Charleston Daily Mail

Official Says Talks Went Well

VIENNA - Talks to persuade Iran to move most of its enriched uranium out of the country have gotten off to a "good start," the head of the U.N. nuclear agency said Monday. The comments by Mohamed ElBaradei, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency, were significant because Iran earlier had signaled it would not meet Western demands for a deal under which it would send most of its enriched material abroad - a move that would delay its ability to potentially make a nuclear bomb.

Charge Dismissed in Assault On Husband

CHILTON, Wis. - A judge has dismissed a felony charge against a Wisconsin woman accused of plotting with her husband's lovers to lure him to a motel where he ended up tied to a bed with his penis glued to his stomach. The 30-year-old Fond du Lac woman was one of four women charged with being party to false imprisonment in the July 30 incident. Calumet County Circuit Judge Donald Poppy dismissed the charge against the victim's wife Monday.

Utility Workers Test-Drive Hybrid: ; Appalachian Power Added $10,000 Plug-in Conversion to Stock Prius

Some lucky Appalachian Power employees are test-driving a Toyota Prius that draws stares. The little blue car attracts attention because it is festooned with decals advertising its low emissions. What's really interesting is tucked in the trunk: An extra battery that gives the vehicle an additional 40-mile range on a 5.5-hour charge that costs about 40 cents.

Verizon Makes Push for New Iphone Competitor

NEW YORK - An aggressive TV ad campaign from Verizon Wireless is adding to the support building for a software package from Google Inc. that is shaping up to be the most formidable challenge yet to Apple Inc.'s iPhone. The commercials for the "Droid" phone, being made by Motorola Inc., list features that the iPhone lacks, such as a physical keyboard and the ability to run applications simultaneously. It ends with the tag line "Everything iDon't. Droid does."

Mortgage Program Unveiled

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is unveiling a new program to provide support to state and local housing agencies to provide help to thousands of home buyers and renters. The administration said the new program would help to support low mortgage rates and expand resources for low- and middle-income borrowers who want to buy or rent a home.

Feds Told to Avoid Medical Marijuana Arrests

WASHINGTON - Pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers should not be targeted for federal prosecution in states that allow medical marijuana, prosecutors were told Monday in a new policy memo issued by the Justice Department. Under the policy spelled out in a three-page legal memo, federal prosecutors are being told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state law.

Astronomers Identify 32 New Planets: ; Two of Them Are Five Times the Size of Earth

WASHINGTON - European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop. Scientists using the European Southern Observatory telescope didn't find any planets quite the size of Earth or any that seemed habitable or even unusual. But their announcement increased the number of planets discovered outside the solar system to more than 400.

No Hike Planned for First-Class Postage: ; Stamps Increased Two Cents Earlier This Year

WASHINGTON - The price of first-class stamps will not go up next year. The Postal Service has been implementing rate increases annually in recent years, with increases announced in January to take place in May.

Regional Weather

Charlotte 73 40 Clr Cincinnati 65 46 PCldy

National Weather

Hi Lo Otlk Anchorage 42 32 Cldy

Nation & World

Japan first lady awarded jean prize

Dodd Suggests Overdraft Fee Protection for Customers

WASHINGTON - Bank customers who overdraw their checking accounts would get new protections from excessive penalties under legislation proposed Monday by the Senate banking committee chairman. The measure unveiled by Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., would give people a choice in whether they want to participate in overdraft programs that charge fees for covering ATM withdrawals and debit card transactions.

Bernanke Urges U.S. To Reduce Deficit: ; Chairman Also Says Asian Countries Save Too Much and Americans Save Too Little

WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called Monday for the United States to whittle down its record-high budget deficits and for countries like China to get their consumers to spend more. Bernanke said those moves would help reduce "global imbalances" - uneven trade and investment flows among countries that contributed to the financial crisis.

Fewer Donations Force Madd to Trim Staff

Citing a nearly 20 percent drop in donations, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is cutting staff at its national office and in 11 states, including West Virginia. Private donations, government grants and corporate sponsorships to MADD National dropped between 15 percent and 20 percent to $43 million last year, said MADD National Chief Operating Officer Debbie Weir.

Business Briefs

Raleigh CEO to chair Hospital Association BECKLEY - Raleigh General Hospital CEO Karen Bowling has been elected chairwoman of the West Virginia Hospital Association.

Protesters Arrested at Manchin's Office

A handful of environmental activists were arrested Monday outside the offices of Gov. Joe Manchin, following an afternoon-long sit-in to protest plans by Massey Energy Co. to blast on Coal River Mountain. The seven were among a group of several dozen who converged on the governor's Capitol reception room shortly after noon to urge the second-term Democrat to intervene. The seven were arrested when the office closed at 5 p.m. and they refused to leave.

Police and Courts

Two-vehicle crash sends one to hospital A two-vehicle crash on U.S. 60 sent one man to the hospital Monday morning.

Obituaries: ; Obit

Today's Obituaries Anderson, Margaret E. Armentrout, Kenneth H. Baber, Margaret F. Bradley, Paul C. Dillon, William R. Sr. Freeman, Mary J. Green, Barry E. Green, Carlos N. Hammonds, Georgetta C. Honaker, Basil B. Humphreys, Dayton Humphreys, Oscar Sr. Hurst, Allen E. Johnson, Bobby J. Lephew, Karla M. Lilly, Amos F. McCracken, Brenda S. McGowan, Wessie F. McGraw, Robert J. Miller, Sadie E. Mitchell, Lucille R. Montgomery, Jack E. Pennington, Richard L. Rhodes, Jacquelyn C. Rollins, Patricia ...

Obama Announces Policy On Sudan

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration, after months of fierce internal debate, outlined a new approach Monday to settling the conflicts in Sudan, asserting a moral obligation to end "a vast sea of human misery" and a need to prevent the African nation from serving as a haven for terrorists. The new policy rests on offering incentives for the Sudanese government to end the violence and threatening stronger pressures if it does not. While emphasizing the role of diplomacy, it is a less accommod...

Slovakian Visitors Tour City: ; Charleston Council Adopts Resolution That Formalized Relationship with Banska Bystrica

The duties that come with the job of a city manager are pretty much the same whether you work in central West Virginia or central Europe. At least that's what Charleston City Manager David Molgaard found out Monday after spending part of the day with Jaroslav Sihelsky, city manager for Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.