C M Y K 50 inch

Best of baseball Scattered storms Summer snacking ideas

National, American
leagues battle it out
Sports / 1B
87 68
Weather / 7A
Columnist Brenda Lucas provides
several recipes for cool treats
Life / 4C
sunny mostly sunny mostly cloudy cloudy rain thunderstorms snow

<AP> MLB ALLSTAR LOGO 070109: The official

2009 All-Star logo; with related stories; 1c x 1 1/4
inches; 46.5 mm x 32 mm; ED; ETA 2 p.m. </AP>

This logo is provided to you for use in an editorial news

context only. Other uses, including as a linking device on
a Web site, or in an advertising or promotional piece,
Huntington, West Virginia may violate this entity’s trademark or other intellectual www.herald-dispatch.com First Edition 50¢
property rights, and may violate your agreement with AP.

Mayor open to resuming union talks

By BRYAN CHAMBERS
The Herald-Dispatch
bchambers@herald-dispatch.com
WEDNESDAY HUNTINGTON — Hun-
tington Mayor Kim Wolfe is
July 15, 2009 inviting the city’s three bar-
gaining units to the negotiat-
ing table with his administra-
tion in early August.
Wolfe Wolfe’s decision to initiate
contract talks comes in the
wake of numerous requests
from the bargaining units since
the mayor took office in Janu-
ary. American Federation of
State, County and Municipal
Employees Local 598, which
represents about 100 of the
city’s 360 workers, has resorted
to informational pickets in front
of City Hall in recent weeks.
Wolfe had been hesitant to
negotiate with the unions, say-
ing he first wanted to relieve
financial pressures caused by
police and fire pension obliga-
tions that are eating into the
city’s budget more each year.
More recently, he has cited
concerns about the unstable
economy in letters to the bar-
gaining units.
The pension issue remains
unresolved, and Wolfe is still
skittish about committing
more money toward contracts
amid a sluggish economy. But
he and Deputy Mayor Tom
Bell say the unions deserve
an opportunity to negotiate
with the administration.
“During staff discussions,
some of the department
heads have suggested that we
should keep the work force
more educated and involved
in the process,” Wolfe said.
“To me, that means bringing
Please see MAYOR/7A

Discussions
VA in $20 million shed light
C-K beats
League 3
‘expansion mode’ on dropout
problems
Two plays separated By Bill Rosenberger
The Herald-Dispatch
Ceredo-Kenova and brosenberger@herald-dispatch.com
League 3 in the Lit- CHARLESTON — Hundreds of educa-
tle League Baseball tion and community officials attending
the West Virginia High School Gradu-
All-Star tournament ation and Dropout Prevention Summit
championships on Tuesday night in Charleston were moved
Tuesday. by stories from students who had dropped
out or overcame personal obstacles to stay
Sports / 1B in school.
The emotions of their stories revolved
Fire damages around table discussions that seemed
similar to other summits held in the

two homes past.

Discussions included why students drop
Two homes along out, possible solutions and some of the best
practices out there to assist in the state’s
Ridgewood Road continued dropout problem. Even Sherri
were engulfed by Woods, Cabell County Schools’ director
fire early Tuesday of support services, agreed that these
summits are only a success if discussions
morning, leaving lead to action.
firefighters with no But she said she feels Cabell County has
chance of saving done a lot and is working toward more in
the direction of dropout prevention.
either house. “I really think we’re on the right track,”
Local / 3A Woods said. “We’ve already networked
with the right agencies and programs.”

