Two people were shot in the head when 4 to 6 shots were fired into a home on Charleston's West Side Friday night, according to Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for Charleston Police Department.

One of the victims was Shannon Cade, a 20-year-old man who is listed to be in critical condition. A 14-year-old girl was also shot and sustained minor injuries.

The shooting was reported shortly before 11 p.m. in the 800 block of Matthews Avenue.

The police have not released the names of any suspects.

Friday's shooting was the latest in a series of shootings on the West Side. J'Shaad Jones, 18, of Charleston, was killed in the early morning hours of Dec. 31 outside of Artie's Kickback Lounge, at 935 Central Ave. Marlon Rush is charged with murder in the case. Another man, Bryan Rogers, 29, of the Ripley area, was shot and killed Sunday Dec. 27. Tremaine Jackson, of Charleston, is charged with first-degree murder in Rogers' death. Jackson told police that Rogers had stolen about $3,000 worth of heroin from him several weeks earlier, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

"In all of these cases, the suspects and victims have known each other," Cooper said. "We don't have random shootings."

A man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the death of J'Shaad Jones, who was shot earlier this week outside a Charleston bar.

Marlon Rush is charged with murder, said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for the Charleston Police Department.

Jones, 18, of Charleston, was killed in the early morning hours of Dec.31 outside of Artie's Kickback Lounge, at 935 Central Ave.

He was shot in the "upper body" somewhere outside of the bar, which was open, then collapsed in a field behind the bar, Cooper said previously. Jones was pronounced dead at Charleston Area Medical Center's General Hospital.

Jones was wanted in connection to the shooting of 18-year-old Malik Hawke on Dec. 13 in the 200 block of Bream Street. Hawke survived but suffered wounds to the arm and leg.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Seventy people in Cabell County died in 2015 of drug overdoses.

WSAZ-TV reports that the numbers were tallied by the city of Huntington's Office of Drug Control Policy. The office found that there were more than 900 drug overdoses last year in Huntington and Cabell County.

The number of reported drug overdoses in 2015 was greater than the total number of ODs from 2012 to 2014.

In recent years, West Virginia has ranked near the top or at the top among states in terms of overdose deaths in the U.S.

FAYETTEVILLE -- A man robbed a shell station at the corner of U.S. 19 and Hinkle Road in Fayetteville Saturday, police say.

The suspect brandished a small, silver-colored handgun as he took money from the store and then fled on foot, according to a release from the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.

Police responded to a silent alarm in the store and tried to track the suspect with bloodhounds, but the dogs lost the scent.

Deputies suspect the man fled on an ATV that was parked in the woods after he left the store.

The suspect was wearing a black ski mask, Carhartt coveralls and muddy work boots. He is described as white, around 6 foot 2 inches tall, 150-160 pounds and has blond facial hair.

The sheriff's office suspects he lives in the area because he was familiar with the workings of the Shell Station.

The sheriff's office received a call Friday that a suspect matching the description had attempted to break into the Fayetteville airport, which is across from the Shell station on Hinkle Road.

A Charleston attorney has given the state official notice that he will challenge "emergency guidelines"that would cut the amount lawyers taking court-appointed cases are paid for their time.

On behalf of a handful of attorneys and law firms who take court-appointed cases -- also known as "panel attorneys" -- Anthony Majestro said he will file a petition for a writ of mandamus with the West Virginia Supreme Court against the state's Public Defender Services. The petition will ask the court to stop the guidelines from taking effect next month, and also argue that the current rate of pay is unconstitutionally low.

The amount court-appointed attorneys are paid for their time hasn't been raised in 25 years.

Public Defender Services fails "to adequately and timely compensate panel attorneys for their time and expenses," Majestro wrote in the notice, which was sent Dec. 23.

Dana Eddy, executive director of Public Defender Services, sent an email last month to attorneys who take court-appointed cases in which he introduced the emergency guidelines. The email stated there isn't enough money to reimburse lawyers who submitted vouchers after Sept. 16.

Public Defender Services will ask for an appropriation to cover the rest of the fiscal year (which ends June 30, 2016), but Eddy said he doesn't expect that amount to be sufficient.

Under the new guidelines, which are set to take effect Jan. 18, attorneys no longer will be reimbursed for mileage and will be compensated $20 an hour for travel time. Previously, lawyers received $45 an hour for travel time, and 57 cents a mile in mileage reimbursement. Time spent "waiting in court" also has been more narrowly defined, among other cuts.

In addition to people charged with crimes, court-appointed lawyers often also represent children involved in abuse and neglect cases in circuit court and those involved in mental hygiene proceedings. The rate cut doesn't affect county public defender offices, or court-appointed lawyers in family court, where rates are set by the state Supreme Court.

The move by Eddy infuriated many lawyers across the state who take court-appointed cases. The attorneys are often required to drive long distances to court, jails and to the homes of their clients, Majestro said.

This week, about 50 lawyers met in Flatwoods to discuss how to challenge the guidelines. Many more attorneys took part in the meeting by phone, Majestro said.

Some attorneys may file separate lawsuits but Majestro, who concentrates in appellate litigation, was asked to file the petition, on behalf of attorneys Michael Sharley, Christopher Watson Cooper, the Ciliberti Law Office and Hewitt & Salvatore, and the clients they represent. Majestro doesn't take court-appointed cases. He said more plaintiffs may be added to the petition before its filed with the Supreme Court.

