Friday, September 3, 2010
Parkersburg, WV – Previously convicted sex offender Kenneth Goff has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Goff was arrested in March for inappropriately touching a 12-year-old girl and was sentenced yesterday for four counts of gross sexual imposition. He will also have to register as a sex offender once he is released.
Parkersburg, WV – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded West Virginia University at Parkersburg a grant to provide child care services on campus. The grant of nearly 48-thousand-dollars will help keep child care costs down for low-income parents in their pursuit of a degree. The current plan is to build a center on campus, which would not be paid for by the grant.
Parkersburg, WV – Stimulus and state funding is helping low-income families in West Virginia make ends meet with a temporary assistance for needy families program. The nearly 52 million in one-time benefits are currently being distributed by the Department of Health and Human Resources. Most of the money is from stimulus funding, and 10-million of it is from the state. The benefits are helping families afford everything from children’s winter school clothes to household appliances.
MOV – Tonight in Marietta, Music on the Levee is featuring Big D & Company on the Ohio River Levee from 7 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Also happening this weekend is the Fenton Art Glass Labor Day Sale and Signing event will take place in Williamstown starting tonight and starting tomorrow, the Washington County Fair begins in Marietta.
Marietta, OH – The Washington County Health Department will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. The Parkersburg Easy Rider busses and their offices will also be closed Monday.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Parkersburg, WV – Beginning yesterday, energy star appliances valued at 5-thousand-dollars and less will be sold in West Virginia without sales tax until the end of November. The West Virginia Energy Star sales tax “holiday” will make purchasing larger household appliances more accessible. This is the third and final time the “holiday” will take place, and customers can also take advantage of the West Virginia Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.
Morgantown, WV – WVU Hospital and School of Medicine are being sued for sending a family the wrong cremated remains. Two brothers received the remains of what they thought was their mother nine months after she passed away, but when they transferred the ashes to a columbarium, they found the certificate of death associated with the ashes was not their mother’s. According to the lawsuit filed, the actual remains of the woman cannot be located.
Marietta, OH – The Washington County Fair starts this Saturday and runs through Tuesday at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Marietta. Admission is 8 dollars per adult and free for children 5 and under. The fair features parades, crafts, a demolition derby, and camping.
Parkersburg, WV – Easy Rider busses will not operate and the offices will be closed on Monday, September 6, in observance of Labor Day.
Columbus, OH - Nearly one-in-three American children are overweight or obese and the problem is even worse in Ohio, where the childhood obesity rate is close to 36 percent for children ages 10 to 17, according to a study from University Hospitals in Cleveland. That's why Ohio Representative Marcia Fudge of the 11th district co-sponsored a resolution designating this September the first-ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Congresswoman Fudge says dedicating at least one month per year to the crisis will help maximize the impact of programs, activities and campaigns - all aligned with the sole purpose of eradicating childhood obesity. "You’re looking at children who will have either physical or mental challenges most of their lives if they don’t do something about their weight. We’re looking at the potential of having the first generation of children in this country that will have shorter lifespans then their parents." This weekend, Congresswoman Fudge will announce a new bill called "Fit for L-I-F-E," aimed at improving children's health in low-income, rural and Native American communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control, treatment of obesity-related illnesses and conditions cost the United States an estimated 147 billion dollars every year.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Parkersburg, WV – Mark Fenton, author and former host of the PBS series “America’s Walking” is in the Mid-Ohio Valley this week. Monday Fenton took a bus tour through the area, stopping at different schools and organizations. Yesterday a training program took place at WVU-Parkersburg to facilitate a community plan to change policies and systems related to physical activity and nutrition. Today Fenton is spending time personally with leaders in the area to discuss each county’s strengths and challenges.
Parkersburg, WV – A rally for Republican congressional candidate David McKinley will be held at 5:30 this afternoon at Bicentennial Park in downtown Parkersburg. Former advisor to President Clinton and television news commentator Dick Morris will headline the rally, which will be followed by fundraising events at the Parkersburg Arts Center.
