Latest West Virginia Headlines

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

West Virginia Man Accused of Setting 62 Fires

Jul 26 2012 // A Nicholas County, West Virginia man faces charges of setting 62 fires in the Summersville and Richwood areas. Twenty-one-year-old Austin Lee Cox of Craigsville is being held at the Central Regional Jail on $2.7 million...

West Virginia Court to Hear Mine Inspectors’ Liability Case in October

Jul 25 2012 // The West Virginia Supreme Court has set an October argument date to consider the issue of whether Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors can be held liable for coal miners’ deaths. A federal appeals court...

West Virginia High Court to Decide Mine Inspectors’ Liability for Deaths

Jul 19 2012 // A federal appeals court said this week that the state Supreme Court should decide whether Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors can be held liable for coal miners’ deaths, calling it “a matter of...

Storms Knock Out Power in East; Heat Threatens Corn Crop in Midwest

Jul 6 2012 // Six days after violent storms hit the eastern United States, the state of West Virginia was struggling to recover on Thursday, with nearly a third of electricity customers still without power and new storms putting more...

Virginia, Maryland Hit by Vicious Storms; Power Outages May Last Days

Jul 2 2012 // It could be several more days before electricity is restored to areas hit by vicious storms that killed at least 13 people and left 3 million power customers to negotiate sweltering temperatures without air...

West Virginia Mine Sealed

Jul 2 2012 // Alpha Natural Resources has completed sealing the West Virginia mine where an explosion killed 29 workers in 2010. Alpha spokesman Ted Pile told The Register-Herald that the seals are covered with fill dirt. The mine...

OSHA Targets West Virginia Construction Worksites

Jun 29 2012 // The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is launching what it calls a “no-notice” campaign in West Virginia this summer in hopes of reducing construction injuries and deaths. The...

Alpha Seals West Virginia Mine Where 2010 Blast Killed 29

Jun 22 2012 // Alpha Natural Resources has completed sealing the West Virginia mine where an explosion killed 29 workers in 2010. Alpha spokesman Ted Pile told The Register-Herald that crews put the final concrete seal in place at the...

Prosecutors Say Alpha Has Improved Mine Safety Since West Virginia Settlement

Jun 19 2012 // Alpha Natural Resources has significantly cut its accident and injury rates in the six months since a landmark $210 million settlement that spared the company criminal charges over the 2010 mine explosion that killed 29...

West Virginia Jail Authority Moves to Curb Lawsuits

Jun 18 2012 // The West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority is now housing all state-sentenced female inmates at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail as part of an effort to avoid prisoner lawsuits officials say are...

West Virginia to Start Auto Coverage Verification Program

Jun 18 2012 // The West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is taking steps to educate motorists about electronic verification of insurance coverage. Vehicle owners will soon begin receiving an informational insert when they get...

West Virginia Man Claims Contractor, Construction Dust Caused Mom’s Death

Jun 15 2012 // The son of a Tucker County employee who died after inhaling dust from a construction project has filed a wrongful death lawsuit and wants the courthouse closed for a thorough cleanup. The Inter-Mountain of Elkins reported...

West Virginia Mine Boss to Be Sentenced

Jun 15 2012 // The former superintendent of the Upper Big Branch Mine will be sentenced Oct. 4 for his actions before the disaster that killed 29 men. U.S. District Judge Irene Berger had scheduled Gary May’s sentencing for August...

West Virginia Residents Settle Final Slurry Pollution Claims with Massey

Jun 14 2012 // Hundreds of Boone County residents who blame coal companies for contaminating their water supplies settled their last remaining lawsuit with Massey Energy and four subsidiaries this week just as a trial was set to begin...

West Virginia Ban on Drivers’ Texting Begins June 1

Jun 7 2012 // The days of legally driving while texting in West Virginia are numbered. A new ban on texting that also targets hands-on cell phone chatter becomes law Friday. It’s among nearly 70 legislative bills taking effect...

West Virginia Mines Cited During May Safety Inspections

Jun 4 2012 // The Mine Safety and Health Administration says it issued 254 citations, 19 orders and one safeguard during special inspections at West Virginia coal mines last month. Among those targeted was Argus Energy’s Deep Mine...

West Virginia Gears Up for Auto Insurance Verification Program

May 31 2012 // The West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is taking steps to educate motorists about electronic verification of insurance coverage. The DMV said vehicle owners will soon begin receiving an informational insert when...

Mediation Fails, West Virginia Slurry Pollution Case Going to Trial

May 25 2012 // Mediation has failed to settle a lawsuit by hundreds of Boone County residents who blame coal companies for contaminating their water supplies. Attorney Roger Decanio said this week that the case against Massey Energy and...

West Virginia Coal Miner Claims Alpha Fired Him Over Safety

May 24 2012 // A coal miner who says he was fired for enforcing safety standards that slowed down both production and the sealing of the Upper Big Branch mine in southern West Virginia is suing Alpha Natural Resources. The State Journal...

West Virginia Driver Data Access Eased

May 7 2012 // Individuals in West Virginia involved in a traffic accident will soon be able to access the other driver’s insurance coverage before filing a lawsuit under a new disclosure law. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed into law...