Majestro will ask the state Supreme Court to do what it did in a 1989 case, Jewell v Maynard, in which an attorney filed a lawsuit arguing that he had a conflict of interest in representing his client because he wasn't being adequately compensated for his time. In that case, the rates for court-appointed attorneys hadn't been increased in 12 years.

The Supreme Court ruled in the attorneys' favor and raised the rates in 1990. The pay has remained the same ever since: $45 per hour for out of court work and $65 an hour for in-court work.

Justices at the time determined the rate of pay based on the federal court system, which currently pays court appointed attorneys $127 an hour for both in and out of court work, according to the notice.

Meanwhile, attorneys in West Virginia who handle family court case appointments are paid $80 an hour for out of court work and $100 an hour for work done in a courtroom. The Supreme Court sets the rates for those cases.

The Supreme Court "has recognized that low compensation to panel attorneys appointed to represent indigent criminal defendants constitutes a potential constitutional violation for both the attorney and the client," Majestro wrote in the notice.

The notice also points out how often Public Defender Services is months behind in paying attorneys for their work.

"Second, the time has come to recognize and remedy the inordinate delays in payment of PDS panel attorneys," Majestro wrote. "Unfortunately, the promise of prompt payment has been largely illusory."

The delay often results in attorneys selling their reimbursement request vouchers to companies who take a percentage of their money so that they can get paid sooner.

Those who cover family court appointments get paid within 30 days, Majestro noted.

Eddy, who could not immediately be reached for comment last week, said last month that the guidelines were being implemented to ensure everyone gets paid at a time when state agencies have been asked to cut expenses.

He previously acknowledged that he was cutting money from attorneys overdue for a raise.

"Court-appointed counsel are due for a raise and here we are talking about paying them even less," Eddy said last month.

State law requires notice be given to state agencies before a lawsuit is filed. Majestro sent the notice to state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Secretary of Administration Jason Pizatella and Eddy.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1724 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Eight years have passed since Leah Hickman was last seen alive, and there are still few answers about who killed the 21-year-old Marshall University student.

Although nearly a decade has passed, Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli believes the case is anything but cold. He could not elaborate due to the ongoing investigation, but said the case recently splintered off into smaller investigations.

"It's still an active investigation. There have been investigations ongoing relative to that case in the last few months," he said.

Hickman, from Leon in Mason County, was last seen alive Dec. 14, 2007. The disappearance was initially treated as a missing person case, garnering national media attention.

After a week of grueling searching, her body was discovered in the crawl space of her apartment building located in the 400 block of 8th Avenue in Huntington. Police said she had been strangled.

Investigators previously said they had a working theory about the killer's identity, but lacked evidence needed to prosecute. The theory indicated her death was not a random act, but was carried out by someone who knew the layout of her apartment.

The police department regularly meets to discuss unsolved cases, the Hickman case being one of the most important because of the mystery, Ciccarelli said.

"We will pursue any lead that comes to us," he said. "We meet regularly and discuss a number of unsolved cases to look for ways to bring unsolved cases to conclusions."

DNA evidence was taken from the scene and police hoped mitochondrial DNA testing at a state-of-the-art crime laboratory in Phoenix would identify the student's killer.

They had no such luck when the results came back in 2009.

Now the detectives' hopes lie with the development of forensic science and the small sample of mitochondrial DNA left.

Ciccarelli believes one day a combination of police work and forensic development will bring Leah Hickman and her family justice.

"[Forensic development] is certainly one aspect we will continue to monitor and see if there are advancements in forensics in that case," he said. "The other side of that case is police work, and we are pursuing that type of investigation as well."

Like many unsolved homicide cases in the area, Hickman's death remains very recognizable in the community due to public outcry and memorial services held yearly.

In April 2014, Hickman's case was thrust back into the public eye when vandals defaced a wall of the apartment building where her body was found.

In large, painted letters, "Who killed Leah Hickman" was scrawled on the lower part of the building facing 4th Street.

Police and Ron Hickman, Leah's father, were left puzzled by who wrote the message and why they did it on a date that did not appear to be significant to the case.

Anyone with information about Leah Hickman's death should contact the Huntington Police Department's tip line at 304-696-4444 or its Detective Bureau at 304-696-4420. All information can be provided anonymously.

Marriages

The following people applied for marriage licenses between Dec. 23-30:

Thomas Frank Chapman, 25, and Pollyanna Dewitt, 33, both of Nitro.

Steven Michael Hunley, 30, of St. Albans and Christina Danielle Adkins, 35, of South Charleston.

Christopher Leon Billo, 39, an Anita Danielle Stanley, 27, both of Cabin Creek.

Steffen Matthew Fox, 23, of St. Albans and Shelby Leigh Wells, 23, of Sesser, Illinois.

Arnold Lee French II, 48, and Jennifer Howell Williams, 46, both of St. Albans.

Anthony Thomas Brown, 47, and Angela Ann Mayfield, 47, both of Nitro.

James Robert Greathouse, 53, of Charleston, and Greta Marie Cunningham, 47, of Sissonville.

Jonathan Robert Dowdy, 23, and Samantha Ann Payne, 21, both of Sissonville.

