Lead Stories

WV Legislature Weighs in on Gubernatorial Election

CHARLESTON, WV (HNN) -  Members of the West Virginia legislature have introduced legislation that would determine the date and format(s) of the special election for governor.  The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled that a special election must occur before Nov. 15. Left open in the  opinion : The legislature has the power to tweak the procedures. Read more

WV 'Acting' Governor’s Coal Rally ‘Rhetoric’ Softened

CHARLESTON, WV (HNN) – Following the Tucson shootings, strong political rhetoric has been under a microscope.  On Wednesday, Jan. 19, acting WV Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin found his description of a rally for coal and against the EPA caught near a bulls eye. Read more

Banner Year for Tri State Airport Boardings

HUNTINGTON, WV (HNN) - Huntington Tri-State Airport saw passenger boardings grow by 11% in 2010 over the previous year. Year-end boardings totaled 116,956 passengers, compared to 105,428 in 2009. December boardings were also up compared to last year by 3.3%. During 2010, the airport served a total of 230,694 arriving and departing passengers. Read more

Feds Link Gas, Dust to West Virginia Mine Fatalities

WASHINGTON, DC (HNN) – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has blamed a small methane gas ignition fueled by excessive coal dust for the Upper Big Branch disaster on April 5, 2010. MSHA released findings Wednesday, Jan. 19, after holding a private meeting Tuesday, Jan. 18 with family members of UBB miners. Read more

TAKE TWO: WEEKEND FIRST, Ashland, Ky; Hurricane, WV, and Select WV Cities

HUNTINGTON, WV (HNN) – For this weekend, you’d better have a fondness for Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Kline. Their new Ivan Reitman comedy will be the ONLY new mainsteam flick opening wide in the region. Read more

DEVOTION: A Sweet Smile

At 94... one has experienced many aspects of "living".  I was moved by the way my Mom responded with such assurance... to a sweet smile. Read more

Marshall Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 9 West Virginia

The Thundering Herd resumes C-USA play against UCF

CHARLESTON, W.Va.- No. 9 West Virginia was too much for Marshall as the Thundering Herd fell to the Mountaineers 78-21 in the Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic on Wednesday night at the Charleston Civic Center. Read more

Huntington Overdose Deaths Linked To Drug Source

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today to 292 months in prison for his role in the distribution of black tar heroin that has been linked to several drug overdoses in the Huntington, West Virginia area.   Read more

71 Mining Fatalities Reported in 2010; 29 at WV's Upper Big Branch

ARLINGTON, Va. (HNN) - Mining fatalities in the United States significantly increased in 2010, following a year marked by the fewest deaths in mining history, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration. Seventy-one miners died on the job last year, compared to 34 in 2009. Forty-eight of those deaths occurred in coal mines, and 23 occurred at metal and nonmetal operations. Read more

Manchin Announces Full Senate Communications Team

Washington, DC (HNN) — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on Wednesday, Jan. 19 announced the appointment of key staff members to his communications team following the recent announcement of Communications Director Emily Bittner, who will lead the department. Read more

COMMERCE DEPT.: December housing starts decline 4.3%; building permits rise 16.7%

Housing starts declined 4.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 529,000 units in December, according to a report released Wednesday, Jan. 19  by the U.S. Commerce Department.

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Violauta Duo to perform Jan. 26

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Guitarist Júlio Ribeiro Alves and flutist Wendell Dobbs, both members of the Marshall University music faculty, will team up once again for a full program of music spanning several centuries and continents at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26,  in Smith Recital Hall on the Huntington campus. Featured on the program will be works by Cordero, Vicente, Tower, Rossini and Pujol. Read more

OP-ED: Robert E. Lee: remembering an American legend

America has always loved her heroes like: Baseball Legend-Babe Ruth, Golf Great-Ben Hogan, Movie Actor-John Wayne and…..

Wednesday, January 19, 2011, is the 204th birthday of General Robert E. Lee.

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Rahall Calls on President to Toughen Trade Policies with China

WASHINGTON, DC – U. S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D – W.Va.) Tuesday joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers calling on President Obama to toughen his Administration’s stand against China’s illegal trade policies.  Read more

EDITORIAL: Earl Ray's Chaotic Mess. Are He and the Senate Democrats Competent?

