Latest West Virginia Headlines

All the headlines from our West Virginia Topic Page, ordered by recency.

West Virginia Politicians Call for State, Federal Regulation of Chemicals

Jan 22 2014 // West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin this week proposed tighter regulations for chemical storage facilities after a spill contaminated the water supply for 300,000 people.Tomblin, the Democratic...

West Virginia Eyes Relief for Businesses Hurt by Spill

Jan 21 2014 // The West Virginia Legislature is fast-tracking a proposal to help small businesses affected by disasters like last week’s chemical spill. The House of Delegates last Thursday unanimously passed a bill to give the...

West Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Fire Protection Fee Outside Limits

Jan 17 2014 // The West Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the city of Bridgeport has the authority to charge a fee for fire protection services outside its boundaries. In a ruling released Wednesday, the justices said state law...

New Health Warning Raises Concern in West Virginia Over Chemical Spill

Jan 17 2014 // A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning to pregnant women in West Virginia has raised alarms because officials, relying on the agency’s guidance, had been assuring residents their tapwater was safe...

Inspectors Cite Company in West Virginia Spill for Violations at Other Site

Jan 16 2014 // The company whose spill contaminated the water supply for 300,000 West Virginians has been cited for violations at a second facility where it’s storing chemicals. Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Tom...

Calls for Tougher Chemical Regulation Follow West Virginia Spill

Jan 14 2014 // A chemical spill that left 300,000 people in West Virginia unable to drink their water is reviving calls for more stringent regulation of thousands of chemical storage sites in the U.S., especially those near water...

Chemical Firm, Local Water Company Sued Over West Virginia Spill

Jan 14 2014 // 13 Jan 2014 20:12A West Virginia chemical maker was sued along with a local water company over a spill into the Elk River in the state capital, Charleston, that left businesses and residents without tap water for days....

West Virginia Chemical Cleanup Continues; Probe of Leak Underway

Jan 13 2014 // West Virginia’s Governor sees the “light at the end of the tunnel” in the chemical leak that has compromised water service for about 300,000 in the state.Residents face a fifth day without drinking water...

West Virginia Mine Regulators Urge More Safety Reforms

Jan 8 2014 // West Virginia mining regulators are calling for more reforms to protect coal miners’ health and safety.A report from the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training recommends tougher state standards to...

West Virginia University Sued by Fired Whistleblower

Jan 8 2014 // West Virginia University is being sued by a former auditor who claims he was fired for complaining about wrongdoing at the school.R. Michael Kennedy-Chuey’s federal lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for wrongful...

West Virginia Lawsuit Pushes Mandatory Safety Devices in Coal Mines

Dec 24 2013 // Two West Virginia agencies should force coal operators to install detectors that automatically shut down mobile machinery in mines when people get too close, according to a lawsuit.Mountain State Justice lawyers filed an...

Ex-Insurance Agent Participated in West Virginia Arson Scheme

Dec 16 2013 // A former West Virginia insurance agent has admitted to his role in an arson scheme in Logan, according to a federal prosecutor.U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said 44-year-old William Janey Thompson pleaded guilty to wire...

West Virginia Has Ticketed 286 Distracted Drivers Since July

Dec 13 2013 // More than 280 motorists have been cited for distracted driving violations in West Virginia since a law went into effect July 1.The law makes using a handheld cellphone while driving a primary offense. It also bans texting...

West Virginia High Court Upholds Monsanto $93M Settlement

Nov 25 2013 // The state Supreme Court has upheld a judge’s approval of Monsanto Co.’s massive settlement with thousands of West Virginia residents.In a 4-1 decision last Friday, the court affirmed a January ruling approving...

Most West Virginia Mines Lack Automatic Shutdown Systems on Machinery: Report

Nov 21 2013 // Four percent of underground equipment in West Virginia coal mines are fitted with detectors that automatically shut down mobile machinery when people get too close, according to a state survey.The Charleston Gazette...

2013 State Specialist P/C Insurers Revealed

Nov 18 2013 // State Specialists are often an independent agent’s most reliable and consistent market. These companies are focused on a specific geographic area, understand it and consistently strive to serve it.The Demotech...

West Virginia Counties Launch Mobile App Alert for Emergencies, Big or Small

Nov 12 2013 // A unique smartphone app was launched geared at keeping Cabell and Wayne county residents aware of local emergencies, from small traffic problems or school closings to nation-threatening crises.The Heads Up Huntington app...

W.Va. Fruit Growers Reminded of Insurance Deadline on Next Year’s Crop

Nov 6 2013 // West Virginia Department of Agriculture issued an insurance reminder for the state’s fruit producers, citing USDA Risk Management Agency’s announcement that the final date for West Virginia apple and peach...

Dunloup Creek Flood Plain Buyout Resumes in West Virginia

Nov 5 2013 // People living in flood-prone communities in the Dunloup Creek flood plain in West Virginia have another opportunity to sell their properties to the government.The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources...

Multi-million Dollar Workers’ Comp Fraud Probe Leads to West Virginia Bank

Nov 4 2013 // A federal investigation into a multi-million-dollar workers’ compensation scheme extended to the Bank of Mingo in West Virginia, where authorities seized computer drives and documents.FBI Special Agent James Lafferty...