Jeremy Keith Javins Boggess, 26 and Olivia Elizabeth M. McClure, 23, both of Dunbar.

Keith Allen Stricklen, 45, and Kimberly Dawn Marcum, 51, both of Elkview.

Justin David Lee Cantrell, 20, of Lundale and Caitlin Nicole Bradshaw, 18, of South Charleston.

Francisco Bustamante III, 26, and Amanda Nicole Cruz, 26, both of Dunbar.

Joshua Cain Clemons, 28, and Ashley Nicole Dustin, 28, both of South Charleston.

Carroll Benson Green, 69, of Dunbar and Mary Joann Jones, 71, of Charleston.

Shawn Taylor Ferguson, 34, and Kristin Danielle Buckner, 26, both of Charleston.

Russel Leon Ramsey, 64, of Dixie and Bonnie Kay Plant, 64, of Charleston.

Preston Redell Rowe-Johnson, 27 and Tiffany Jade Smith, 25, both of Elkview.

Danny Lewis Barton, 53, and Lori Jane Mobley, 50, both of Charleston.

Robert Lewis Harrah, 59, and Tracy Frazier Harrah, 49, both of Charleston.

Jerry Allan Strickland, 66, of Elkview and Brenda Dale Rose, 62, of Clendenin.

Robert Allen Long, 36, and Janetta Faye Long, 31, both of St. Albans.

Divorces

The following people filed for divorce in Kanawha County between Dec. 23 and 30:

Lisa Gay McGhee from Jeffrey Michael McGhee

William Elmer Brown Jr. from Rhonda Annalea Brown

Krystle Lynn Mason from Michael Lamar Mason

Mary Jo Mullins from James Earl Francis Jr.

Jeffery Bryant Fields from Nynita Ashantia Carter

Shawn W. Storm from Jean M. Storm

Brandi Rachelle Carpenter from Joseph Allen Skeen

Erin Beth Means from Joseph David Means

Mellia Bishop from Michael Allen Bishop

Nicole Dawn Smith from Patrick Wayne Smith

Tyler Devin Sovine from Holly F. Denning

Katie Lauren Cyrus from David Paul Cyrus

Property Transfers

The following property transfers of $50,000 or more were recorded in Kanawha County between Dec. 23 and 30:

Delores R. Paul to Bret B. and Lori R. Nida. Lot, Charleston South Annex District, $249,700.

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company to Craig and Brooke Goldsberry. Lot, Union District, $67,000.

Charles D. and Paulette B. Gobble to Heather D. Groscup and James Starcher. Lot, Washington District, $71,000.

Misty Dawn Morris Fleck, Michael Bryan Morris, William David Morris, Diana Jean Bailey and Robert Edward Bryan to Tammie L. Chandler. Lot, St. Albans, $85,200.

Regina Mae Evans and Earl Richard McCallister to Sherry D. Pitsenbarger. Lot, Dunbar, $66,000.

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company to Daniel S. Rizk. Lot, Union District, $149,500.

Dovie J. Hays Kee to Ashley and Judith A. Batten. Lot, Big Sandy District, $70,000.

Christopher J. and Emily L. Corey to Kurt D. and Kimberly D. Allen. Lot, Washington District, $290,000.

Brian R. and Kathrin Edmonds to Robert A. and Susan H. Taylor. Lot, Union Distict, $270,000.

Robert Matthew Turner to Renee L. Herdman. Lot, Dunbar, $64,900.

J. Nicholas Barth to United Bank Inc. Lot, Poca District, $101,248.

Bonnie Elmore Craft to Jonathan W. and Melissa M. Cleghorn. Lots, Clendenin, $79,000.

Joseph Douglas Lindsey Jr. to Daniel Harrison. Lot, Union District, $95,300.

Richard W. Loyd to Christopher P. Snodgrass. Lot, Washington District, $60,000.

John and Susan Kehoe to Kyle T. Smith and Rhaynia E.C. Simons. Lot, Charleston, $250,000.

Mary Reynolds-Hairston to Qiao Lin and Jinwei Gao. Lot, Union District, $250,000.

Dunbar Plaza Inc. to Michael Creech. Lot, Dunbar, $250,000.

Ronald S. and Kathy L. Merrifield to Charles D. Walker. Lot, Charleston, $125,000.

Tandra L. Sproles to Valerie L. Varnell. Lot, Union District, $68,500.

Coy and Sharon Gaynor to Matthew B. Blair. Lot, Union District, $72,000.

Leah Marie Thorpe to Arthur L. and Nancy G. Altman. Lot, Dunbar, $119,000.

Crystal D. Gould to Erin C. Deegan. Lot, Louden District, $155,000.

Bret B. and Lori Rowe Nida to Matthew W. and Ashley B. Morris. Lot, Charleston, $243,200.

Charlotte A. Hevener and Sherry J. Perdew to Dewey M. Lester. Lot, St. Albans, $83,900.

Andrea R. Herman to Murry T. and Aspen E. Streetman. Lot, Washington District, $400,000.