Earl Ray Tomblin was known for one great achievement over his lengthy tenure as State Senate President.  Whether one was an admirer or detractor of the Logan County Democrat, one had to admit that Tomblin ran a smooth-running ship in the upper chamber of the state legislature. Read more

Cabell County Schools Enhancing SchoolMessenger Service with Contact Manager Feature

Cabell County Schools is proud to announce the district is expanding notification options for its SchoolMessenger service with the addition of the Contact Manager feature. Read more

Parkinson's disease support group meets Wednesday at Cabell Huntington Hospital

Dr. Bryan Payne, neurosurgeon, to speak about deep brain stimulation
treatment Read more

TAKE ONE : WEEKEND FIRST, HUNTINGTON/CHARLESTON/BECKLEY Movie Comings & Goings

HUNTINGTON, WV (HNN) – Although a wet, not necessarily snowy weekend is anticipated, cinemas have only one new film opening in wide release: No Strings Attached, which stars Natalie Portman and Aston Kutcher, gives a perspective on a couple with a physical relationship, but, guess what, as it continues, they want more. Read more

AAA FUEL GAUGE: Gasoline Prices Unchanged in West Virginia

West Virginia gas prices remain stable this week with the average price for a gallon of self-serve, regular unleaded gasoline currently $3.152 at the pump. Read more

NAHB: Builder confidence unchanged -- at low level -- in January

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes held unchanged at a relatively low level of 16 for a third consecutive month in January, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. Read more

New "Flashback" Series Announced

The Cinema Theatre, 1021 Fourth Avenue, Huntington has completed booking of a slate of vintage classics which show on Sundays and Mondays.

 The February schedule includes: “Dr. Zhivago”  ( Sun. Feb. 6, 4 p.m.; Mon. Feb. 7, 7 p.m.); “Apocalypse Now” (Sun. Feb. 13, 4 p.m. , Mon. Feb. 14 , 4 & 7 p.m.); Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” (Sun. Feb. 20 , 4 p.m., Mon. Feb. 21, 4 & 7 p.m.); Robert DeNiro’s “Raging Bull” (Sun. Feb. 27, 4 p.m., Mon. Feb. 28, 4 & 7 p.m.). Read more

WV Court Rules Special Election for Governor Must Be Held by Nov. 15

CHARLESTON, WV (HNN) – The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has ruled that a special election for governor must be held between now and Nov. 15, 2011. The November date coincides with one year from the date when Gov. Tomblin took over for now Senator Joe Manchin. Read more

There is More to the Story of The Tucson Shootings

Tucsonans are grieved by the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and shaken by the reminder of mortality. Standing in line to greet their congresswoman, or just going to the grocery store, they could be killed by a malcontent. They are not immune from the violence that is rampant in the world, bringing sudden death from bombs, incendiary devices, missiles, gunfire, or other means. Read more

17 Marshall students among participants in Undergraduate Research Day

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eighty-eight students representing 15 West Virginia universities and colleges, including 17 from Marshall University, will present their discoveries in poster format in the 8th annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol in Charleston on Tuesday, Jan. 25. Read more

Steel of West Virginia Demands St. Mary’s Test Injured Workers Blood

HUNTINGTON, WV (HNN) – A Huntington employer has filed suit demanding that St. Mary’s complete the testing of an injured employees blood sample taken in the hospital shortly after the Dec. 29, 2010 accident. Read more

Stream Partners Program accepting grant applications

The West Virginia Stream Partners Program is accepting
grant applications from community groups interested in
improving local stream health. Read more

Commentary: It's time for a John Brown pardon

The sesquicentennial of John Brown's 1859 raid, trial, and hanging in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia has come and gone, with a flurry of interest from a wide swath of Americans who are intrigued by Brown, his mission, and his significance in  American history.  There is a new appreciation growing for Brown's ideals, if not his precise approach towards achieving them. Read more

Mitigation Proposed for Consent to Demolish Black Orphanage

HUNTINGTON, WV (HNN) – The Cabell County Board of Education has proposed various forms of mitigation to compensate for allowing demolition of the West Virginia Colored Orphan’s Home. The facility listed on the National Register of Historic Places rests on space at the former University Heights  where the Cabell board wants to build a consolidated middle school. Read more

Laundry Fire Put Out at Pullman Plaza Hotel

HUNTINGTON, WV (HNN) – Firefighters responding to an alarm at the Pullman Plaza Hotel breathed a sigh of relief --- a basement laundry fire was quickly extinguished. The first call came just after 7:30 p.m. Monday, January 17, leading to a multiple unit response to the Third Avenue hotel. Read more

A Dad’s Point-of-View: 'What We Got Here Is a Failure to Communicate'

I wonder who remembers that famous quote from the 1967 movie, “Cool Hand Luke,” improper use of English and all (it should be “have” rather than “got”)? That quote brings to mind the problems most parents face in communicating with their children, especially as their children enter their teen years when all of a sudden things dramatically change.  Many teens tend to think that their parents have all of a sudden become stupid, since most teens believe they have all of a sudden become experts in everything.
Read more

Memphis Tops Men’s Basketball, 77-61

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Will Coleman scored 19 points while bringing in 11 rebounds to
lead the University of Memphis men’s basketball team to a 77-61 win over the
Thundering Herd on Saturday at FedEx Forum. Read more