The Herald-Dispatch News Briefs RSS 2010-02-09T19:00:52-05:00 urn:uuid:3cbf3606-3d51-40e0-8e53-449c170d5960 Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported), except where noted. Tuesday night obituary update The Herald-Dispatch urn:uuid:9f39e686-2f97-4d30-a10a-ea5c09cb0b91 2010-02-09T18:12:08-05:00 <p> The following obituaries have been provided by local funeral homes. Read our complete obituaries in the Wednesday Herald-Dispatch and at www.herald-dispatch.com.</p> Rain and snow showers through 9 p.m., then all snow The Herald-Dispatch urn:uuid:2d14d1fe-c651-4f44-909f-c66985546603 2010-02-09T17:42:18-05:00 <p> HUNTINGTON &#8212; The National Weather Service in Charleston is predicting rain showers to turn into all snow around 9 p.m.</p> W.Va. House forms committee to eye permit process The Associated Press urn:uuid:f2adffb3-7750-4a61-bf7b-09edc79aae5e 2010-02-09T17:32:54-05:00 <p> CHARLESTON &#8212; The Obama administration&#8217;s handling of mining-related permits has prompted West Virginia&#8217;s House of Delegates to form a new committee to study and monitor the situation.</p> W.Va. plan for dropouts: Raise the age The Associated Press urn:uuid:cdda74dc-1061-49dd-9295-f79fa51096d2 2010-02-09T17:30:30-05:00 <p> CHARLESTON &#8212; Lowering West Virginia&#8217;s high school dropout rate could be as simple as raising the age requiring students to be in class.</p> Gallery: Cats Cast Members Visit Cabell Huntington Hospital 2010/The Herald-Dispatch urn:uuid:246add07-d384-4a02-8207-d40aa4b1bcba 2010-02-09T17:13:20-05:00 <p> Several members of the cast from the national tour of Cats visit Cabell Huntington Hospital&#39;s Pediatric Unit on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, in Huntington.</p> New appeals court unlikely, W.Va. lawmakers say The Associated Press urn:uuid:170e4bca-a572-40ce-bab7-f691bf82f8f1 2010-02-09T17:00:19-05:00 <p> CHARLESTON &#8212; Some lawmakers favor the idea of a new midlevel appeals court for West Virginia, but they don&#8217;t expect to create one this session.</p> Leno to Letterman: Thanks for Super Bowl ad invite The Associated Press urn:uuid:c7349482-8493-4606-9cf1-d61b516aafd0 2010-02-09T16:32:07-05:00 <p> NEW YORK &#8212; Jay Leno has a message for David Letterman: Thanks.</p> Scholar's lectures postponed by storm The Associated Press urn:uuid:33d6d769-65cc-4a9a-831a-d293f921e154 2010-02-09T16:05:09-05:00 <p> MORGANTOWN &#8212; West Virginia will have to wait a little longer to hear from one of its native sons, Harvard University scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.</p> Coal producer Alpha outlines gas expansion plans The Associated Press urn:uuid:a745073e-fed5-469a-9cc4-848a26d6627e 2010-02-09T15:39:00-05:00 <p> CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) &#8212; Coal mine operator Alpha Natural Resources has begun expanding its natural gas business by drilling its first well in the Marcellus shale.</p> Senior center’s dance rescheduled for Friday The Herald-Dispatch urn:uuid:e5739216-7444-46a1-b8d5-be7d64a2da6c 2010-02-09T15:11:42-05:00 <p> HUNTINGTON -- The Underwood Senior Center has rescheduled its Valentine Dance/Local Celebrity Auction for 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12. It was originally planned for Tuesday.</p>