CSB Investigation Finds No Record of Inspections on Freedom Industries Chemical Storage Tanks

Charleston, West Virginia — In an update on the investigation into the chemical storage tank leak that contaminated the drinking water of up to 300,000 residents of nine West Virginia Counties, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) reported  it has thus far found no record of a formal, industry approved inspection performed on any of the chemical storage tanks at Freedom Industries prior to the massive leak which occurred on January 9, 2014.  Informal inspections may have occurred, preliminary findings indicate, but investigators have found a lack of appropriate engineering inspections with prescribed frequency and rigor of inspections. Read more

Council Committee Asks Does Huntington need Motor Pool, Director of Finance & Administratiion or a Public Works Director with Engineering Degree

Huntington City Council's Charter Review Committee met Thursday afternoon with Mark Bates, Scott Caserta, Sandra Clemons, David Ball and Rebecca Thacker present from council. Mayor Steve Williams, the assistant city attorney and the city clerk surrounded the semi-circle. Two reporters sat on the first row.

Mayor Steve Williams, enjoying an opinion expressing slot in the semi-circle, advanced an idea previously considered --- Does Huntington need a position titled "Director of Administration and Finance?" Councilman David Ball had previously researched pay grades and pay scales of about 30 cities near Huntington. None had the position. Instead, they titled the position with those duties, "city manager." Read more

Huntington in Bloom Looks for Business Photos

The next photo contest sponsored by Huntington in Bloom is Best Bloomin’ Business, which runs through Aug. 6.

This category highlights the landscaping and beautification efforts at businesses in Huntington.... The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant or shop. Read more

REALTORS: Existing-Home Sales Up 2.6% in June; Unsold Inventory Shows Continued Progress; Weak Construction Pace Leading to Pressure on Home Prices

Existing-home sales increased in June and reached an annual pace of 5 million sales for the first time since October 2013, while rising inventory continues to push overall supply towards a more balanced market, according to a report issued Tuesday, July 22, 2014 by the National Association of Reators (NAR).

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Marshall medical students provide treatment to more than a thousand Hondurans during international mission

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - A team of Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine students, faculty physicians, a medical resident and other health care workers from the tri-state community traveled to Honduras earlier this month for an international mission that resulted in medical care for nearly 1,060 patients. Read more

Donna Underwood creates two scholarships to honor her late husband

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Donna Underwood has two main goals in life. They are to provide students with opportunities that she didn't have after graduating from high school, while - at the same time - honoring her late husband, John.
 
Underwood recently met both of those objectives by funding a pair of scholarships at Marshall University. The new scholarships, established by the Marshall University Foundation, Inc., are an endowment called the John and Donna Underwood Endowment for the Yeager Scholars Program, and an expendable scholarship called the John and Donna Underwood Scholarship for the School of Pharmacy. Read more

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Begins Accepting Consumer Complaints on Prepaid Cards, Additional Nonbank Products; Nonbank Products Include Debt Settlement and Credit Repair Services, Pawn and Title Loans

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is now accepting complaints from consumers encountering problems with prepaid cards, such as gift cards, benefit cards, and general purpose reloadable cards. Consumers can also now submit complaints about additional nonbank products, including debt settlement services, credit repair services, and pawn and title loans.

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Supertalk 94.1 FM & AM 930 to Carry Milton, Huntington League 3 Games from LL Baseball State Tournament Starting Friday

HUNTINGTON — SuperTalk 94.1 FM and AM 930 is proud to announce it will carry all games involving Milton and Huntington’s League 3 teams at the State Little League Major Baseball  Tournament from Chapmanville, W.Va., starting Friday. The winner and runner-ups of the state tournament advance to the Southeast Regionals in Warner-Robins, Ga. for a chance to advance to Williamsport, Pa. and the Little League World Series. Read more

BOOK REVIEW: 'Free to Fall': Dystopic Thriller Should Appeal to Young Adult, Teen Readers -- If You Can Get Them to Read a Book

If you think today's teens are welded to their smart phones and never seem to do anything but text, behold the dystopian future portrayed by Lauren Miller in her young adult thriller "Free to Fall" (HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 480 pages, $17.99) and be grateful.

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West Virginia NAACP to Release Report on Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs in West Virginia‏

On Thursday, July 17, 2014, the NAACP West Virginia State Conference will host a press conference to discuss the release of their new report, “Just Energy Policies: Reducing Pollution and Creating Jobs – West Virginia Report”, which assesses energy policy in the State of West Virginia through a civil rights lens. The report provides analysis of West Virginia’s energy sector policies based on environmental, human health, and economic impacts and lays a path for preserving the wellbeing of the community while creating economic enterprise opportunities. Read more

Marshall Speech and Hearing Center holds 'Tiny Talkers' programs for children with speech disorders

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Four-year-old Harry Shivel was born with hyperlexia, which gave him the ability to read words far above what would be expected of a child his age. But although he can read the words, he experiences difficulty with understanding what the words mean.

According to researchers, children with hyperlexia have a significantly higher word decoding ability than their reading comprehension levels and some have trouble understanding speech. Read more

Marshall University Forensic Science Graduate Program again ranks number one in the nation on national assessment test scores

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University Forensic Science Graduate Program once again ranked number one in the country for its students receiving the highest overall test scores on the Forensic Science Assessment Test, a qualifying test offered each year by the American Board of Criminalistics. This is the fifth time the program achieved the number one ranking in eight years since its students began taking the test in 2007. Read more

Railroad Themed Art will Raise Funds for Children's Hospital

Public art that highlights an integral part of Huntington's history will serve as a fundraiser for the Hoops Family Children's Hospital in 2015.

Mayor Steve Williams joined representatives of Cabell Huntington Hospital on Friday at CSX Transportation to announce the Artisans Express. Read more

"Sex Tape" Bares All but You May Decry the Angles and Lack of Comedic Rhythm

Annie and Jay (Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel ) remember when they first saw each other naked. They remember pondering their future relationship after announcing, "we're in love, we've pregnant," and "we love each other" to Annie's parents, who caution them about the pitfalls of their blissfully envisioned happily ever after. They walk down the aisle and remember making love on their honeymoon. It's downhill from there, however. Kids have a way of inhibiting time and privacy.

The two former college bunny rabbits find time for adult fun when Annie creates a skating adventure to celebrate the sale of her family oriented blog to a major publisher. After awkward starts, Annie proposed a porno "selfie" patterned after "The Joy of Sex." Fun and frolic returns, but Jay neglects to hit the erase button and their "Sex Tape" may soon be available on a cloud for anyone to view. Read more

RECALLS THIS WEEK: Mountain Bikes, USB Car Chargers, and Other Product Recalls

Cycling Sports Group is recalling GT downhill mountain bicycles sold nationwide and in Canada from February 2014 to June 2014. The wheel hubs can break and cause the brake system to fail, posing crash and injury hazards.

This recall involves all 2014 GT Fury Expert and 2014 GT Fury Team downhill mountain bicycles. The recalled Fury Expert model is blue with red and white accents. The recalled Fury Team model is black with lime green and blue accents. Read more

B&W Awards Scholarship to Outstanding Local Student

(CHARLOTTE, N.C. – July 17, 2014) – The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) (NYSE:BWC) announced today that it has awarded a college scholarship to James Austin Keyser, a graduate of Spring Valley High School in Huntington.

Mr. Keyser, the son of James Keyser, a field service engineer with Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc., will receive $1,500 per year of college-level study, up to $6,000 over four years. B&W chose scholarship recipients based on a combination of factors, including academic excellence and financial need. Read more