Bankruptcies

The bankruptcies listed below are limited to those filed by residents or companies in the Gazette-Mail's circulation area. Chapter 7 designates the liquidation of non-exempt property; Chapter 11 calls for business reorganization; Chapter 13 establishes a schedule of payments to creditors. The following bankruptcies were filed between Dec. 23 and 30:

Carolyn Fitzpatrick, Kermit, Chapter 7. Assets: $118,034, Liabilities: $170,797.

Joseph Albert and Crystal Ann Castelli, Ripley, Chapter 7. Assets: $1,452, Liabilities: $20,839.

Linda Kaye Clark, Ravenswood, Chapter 7. Assets: $18,770, Liabilities: $31,846.

James Shannon Bass Jr., Cabin Creek, Chapter 7. Assets: $13,688, Liabilities: $37,582.

Brett Michael and Jennifer Dawn Meadows, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $15,316, Liabilities: $24,527.

Jason Kenneth and Wendy Pruett Young, Fayetteville, Chapter 7. Assets: $103,843, Liabilities: $279,284.

Adam Brantley Withrow, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $12,540, Liabilities: $40,377.

Charlene Frances Farmer, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $57,387, Liabilities: $129,857.

Kevin Ray and Beth Ann Wild, Chapmanville, Chapter 7. Assets: $17,224, Liabilities: $65,023.

Tom David and Glenna Marie Thacker, Pecks Mill, Chapter 7. Assets: $113,826, Liabilities: $159,138.

Shawnda Kaye Toler, South Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $132,323, Liabilities: $52,597.

David Eugene and Linda Sue Maynard, St. Albans, Chapter 7. Assets: $22,325, Liabilities: $50,332.

Ralph Gerald Snidow, Danese, Chapter 7. Assets: $30,100, Liabilities: $70,984.

Amy Marlene Keatley, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $26,318, Liabilities: $41,224.

Walter Daniel and Kimberly Sue Smith, Kermit, Chapter 7. Assets: $110,537, Liabilities: $177,681.

Kristen Nichole Omeara, Yawkey, Chapter 7. Assets: $25,378, Liabilities: $55,018.

Daniel Lee and Crystal Gail Smith, Gilbert, Chapter 7. Assets: $79,327, Liabilities: $131,414.

Daniel Ray and Kayla Lynn Maynard, Turtle Creek, Chapter 7. Assets: $275,549, Liabilities: $301,189.

Tina Lorraine Grizzel, Beckley, Chapter 7. Assets: $104,975, Liabilities: $147,741.

The following crimes were reported to the Charleston Police Department between Dec. 24 and 30:

East District

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Dec. 24, 1:05 p.m.

Lee Street East 400 block, shoplifting, Dec. 24, 5:53 p.m.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Dec. 24, 6 p.m.

Leon Sullivan Way 500 block, petit larceny, Dec. 25, 5 p.m.

Lee Street East 400 block, shoplifting, Dec. 26, 11 a.m.

Nancy Street 500 block, burglary, Dec. 26, 1 p.m.

Laidley Street 200 block, petit larceny, Dec. 26, 3 p.m.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Dec. 26, 3:30 p.m.

Washington Street East 1300 block, shoplifting, Dec. 26, 5:45 p.m.

Quarrier Street East 1500 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 27, 4:11 a.m.

Quarrier Street East 1500 block, breaking and entering, Dec. 27, 4:11 a.m.

Washington Street East 1300 block, shoplifting, Dec. 27, 3:24 p.m.

Plaza East 1300 block, shoplifting, Dec. 27, 6:45 p.m.

Charleston Town Center, breaking and entering, Dec. 27, 7:13 p.m.

Lee Street East 400 block, grand larceny, Dec. 28, 8 p.m.

Quarrier Street 200 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 8:34 p.m.

Sidney Avenue/Washington Street, robbery, Dec. 30, 12:17 a.m.

Lee Street East 200 block, malicious wounding, Dec. 30, noon.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, Dec. 30, 2 p.m.

Charleston Town Center, shoplifting, Dec. 30, 7:22 p.m.

South District:

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 3800 block, brandishing, Dec. 24, 1:20 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 4200 block, shoplifting, Dec. 24, 3:50 p.m.

Leslie Road 900 block, domestic assault, Dec. 25, 11:40 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 6500 block, petit larceny, Dec. 26, 12:30 p.m.

Kanawha Mall, shoplifting, Dec. 26, 2:15 p.m.

Chesterfield Avenue 3400 block, breaking and entering, Dec. 26, 3 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5700 block, shoplifting, Dec. 26, 5:41 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5700 block, shoplifting, Dec. 26, 7 p.m.

Mountaineer Boulevard 2500 block, petit larceny, Dec. 26, 8:48 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 1500 block, petit larceny, Dec. 27, 2:13 a.m.

69th Street 300 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 27, 3:27 a.m.

Center Way 1000 block, petit larceny, Dec. 27, 8:28 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 4900 block, shoplifting, Dec. 28, 10:05 a.m.

Kanawha Mall 100 block, shoplifting, Dec. 28, 12:18 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 6500 block, grand larceny auto, Dec. 29, 9 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 3600 block, grand larceny auto, Dec. 29, 5 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 3800 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 8:35 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 3800 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 10:40 p.m.

West District:

Beech Avenue 1100 block, Dec. 24, noon.

Washington Street West 400 block, shoplifting, Dec. 24, 1 p.m.

