In Around West Virginia, a man is sentenced to life for murder, Beckley's new mayor says the city is doing great, Fairmont drivers will be able to pay to park with their smart phones and more.
| A Wayne County man was sentenced to life with mercy in the 2014 stabbing death of another man, the Herald-Dispatch reports. Elijah Jarvey Marcum, 20, of Genoa, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of James "Red" Bundy, 77 and grand larceny Tuesday in Wayne Circuit Court. Marcum was sentenced to life with mercy for first-degree murder and one to 15 years for grand larceny.
Jeremy Marcum, 22, who is no relation to Elijah Marcum, was also convicted of first-degree murder in Bundy's death, and of malicious wounding in attacking Bundy's wife, Myrtle Bundy, 55, and conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit robbery.
| The newly-elected mayor of Beckley says the state of the city "may be the best it's ever been," the Register-Herald reports. Beckley Mayor Rob Rappold, who's been in office less than a month, said the nearby Summit Bechtel Reserve nearby and West Virginia University Institute of Technology's move to Beckley have made for exciting times for the city.
"We are the heartbeat of southern West Virginia," Rappold said. "It's a tremendous reputation to live up to."
| Drivers in Fairmont may soon be able to use their iPhones to pay for parking, the Times West Virginian reports. The Fairmont City Council on Tuesday voted 8-1 to adopt a resolution approving a software licensing and service agreement with Passport Parking Inc. The company will provide a way for residents to pay for parking digitally. Drivers can use their smartphone, iPhone or tablet using the company's app to pay for parking at any parking meter in Fairmont, City Manager Robin Gomez said.
The meters should be digital and offer two-hour parking by the end of September, officials say.
| Monongalia County Schools is collecting supplies for flood-affected school systems, the Dominion Post reports. The supplies will be taken to a state-run collection center in Logan County. Superintendent Frank Devono said the state has 8,500 backpacks waiting to be filled and distributed accordingly based on need. Items can be dropped off at the central offices at 13 South High St. from 7:30 a.m.-4:40 p.m. until Aug. 2.
Reach Lori Kersey at Lori.Kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.