Hitting the Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

A 15,000-square-foot former nurses dormitory is the largest of several renovation projects to create a mental health
Pamela Dugan, the statewide director for
West Virginia’s Promise and organizer of
the summit, said similar events tend to be
Appalachian complex on the campus of the Huntington VA Medical Center. The nearly $5 million renovation project is scheduled
to be complete by fall 2010.
filled with good food and a lot of “hoorah.”
But she said her personality will not let this
Trail be one of them.
Ed Dzierzak and Newest money to be used for mental health complex “I can’t stand to do something and not
accomplish something,” Dugan said.
Tim Conrad are two Dugan pointed out counties, such as
of many hikers who By LAURA WILCOX Cabell, that are embracing new ideas and
The Herald-Dispatch “This funding will allow for the start of construction grant opportunities to combat the dropout
have been smitten lwilcox@herald-dispatch.com of a mental health complex on the VAMC campus, epidemic.
by the lure of the HUNTINGTON — The Hunting- which is exactly the type of veteran’s health care Huntington High School Attendance
legendary trail that ton VA Medical Center is in the midst facility that we need to build to provide the neces- Officer Theresa Grant said a new truancy
of more than $20 million in projects sary services to support our veterans.” court being introduced this year should
touches 14 states. that ultimately will establish a men- help address student absence issues that
Community / 1C tal health complex, renovate existing U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) she said leads to dropping out.
departments and create jobs. However, Grant agreed with many oth-
“We’re definitely in an expansion, “This funding will allow for the start Seiler said the 15,000-square-foot, ers at the summit who said poor atten-
Grab a neat building mode right now,” said Edward
H. Seiler, director of the Huntington VA
of construction of a mental health com-
plex on the VAMC campus, which is
three-story building would likely be
complete by fall 2010 and would house
dance is more of a symptom of a greater
problem.
bite to eat Medical Center.
Part of that work will be funded by
exactly the type of veteran’s health care
facility that we need to build to provide
most of the center’s outpatient mental
health clinics, which are now located
“Dropping out is a result of poor atten-
dance, and poor attendance is the result of
The West Virginia nearly $5 million from the Omnibus the necessary services to support our in the adjacent, main hospital. something going on in the home,” Grant
Division of Tour- Appropriations Act of fiscal year 2009. veterans,” said U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall said.
Word of that money came Tuesday. (D-W.Va.), in a press release. Please see VA/7A
ism has published Please see DROPOUT/4A
a brochure rec-
ommending 101
unique places to
eat that includes six Sotomayor denies bias in ‘wise Latina’ remark Cabell County to offer more tax
Tri-State spots.
Business / 5B
Republicans questioned Supreme
Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor
paying options, including online
closely Tuesday at her Senate
confirmation hearing, sometimes
By CURTIS JOHNSON WEB EXTRA McComas said the detec-
Index challenging her on the answers.
The Herald-Dispatch View a sample PDF of tive bureau’s secretary will
Bridge 2D Local 3A
cujohnson@herald-dispatch.com
the new Cabell County tax receive tax payments at the
Throughout the questioning, Soto- HUNTINGTON — This field office in Ona. She was
Business 5B B. Lucas 4C mayor firmly denied racial bias and bills at www.herald-
Classified 1D Movies 6C year’s property tax season dispatch.com. cross-trained to handle both
said an oft-criticized remark about comes with added con- tasks. Staff will be increased
Comics 7C Nation 5A
Editorials 6A Obituaries 2C
her Hispanic heritage affecting venience for taxpayers in in Ona, if the demand is too
Horoscope 5D Sports 1B judicial decisions was a rhetorical Cabell County. tions of every tax dollar. great for one clerk.
Life 4C Television 6C device gone awry. For the first time, taxpay- The bills should arrive in The transparency fea-
An attempted play on words “fell ers will have the ability to the mail this week. ture, which was pushed by
© flat” in a speech in 2001, Soto- pay taxes via the Internet, The changes are Cabell County Commis-
Champion Publishing, Inc. mayor told Sen. Jeff Sessions, R- along with broader oppor- explained on each tax bill. sioner Scott Bias, shows
www.herald-dispatch.com
Ala., referring to remarks in which tunities to pay with credit It includes addresses for taxpayers their school sys-
Huntington, West Virginia she suggested that a “wise Latina card, and at the Sheriff’s courthouse and field office tem receives the largest
Vol. 109 No. 196 woman” would usually reach a bet- Field Office in Ona, Sheriff locations, a telephone num- portion. It also shows mon-
ter conclusion than a white male. Tom McComas said Tues- ber for pay-by-phone and ey allocated by the Health
Sessions, the senior Republi- day. www.cabellcountysheriff. Department and the County
can on the Judiciary Committee, The new tax bill also pro- com for online pay. A 2.95- Commission. Area munici-
sounded unconvinced. vides increased transpar- percent fee will be tacked palities, parks and the Tri-
ency. It divides each bill- onto any credit/debit card State Transit Authority are
More on 5A ing amount to demonstrate transaction to pay the bank included under a category
which agency receives por- transaction fee. of “other.”
196321