A sampling of bills introduced Feb. 18

February 18, 2019

CHARLESTON – Here is a sampling of bills introduced Feb. 18. This was the last day for Senators to introduce bills. Monongalia-Preston-Marion-area lead sponsors and co-sponsors, if any, are noted. SB 646, to allow law enforcement to use automated license plate reader systems under specified conditions. Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, lead sponsor; Sen. Mike Maroney, R-Marshall, co-sponsor. SB 647, to change the period for vehicle inspections from annual to every two years. SB 658, to allow a person with a felony conviction to acquire a vehicle salesperson license if the ...

Senate approves intermediate appeals court bill with 1-vote margin; passes Sunday liquor sales bill

February 18, 2019

CHARLESTON – By a single vote, the state Senate approved the bill to create an intermediate appeals court bill, SB 266, and sent it to the House. Unlike previous years, this intermediate court bill came down from the governor. SB 266 passed 17-16. Three Republicans crossed the ...

Education bill amendment includes 1,000 education savings accounts and up to 7 charters

February 18, 2019

CHARLESTON —  An amendment to be proposed in the state Senate on the omnibus education bill would include 1,000 education savings accounts and up to seven charter schools. The Senate was set to come back in at 2:30 p.m. to consider the education bill, which went through major changes in ...

Former Justice Ketchum wants probation; prosecutors say jail time is appropriate

February 18, 2019

CHARLESTON — Lawyers for former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Menis Ketchum are asking that he only be placed on probation or fined when he is sentenced this month on a federal wire fraud charge. Federal prosecutors counter that an appropriate punishment for Ketchum would be ...

Preston develops new emergency alert system

February 17, 2019

KINGWOOD — Preston County residents can now sign up for free emergency notifications and service announcements. At a training session last week, representatives of the Preston County Assessor’s Office, sheriff’s department and local water boards attended training on the Wireless ...

Gun bash offers prizes, raffles, all-you-can-eat cuisine

February 17, 2019

MORGANTOWN — More than a dozen different guns will be raffled off to support two area volunteer fire departments at a gun bash in March. A $25 ticket gets one person through the doors  March 23 and enters them into drawings to win the ticket prizes, said River Road VFD Chief William ...