Charleston Daily Mail

Man's Blood Alcohol Level Was 3 Times Legal Limit

The pickup truck driver who drove the wrong way on Interstate 79 and caused a crash that killed five people, including himself, had a blood alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit, authorities said. Trooper Bill Huddleston of the Sutton State Police detachment said Paul Bernard George Jr. had a blood alcohol level of .23 percent. His passenger, Gary Holstein, had a .25 percent blood alcohol level.

Nitro Goes to War Over Antique Tank

Jack Moody was committed to adding to the collection of World War I items at the Nitro Memorial Museum. So, in 1986, he sent a letter to the VFW post in Alexandria, Va., requesting a World War I Renault tank that was used for training then.

State Workers' Pay Could Go Up,: ; Senate President Tomblin Says It's Time to Consider Across-the- Board Hike

Legislative leaders said that after several years of focusing pay raises on teachers and select groups of public employees, it's time to look at giving an across-the-board pay raise to all state workers. Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, D-Logan, first mentioned the idea of giving a broad-based pay increase Thursday at a legislative preview sponsored by The Associated Press.

A Fowl Mess,: ; Nitro Officials, Parents Say Geese Droppings a Hazard

In the spring and summer, children in Nitro play baseball. They frequently dive for first, sliding across the ground and stretching for the base. Just across the street during the fall, children play football, tackling their opponents and trying to prevent a touchdown. And they do all this on top of the droppings left behind by flocks of geese that some say are the city's new tormenters.

Florida Police Release Suspect in Mall Shooting

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. - Investigators said they think the wrong man was charged with shooting a rival gang member at a crowded mall on Christmas Eve and asked prosecutors to examine the case again. Jesse Cesar, 21, has been charged with first-degree murder. But evidence only shows that he was involved in a physical altercation with the victim seconds before the shooting, investigator Chris Crawford wrote in a letter sent to the court.

Three Children Remain Missing After Tornadoes Rip Through Southern La.

NEW IBERIA, La. - Two people were dead and three children were missing after reports of tornadoes touching down during a strong cluster of storms in southern Louisiana, authorities said. The twisters, which were reported in eastern Iberia Parish just before 4 p.m. Thursday, tore off roofs and ripped seven mobile homes from their foundations, Sheriff Sid Hebert said.

Secretary of State to Investigate Election Problems in Jefferson

CHARLES TOWN - Secretary of State Betty Ireland's office plans to investigate inaccurate precinct boundaries and other problems that occurred in Jefferson County during the 2006 general election. Jefferson County Clerk Jennifer Maghan asked the state agency to conduct a procedural audit in a Dec. 21 letter. Maghan told the County Commission on Thursday that she wants to make sure problems are corrected before the 2008 elections are held.

Dog Lost in Colo. Shows Up in Tenn., Woman Used Rabies Tag to Find Owner, Who Thinks Pet Was Stolen

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Seven months after disappearing from her yard in Colorado, a rat terrier named Daisy walked into the arms of Tracie Crass in Knoxville, some 1,300 miles away. Thanks to Crass, Daisy got an airplane ride home. Crass spotted 2-year-old Daisy wandering down her sidewalk on Christmas night. She assumed the 12-pound dog had slipped out of its home amid holiday festivities, so she brought the pooch on her porch and waited for its owner to come looking for it.

Infant Car Seats Fail Crash Tests

YONKERS, N.Y. - Most of the infant car seats tested by Consumer Reports "failed disastrously" in crashes at speeds as low as 35 mph, the magazine reported. The seats came off their bases or twisted in place, the report said Thursday. In one case, a test dummy was hurled 30 feet.

Boy, 10, Hangs Himself After Seeing Saddam Video

HOUSTON - Police and family members said a 10-year-old boy who died by hanging himself from a bunk bed was apparently mimicking the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Sergio Pelico was found dead Sunday in his apartment bedroom in the Houston-area city of Webster, said Webster police Lt. Tom Claunch. Pelico's mother told police he had previously watched a news report on Saddam's death.

National Weather, Temps

Hi Lo Otlk Akron 54 47 Rain

Weather,: ; Forecasts

Tonight Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers. Lows in the lower 50s.

Weather,: ; Temps

Hi Lo Otlk Anchorage 5 -10 Clr

Nation & World

Not-so-grrreat attendance closes cereal theme park BATTLE CREEK, Mich. - Snap. Crackle. Flop.

Bear Cub Is Scavenging,: ; Not Sleeping, Animal Will Be Given a Box for a Den If He Can Be Rescued

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - By all accounts, the little black bear spotted near Juneau should be snug in its den, curled up beside its mother and sleeping away the harsh Alaska winter. Instead, the orphaned cub on Douglas Island is wide awake and scrounging for anything to eat - dog food, bird seed, dead crows.

Officials Call Chip Rule Unfair to State Workers

Union and state officials and a lobbyist believe the federal government should lift a restriction that says public employees can't access benefits through the state Children's Health Insurance Program. Congress has the chance to change the eligibility guidelines this year, when it's expected to reauthorize the funding that pays for the program.

Wvu Academy Gets Grant for Pilot Project in County

Officials for the Health Science and Technology Academy of West Virginia University announced today the program has received a $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The grant will establish a pilot project to get academy participants in Kanawha County involved in health prevention research.

Thieves Targeting S.C. Air Conditioner Units, Six Units Stolen Since October, Authorities Say

The latest rash of thefts to hit South Charleston isn't stolen cars or mini-mart holdups. It's air conditioner units. Chief of Police David W. Dunlap told council that in each end of the town, thieves have been stealing air conditioners and heat pumps costing up to $5,000 each. Dunlap says six units have been heisted since October.

Couple Files Suit Claiming Man Stepped On Aids-Infected Needle

A couple is suing a Wheeling waste management company after the husband claimed he contracted the AIDS virus from stepping on a dirty needle at a landfill. Gerard Joseph and his wife, Stephanie, are suing Allied Waste Services of Wheeling and its subsidiary, North Fork Landfill, Inc., which operates the landfill where the alleged incident occurred.

Results of Survey About Eleanor Park to Be Presented

The director of Putnam County Parks found few surprises in a survey seeking opinions of residents between Buffalo and Poca about the County Park in Eleanor. "Basically it confirmed what I've known from living there all my life," said Scott Williams, who lives in Buffalo. "It's been neglected. No serious money has ever been directed to the first park in the county."