Washington Street West/Watts Street, petit larceny, Dec. 24, 4:55 p.m.

Wyoming Street 100 block, grand larceny auto, Dec. 25, 4 p.m.

West Avenue 900 block, grand larceny auto, Dec. 26, midnight.

Lee Street West 100 block, malicious wounding, Dec. 26 3:30 a.m.

Red Oak Street 1000 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 26, 4 a.m.

Elm Street 400 block, burglary, Dec. 26, 6 a.m.

Chandler Drive 1800 block, petit larceny, Dec. 26, 4:45 p.m.

Scraggs Drive 2000 block, burglary, Dec. 26, 9 p.m.

Tennessee and Roane, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 27, 4:30 a.m.

6th Avenue 2100 block, burglary, Dec. 27, 4:30 a.m.

Smith Street 1100 block, grand larceny auto, Dec. 27, 1:30 p.m.

7th Avenue 1700 block, murder, Dec. 27, 3 p.m.

Beech Avenue 1500 block, Burglary, Dec. 27, 4:30 p.m.

Red Oak Street 1500 block, petit larceny, Dec. 27, 6:15 p.m.

Crescent Road 1000 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 28, 1:46 a.m.

Crescent Road 1000 block, breaking and entering, Dec. 28, 1:46 a.m.

Simms Street 600 block, petit larceny, Dec. 28, 9:54 a.m.

Town Court 100 block, burglary, Dec. 28, 1:24 p.m.

Bigley Avenue 800 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 28, 6:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania Avenue North 800 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 28, 8 p.m.

Sugar Creek Drive 1800 block, grand larceny auto, Dec. 28, 10:30 p.m.

Picadilly Street 600 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 28, 10:30 p.m.

Ohio Avenue 400 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 28, 11 p.m.

Wyoming Street 300 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 29, 1 a.m.

Delaware Avenue 400 block, wanton endangerment, Dec. 29, 3:22 a.m.

Lee Street West 100 block, robbery, Dec. 29, 7:40 a.m.

Griffin Drive 1100 block, petit larceny, Dec. 29, 8:56 a.m.

Washington Street West 1600 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 12:21 p.m.

4th Avenue 1700 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 3:30 p.m.

Lee Street West 200 block, breaking and entering auto, Dec. 29, 6:10 p.m.

Delaware Avenue 500 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 7:15 p.m.

Britton Street 200 block, robbery, Dec. 29, 9:01 p.m.

Washington Street West 1700 block, shoplifting, Dec. 29, 10:25 p.m.

Hall Street 500 block, burglary, Dec. 30, 7 p.m.

Hills Plaza, petit larceny, Dec. 30, 9:44 p.m.

Roane Street 300 block, robbery, Dec. 30, 10 p.m.

Roane Street 300 block, wanton endangerment, Dec. 30, 10 p.m.

A Chapmanville man was cited Saturday after a loaded gun was found in his carry-on bag at Yeager Airport, according to a release from the Transportation Security Administration.

TSA officers stopped the man, whose name has not been released, when they detected a .38 caliber semi-automatic handgun as he passed through security. The weapon was loaded with five bullets. A TSA officer at the X-ray machine found the gun as it passed along the conveyor belt. The man told officials he forgot he had the gun.

Yeager Airport Police took possession of the weapon and cited the man on a state weapons charge.

The man had a ticket to fly to Washington Dulles International Airport. The incident had no effect on airport operations.

Weapons are not allowed in carry-on bags, but unloaded guns may be taken in checked bags if they are properly packed and declared to the airline.

Passengers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are subject to possible criminal charges and up to $11,000 in civil penalties from TSA.

For more information on how to properly travel with a firearm, see TSA's website.

Taking a break from packing up his office, Steve Handley leaned back in a leather chair.

"I will miss the people I work with," he said a few weeks before his nine-year career as the trial court administrator for Kanawha County came to an end. He retired at the end of the year.

Handley, 69, put off boxing things up until a few days before Christmas. Photographs of his airplane, which he plans to spend much more time flying after retirement, still hung on the wall.

He hadn't planned to work as court administrator for very long when he took the job.

"I just thought I'd come here three or four years and then retire. But working with good people," he paused. "It's been super nice."

"The nice thing is," he added, "I knew all of the judges before I came here."

Before taking the job as court administrator, Handley worked for a time as an assistant Kanawha prosecutor and had his own law practice. Being a lawyer, he said, allowed him to easily figure out what the administrator's job would require. And by already knowing the judges, their staff and other courthouse employees, it was a natural fit, he added.

The judges are "all unique and different and I enjoyed working with all of them. That's why I'm still here after nine years," he said.

Plus, he admitted with a laugh, the view from his office window isn't too shabby. Handley's desk faces a ground-level glass wall, which looks out onto Court Street. He can watch people coming and going from the judicial annex, but they can't see him.

"A lot of people use it as a mirror - you won't believe what people do," he said, laughing. "A lot of women check themselves out as they walk by, and we've seen fights. People come out of family court, get right outside and start duking it out.

"People don't realize, when they're on the outside, there's someone on the other side of the glass," he said.

Similarly, many who visit the judicial annex might not know Handley is there. He works behind the scenes to keep many things running smoothly.

