Obituary-Richard Leon Starcher

Obituary-Richard Leon Starcher

Posted: Jan. 14, 2018 | Source: Hafer Funeral Home

Richard Leon Starcher passed away Wednesday, January 10, 2018, with his family by his side.

Richard was born to the late Eugene and Laura Starcher. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards and spending time with family and friends.

Richard is survived by his brother, Ronald Starcher; sisters, Joyce (Richard) O’Connor, Renee (Gary) King and Bessie (Jeff) Ball; nieces and nephew, Justin and Kayla King, Calvin Garten, Alex Ball and Richard O’Connor Jr.; and several great-nieces and nephews.

In honor of Richard wishes, he will be cremated and buried in the Husk family cemetery.

Online condolences may be sent to www.haferfuneralhome.net.

Hafer Funeral Home, 50 North Pinch Road, Elkview, is assisting the family.

January 14, 2018 in ANNOUNCEMENTS, Obituaries

WV man gets more than six years in jail for child pornography

Posted: Jan. 14, 2018 | Source: WSAZ

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) — A Kanawha County man was sentenced last week for child pornography, according to the FBI.

Stephen Lee Rhodes

40-year-old Stephen Lee Rhodes of Clendenin, West Virginia previously pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. He was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, was ordered to serve 20 years on probation, and will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to the FBI, Rhodes admitted back in June of 2015 that he had received on his computer a video of a minor engaged in sexual acts. He also admitted to having a large collection of child porn images and videos on computers at his home.

The investigation found that Rhodes was using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download, receive and distribute child pornography. FBI agents seized his computers and other digital storage devices before arresting Rhodes in March 2017.

January 14, 2018 in Crime, Local News, NEWS

UPDATE: Man rescued from vehicle after driving into creek in Elkview

By: Kelsey Hoak | Posted: Jan. 13, 2018 at 11:53 p.m. | Source: WSAZ

ELKVIEW, W.Va. (WSAZ) — UPDATE 1/12/18 @ 11:26 p.m. 
One man was rescued from his vehicle after driving into a creek in Elkview.

It happened Friday just after 10 p.m. along Little Sandy Road.

When crews arrived on scene, water was up to the vehicle’s windows.

A water rescue team had to pull the man out of the back window and onto a boat.

The man was trying to cross the creek a couple miles upstream when he told crews his vehicle got swept away.

Firefighters tell WSAZ the man called 911 himself and remained on the phone with a dispatcher for about 30 minutes while he waited for crews to arrive. He couldn’t get out himself, the doors were stuck while the water was rising.

The man is expected to be okay.

Clendenin, Frame and Pinch Volunteer Fire Departments responded.

ORIGINAL STORY 1/12/18 @ 10:46 p.m. 
Emergency crews are on the scene where a vehicle has gone into a creek in northern Kanawha County.

Crews tells WSAZ that the vehicle went into the water along Little Sandy Road in Elkview.

At least one person is in the vehicle. They were the one to call into 911.

January 13, 2018 in Local News, NEWS

Clay woman bags huge bear with long-distance shot

Courtesy photo: Bears weighing nearly 500 pounds aren’t common in West Virginia, and when Chelsea Mullins of Bomont downed one with a 252-yard shot in early December, it created quite a stir. The bear weighed 489.6 pounds and measured 7 feet from nose to tail.

By: John McCoy, Staff Writer | Posted: Jan. 13, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail

You never know what you might encounter while deer hunting.

For Chelsea Mullins, it happened to be the biggest bear she, or any of her friends, had ever seen. And make no mistake, they’d seen a bunch of them.

“I’m an experienced bear hunter,” said Mullins, a 22-year-old dental assistant from the Clay County town of Bomont. “I’ve now killed three, and I’ve been along on a lot of hunts.”

All of those hunts, however, were with hounds that treed the bears so they could be shot. The bear Mullins killed on Dec. 2 was different.

“We couldn’t use hounds for this hunt because it was during [West Virginia’s firearm season for buck deer],” she explained. (more…)

January 13, 2018 in Local News, NEWS, Outdoors & Recreation

Man rescued from car in swift water in Elkview

Photo courtesy of the Pinch Volunteer Fire Department

Posted: Jan. 13, 2018 at 2:37 p.m. | Source: WVNSTV

ELKVIEW, W.Va. (WOWK) – A man has been rescued out of the Little Sandy Creek in Elkview after his vehicle went into the creek’s swift waters.

The rescue was originally reported at around 10:15 p.m. on the 2200 block of Little Sandy Creek outside of Elkview.

The man reportedly only had a few inches of breathing space at the time of the rescue.

His injuries are not known at this time.

The Pinch Volunteer Fire Department, Clendenin Volunteer Fire Department, Frame Volunteer Fire Department, Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, and Kanawha County EMS responded to the scene.

We will provide more information on this story as soon as we receive it.

January 13, 2018 in Local News, NEWS, Weather

Gas explosion incinerates house in Elkview

Posted: Jan. 12, 2018 | Source: AP News

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A 1,000-gallon (3,800-liter) propane tank exploded at a West Virginia family’s home, but no one was injured.

WCHS-TV reports three family members narrowly escaped the explosion Friday morning by running from the area after smelling gas in their living room.

Pinch Volunteer Fire Chief David Wagoner says firefighters arrived on the scene to check on the gas leak, but weren’t even able to use their gas monitors before the tank exploded.

Secondary blasts briefly kept them from tackling the flaming two-story home. The family is now staying with neighbors.

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal is investigating.

January 12, 2018 in Local News, NEWS

UPDATE: Home destroyed after propane tank explodes in Elkview; 911 audio released

By: WSAZ News Staff | Posted: Jan. 12, 2018 5:41 p.m. | Source: WSAZ

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) — UPDATE 1/12/18 @ 5:31 p.m. 
“All residents are out of the home. The structure is completely… leveled,” a firefighter says in audio released from Metro 911.

Firefighters rushed to a family home on Rosewood Way in the Coopers Creek area. A 1,000 gallon propane tank exploded in the early hours of Friday morning, ripping off the entire second story of the home.

“Oh my gosh!” said a shocked 10 year old girl. (more…)

January 12, 2018 in Local News, NEWS

None hurt in small fire at Bridge Elementary, officials say

By: Ryan Quinn, Staff Writer | Posted: Jan. 12, 2018 | Source: WV Gazette-Mail

School officials said no students or employees were hurt by a small fire Friday at Bridge Elementary, which also houses Clendenin Elementary’s students.

Briana Warner, communications director for Kanawha County’s public school system, said a “heat wrap” that was around a pipe that drains condensation from a walk-in freezer shorted out, according to the Pinch Volunteer Fire Department and school system maintenance staff.

Warner said the pipe is inside the kitchen, and the heat wrap is meant to keep the pipe from freezing. She said the school system will be looking at what’s wrong with the part and whether the part is found anywhere else in the county.

(more…)

January 12, 2018 in Education News, Local News, NEWS

Obituary-Alfred Cantrell Sr.

Posted: Jan. 12, 2018 | Source: Harding Family Group

Mr. Alfred Allen Cantrell Sr., 77, of Procious, passed away January 11, 2018, in CAMC General Division.

Alfred was formerly employed by Ford Motor Co. and former co-owner of Cantrell Florist for 25 years. He is a member of Trinity Baptist Church, Maysel, WV.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dennis and Ivah Cantrell; four brothers, Porter and Jimmy Cantrell and Frank and Junior Conner, and sister, Wilma Jean Godby. (more…)

January 12, 2018 in ANNOUNCEMENTS, Obituaries