Marietta, OH – Over 40 pounds of marijuana were seized from a Washington County residence. Agents with the Major Crimes Task Force first saw the marijuana plants from a helicopter, growing outside the home of 60-year-old Douglas White. White is currently being held at Washington County Jail and faces charges of cultivation of marijuana.
Athens, OH – A Marietta woman was allegedly assaulted and raped outside a diner in Athens over the weekend. The woman was inside her van outside the Union Street Diner, where she had just finished her shift and was waiting for her boyfriend to finish his. She had just fallen asleep when her window was broken in with a baseball bat and 25-year-old construction worker Edwin Carcamo entered her van and beat and raped her. The woman’s boyfriend heard her screams from inside the diner and came outside, where he punched Carcamo and held him until the police arrived. Carcamo faces up to 10 years in prison and is currently being held at a one-million-dollar bond.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Columbus, OH - One in eight children has a delay in development...and without the proper monitoring, experts say they will miss out on early interventions that could mean brighter futures. That’s why the Autism Society of Ohio has helped develop a pilot program to educate doctors about how to better screen for developmental disabilities. Melissa Arnold heads the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She says when a child lags in development, some parents and doctors have a “wait and see” attitude...and the project is working to change that. "These screening tools really help make that decision as to whether you wait or, 'No, there’s just too many red flags here. We need to make sure this child is brought in for further diagnostic services right away, so that we can determine if there is really a delay here.'" More than 900 physicians in nearly half of Ohio’s counties are involved in the project and it is expanding to collaborate with other organizations, including "Help Me Grow," school districts and county boards for developmental disabilities. Funding was part of the 2007 budget bill and was renewed last year.
Lowell, OH – A Lowell man pleaded guilty yesterday to rape and sexual imposition. Drew Potochnik pleaded guilty to two first-degree felony counts of rape and one fourth-degree felony count of gross sexual imposition. The crimes took place five years ago against two girls, now aged 16 and 20. Potochnik is being held at the Washington County Jail until his sentencing in mid-October.
Parkersburg, WV – Edison Middle School was the site of breaking and entering and theft early yesterday morning. At least 2-thousand-dollars worth of computer equipment was missing from two classrooms at the school when police responded to an alarm around 1:30 Monday morning. While there are surveillance cameras around the building, no evidence was recorded and police currently have no suspects. The case is currently under investigation.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Charleston, WV – The special primary election in West Virginia this weekend resulted in three names that will appear on the November ballot to replace the late U.S. Senator Robert Byrd. Governor Joe Manchin will run as the Democratic candidate, the Republican candidate will be John Raese, and Mountain Party Jesse Johnson will also be on the ballot.
Marietta, OH – The 17-year-old accused of stabbing and killing Lamarr Wilder earlier this year will not be tried as an adult. Based on evidence that the teen did not intend to cause Wilder’s death, Washington County Prosecutor Jim Schneider made the decision to have the boy tried in juvenile court. The teen has no previous convictions and was allegedly acting in self-defense after several people at the party attacked him. It has not yet been released what charges he will face.
Athens, OH – A high-speed chase that began just outside Athens last night ended at the Blennerhassett Bridge, where Wood County Deputies used stop sticks in order to detain the driver. 25-year-old Jesse Rowe was involved in a fight at The Plains outside of Athens and then drove away, causing a police chase that involved three different law enforcement agencies. Rowe is now being held at Wood County Jail until he can be extradited to Athens County, where he will face charges as a fugitive from justice.
Parkersburg, WV – A 17-year-old Parkersburg resident was arrested early Sunday morning after fleeing the scene of a fight and driving while intoxicated. The teen did not stop when officers attempted to pull him over, but he eventually pulled into a driveway, where police blocked him in. He then attempted to back into the yard to escape police, but then slid over a hill and into a fence. The teen is being held at a juvenile facility.
Columbus, OH – A new grant in Ohio will make it easier for authorities to track sex offenders. The federal grant will help fund a system to alert Sheriff’s Officials to possible errors in contact information with sex offenders’ required registrations with local authorities. This system will save both time and money when tracking sex offenders and will deter them from providing inaccurate information.
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