Government

A jury on Friday convicted the accused trigger man in the 2016 fatal shooting of a longtime coal executive in West Virginia.

According to news outlets, 22-year-old Anthony Raheem Arriaga of Ohio was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of conspiracy in the death of Bennett "Ben" Hatfield.

West Virginia officials announced the interest rate for the largest transportation bond in state history.

Governor Jim Justice and Secretary of Transportation Tom Smith said in a news release that the interest rate is set at 2.145 percent for the first GARVEE bond sale of $260 million. The sale will close October 26th.

A new company that makes whiskey barrels out of white oak wood has been born from efforts to rebuild a devastated West Virginia community following deadly floods.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin has assembled his campaign team for the 2018 election.

The West Virginia Democrat announced Wednesday that longtime friend Larry Puccio will serve as his re-election campaign's senior adviser. Puccio served as chief of staff when Manchin was governor and is a former chairman of the state Democratic Party.

West Virginia health officials have released an online survey for people interested in obtaining medical marijuana.

A Department of Health & Human Resources news release says the survey results will be shared with the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board in December.

The West Virginia Legislature has passed a bill to exempt military retirees from paying personal state income taxes.

The bill easily passed the House of Delegates and later the Senate on Tuesday, Oct. 17, during the Legislature’s special session. It would exempt from state income tax any federal retirement income from the regular armed services, reserves and National Guard.

The Morgantown City Council passed a law last night that provides employment, housing and other protections for members of the gay, bisexual and transgender communities, making the city the eleventh municipality in West Virginia to provide legally enforceable protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

After discussion that stretched well over two hours, council members voted 7 to 0 in favor of a measure that expands its Human Rights Commission. The ordinance provides a legal course of action in civil court related to cases involving discrimination based on the added statuses.

A trial began this week for the man accused of pulling the trigger in the 2016 fatal shooting of a longtime coal executive in West Virginia.

Mingo County Prosecutor Duke Jewell said in opening statements Monday that 22-year-old Anthony Raheem Arriaga of Ohio told police he killed Bennett K. Hatfield in a plan to steal his SUV and sell it for parts, news outlets reported.

A West Virginia legislative committee dedicated to flooding has been warned the state needs a more comprehensive way to fund stream gauges, which provide data needed to help warn residents of impending high waters.

West Virginia tax officials say collections of nearly $949 million so far this fiscal year are 3.7 percent or almost $34 million higher than the same period last year.

Treasury Secretary Dave Hardy says revenues from September alone were up 3.5 percent mainly due to increases in corporate net income tax as well as severance tax receipts from coal mining and natural gas drilling.

Residents and businesses in nine West Virginia counties left without tap water during a 2014 chemical spill can start filing claims.

According to a website set up to handle claims, forms were being accepted both online and by mail started Wednesday.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin reports raising about $900,000 in the past three months for his 2018 re-election campaign with about $4.1 million on hand.

Officials say a West Virginia Veterans Affairs medical center intentionally skewed patient data to reduce both the reported wait times and the volume of patients.

D.R. "Buck" Jennings has been appointed to the West Virginia House of Delegates.

Gov. Jim Justice announced Jennings' appointment Tuesday to the 53rd District seat formerly held by Tony Lewis, who died last month of cancer. The district covers Preston and Tucker counties.

The West Virginia Supreme Court has upheld the state education board's authority to reject Nicholas County's plan to consolidate multiple schools into a single campus following flood damage.

In a ruling Tuesday, the court says the state board "is vested with the constitutional, statutory, and regulatory authority to exercise its discretion" in accepting or rejecting the county plan.

First lady Melania Trump has toured a West Virginia drug addiction recovery center for infants in the heart of the nation's opioid epidemic.

Trump visited Lily's Place in Huntington on Tuesday. The nonprofit facility, the first of its kind in the nation, works with addicted mothers' newborns who are enduring the torment of drug withdrawal. It also offers treatment to parents.