In Around West Virginia today: Americans are more likely to kill each other than be killed by terrorists, Glen Campbell's daughter speaks about the heartbreak of Alzheimer's disease, WVU's diversity officer addresses racism on college campuses, and more.
n The Mountain Messenger compares the number of gun deaths in the state and internationally to terrorist attacks. The Law Center to Prevent Gun Crimes reports that 280 West Virginians died of gunshot wounds in 2013, while the paper notes that 129 died in the attacks in Paris last Friday. Business Insider reports that worldwide, 3,521 Americans have died from terrorist attacks since 1970, while gun violence has killed more than twice as many - 8,512 - in 2015 alone.
n After graduating from Berkeley Springs High School, Nicholas Mokhiber hiked the 2,000-mile Appalachian trail, according to The State Journal. He says the experience helped him build confidence and learn more about himself.
n The daughter of Glen Campbell, Debby Campbell, speaks about her father's Alzheimer's disease at a charity dinner benefiting Cabell Huntington Hospital's Alzheimer's support group, The Herald-Dispatch reports. "When I'm with Dad, I cry," she said. "You know, that music he gave to the world, being such a great entertainer, living this great, big, huge, wonderful life, and this is what he gets? This is what's at the end of it?"
n At the NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner, David Fryson, WVU's vice president for diversity, says that racial tensions have always been a problem on college campuses, even though the issue is only recently in the spotlight. Fryson also mentions that the growth in enrollment at WVU is due to an increase in minority students, according to The Journal.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.