The administrator's office does all of the purchasing for the judicial departments funded by the state - like the circuit judge's offices and the family and magistrate courts. The office is also tasked with appointing indigent defendants a court-appointed attorney.

"Basically, a big part of my job is just to work with the circuit judges - helping them with whatever they might need," Handley said.

The administrator's office also, among other things, makes arrangements when visiting judges come to Kanawha - which happens quite a bit.

"There are a lot of three-judge panels and big trials here," he said. "We have to book courtrooms for them, find them clerks and bailiffs and court reporters. When judges here have a conflict, those cases are assigned to judges out of the county, but then those judges always come here to hear and try those cases. So we take care of them."

Kanawha is the only county in the state with a court administrator. But with its seven circuit judges, five family judges and 10 magistrates, Handley said it's a much-needed position.

It hasn't been announced who will replace Handley.

In November, signs were hung on several doors around the judicial annex and county courthouse about Handley's retirement and how to apply for the job. After that, the job listing was posted on the state Supreme Court's website.

Applications were accepted until Dec. 16.

The West Virginia State Bar sent an email to attorneys about how to apply for the job on Dec. 15.

There had initially been some controversy about whether the job had to be filled by an attorney, Handley confirmed.

The job description on the Supreme Court's website stated that the position would be filled by someone with at least a bachelor's degree in public administration, or a related field, that has five years experience in an administrative or supervisory role - or a law degree.

Also, the post stated that an ideal candidate would be familiar with court rules, procedures and administrative law. The salary will be based on experience.

Handley wouldn't say whether he believes it should be a lawyer who replaces him.

"That's up to the Supreme Court," he said. "At first they said it had to be [a lawyer] and then they recently posted who could apply and they did not make that a requirement."

He reiterated, though, that being a lawyer has helped him in the position, recalling when a circuit judge asked him to serve as a mediator in a civil case. He said he did so successfully.

And, he added, he often answers legal questions from magistrates.

Well, questions and complaints, he said.

"Complaints about someone else and what can I do about it," Handley said, smiling.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol A. Casto has been named acting U.S. attorney for West Virginia's southern district.

The announcement Monday comes a week after U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin resigned to return to private practice.

Casto has served as an assistant U.S. attorney since 1989 in Charleston. Before that she was an assistant prosecutor in Kanawha County for six years.

Goodwin announced his resignation less than a month after the federal trial of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. Blankenship was found guilty on Dec. 3 of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety rules at West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine, which exploded in 2010 and killed 29 men.

Police have made several recent arrests in response to threats made by men who've given themselves gang names in Charleston.

Charleston police provided information about the arrests at a Monday afternoon news conference with prosecutors at City Hall.

They also attempted to ease fears about the three recent slayings in Charleston by discussing how they've devoted more resources to the West Side and noting that homicides typically involve suspects and victims who know one another.

Lt. Steve Cooper, Charleston's chief of detectives, said that to prevent future violence, police apprehended several people who had outstanding arrest warrants.

“If they're in jail, they can't get shot and they can't shoot anybody,” he said.

Cooper said the six men recently arrested are affiliated with rivaling groups of people in Charleston, the Shine Boys and the Young Restless Gunnas, involved in a dispute dating back at least to early December and possibly back into the summer. He wouldn't get into specifics about the dispute but said the root of it was “very petty.”

“There have been a lot of threats on Facebook and there's been a lot of chatter on the streets,” Cooper said. “We're getting a lot of information about potential retaliation and we have to take it seriously, because there have been a couple people shot in what appears to be a retaliatory nature.”

Three people were killed in Charleston over six days last week.

“By the time we've made an arrest in one homicide, we've had another,” Cooper said.

Cooper said some of the retaliation could be only “perceived retaliation” based on a “misunderstanding.” He didn't elaborate. He did note that the third shooting couldn't be considered retaliation for the second because both victims belonged to the same group.

Shannon Cade, 20, died in the hospital Saturday. A 14-year-old girl also was shot and sustained minor wounds. The shooting was reported shortly before 11 p.m. Friday in the 800 block of Mathews Avenue. Four to six shots were fired at the house on the West Side. Police have not released the names of any suspects. Cooper said the Young Restless Gunnas typically gathered at Cade's home.

J'Shaad Jones, 18, of Charleston, was killed early Thursday outside of Artie's Kickback Lounge, at 935 Central Ave. Marlon Rush is charged with murder in that case. Jones was wanted in the Dec. 13 shooting of 18-year-old Malik Ahkeem Hawk on Bream Street. Hawk was arrested Monday on a charge of wanton endangerment.

Jones also was a Young Restless Gunna, but Rush was not affiliated with either group, Cooper said.

Bryan Rogers, 29, of the Ripley area, was shot and killed Dec. 27. Tremaine Jackson, of Charleston, is charged with first-degree murder in Rogers' death. Jackson told police that Rogers had stolen about $3,000 worth of heroin from him several weeks earlier, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. Cooper said Monday that Rogers suffered from an addiction problem.

Over the past couple days, police have arrested:

- Malik Hawk, the man who Jones allegedly shot last month. Hawk had a warrant out for his arrest for wanton endangerment involving a firearm from August in South Charleston. He was arrested Monday.

- Maylik Watson, 22, was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and obstruction. He also had a warrant out for his arrest for third-degree sexual assault. Cooper said Watson admitted that he was looking to retaliate after Jones' death.

