Charleston Daily Mail

Schools Want to Cut Back On Fuel: ; County Will Impose a No-Idling Policy for Buses

After watching fuel costs rise by about 36 percent last year, Kanawha County school officials will employ several strategies to cut school bus fuel consumption by 10 percent. The school system spent more than $1.3 million for fuel costs last year. That figure was up by about $350,000 from the year before.

State's Non-Emergency Transport Costs Are Surging: ; More Than 392,000 Medicaid Patients Used the Service Last Year

The state spent $21.6 million last year to transport Medicaid patients to medical appointments, an expense that has soared along with fuel and other transportation costs in recent years. Between 26,000 and 38,000 people rely on the state's non- emergency medical transportation program every month, said Medicaid spokeswoman Shannon Landrum.

Recycling Bags Focus of Dunbar Conflict: ; Council Says Citizens Have Complained of Mayor Hiding Bags

DAILY MAIL STAFF Has Dunbar Mayor Roger Wolfe buried a bunch of recycling bags?

Female Inmates to Join Road Crews: ; Women Have Worked at Fairgrounds, Completed Community Projects

Female inmates at Lakin Correctional Center north of Point Pleasant have been doing community projects for the past four years. And soon, they'll be out on the roads like their male counterparts.

Female Inmates to Join Road Crews

Bayer to Add 24 Jobs at Institute: ; Official Says Positions Are a Direct Result of; Demand for Insecticide

Increasing demand for a reformulated Bayer CropScience insecticide is prompting the company to add 24 good-paying jobs at Institute, said site leader Nick Crosby. Bayer CropScience began running an advertisement for workers in Sunday's Gazette-Mail.

Jet Makes Emergency Landing in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - Passengers were evacuated by inflatable chutes after a Honolulu-bound airliner made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport because someone smelled smoke in the cabin. No sign of fire was found on the aircraft.

Wvu Police Search for Missing 36-Year-Old Chilean Woman

Police at West Virginia University are searching for a woman from Chile who has been missing since Monday. The 36-year-old woman had been taking part in the school's intensive English program, university spokeswoman Becky Lofstead said.

Groups Watch City in Effort to Stop Crime

Charleston Police and community watch groups from around the city took to the streets for National Night Out Against Crime. It's important that police and the community work together to fight crime, said Charleston Police Lt. Valerie Strege.

Family Struggles Without Clues in Daughter's Disappearance

FAIRMONT - Three years without Faith has torn Rose Munro's life apart. The Barrackville woman's daughter, Faithann Willis, went missing three years ago today, reportedly from the McDonald's at the corner of East Park and Speedway avenues in Fairmont.

Bush to Call On China to Improve Human Rights

SEOUL, South Korea - The same day of his arrival in Beijing for the Olympics, President George W. Bush plans to pointedly express "deep concerns" about the state of human rights in China and urge the communist nation to allow political freedom for its citizens. "America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists," Bush is to say in the marquee speech of his three- nation Asia trip. "We speak out for a free press, free...

Suspect to Be Questioned in Slayings: ; Man Known As Clark Rockefeller Appears in Court; On Kidnapping Charges

BOSTON - The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed it was sending two homicide detectives to Boston to interview a mysterious father accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter during a visit in Boston. The man known as Clark Rockefeller - and by several other aliases - was arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday on charges related to the July 27 disappearance of his daughter, Reigh Boss.

Mountain Lion Goes Into Home, Snatches Family's Labrador

IDLEDALE, Colo. - A mountain lion crept through an open door into a house outside Denver, snatched a Labrador retriever from a bedroom where two people were sleeping and left the dog's dead body outside, wildlife managers said. No one else was hurt in the home about 14 miles southwest of Denver.

Eleven Charged in Massive Fraud Case: ; Suspects Allegedly Hacked Into Networks,; Set Up Programs to Steal Customers' Information

BOSTON - Eleven people, including a U.S. Secret Service informant, have been charged in connection with the hacking of nine major retailers and the theft and sale of more than 41 million credit and debit card numbers, the Justice Department announced. The data breach is believed to be the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice, which said the suspects were charged with conspiracy, computer intrusion, fraud and identity theft.

Weather Almanac

Yesterday's high 80 Record high 102, 1918

Regional Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Akron 81 59 PCldy

National Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Anchorage 64 48 Clr

Nation & World

Storm may help ease drought

Texas Executes Mexican-Born Man for Rape, Murder of Girls

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A Mexican-born condemned prisoner was executed for the rape and murder of two teenage girls 15 years ago after a divided U.S. Supreme Court rejected his request for a reprieve. "I'm sorry my actions caused you pain. I hope this brings you the closure that you seek. Never harbor hate," Jose Medellin said to those gathered to watch him die. Nine minutes later, at 9:57 p.m., he was pronounced dead.

Wreck Backs Up Turnpike Traffic