Charleston Daily Mail

All Kanawha County Employee Salaries to Be Posted Online Next Week

The salaries of all Kanawha County employees will be available to view on the Internet next week. Officials with City of Charleston are still determining if they will implement a similar plan.

Mcgraw Calls Criticism of Fund Distribution 'Picayune'

State Attorney General Darrell McGraw says criticism of his office for distributing lawsuit settlement money on its own rather than letting the Legislature do it is political and "picayune." His top deputy, Fran Hughes, recently told members of the Senate Finance Committee that McGraw's office would stop distributing settlement dollars on its own. Hughes said the office was not interested in being the center of controversy and that it detracted from the good work it does.

Charley West Says ...

Opinion Divided On Principal

People who live in eastern Kanawha County are divided over the reinstatement of Pratt Elementary School Principal David S. Anderson, who was found not guilty last week on cocaine possession charges. Some people are upset and questioning what kind of example Anderson sets for the children who attend his school.

Is Derek the Next Danny?

Every time Jeff Haught watches Derek Keeling sing and dance on NBC's "Grease: You're the One That I Want," he holds his breath. "I get nervous when I watch him performing," he said. "I just keep telling him to kick everybody's butts."

Navy Raises Helicopter Wreckage From Sea

SAN DIEGO - A team of Navy deep-sea divers using an unmanned underwater vehicle has recovered the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed during a training exercise off the California coast last month, killing its four-man crew. The chopper sank 3,600 feet in waters about 50 miles offshore. was raised Wednesday using a remote-controlled robot, Navy spokesman Landon Hutchens said. The bodies of three crew members were brought to the surface last week; the fourth died after being pulled alive fro...

Man Extradited to Mich. Faces Murder Charge

FAYETTEVILLE - A Fayette County man accused in the 1979 slaying of a Michigan hotel clerk was scheduled to be arraigned in that state today. State and city police in Michigan escorted Freddie Parker, 50, of Powellton from West Virginia to Michigan after Fayette County Circuit Judge John Hatcher ordered his extradition Thursday.

Four Charged with Taking Money for Katrina Victims

LAS VEGAS - Four people in Nevada and Oklahoma were charged with fraudulently obtaining thousands of dollars meant for victims of Hurricane Katrina, authorities said. Wilbert J. Bennett Jr., 31, of Henderson, Nev., and Sheila Ritter, 47, of Las Vegas, pleaded not guilty to charges of theft of government funds, U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said in a statement Thursday.

Lawmakers Look for Ways to Save Rehab Center

Lawmakers from Kanawha and Putnam County are looking for ways to save the West Virginia Rehabilitation Center in Institute. They were set to meet today with Gov. Joe Manchin and his staff to talk about ways to continue operating the center.

House Set to Vote On Pay Raise for Dnr Officers, Bill Offers $1.2 Million in Phased-in Pay Raises for the 124 Officers Over Next the Two Years

Conservation officers with the state Division of Natural Resources say they need a pay raise to retain and attract officers and bring their pay more in line with the State Police. The state House of Delegates on Thursday moved a bill providing $1.2 million in phased-in pay raises for the 124 officers over the next two years.

Naked Man Abducted Girl, 11, in Wheeling Alley, Police Say

WHEELING - Wheeling police and the FBI are investigating the abduction of an 11-year-old girl by a naked man who forced her into a pickup truck and sexually assaulted her before taking her to Ohio and abandoning her. The abduction occurred two days after a similar attempt 5 miles away in Martins Ferry, Ohio, Wheeling police Lt. Gary Gaus said Thursday.

National Weather, Temps

Hi Lo Otlk Akron 32 9 PCldy

Weather,: ; Temps

Almanac Yesterday's high 51

Weather,: ; Forecasts

Tonight Mostly clear. Cold with lows around 20.

Weather,: ; Temps

Hi Lo Otlk Anchorage 7 -8 Clr

Diocese Seeks to Revive Confession with Ad Campaign

WASHINGTON - Between Oprah and the therapist's couch, is there any role left for the church confession? Noting that the number of Catholics taking part in the key rite has plunged, the Archdiocese of Washington this week is launching its biggest marketing blitz, advertising on buses, subway cars, a billboard, the radio and in 100,000 brochures in an effort to get people back to the confessional.

Bahamas Burial for Smith, Emotional Judge Says Ex-Model Should Be Buried Beside Son

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - An advocate for Anna Nicole Smith's daughter decided the former model would be buried alongside her son in the Bahamas after a tearful, sometimes blubbering judge gave the attorney the power to make the decision. Richard Milstein, the court-appointed lawyer for 5-month-old Dannielynn, announced the plans Thursday but gave no time frame for the burial.

Research Team Observes Chimps Making Weapons

Chimpanzees living in the West African savannah have been observed fashioning deadly spears from sticks and using the hand- crafted tools to hunt small mammals - the first routine production of deadly weapons ever observed in animals other than humans. The multi-step spear-making practice, documented by researchers in Senegal who spent years gaining the chimpanzees' trust, adds credence to the idea that human forebears fashioned similar tools millions of years ago.

Some Faux Fur Is Really Dog Fur, Investigation Turned Up Coats, Some From High-End Lines, with Real Stuff From Canines

WASHINGTON - That fur trim on your jacket that you think is fake? Tell it to Fido. An animal advocacy group says its investigation has turned up coats - some with designer labels, some at higher-end retailers - with fur from man's best friend. Some retailers were set scrambling to pull the coats from shelves, take them off Web sites and even offer refunds to consumers.

Nation & World

Soldier gets 100 years in Iraqi girl's rape, murder FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - A U.S. soldier sentenced to 100 years in prison for the gang rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and killing of her family said he was sorry but that he couldn't explain why he did it.