Fort Gay News

A Fort Gay woman will spend 30 months in jail after pleading guilty to charges that she embezzled money from her employer.

A former mayor in the Wayne County community of Fort Gay has died in a backhoe accident.

Posted Tuesday, May 27, 2008 ; 12:52 PM Updated Tuesday, May 27, 2008 ; 01:29 PM All money raised from this year's event will benefit new housing development called Aliff's Place.

Albeit fully-clothed, the Wayne Pioneers are streaking. Head coach Todd Ross' squad posted its third straight victory - and its first of the season against an opponent from the Mountain State - with an 18-1 ... via Rivals.com

Funeral arrangements have been set for the four people, including two young children, who were killed in a two-vehicle crash late Thursday on Big Sandy River Road. via The State Journal

A Kentucky man faces charges of driving drunk and crashing his pickup truck head-on into another pickup, killing four people. via Charleston Daily Mail

Legislation to toughen the state's laws against animal fighting cleared its first legislative hurdle on Monday.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources unanimously endorsed a bill that would make cockfighting a felony. The panel sent the bill to the Courts of Justice Committee for further examination.

As it now stands, cockfighting is illegal only if gambling is involved, and then it's just a misdemeanor.

The proposed legislation also would outlaw possession of any device or substance to enhance an animal's fighting ability and make it illegal to allow a juvenile to attend an animal fight.

The proposed legislation would also make it illegal to raise and breed cock fighting game birds.

Supporters of the bill say the Michael Vick dogfighting case proves something needs to be done.

State Will Study Surface Owners Bill Of Rights

BY BRENDA DORSEY, Staff Writer

A bill introduced in committee in the 2008 West Virginia Legislature and designed to give greater protection to surface rights owners was not brought before a vote, but a resolution has been submitted to study all the ramifications of the bill.

Dramatic increases in drilling permits in West Virginia spawned the interest in a law that would enable landowners to have a voice in where wells would be drilled, how they would be accessed, and what recourse landowners would have if any damage occurred during the drilling process. But for now, that law must wait as the multi-layered complexities of the issues are investigated.

Called the West Virginia Surface Owner’s Bill of Rights, the bill sponsored by Senator Larry Edgell (D-Wetzel) in the Senate, and Delegate Mike Burdis, (D-Wyoming) in the House, was discussed in committee but did not meet with the necessary support to allow it to be brought before a vote in the legislature.

The highlights of the bills, HB 4286 in the House and SB 482 in the Senate were: earlier notification that the driller is coming, from 15 days to 60 days; pre-permit surface use agreement designating where and how a well may be drilled; fair and equitable damage compensation; property tax reduction or compensation—currently landowners must pay the same amount in real estate tax even after their land has lost value due to the presence of well sites; and free or reduced gas for surface owners on whose land wells or access roads have been placed.

Edgell said although the bill was not passed this session, it is by no means a forgotten issue, “We will run a study resolution to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance before the session is over that when approved will allow us to study this bill with other related topics. This committee will consist of members of both houses and we will meet each month from April through January during the Interims.” Edgell says a “variety of experts and concerned citizens will be called to testify before this committee.” So even though the bill did not pass this year, as greater public concern is expressed to legislative representatives and the issue is studied in depth, a bill may be passed in 2009.