Charleston Daily Mail

Chamber to Elect Its First Female Chairperson

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR Linda Kay Wellings was to be elected chairwoman of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce today, becoming the first woman to hold the office in the organization's 70-year history.

Rapper's New Rhyme Unofficial Wvu War Cry

SAMPLe lyrics Its the gold and the blue! Blue! Blue! Blue! And were coming for you! You! You! You! Whether defense or offense, I can make a promise. From Louisville to Pittsburgh, (were) the best in the conference DAILY MAIL STAFF

Pharmacists Struggle Over Plan B: ; Some Question Ethics of Pill, Others Say Implementation of Plan Poses Problem

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER Pharmacists in Charleston are scrambling for more information about how to handle recently approved over-the-counter sales of the controversial "Plan B" contraceptive pill.

Police Remember Charles 'Chuck' Smith: ; 'He Gave His Life for What He Loved to Do'

BECKLEY - The tightly knit Beckley Police Department's Narcotics Enforcement Division mourned a man its two remaining members considered far more than a co-worker. Detective Charles "Chuck" Smith, 29, died Tuesday morning after being shot multiple times while working undercover. Two Beckley men have been charged with his murder.

W.Va. Rated Third in Nation for Obesity

Despite state efforts to mandate healthy living, adult obesity rates are on the rise in West Virginia, making it the third most obese state in the country. A national report released Tuesday found 30.6 percent of adults statewide were obese in 2005, compared to 27.6 percent in 2004. A little more than 65 percent of adults are either overweight or obese in West Virginia.

City Officer Cleared in Shooting

DAILY MAIL STAFF Investigations by the city of Charleston and the Kanawha County Prosecutor have found Sgt. Eric Johnson did nothing criminal in returning fire and killing a man during a June sting operation in Kanawha City.

Mini Cooper Car Parade Coming to City Thursday

DAILY MAIL STAFF Residents in the Kanawha Valley will see a parade of miniature proportions.

Candidate Files Complaint Over Opponent's Poll

A Republican state Senate candidate has filed a complaint accusing his Democrat opponent of conducting an illegal push poll. Delegate Mike Hall, R-Putnam, said participants in the survey indicated that pollsters read statements about the candidates' positions and asked voters whether those positions would make them more or less likely to support that candidate.

Man Pleads Guilty to Impersonating Officer, Sexual Abuse

BECKLEY - A Shady Spring man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a woman while posing as a police officer. Greg Lilly, 31, pleaded guilty in Raleigh County Circuit Court on Monday to first-degree sexual abuse and impersonation of a police officer.

Universal Strikes Deal to Offer Free Music Downloads

Music fans for years have been telling record labels what they want to pay for downloaded songs: Nothing. Now the labels are starting to agree that free might work for them, too.

Hit-and-Run Driver Kills One, Injures 14: ; Relatives Say Man Arrested in Spree Thought 'Devil Was Coming to Him'

SAN FRANCISCO - The driver in a bloody hit-and-run spree that killed one man and injured more than a dozen people was mentally unstable and feeling stress from a recent arranged marriage, according to relatives. Omeed A. Popal, 29, was taken into custody Tuesday following a rampage that terrorized pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Authorities believe it began more than an hour earlier when his black Honda Pilot fatally struck a man in the East Bay area.

Faa Violated Own Policy in Ky. Crash: ; Alone in Tower Against Regulations, Air Traffic Controller Looked Away After Clearing Plane

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Investigators say it only took a moment: The lone traffic controller at Blue Grass Airport cleared a flight for takeoff, then turned his back to handle administrative work. What the controller didn't see, a federal investigator said, was the Atlanta-bound jet heading down the wrong runway.

Forecasts

Tonight Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and storms. Lows in the mid- 60s.

Regional Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Akron 74 57 PCldy

National Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Anchorage 56 48 Rain

Nation & World

Lebanese leader refuses to have contact with Israel

Polygamist Leader in Custody

LAS VEGAS - After three months on the FBI's Most Wanted List and two years on the lam, the fugitive life of the leader of a polygamist religious sect ended with a routine traffic stop. Warren Steed Jeffs, 50, the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was wanted in Utah and Arizona on charges of arranging two marriages between underage girls and older men. He was in a Cadillac Escalade that was pulled over Monday night by the Nevada Highway Patrol, authoriti...

Preschool Children's Parade to Raise Funds for Wvu Band

Children who attend WVU Nursery School will parade the campus Friday to raise money for WVU's "Pride of West Virginia" Marching Band. The youngsters, ages 3-5, will try to raise at least $500. That's the cost of one uniform.

License Sweep Nabs 25 Out-of-State Vehicles: ; Effort Began at Putnam Schools This Week, Will Continue Next Week and Periodically Through Year

DAILY MAIL STAFF Putnam County officials say they have photographed at least 25 vehicles with out-of-state license plates as part of their license sweep that began at area schools this week.

Parks, Museum Boards Want Community Input

FOR THE DAILY MAIL WINFIELD - Board members of both the Museum in the Community and the Putnam County Parks and Recreation are turning to residents to provide opinions on services.