Charleston Daily Mail

State May Buy Second Plane at Cost of $3 Million, One Aircraft Isn't Enough to Meet Demand, Official Says

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR The state is thinking about buying another airplane, doubling its fleet. The airplane purchase could cost taxpayers up to $3 million.

Gas Prices in City Hit Record High, the Average Price Is $2.29, Up Five Cents From Just the Day Before

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR Gasoline leaped to its highest price ever in Charleston and around the state today, according to the AAA.

Putnam's New Theater Complex Is Just the Ticket

DAILY MAIL STAFF TEAYS VALLEY - What is the best thing about Putnam County's new theater complex?

Projects Around State to Receive $5 Million

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The School Building Authority has awarded about $5 million for improvement projects at schools around the state.

N.Y. Lawmakers Target Modem Hijacking

ALBANY, N.Y - State lawmakers unveiled a bill that is believed to be the first in the nation to target modem hijacking, a practice in which thieves tap into people's computer modems to make international phone calls. If passed, the law would allow telephone companies and the state attorney general to bring lawsuits against modem hijackers and their accomplices. The bill, which was unveiled Monday, is expected to face a vote by the end of June.

Manchin Speaks Out On Schools, Governor Tells Agency Board That Consolidation Isn't Always the Answer

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Gov. Joe Manchin, who has repeatedly pledged support for small, rural, community-based schools, told the School Building Authority it must address the perception that it pushes consolidation on counties that don't want it.

Car Bomb Kills One Soldier, Wounds Four, Iraqi Interior Ministry Official Is Kidnapped From His Home in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A bomb attack on a U.S. convoy in southern Baghdad killed one American soldier and wounded four others today, while gunmen broke into a house and kidnapped a top Interior Ministry official, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. An abandoned taxi exploded as the U.S. patrol drove down an expressway in the Dora neighborhood, said Sgt. 1st Class David Abrams, a spokesman for Task Force Baghdad. He said one of the wounded soldiers had minor injuries, but no details were given on the others.

Nation Needs to Launch Study Of: ; New Warhead, Official Says, Cold War Stockpile Described As Inadequate

WASHINGTON - The head of the nation's nuclear weapons programs is proposing that Congress approve funds to study the feasibility of building a new, more reliable nuclear warhead that could be deployed without nuclear testing in less than 10 years. Saying that the current Cold War stockpile is inadequate technically and militarily, Linton F. Brooks, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, on Monday told the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces, "We want...

Cardinal Says He Expects New Pope to Be Chosen Quickly, Tens of Thousands of Mourners Stream Into

VATICAN CITY - The College of Cardinals met for a second day of talks today to prepare for the conclave that will elect a successor to Pope John Paul II, and tens of thousands of mourners streamed past the pontiff's crimson-robed body as it lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said after the meeting concluded that the cardinals hadn't yet decided on a date for the conclave, which according to church law must occur between 15 and 20 days after the death...

Police Look for Clues As Horse Tails Continue to Vanish in Wisconsin

TOWN OF LEON, Wis. - Some horses in central Wisconsin may still be bright eyed, but no longer bushy tailed. Waushara and Portage county sheriff's departments are trying to figure out who is cutting off the tails of some horses.

Weather

Almanac Yesterday's high 71

Weather

Tonight Mostly clear. Lows around 50. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Weather

Akron 70 49 PCldy Atlanta 78 52 Rain

Weather

Anchorage 44 33 Cldy Baltimore 75 46 PCldy

Nation &World

Blair calls for national elections in four weeks LONDON - Prime Minister Tony Blair today called national elections on May 5, triggering a four-week campaign that will test a volatile electorate's judgment of the Iraq war.

Students Expelled Over Pellet Gun Shooting

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CLARKSBURG - Three students involved in an airsoft pellet gun incident on a Harrison County school bus have been expelled from school for one year.

Agency Lawyer Critical of Proposal, Bill Would Cut Public Service Commission Out of Approval Process For

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A state Public Services Commission attorney says a proposal to cut the agency out of the approval process for private sewer and water projects could end up putting the entire cost burden on new customers.

Bill Allows Forced Mental Health Treatment, Measure Targets People Who Have Committed Crime or Have Been Involuntarily Admitted to Hospital Twice

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS People who chronically fail to take medication or follow treatment for their mental illness could be forced to by the courts under a proposed experimental program endorsed by the House Judiciary Committee.

Gop Says Byrd Set Precedent On Changing Filibuster Rule,: ; Republicans Point to Senator's Stint As; Majority Leader

WASHINGTON - Republicans say their attempt to change Senate rules to eliminate judicial filibusters follows a precedent set by Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd. The West Virginia senator says he never tried to change the rules to shut down a minority party.

Legislation Would Protect Physicians, Bill Seeks to Minimize 'Needless Treatment' in End-of-Life Instances

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Doctors could refuse to provide treatment they believe would be "medically ineffective" under a bill amended and endorsed by the House Judiciary Committee.