- Frankie Dewayne McNeal, 21, who had a warrant out for his arrest for forgery of a public document from a traffic stop in August. During the August incident, he also was charged with felony possession of narcotics, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He was arrested Sunday.

- Lamar Tyrell Coles, 24, had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly transferring/receiving a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was the suspect vehicle in a burglary/grand larceny on Ridgemont Road.

- Antwan “Twig” Curnell, 26, had a warrant out for his arrest for fleeing in a vehicle.

- Jalil Myers, 19, had an arrest warrant for delivery of a controlled substance (heroin). He was arrested Monday.

Cooper wouldn't talk about whether any of those arrested would be considered a person of interest in Cade's case.

He cautioned that the groups aren't nationally recognized gangs, while they have joined together to commit criminal activity.

“You're going to find that in probably every neighborhood in America,” he said. “There's no Bloods or Crips involved, or anything like that.”

Police and prosecutors held the news conference to let community members know how they are responding to the uptick in violence and attempt to quell fears.

Cooper said those involved in killings in Charleston often are involved in criminal activity, and the victim and suspect typically know one another.

“That's not to disparage any of the victims,” he said. “Clearly, we care about the victims or we wouldn't have worked so hard to have solved all of these cases — and we continue to.”

He also said malicious-wounding incidents have declined significantly in Charleston over the years.

“It doesn't feel that way if it happened outside your window,” he said, “but we do believe the reporting is accurate and there has been a great reduction.”

Police Chief Brent Webster said officers from the Special Enforcement Unit and the bike unit have been moved to the West Side. He didn't specify how long that would continue.

“We still have problems on other sides of town,” he said, “but we recognize that the West Side, right now, is the most vulnerable, so we're moving resources around to address that — to try to get out and walk and meet with people.”

Webster said police can't fight violent crime in a similar manner to drug crimes.

“There's no informant out there that's going to call and say, 'Hey there's going to be a shooting in 20 minutes,'” he said.

Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.

The owner of the company that operated the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Clay allegedly owes United Dairy thousands of dollars, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court names Drema Clifton and Clay Supermarket Inc., which was the business name Clifton used to operate the Piggly Wiggly, as defendants.

The store closed in March last year, leaving many residents dozens of miles from a super market and wondering why. It was the only grocery store in Clay County.

An IGA opened in the space in late summer.

United Dairy provided products to Clifton's store from Aug. 30, 2014 through Feb. 7 last year, according to the complaint. She allegedly owes United Dairy $24,415.

In November, the lawsuit states, Clay Supermarket Inc.'s corporate charter was revoked for failure to file an annual report.

Therefore, Clifton "is personally liable for this debt as she has lost her corporate protections," the lawsuit states. United Dairy, an Ohio company that also has an office in Charleston, is represented by Charleston attorney Scott Kaminski.

A nearly $6,000 payment Clifton sent to United Dairy was returned for insufficient funds, according to the lawsuit. Clifton could not be reached Tuesday.

Clifton leased the property that housed the Piggly Wiggly from BB&M Trucking Co. When the store closed, Clifton still had more than two years left on her lease, a BB&M employee said at the time.

BB&M filed a lawsuit against her last year in Clay County, claiming she never paid back the nearly $2,000 in property taxes it paid for her.

In May last year, this newspaper reported that Clay Supermarket Inc. owed a total of $6,989 in property taxes, according to the Clay County Assessor's Office.

United Dairy filed its complaint in Kanawha because it has an office there and it says that's where the agreement with Clifton was signed. The case is assigned to Judge Tod Kaufman.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or @KateLWhite on Twitter.

Charleston police have made an arrest in a New Year's Day homicide, the third arrest in three deadly shootings over the last nine days on the city's West Side.

Charleston detectives, along with Morgantown police and a Morgantown SWAT team, arrested Antonio Carnell Williams II, 23, in Morgantown on Tuesday.

Williams is being charged with first-degree murder in the death of Shannon Cade, 20, who died after he was shot late Friday night in a house on the 800 block of Mathews Avenue. Cade was shot while sitting at the kitchen table, according to the criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. He died the next day at an area hospital.

A 14-year-old girl, identified as C.K., also was shot in the house. She was shot in the head, according to the criminal complaint, but sustained minor wounds.

Williams, who has addresses in both Morgantown and Charleston, was arrested without incident, said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives for Charleston police.

Williams' arrest stemmed from a tip police received from an eyewitness, Williams' girlfriend, who said she was with Williams at the time of the shooting, Cooper said.

Police do not currently believe that Cade was the intended target of the shooting, Cooper said. The shooting, police believe, was the result of a disagreement involving Williams' girlfriend.

The witness told police that Williams went to the specific house on Mathews Avenue "in order to shoot up the house," Cooper said.

According to the criminal complaint, Williams drove to the Mathews Avenue house with his girlfriend and two other people after hearing that his girlfriend had spent time with another man there.

Williams and his girlfriend got out of the car, according to the criminal complaint, but the girlfriend believed he intended to fight the man inside.

"Instead, Mr. Williams, retrieved a black semi-automatic hand gun from his waist and began firing his weapon at the people inside," the complaint says.

