Charleston Daily Mail

Manchin Says Coaches' Agents Too Powerful

The Rich Rodriguez a lot of West Virginians now view as a disloyal opportunist isn't the same Marion County guy Gov. Joe Manchin has known for decades. Manchin grew up in Farmington, which is about nine miles from Rodriguez's hometown of Grant Town.

Report Says Administrators 'Cherry-Picked' Evidence

On the morning of Monday, Oct. 15, eight West Virginia University officials and faculty members gathered to find a way out of a growing crisis. Hanging in the balance were the university's reputation and that of a prominent alumna, Heather Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin.

State's Best-Known Harley Rider Says W.Va. Could Be Biker Mecca: ; Manchin Says Suspension of Helmet Law Would Boost Visits

Gov. Joe Manchin has tried out just about every internal combustion engine there is, except for pure jet. But give him a grumbling Harley Davidson and an open road and he's in the ether.

Wvu Regroups After Scandal: ; Report Says Administrators Bowed to Pressure and Rushed to Protect Bresch

MORGANTOWN - In a single line, the investigators said it all: "It didn't have to have to happen this way." Now, chastened by a stinging report that says it showed "seriously flawed" judgment in awarding Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter a master's degree she didn't earn, West Virginia University must rebuild its reputation and ensure such a scandal won't happen again.

College Plans New Office, Class Complex

Kanawha Schools' Budget Increases by $12.4 Million

Kanawha County Schools' budget will increase to $230 million in July, up $12.4 million from this year. Board members approved the new budget 4-0 Wednesday without discussion. Becky Jordon was absent and Bill Raglin voted over the telephone.

College Plans New Office, Class Complex

BEAVER - New River Community and Technical College plans to build a $13.5 million central office, classroom and laboratory complex in Raleigh County. New River President Ted Spring says the college also plans a $3 million renovation of the former student activities building on its Greenbrier Valley campus in Lewisburg.

Separate Accidents at Two Weddings Kill 43 in India

JAIPUR, India - Two Indian wedding celebrations were marred by separate accidents that left 43 people feared dead, police said today. In western India, 24 members of an extended family were killed when the van they were traveling in collided with a truck early today about 80 miles northwest of Jodhpur, city police Superintendent Sanjeev Kumar Narjari said.

Florida Debates License Plates: ; State Would Be First in Nation to Offer Specialty Plates for Christians

MIAMI - Florida drivers can order more than 100 specialty license plates celebrating everything from manatees to the Miami Heat, but one now under consideration would be the first in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion. The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."

Clinton's Donations Surge After Pa. Victory

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton parlayed her campaign-saving primary victory into a fundraising bonanza in the Democratic presidential race. Rival Barack Obama, his delegate lead intact, said, "We just keep on plugging away." One day after Clinton's comfortable win in Pennsylvania, she and Obama looked ahead to contests on May 6 in Indiana and North Carolina and offered sharply contrasting assessments of the race to date.

Video Links Nuclear Facilities: ; Tape Shows Syria Was Building Nuclear Reactor with North Korean Help

WASHINGTON - A video taken inside a secret Syrian facility last summer convinced both the Israeli government and the Bush administration that Pyongyang was helping construct a reactor similar to one that produces plutonium for North Korea's nuclear arsenal, according to senior U.S. officials who said it would be shared with lawmakers today. The officials said the video of the remote site, code named Al Kibar by the Syrians, shows North Koreans inside. It played a pivotal role in Israel's deci...

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Nation & World

Card sent by Anne Frank found in shop AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch school director preparing an exhibition on Anne Frank has found a holiday postcard signed by the Jewish teenage diarist, a museum said.

Worker Falls 25 Feet at Lincoln Center

NEW YORK - Only hours after the city announced plans to ratchet up scrutiny of construction dangers, a construction worker was seriously hurt in a 25-foot plunge off a scaffold at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, authorities said. The worker fell off a platform in the famed arts complex Wednesday night and was taken to a hospital in serious condition, the Fire Department said. No update on his condition was immediately available earlier today.

Police and Courts

Man allegedly had pot, syringes in car

China's Web Population Ties U.S. For Biggest

BEIJING - China's booming population of Internet users has soared to 221 million, tying the United States for the biggest number of people online, according to data reported today. The figure, as of the end of February, reflects China's explosive growth in Internet use despite government controls meant to block access to material considered subversive or pornographic.

Safety Checkpoint Leads to High-Speed Car Chase

A car soared six to eight feet in the air as it sped across Patrick Street during a high-speed chase, police said. It happened Monday when officers were running a safety checkpoint on the 1900 block in Washington Street West. They spotted a white Chevrolet Caprice driven by Charles Dewayne Hall, 23, traveling east toward them make an abrupt U-turn and speed off, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court by Charleston police Patrolman C.J. Rider Jr.

Almost 300 Show Up for Early Voting

Almost 300 registered voters in Kanawha County took part in the first day for early voting. The early voting schedule kicked off Wednesday with 298 people casting their ballots, said County Clerk Vera McCormick.

Marshall to Raise Tuition 5.5 Percent

HUNTINGTON - Marshall University is following the lead of the state's other major university, West Virginia University, in increasing tuition and fees for the upcoming school year. Marshall's Board of Governors approved a tuition and fee increase Wednesday of $119 per semester for all full-time undergraduate in- state students and an increase of $219 per semester for metro and out-of-state undergraduate students, said spokesman Bill Bissett.