In Around West Virginia: predatory landlords target low-income women, a Vietnam veteran inspires other recovering addicts, a woman passes away shortly after a law she fought for is signed, and more.
n Some landlords in West Virginia have taken advantage of low-income tenants in need of affordable housing by sexually harassing the tenants and threatening to take away their Section 8 housing, according to the State Journal. Martha Becilla, program coordinator for the Northern West Virginia Center for Independent Living, says the number of complaints she's received has been growing.
"So many times I think the renter fears retaliation, especially if they have limited resources, so once they find a place they can afford, a lot (of) renters put up with bad behavior just because they're afraid of losing a place they really can afford to live," she said.
n Police say 35-year-old Woody Alfred Wood, of McDowell County, killed his wife and buried her in the basement, according to The Register-Herald. Family members told police on Friday they had not seen Rebecca Wood in a couple of days. Woody Wood was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
n A Vietnam veteran works with several nonprofits and a drug court to help other recovering addicts, according to The Journal. James Boyd, who says his addiction escalated while serving in Vietnam, finally got sober at age 44. Boyd says that social stigma is a major contributor to the problem.
"We've been looking at addiction as an individual disconnect, but the reality is that there is also a social disconnect - and we have to work on addressing that too," he said.
n Nearly 100 people were temporarily displaced from an apartment complex near Marshall University after two fires broke out in the building, The Herald-Dispatch reports. The fire chief says that because two separate fires occurred at the Flats on 4th, he views the fires as suspicious.
n After working for two years after her daughter died in a traffic accident to pass a law to prevent similar incidents, Brenda Nott passed away Thursday shortly after learning the bill had been signed into law. According to the Point Pleasant Daily Register, Nott's daughter, Sarah Nott, died when vehicles parked near the road blocked her line of sight as she eased onto the road. The law, Sarah Nott's Law, calls for no parking signs or paint to denote no parking in certain areas.
n Jefferson County residents will vote in the November election on whether restaurant-goers in the county will be able to have Bloody Marys and mimosas with their brunches, MetroNews reports. The West Virginia Legislature passed a bill last session allowing alcohol sales starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, but individual counties have to vote on allowing the sales first.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.