C M Y K 50 inch
Questions? Call Maureen Johnson at (304) 526-2788
WTCR-FM
helps raise
funds for
playground
The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON — Coun-
t r y r ad io st at ion 10 3 . 3
WTCR-FM will be helping
out raising funds for a new
su rface a nd playg rou nd
equipment at Harris Riv-
erfront Park beginning at
7:30 a.m. today by offering
donors tickets to see Kenny
Chesney.
In an effort to help revital-
ize the riverfront, the Hun-
tington-Ironton Empower-
ment Zone is heading up
the fundraising effort for
the project that will serve
as a starting point for this
revitalization. Funds are
being secured through vari-
ous grants and fundraising
efforts. Money raised will
help replace the playground
surface, update some pieces
of equipment and provide
support for ongoing main-
tenance.
WTCR will give anyone
who donates a minimum
of $103 a pair of tickets to
Thursday night’s Kenny
Chesney-LeAnn Rimes Con-
cert in Charleston while they
last. Donors will just need to
find Judy Eaton at the Har-
ris Riverfront Playground
today beginning at 7:30 a.m.
to make their donation and
claim their tickets. Tickets
for the show are valued at
$75 each.
Cash and checks only will
be accepted. Checks may be
made out to the Hunting-
ton-Ironton Empowerment
Zone.
Q uest ion s concer n i n g
t he Hu nt i ng ton-I ronton
E mp ower ment Z one’s
involvement may be direct-
ed toward Deron Runyon at
(740) 547-3816.
News in brief
Firefighters union
endorses city candidates
HUNTINGTON — The
Huntington Professional
Firefighters Association,
International Association
of Firefighters Local 289,
has endorsed the following
candidates for mayor and
City Council in the May 13
primary:
Mayor: Bob Bailey, Demo-
crat;
City Council at-large:
Steve Williams, Democrat;
Mike Davis, Republican;
City Council District 3:
Frances Jackson, Democrat;
City Council District 5:
John Vance, Democrat;
City Council District 7:
Scott Caserta, Democrat;
City Council District 9:
Richard “Rick” Simmons,
Democrat.
First Leah Hickman
scholarship awarded
HUNTINGTON — Mar-
shall University has award-
ed its first scholarship
established in honor of a
student killed during the
winter break.
The Leah Hickman
Memorial Scholarship has
been given to broadcast
journalism student Griffin
McElroy, according to a
release from the univer-
sity.
The scholarship, worth
$500, was presented to McEl-
roy by Hickman’s mother,
Sherry Russell.
Hickman was killed
Dec. 14, 2007, the last day
of classes before winter
break. The cause of death
was listed as strangulation.
Hickman’s body, which
was stuffed into a crawl
space beneath her apart-
ment, was not found until a
week after she was last seen.
Police have made no arrests
in the case.
Corrections
The Herald-Dispatch will
correct any reporting or edit­
ing errors that appear in its
news columns. For correc-
tions, please call the city
desk at 526-2798 or (800)
444-2446.
Woman indicted on ’06 drugs, firearm charge
By CURTIS JOHNSON
The Herald-Dispatch
cujohnson@herald-dispatch.com
HUNTINGTON — A federal
grand jury has indicted a Hun-
tington woman on marijuana,
heroin and firearm possession
charges.
The indictment was unsealed
Monday, nearly one month
Cabell Midland High School percussionists audition Tuesday for the upcoming marching band season. Many
of the students who auditioned will also be competing in the school’s spring concert Thursday.
and get in line
Cabell Midland High
School student Sean
McCallister, left, and
other percussionists
try to make a good
impression Tuesday
as they audition for
the upcoming march-
ing band season.
Many of the students
who auditioned will
also be competing in
the school’s spring
concert Thursday.
Photos by
Howie
McCormick
The Herald-Dispatch
Wayne High’s Dyer wins Teacher of the Year
By BILL ROSENBERGER
The Herald-Dispatch
brosenberger@herald-dispatch.com
WAY N E — Ruby D yer
couldn’t help but get choked
up Tuesday night after she was
announced as Wayne County’s
Teacher of the Year.
Dyer, who has taught journal-
ism and English for 34 years
— 33 at her alma mater Wayne
High School — said she was
honored and humbled to beat
out so many other great teach-
ers.
Dyer’s path into teaching
started early, playing school as
a child. As she got older, she fell
in love with journalism, work-
ing on the Pioneer Yearbook
staff and as the editor of the
school newspaper.
“I loved English and journal-
ism, so I wanted to find a way to
combined (them),” she said.
That led her into the class-
Local Wednesday, May 7, 2008 3A
after it was filed in U.S. Dis- WEB EXTRA
trict Court. It charges Ambria For more local crime news,
The indictment alleges that
Ragland possessed marijua-
arm charge, it would add at
least five years in prison to
Virginia Ragland, 23, of Hun- go to www.herald-dispatch. na and heroin in Huntington any punishment the defen-
tington. com. with an intent to distribute the dant received on the drug
Ragland is being held at the drugs. She was carrying a .22 crimes.
