In Around West Virginia: a Mon Power employee held hostage, an alleged thief has second thoughts, West Virginians continue to leave the state, and more.
n A Barbour County man allegedly held a Mon Power employee hostage, MetroNews reports. David Allen Taft Jr., 24, of Moatsville, is charged with kidnapping and wanton endangerment. The employee had arrived at Taft's house to turn off Taft's power. Taft allegedly held the man at gunpoint until he turned it back on.
n A man told police that he and another man stole several items, including car batteries and car parts, from a home in Kingwood because the man said his conscience was bothering him, according to the Dominion Post. The newspaper reports that one of the men, Charles Kevin Collins Jr., 32, is charged with felony burglary and grand larceny. The newspaper did not report if the man who turned in his partner was charged.
n The Register-Herald reports on the population decline and job loss in southern West Virginia over the last five years. McDowell County lost 10.3 percent of its population, while Wyoming County lost 6.9 percent and Logan County lost 5.5 percent. Greg Chase, associate professor of economics and finance at West Liberty University and director of the school's online MBA program, told the newspaper the state needs to do more to attract and support small business.
n West Virginia is seeing big gains in the number of independent voters. About 120,000 more independent voters are registered in the state than in February 2006, according to the Daily Athenaeum. WVU's student newspaper reports that since that time, the Democratic Party lost about 65,000 voters in the state, a 10 percent decline, and Republicans gained about 24,000 voters, a 7 percent increase.
n Marshall University student government passed resolutions to request a gender-neutral bathroom on campus and to research creating a program for students recovering from drug addiction, according to The Parthenon, Marshall University's student newspaper. A supporter said a gender-neutral bathroom would benefit transgender students and families.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.