Charleston Daily Mail

Ads Attack Jay's Stance On Drilling

DAILY MAIL CAPITOL REPORTER West Virginia's congressional leaders are finding themselves on the defensive as their election opponents have begun fueling their campaigns on the sky-high costs of gasoline and oil.

Friends Raise Funds for Man Hit by Car: ; B.J. Berkhouse Is Hospitalized at Camc, but Lawyer Says He Is Doing Better Every Day

DAILY MAIL STAFF A group of friends and colleagues have teamed up to help a Charleston man who was hit by a car while walking down Capitol Street last month.

Someone Sets Fire at Barge Restaurant

DAILY MAIL STAFF John Wolfe, the co-owner of the Barge & Grill Restaurant on the Kanawha River in Charleston, is trying to figure out why someone deliberately set a fire at his restaurant early this morning.

Wireless Interfering with Telescope: ; New Devices Make It Harder to Pick Up Radio Waves From Outer Space

DAILY MAIL BUSINESS EDITOR Interference generated by wireless gadgets is a growing problem for scientists at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, said Carla Beaudet, head of the Green Bank Interference Protection Group.

Lawyer Suspended for Reading Other Attorneys' E-Mail

The State Bar has suspended a Charleston attorney for two years because he admitted to snooping through the e-mails of other lawyers, including his wife. Over two years, Michael P. Markins repeatedly broke into the e- mail accounts of nine lawyers - including his wife's - who worked at Offutt Fisher and Nord, according to an opinion issued by the state Supreme Court.

Mining Company Files Appeal with U.S. Supreme Court

CHARLESTON - Harman Mining Co. and its president Hugh Caperton filed an appeal Wednesday with the U.S. Supreme Court over a $76.3 million judgment favoring Massey Energy Co. in a coal contract dispute. The appeal asks the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether a justice on West Virginia's Supreme Court should have disqualified himself from hearing Massey's appeal of a jury verdict favoring Harman in the dispute.

Police Informant Missing Since Jump From Bridge

WENATCHEE, Wash. - A woman working as a police informant during an attempted drug bust jumped from a bridge into the Wenatchee River while six officers were nearby, and hasn't been seen since. Sandra I. Duffy, 43, jumped about 20 feet to the water, which is about 48 degrees. She was handcuffed, with a coat draped over her hands to hide the restraints.

Hostages Return to U.S. After 5 Years: ; Contractors Were Looking for Columbian Drugs When Plane Crashed

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - With little fanfare, three American hostages rescued from guerillas in Colombia returned safely to the United States, more than five years after their plane went down in rebel-held jungle. The men didn't wave to reporters or bend down to kiss the ground upon their return late Wednesday. They simply boarded waiting helicopters, which took them to a hospital where they were expected to reunite with their families.

Some Watermelon Could Have Same Effect As Viagra: ; Big Red Slice, or Little Blue Pill?

LUBBOCK, Texas - A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra - but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long. Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless va...

Washington's Boyhood Home Found: ; Researchers Hope Discovery Gives Clues About First President's Early Life

On a bluff overlooking the Rappahannock River in Virginia, 50 miles south of the capital city that bears his name, archaeologists have unearthed a site that provides what they call the most detailed view into George Washington's formative years: his childhood home and, likely, the objects of his youth. There are marbles and wig curlers, utensils and dinnerware. A pipe, blackened inside, carries a Masonic crest and dates to when he joined the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge.

Weather Almanac

Yesterday's high 84 Record high 105, 1931

Regional Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Akron 78 58 PCldy

National Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Anchorage 62 48 Cldy

Nation & World

Man who drugged puppy goes to jail

Police and Courts

Man hospitalized after dip in river A man was taken to the hospital after jumping in and swimming across the Kanawha River.

Manchin Seeks Clarification From Court in Dupont Suit

Gov. Joe Manchin wants the West Virginia Supreme Court to clarify whether DuPont has the right to be heard as it appeals $196.2 million in punitive damages, about half the amount a jury awarded in a case involving health threats from a former zinc smelting plant. The lead attorney for the plaintiffs on Wednesday called the governor's action unprecedented.

Police Conducting Checkpoint Along Boulevard

Charleston Police Department is conducting a "high visibility" sobriety checkpoint today. The checkpoint will begin at 5 p.m. in the 1900 block of Kanawha Boulevard East and last until about midnight, according to a press release from Sgt. Shawn Williams.

Kroger Recalls Ground Beef in W.Va.: ; Company Says Meat in More Than 20 States May Contain E. Coli

CINCINNATI - First it was the tomatoes. Now it's the beef. Fourth of July picnic tables are getting a careful look as familiar hamburgers are feared to be among the tainted ingredients in separate food safety scares.

Live On the Levee

The concert series is scheduled every Friday at 6:30 p.m. through the summer at Haddad Riverfront Park. 2008 schedule: July 4 Charleston's July 4 Celebration/Rubber Soul/West Virginia Symphony Orchestra

United Bank Names President for the Charleston Market President

Julie Gurtis has been named United Bank's Charleston market president. As market president, Gurtis leads a staff of about 150 and oversees United's offices on Virginia Street East, Charleston Town Center, and Kanawha City and in Big Chimney, Dunbar, Teays Valley and the Logan area. The company also has an operations center at Patrick Street Plaza that employs about 150.