Charleston Daily Mail

Experts Await 'Car Crash' As Biden, Palin Square Off

as Biden, Palin square off Inside

New Bailout Bill Gains Goodies in Hope of Changing Minds: ; House Set to Consider Revised Package Today

Inside House prepares to vote for second time on bailout / 3A

West Side Schools Would Welcome Bonham Students

The principals of two elementary schools hoping to share a new building on the West Side say they'd be happy to welcome a third group of students from a frequently flooded school in Sissonville. But some parents from Bonham Elementary say they don't want their children going to a school on the West Side.

Deputies Patrolling for Atvs: ; About 20 Vehicles Used Illegally Impounded in Crackdown

The Kanawha County Sheriff's Department is cracking down on people riding all-terrain vehicles on county roads, and they say the effort is paying off. Over the last month and a half, deputies have impounded about 20 ATVs and issued about 40 citations, said Sgt. Jeff Meadows.

Options for Bond Vote Being Explored: ; Kanawha School Board Seeks Way to Fund Second West Side Elementary

County taxpayers may be asked to decide in a special election whether or not they want to provide money for construction of a second new West Side elementary school. Kanawha County school administrators want to know how much it will cost to have a vote on a bond issue in spring 2009, said Vera McCormick, the county clerk.

Vice President Candidates Debate Tonight: ; Experts Await 'Car Crash' As Biden, Palin Square Off

Inside Some question debate moderator's ability to remain impartial / 3A

Applications for Help with Utility Bills On Way

CHARLESTON - Applications for the state's utility discount program are being mailed this month. The Department of Health and Human Resources' seasonal program offers a 20 percent discount on home heating costs for eligible individuals and households.

Research Project Needs Video Game Players

WHEELING - A grant of nearly $2 million will help researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University continue studying how video games can help students learn scientific concepts. The Center for Educational Technologies is getting the money from the National Science Foundation for a two-year project.

Family Court Judge Hopefuls Share Common Goals: ; Both Candidates Want to Speed Up Judicial Process,; Make System Easier to Use

Both candidates for the open seat as family court judge believe speeding up the judicial process and making the system more user friendly are important concerns. Republican Jane Charnock Smallridge, who hopes to hold onto the seat she was appointed to in 2002, believes she has been doing a good job.

Candidate Doesn't Want to Be Left Out: ; Jesse Johnson Asks Court to Order That He Be Invited to Participate in Gubernatorial Debate

Mountain Party gubernatorial candidate Jesse Johnson wants to participate in an Oct. 13 debate and has asked Kanawha County Circuit Court to order that he be invited. The debate is sponsored by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, the same group that barred Johnson from participating in its gubernatorial debate in October of 2004, during his first run for the office.

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House to Vote On Bailout Again

WASHINGTON - House members are getting another chance to vote on a bill many would like to avoid: a massive financial rescue that has infuriated millions but is being promoted as critically needed to stave off a deep recession. This time, it comes back to the House loaded with billions of dollars worth of tax cuts and other sweeteners. They are meant to attract at least a dozen House members who voted against the measure Monday, when it failed, 228-205, triggering a record drop in the stock m...

Moderator Dismisses Fairness Questions

NEW YORK - PBS journalist Gwen Ifill, moderator of the upcoming vice presidential debate, dismissed conservative questions about her impartiality because she is writing a book that includes material on Barack Obama. Ifill said Wednesday that she hasn't even written her chapter on Obama for the book "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," which is to be published by Doubleday on Jan. 20, 2009, the day a new president is inaugurated.

Nation & World: ; House Sells for $1.75

Grandma, 92, to be matron of honor

Fossett Teams Find Possible Wreckage: ; Hiker Discovered Ids, Money in Eastern Calif.

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. - After an aerial search turned up what appears to be wreckage of plane, ground crews are trying to determine whether it was the one piloted by adventurer Steve Fossett when he vanished more than a year ago. Searchers had been combing a rugged part of eastern California on Wednesday after a hiker found identification documents belonging to Fossett earlier in the week. A pilot reported seeing possible wreckage around sunset, said Erica Stuart, spokeswoman for the Madera C...

Uncle Indicted in Death of Vt. Girl

MONTPELIER, Vt. - Federal prosecutors said a man charged with drugging, sexually assaulting and killing his 12-year-old niece coerced another girl into aiding his plot by claiming to be part of a child-sex club that sometimes selected girls for "termination." The federal grand jury in Rutland that indicted Michael Jacques also handed up special findings that would make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted of the charge of kidnapping with death resulting.

Teens Arrested at Gw for Stealing Car

Three juveniles were arrested after they showed up at George Washington High School in a stolen vehicle, officials said. The teenagers, who were not students at the school, arrived on campus just before 8 a.m., according to the principal and police.

Police Briefs

Man arrested for hiding pot in pants

Man Accused of Abuse: ; Girl Says Uncle Started Molesting Her When She Was 5 or 6

Troopers arrested a Clendenin man accused of sexually abusing his niece for over eight years. Michael Robert Hudson, 47, of Left Fork Drive is being held at South Central Regional Jail.