| HIGH RISK COUNTIES FOR WORKERS COMP - Most West Virginia Workers' Comp claims were paid in West Virginia's southern counties during the past five years. More than $900 million for medical care for injured workers was paid during the period.
About 65 percent of all payments made to in-state medical vendors were spent in just six counties, five of them with hospitals.
The top six counties were: Kanawha, $179.3 million; Cabel, $73.6 million; Monongahela, $57.8 million; Raleigh, $57.1 million; Mercer, $44.9 million; and Logan, $33.4 million.
Payments to providers based in 14 counties located in or near the coalfields of Southern West Virginia totaled $460.1 million during these five years, or nearly 66 percent of all money the agency spent on medical care for injured workers.
Those counties have some of the most dangerous jobs - coal mining and timbering. The 14 counties are: Kanawha, Cabel, Raleigh, Mercer, Logan, Fayette, Nicholas, Putnam, Mingo, Boone, McDowell, Wyoming, Wayne and Lincoln counties.
PLEASANT COUNTY PAPERS SUE SCHOOL BOARD -The weekly newspapers have filed a lawsuit against the Pleasant County Board of Education accusing it of violating state open meetings law.
The papers contend the board failed to release information regarding the reduction in force within the system.
Meanwhile, the Parkersburg News says the Wood County Board continues to violate Sunshine Laws by failing to disclose the names of candidates who applied for Supertendent of Schools.
STATE FARM RATES GO UP - State Farm says they are seeing little profit in West Virginia. The company, which covers one in every three West Virginia drivers, is raising its rates by an average of 9.4 percent.
This latest rate increase comes on top of an 11.3 percent rate increase State Farm had last year. The company has discontinued the writing of new auto policies in the state.
MENTALLY INCOMPETENT MAN KILLS MOTHER - A Kanawha County man called 911 and told dispatchers he had just strangled his mother. A county sheriff's deputy quickly discovered he was telling the truth.
David Edge, 33, of Cross Lanes called 911 at 7:30 Wednesday night. Deputies found his mother, 58-year-old Laurel Moles in the kitchen, choked to death.
GOV. WISE SPEAKS ABOUT AFFAIR - Governor Bob Wise talked about what is private and what is public, in his life, speaking to reporters at Wood County Airport.
It was his first public remarks since the admission to an extramarital affair earlier this week.
Wise says he and First Lady Sandy Wise are still together and are not separated. He asked for space to work out his relationship with his family in private.
"The most important thing to me right now, my highest priority, is for those that I have hurt so much, the woman that I love and the family that I love, that I be able to begin that process of easing their pain," said Wise. "There is no higher priority."
STATE FLUNKS LOBBYING RULES- Lobbying state lawmakers and government
officials cost businesses $715 million dollars last year.
The Center for Public Integrity also concluded that many state laws did a poor job of letting the public know the details of lobbyists' spending on lawmakers, and what issues were discussed.
West Virginia received a failing grade, 52 of 100 points, and was ranked 39th among the states.
The study found numerous loopholes in the state's reporting system, including not requiring lobbyists to report compensation or salary or to itemize spending on their lobbying efforts.
GUN LAWS NOT BEING ENFORCED - Eighty-five percent of all gun prosecutions in America are related to illegal possession of a firearm and the use of a gun in the commission of a crime.
In West Virginia, 248 of 299 federal gun prosecutions were brought under the two statutes, according to Americans for Gun Safety, a watch-dog group which calls for enforcement of existing gun laws.
An estimated 5,600 guns were stolen in West Virginia during a two-year time period. Only 18 prosecutions were brought. About 3,000 West Virginians lied on a background check while attempting to buy a gun with only 21 prosecutions.
In 2000, 14 guns were confiscated from public schools in West Virginia. No prosecutions were brought, the report found.
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