. Lewisburg officials held an informational meeting earlier this month with property owners along the proposed trail's path. Planners ultimately hope to complete the trail all the way to Ronceverte, a 4-mile stretch that should roughly follow U.S. 219.

Charleston Man Charged After West Side Shooting

A Charleston man is charged with malicious wounding, three counts of wanton endangerment and destruction of property after he allegedly fired several shots at four men Sunday afternoon, injuring one. According to Charleston police, Chase Anthony Meadows, 19, shot at Travis Armstead, Cody Pinion, Travis Earnest and Brandon Hastings shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday in the 100 block of Costello Street on Charleston's West Side.

Lottery: ; Lotteries

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009 Hot Lotto:

New Correctional Training Facility to Open at Glenville State College

New correctional system officers will now be trained at a state- of-the-art facility at Glenville State College. The West Virginia Division of Juvenile Services, the West Virginia Regional Jail Authority, and the West Virginia Corrections Academy will host a dedication ceremony at the college today to celebrate the first official home for the state's correctional training academies.

State Briefs

WVU to host lecture series on tobacco use MORGANTOWN - Teen smoking, cigarettes in the cinema and the marketing of new smokeless tobacco products are some of the topics of a September lecture series at West Virginia University.

Democrats Invoke Kennedy in Health Debate

WASHINGTON - Democrats evoked memories of the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on Sunday in calling for a civil debate over plans to overhaul the nation's health care system. A key Republican said Kennedy's death leaves Democrats without a leader capable of forging a bipartisan compromise.

Cia Courted Security Contractor to Target Terrorism Operatives

WASHINGTON - When the CIA revived a plan to kill or capture terrorists in 2004, the agency turned to the well-connected security company then known as Blackwater USA. With Blackwater's lucrative government security work and contacts arrayed in hot spots around the world, company officials offered the services of foreigners supposedly skilled at tracking terrorists in lawless regions and countries where the CIA had no working relationships with the government.

Handy Man Is Mr. Handyman: ; Kenna Contractor Makes Home Repair Affordable, 'Comfortable'

After the economy tanked and he got laid off from his information- technology job, Greg Paxton decided to be his own boss and start a new career. Two weeks ago, Paxton opened West Virginia's first Mr. Handyman franchise.

Statehouse Beat: ; Ag Targets Pharmacyprofits On Generics

A recent $22.5 million settlement by Eli Lilly and Co. of a state Attorney General's Office lawsuit over the marketing of the anti- psychotic drug Zyprexa might seem like small potatoes compared to office's latest litigation regarding prescription-drug pricing. Filed in Boone Circuit Court, the lawsuit alleges that CVS Pharmacy, Kmart, Kroger, Walgreen Pharmacy and Target all violated a state law designed to promote use of generic equivalents for brand- name prescription drugs.

Innerviews: ; at 74, Inveterate Shutterbug Still in the Picture

Dale Flanagans photo studio sits on the edge of busy U.S. 60 in Smithers, a Midland Trail landmark since the early 1980s. He works next door to his 100-year-old home, once surrounded by acres of rolling farmland. He doesnt need a more citified location. Thanks to an ongoing chain of word-of-mouth referrals, people from all over know about Dales Photography. Especially brides. Dale Flanagan learned to take pictures in the mid-1950s while serving in an Army intelligence unit in Austria. Photogr...

Jobless Rate, Productivity Key to Market: ; Week's Reports Hold Clues to Investment

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - While investors go into the new week believing the economy is emerging from recession, they still need to see more solid evidence of a rebound. The foundation for a recovery is there: Consumers are growing more confident and the housing market keeps showing signs of improvement. The latest reading on the nation's gross domestic product showed the economy was shrinking at a slower-than-expected pace during the second quarter.

Small Loans, Success Stories: ; Microfinancing Reaps Third World Rewards

BANGKOK - The global financial crisis has highlighted a curious success story: A bank that doles out loans to some of the world's poorest, least-creditworthy people continues to have a payback rate of nearly 100 percent. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, known as the "banker to the poor," quips that the Grameen Bank he founded owes its success to "sub-sub-subprime borrowers" who also own nearly all the bank's equity.

Fair Work, Fair Pay: ; Economic Downturn has Upside for Organizers of State Fairs

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. - A year's worth of failed job leads prepared Richard Briggs for anything, including night shifts as a Minnesota State Fair custodian. For $8.50 an hour, the out-of-work financial analyst vacuums and cleans bathrooms in fairground buildings. Briggs, 38, said he's "something of a curiosity" among his co-workers.