Boyd County Detention Center magnum revolver during and Ragland made her initial
in Catlettsburg, Ky. Hunting- documents. in relation to the drug traf- appearance Monday in federal
ton police arrested her on a T he federa l i nd ict ment ficking crime, according to the court. Her arraignment and
fugitive from justice charge charges Ragland with crimes indictment. detention hearing is scheduled
Thursday, according to court that occurred in Jan. 26, 2006. If convicted of the f ire- for 2 p.m. Thursday.
Cabell BOE
Grab your
approves new
sticks...
textbooks
By ANTWON PINKSTON
The Herald-Dispatch
apinkston@herald-dispatch.com
HUNTINGTON — Cabell County School Board
members approved new purchases of music, art,
language arts, handwriting and social studies text-
books for elementary, middle and high school classes
Tuesday.
New textbooks were approved after the board had
unanimous votes for each category on the agenda at
the Central Office, 2850 5th Ave. The textbooks will
cost more than $1.36 million. That includes 5,000
books for secondary language arts and 4,400 for
elementary students.
The board also approved several student and teach-
er transfers, along with resignations and requests of
leave of absence.
A $92,680 credit was approved for Jordan Smith
Electric at the Southside Elementary/Hunting-
ton Middle School campus. The credit was due
Please see CABELL/10A
Salt Rock man
reports vandalism
By ANTWON PINKSTON
The Herald-Dispatch
apinkston@herald-dispatch.com
Sheriff reports from the Cabell County Sheriff’s
Office provided the following information:
A 53-year-old man from Salt Rock, W.Va., reported
that someone vandalized a tractor between
Police 4Elementary
p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Monday at Nichols
School, 3505 Irwin Rd.
blotter LARCENY: A 59-year-old Milton man
reported that someone removed a catalytic
converter from a company vehicle at Wilson Supply.
The incident occurred between 8 p.m. Friday and 7
a.m. Monday in the 100 block of Smelser Lane.
Police reports from the Huntington Police Depart-
ment provided the following information:
An iPhone was taken from the AT&T Wireless
ABOVE: Cabell Midland High School junior Kristin store, 901 3rd Ave.
Winters, left, gets some assistance from snare tech The incident occurred about 3 p.m. Saturday.
Jonathan Tincher. BREAKING AND ENTERING: About 25 radiators were
LEFT: Eighth-grader Stephen Blankenship, left, gets reported stolen from Rich’s Automotive, 901 Madison Ave.
a little instruction from John Gibbs on Tuesday as The incident occurred about 6 a.m. Monday.
students participate in an audition for the upcoming BURGLARY: A 29-year-old Huntington woman
marching band season. Many of the students who reported that someone went inside her residence and
auditioned will also be competing in the school’s stole her purse while she was in the backyard.
spring concert Thursday. The incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. Monday in
the 500 block of Norway Avenue.
Felony reports from the Western Regional Jail’s
booking records provided the following information:
Three men face felony charges from three counties
in the region.
Brian Curtis Kersey, 23, was incarcerated at 12:58
a.m. Tuesday. Authorities in Putnam County charged
him with felony attempted burglary, along with mis-
demeanor domestic assault and obstruction.
Greenway Newsome, 39, was incarcerated at 5:45
p.m. Monday. Authorities in Wayne County booked
him on a bond revocation linked to a felony malicious
wounding charge.
Christopher Lee Ratliff, 32, was incarcerated at 4:30
p.m. Monday. Authorities in Cabell County charged
him with felony forgery, uttering, and failure to appear
in court. He was being held without bond.
If you are aware of crimes or suspicious activi-
ties, you can help local police by calling one of
these confidential hotlines: Huntington Police
Department at (304) 696-4444 or Cabell Sheriff’s
Office at (304) 526-8442.
room, where she has had a tre-
mendous impact on thousands
of students. Some, she said, have
gone on to become teachers in
Wayne County. A few of those
former students even shared
the stage as teacher of the year
nominees.
“This is humbling because I
work with hard-working teach-
ers,” said Dyer, who won the
county’s teacher of the year title
in 1983.
What means most to her,
though, is that her two sons,
Caleb and Kyle, have inherited
her love of journalism and
education. Caleb Dyer is a
teacher at Wayne High School,
and Kyle Dyer will graduate
from Marshall University’s
School of Journalism on Sat-
urday.
Dyer said she plans to teach a Bill Rosenberger/ The Herald-Dispatch
Wayne County announced this year’s Teacher of the Year nominees at the board meeting Tuesday
Please see WAYNE/10A night. Wayne High’s Ruby Dyer (front right with plaque) was awarded as this year’s winner.