Associated Press, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Navy Ship to be Named After W.Va. Medal of Honor Marine

The U.S. Navy has announced it will name a ship after Hershel “Woody” Williams, a West Virginia World War II veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

Multiple media outlets report that the Navy made the announcement Tuesday, months after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., wrote a letter urging them to name a ship after Williams.

Williams says that the ship in question will be an expeditionary sea base. U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus called Williams Tuesday morning to tell him the news.

Williams was born in 1923 near Fairmont, W.Va. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1923 and was assigned to the 3rd Marine Division. He earned the Medal of Honor in 1945 for his actions in the Battle of Iwo Jima, as well as a Purple Heart.

Fayette Commission Sues Over School Plans Rejection

The West Virginia School Building Authority is being sued over its rejection of a school consolidation plan in Fayette County.

Fayette County Prosecutor and county attorney Larry Harrah said Tuesday that the nonprofit Charleston law firm Mountain State Justice filed the lawsuit in Kanawha County Circuit Court on behalf of the Fayette County Commission.

The School Building Authority voted Sept. 28 to deny the county’s request for funding to combine Fayetteville, Meadow Bridge, Midland Trail and Oak Hill high schools into a new school. The authority cited a lack of local support.

County officials say the authority violated the state’s open meetings law by discussing and taking action outside its posted consent agenda.

The SBA didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment on the lawsuit.

West Virginia Lifts Algae Advisory for Ohio River Algae

West Virginia public health officials have lifted an advisory warning of potential risks associated with an algae bloom in the Ohio River and some of its tributaries.

The advisory that ended Tuesday was issued Sept. 4 for public water systems and the public.

The commissioner and state health officer for the Bureau of Public health said the advisory was lifted after “thorough ongoing monitoring and testing” of water along the Ohio River by state and federal officials.

Dr. Rahul Gupta praised local officials and neighboring states for their vigilance.

The toxic algae outbreak was first detected in mid-August. It made its way from Wheeling, and past Cincinnati and Louisville.

Scientists say heavy rains in early summer washed algae-feeding pollutants into the river.

Training Offered for Environmental Jobs

A nonprofit organization and Marshall University are teaming up to provide training in environmental remediation jobs.

The Coalfield Development Corporation and the university’s Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences announced the two-year initiative Monday.

Initially geared toward laid-off coal miners, veterans and unemployed young adults, the training is free of charge and open to the general public. The first courses are scheduled to begin Oct. 26, at the West Edge Factory in Huntington. Those three-week courses will include hazardous waste operations and emergency response, asbestos abatement, lead abatement, and safety and health.

The initiative is funded by a U.S. Department of Environmental Protection grant.

West Virginia Official Says Drug Abuse on Rise Among Miners

The director of West Virginia's mine safety office says there is a growing substance abuse problem among miners.Director Eugene White of the Office of…

The director of West Virginia’s mine safety office says there is a growing substance abuse problem among miners.

Director Eugene White of the Office of Mine Health, Safety and Training told legislators on Monday that more than 800 miners have failed drug tests over the last three years, according to The Register-Herald.

This year, White said 214 mining certificates have been suspended because of drug abuse. He said prescription drugs are the most commonly detected substance, while marijuana is second.

While White said the number of substance abusers is a small percentage of all miners in the state, the statistics are still alarming.

Besides current miners, White said 165 people failed pre-employment drug and alcohol screening.

CSX West Virginia Train Derailment Lawsuit Moved to US Court

A lawsuit filed stemming from a fiery February derailment of a CSX oil train in Mount Carbon has been moved to federal court.

The Register-Herald reports that the lawsuit by more than 200 residents was moved to U.S. District Court in Huntington at the request of the rail company. The lawsuit was initially filed in state court.

The lawsuit alleges economic and property losses and also seeks punitive damages.

The civil action contends that CSX failed to properly inspect the track, train cars and cargo and failed to have to have proper procedures in place for the train’s safe operation.

Federal investigators concluded that a cracked rail that was missed in two inspections led to a broken rail and the derailment.