Latest West Virginia Headlines

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

W. Va. Man Jailed on Insurance Fraud Charge

Aug 28 2007 // A West Virginia man who previously pleaded guilty to one felony count of insurance fraud, is in a regional jail for committing insurance fraud, according to Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline. Cline said Bradley...

Agencies Plan Safety Review of W. Va. Mine Impoundments

Aug 20 2007 // The state Department of Environmental Protection said it is launching a broad review of West Virginia’s 250 or so underground coal mines after one operation mined beyond its permit and – perhaps – inside...

2004 Audit Said W. Va. Food Warehouse was Safety Threat

Aug 16 2007 // A West Virginia agency was warned three years ago that a Charleston food warehouse whose roof collapsed last month posed a safety threat. A 2004 audit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture advised state Department of...

Sept. Workers’ Comp Conference Scheduled in West Virginia

Aug 13 2007 // The Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, in conjunction with the National Council on Compensation Insurance will hold a forum specifically designed to provide workers’ compensation carriers with the information...

YouTube Video Appears to Show W. Va. Medical Malpractice Evidence

Aug 10 2007 // HCA Inc. had nothing to do with the video posted on the Internet showing sealed evidence from several of the 122 medical malpractice cases against a former West Virginia osteopathic physician, lawyers have told a judge. A...

W.Va. Miner Dies From Injuries Suffered in Weekend Accident

Aug 9 2007 // State and federal mine safety officials are investigating an accident that killed a section foreman at a mine in West Virginia’s Mingo County. Stevie Joe Browning, 24, died Monday at St. Mary’s Medical Center...

Utah Cave-in Happened too Soon for W. Va. Safety Reforms

Aug 9 2007 // The cave-in that trapped six men in a Utah coal mine happened too soon for key safety reforms adopted after a dozen miners were killed in an underground explosion in West Virginia. The reforms were meant to protect miners...

2 W. Va. Employers Indicted on Fraud Charges

Aug 8 2007 // A Kanawha County Grand Jury indicted two West Virginia employers on multiple charges relating to failing to subscribe to the former Workers’ Compensation Commission. On the indictment of Susan Borman and Leonard Cox,...

W. Va. Woman Sentenced to Prison on Insurance Fraud Charges

Jul 25 2007 // West Virginai state officials convicted a Morgan County woman on three felony counts of insurance fraud, and she is currently serving time behind bars. Found guilty in December 2006, Deborah K. Wildberger solicited Michael...

News Currents

Jul 23 2007 // Federal court to hear Nationwide’s Miss. storm surge appeal A federal appeals court has set Aug. 6 as the date to hear arguments on whether Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. should be forced to cover storm surge damage...

Massey Subsidiary Fined $50,000 in West Virginia

Jul 20 2007 // Failing to perform a pre-shift examination at a West Virginia coal mine is going to cost a Massey Energy Co. subsidiary $50,000. U.S. District Judge John T. Copenhaver Jr. fined Richmond, Va.-based Massey’s White...

2 W. Va. Men Arrested on Felony Insurance Fraud Charges

Jul 17 2007 // West Virginia Insurance Department officials arrested two Cabell County men earlier this month on multiple felony charges including insurance fraud, third degree arson, conspiracy and burning insured property. Insurance...

Man Sentenced for Setting Fire that Devastated W. Va. Town

Jul 12 2007 // A man who admitted setting a fire that devastated downtown Elizabeth will spend up to 60 years in prison. Willie Trembly Jr., 20, of Wirt County pleaded guilty in May to three counts of second-degree arson, one count of...

MSHA Announces Plans to Improve W. Va. Mine Inspections

Jul 6 2007 // Federal inspectors missed obvious problems and failed to follow procedures at the Sago Mine in West Virginia and two other underground coal mines where 19 men died in high-profile accidents last year, the Mine Safety and...

U.S. Mine Agency Admits Shortcomings, Vows Safety Steps

Jul 5 2007 // Federal inspectors missed obvious problems and failed to follow procedures before three high-profile accidents that killed 19 men at underground coal mines in West Virginia and Kentucky last year, according to the Mine...

W. Va.’s Privatized Brickstreet Mutual Makes First Payment to State

Jul 5 2007 // West Virginia’s workers’ compensation insurer BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co. has made its first scheduled payment of $5.8 million on its outstanding surplus note to the state of West Virginia, Gov. Joe...

2 W. Va. Arsons Reminiscent of 2005 Spree in Kanawha County

Jul 2 2007 // Separate fires at a West Virginia school and a mobile home this week rekindled unpleasant memories of a string of arsons two years ago in which five volunteer firefighters were accused of destroying 11 buildings in eastern...

State Farm Announces Rate Decrease for W. Va. Homeowners

Jun 25 2007 // Just weeks after announcing an automobile insurance rate decrease, State Farm Insurance, the largest insurance provider in West Virginia, says it also will lower rates statewide for home insurance. The average West...

W. Va. Church Fire Ruled Arson

Jun 21 2007 // Fire officials have ruled a fire that damaged a Logan County, W. Va., church as arson. There are no suspects at this time in the fire at the Kistler Freewill Baptist Church, Kim O’Brien, spokeswoman for the state...

W. Va. Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing Insurance Fraud

Jun 20 2007 // West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline, announced that Kelly Cain pleaded guilty earlier this month to one felony count and one misdemeanor count of insurance fraud. Cain, 27, of Shinnston, admitted June 14...