In Around West Virginia: a miner is injured, advocates promote a human trafficking bill, a national fraternity withdraws recognition of a WVU chapter, and more.
n A coal miner working at Murray Energy's Marion County Mine was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital Wednesday evening when a high pressure hose hit him in the face, according to a Marion County 911 dispatcher. The Exponent Telegram reports that Marion County Rescue Squad transported the miner, but few other details were available.
n The state Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction of a man who killed his stepfather and attempted to kill his mother, according to The Register-Herald. Donald Dunn was sentenced to life without mercy for shooting and killing Mark McDermott, and another three to 15 years for attempting to kill his mother, Johanna McDermott. Court records said that Dunn had attempted to stage a murder-suicide, but the gun misfired when he attempted to kill his mother.
n Advocates for victims of human trafficking started a Twitter campaign Wednesday to encourage the governor to put a trafficking bill on the agenda when he calls the Legislature into special session, the State Journal reports. The bill, House Bill 4489, passed both the state Senate and the House of Delegates, but never made it to Governor Earl Ray Tomblin's desk. Advocates tweeted at Tomblin with the hashtag #EndHumanTrafficking on Wednesday. MetroNews reports that the bill passed the House at 11:59 p.m. on the final night, but the Senate did not officially accept the message. MetroNews also reports that the bill allows trafficking victims to apply for money from the crime victims compensation fund and allows victims accused of prostitution to get their criminal records expunged.
n A Wyoming County mine idled on Monday was expected to reopen today with 120 fewer workers, WVVA reports. The Pinnacle Mine in Wyoming County had idled after miners and management couldn't agreee during contract negotiations.
n The national headquarters of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity withdrew recognition of a probational chapter at West Virginia University on Wednesday, WDTV reports. WVU announced the chapter had been suspended last week over a member's "Real World" audition video.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.