Charleston Daily Mail

Marshall Cheerleader Says Suit 'Absurd': ; Male Squad Member Adamant Sex Harassment Case Is Baseless

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER A male Marshall University cheerleader is disputing claims made by a former team member that male squad members sexually harassed her and other cheerleaders.

Ex-Nitro Coach Dies in Pool

DAILY MAIL STAFF A Cross Lanes man found dead in his swimming pool had coached the Nitro High football team all the way to the state championship game in 1960.

Albright, Starcher Dissent They Say Fellow Justices Are Too Quick to Suspend Magistrates Without Pay

DAILY MAIL STAFF State Supreme Court justices Joseph Albright and Larry Starcher disagree with their fellow justices on decisions to suspend without pay judicial officers charged with misconduct.

Floods Rip Northeast: ; Officials Hopeful Levees Will Hold Back Floodwaters From Pa. Town

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Officials kept a close eye on the Susquehanna River on Thursday, but expressed hope that a recently improved levee system would hold back floodwaters that forced an evacuation order for up to 200,000 people. Pennsylvania officials were still concerned about rising water on the Delaware River, and more rain was expected Thursday for New York state, where thousands have already fled from rising rivers, swelled by a record-breaking deluge that has killed at least 12 people in...

Repair Project Turns Tragic When Ladder Touches Line

DAILY MAIL STAFF Paul Edwards Jr. was working alongside his dad - his friend and buddy - when he was electrocuted outside an East End apartment building.

Man Faces Murder Charge in Fatal Fire

SISTERSVILLE - A man was charged with first-degree murder and arson in the death of a Tyler County woman in a house fire. The Tyler County Sheriff's Department and State Fire Marshal's Office arrested Randy Mylar without incident in Paden City, said Kim O'Brien, a spokeswoman for the Fire Marshal's Office. Mylar's age and address were not immediately available.

Civil Liberties Groups Sue Board Over Portrait of Jesus

Two civil liberties groups sued the Harrison County school board Wednesday in hopes of forcing the removal of a portrait of Jesus from Bridgeport High School. The "Head of Christ" portrait has hung in the school for more than 30 years.

Capito Hopes to Knock One Out of the Park Tonight: ; Congresswoman Will Take the Field for Gop in Annual Baseball Game Against Democrats

DAILY MAIL STAFF Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito has shown she can hang with her male colleagues on the House floor. Now it's time for her to leave them in dust on the baseball diamond.

Flooding Occurs at Bluestone Lake Park

Flooding occurred in several areas of Bluestone Lake State Park and Bluestone Wildlife Management Area in Summers County after heavy rain forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold back water. The East Shore Campground, the marina and the boat launching area at Bluestone Lake State Park and campgrounds at Bluestone Wildlife Management Area were closed Tuesday and will remain closed until further notice.

Pension Board Getting New Director

A new executive director for the state Consolidated Public Retirement Board could be hired as soon as Aug. 9. In executive session Wednesday, the board selected one finalist for the position, and later authorized Administration Secretary Robert Ferguson to negotiate a contract with the candidate. The person would fill a vacancy created when Joe Jankowski resigned under fire last November.

Police to Conduct Dui Check Friday Night in Dunbar

Court Blocks War Trials for Detainees

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled today that President Bush overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees. The ruling, a rebuke to the administration and its aggressive anti-terror policies, was written by Justice John Paul Stevens, who said the proposed trials were illegal under U.S. law and international Geneva conventions.

Panel: Bp Fixed Propane Prices

WASHINGTON - Detailed allegations by federal investigators that BP traders illegally manipulated propane prices in 2004 could hurt the oil and gas industry's image at a time when consumers and Congress are upset about soaring energy costs and record profits. Executives from BP PLC and other major oil companies have testified before Congress and stressed in TV interviews that today's sky-high prices for gasoline and other fuels are the result of market forces beyond their control - not imprope...

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Tonight Showers and storms, then clearing. Lows in the mid-50s.

Regional Weather

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Nation & World

Israeli forces arrest Hamas ministers, leaders

Va Chief Reports Stolen Laptop with Data Recovered

WASHINGTON -The government has recovered the stolen laptop computer containing sensitive data for up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson announced today. Nicholson also said there have been no reports of identity theft since the May 3 burglary at the Maryland home of an agency employee.

Architect Unveils New Design for Freedom Tower: ; Structure Features Glass Prisms, Spire Reminiscent of Liberty's Torch

NEW YORK - Glass prisms, landscaped plazas and a lighted spire meant to resemble the Statue of Liberty's torch are all included in the latest design of the skyscraper being built to replace the World Trade Center. Architect David Childs unveiled the new design details of the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower Wednesday at an American Institute of Architects ceremony inside 7 World Trade Center, the skyscraper he designed that sits across from ground zero.

State Police Identify Mingo Atv Victim

BAISDEN - A man killed in a Mingo County all-terrain vehicle wreck has been identified. Clinton Dale Huff, 27, of Simon was operating his high- performance Yamaha Banshee ATV along Gilbert Creek in Baisden when he lost control of the machine as he came out of a curve, said Trooper First Class S.T. Harper of the Williamson detachment.