The girlfriend, as she was running away, heard a brief pause and then several more shots, the complaint says.

"Mr. Williams immediately came back to the vehicle and said, 'I've got to get a new gun because this one jammed on me,'" the complaint says.

A 17-year-old juvenile was also arrested in Morgantown and was charged with being an accessory after the fact, Cooper said.

Cade's killing was the third in Charleston over a span of six days last week. Arrests have now been made in all three cases.

"We believe now that all three of these cases have been solved, that things should quiet down and there won't be any concern about repeat offenders, because the suspects are all locked up," Cooper said.

He added that further arrests remain possible and the cases are still under investigation.

Cooper said that increased patrols would remain on the city's West Side, while also reiterating that a very small number of people were responsible for the headline-grabbing crimes.

Police announced the increased patrols at a Monday news conference, in which they also announced the arrests of several individuals affiliated with rival groups.

The three killings, Cooper said, could be related to a dispute between the groups, which carry the gang names the Shine Boys and the Young Restless Gunnas.

Reach David Gutman at david.gutman@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5119 or follow @davidlgutman on Twitter.

A real estate company with a dozen townhouses on Charleston's West Side claims that while city workers were trying to fix a landslide above the townhouses, they created a flooding problem below.

Sines Enterprises, which owns 12 townhouses on a part of Mathews Avenue known as Woodsedge Way, filed a lawsuit against the city of Charleston, the city Sanitary Board and two engineering firms, Potesta & Associates and K&N Contracting, that were hired to remediate the landslide on Grandview Drive.

According to the lawsuit, filed Dec. 30 in Kanawha Circuit Court, the real estate company learned in early 2014 that the landslide had been caused by a significant leak of storm and sewer water.

City officials hired Potesta to begin a remediation and stabilization project, according to the lawsuit.

The city and the company allegedly directed that all trees, vegetation and soil be removed from the landslide area. The soil was to be replaced with a clay-type substance from the CVS construction site on Oakwood Road, according to the complaint.

By compacting the clay-type substance, "all storm water was diverted downhill with no infiltration into the previously porous natural absorption of trees and vegetation that had been removed," the complaint states.

A substantial increase in storm water allegedly inundated the townhouses and surrounding property. As a result, a storm drain on the Sines' property was completely blocked.

Upon request to clean out the drain, the lawsuit says, the city and Sanitary Board refused. City attorney Paul Ellis couldn't immediately be reached Tuesday but has said he won't comment on pending litigation.

"The City and The Sanitary Board's failure to safely and properly maintain the storm water and sewerage pipes and drainage systems causing storm and sewer water to flow without control within the collection system were the proximate causes of the Grandview Drive Landslide," the lawsuit states.

The townhouses will continue to experience flooding until the problems are fixed, according to the complaint.

Sines asks that the defendants be required to pay for the installation of a new drainage system with larger pipes to accommodate the larger amount of storm water run-off. The lawsuit also asks for compensation for aggravation and alleged property damage, among other things.

Sines is represented by Charleston attorneys Guy Bucci and Ashley Lynch. The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

Kanawha Circuit Judge James Stucky has approved all four of the bail bonds companies who applied to begin working in Kanawha.

On Thursday, his last day as chief judge, Stucky filed an order granting the application of "We Spring Bail Bonds."

Stucky signed an administrative order in October allowing bondsmen back in Kanawha County. Individual bondsmen must apply and get approval from the chief judge before they begin working. The process requires that the company attend a hearing before the chief judge.

On Friday, Kanawha Circuit Judge Tod Kaufman took over as chief judge.

Stucky had previously filed orders granting the applications of 1A Bonds Inc., 1st Action Enterprises Inc., and Amy Hass, despite objections from at least one judge and the county's Public Defender's Office.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom is against allowing the practice back in Kanawha and the heads of the Kanawha Public Defender's Office have filed a petition arguing that the order Stucky entered was never approved by state Supreme Court justices, among other things.

Two Charleston men were sentenced Tuesday to serve time in federal prison for drug charges.

Gregory Woods, 38, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for using a communication device to facilitate cocaine distribution. He was also sentenced to four years for "possessing marijuana for remuneration," a news release from U.S. Attorney Carol Casto said. The sentences are to be served at the same time, U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston ordered.

Woods admitted that on June 8, 2011, he arranged to sell an ounce of cocaine to a confidential informant through telephone calls made with his cell phone. After Woods sold the drugs, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home on Early Street and recovered 13.9 grams of cocaine, 176 grams of marijuana, and a firearm.

Woods further admitted that he possessed the marijuana located in his house for distribution, the release states.

Levi Carter, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver for a drug charge Tuesday. He will spend 10 months in federal prison for distribution of heroin.

Carter admitted that on April 21, 2015, he sold heroin to a confidential informant working with law enforcement.

The drug deal took place in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites hotel in Charleston, according to the news release. Carter also admitted to selling heroin to the confidential informant on several other occasions in April and May of 2015.

Discussions surrounding the future location of the Nitro Police Department dominated Tuesday night's Nitro City Council meeting.

Following a closed-door executive session, council members passed a motion to authorize negotiating purchasing terms for a new police department building.

"We will take an engineer with us and see what would have to be done to the building and assess that cost," Nitro Mayor Dave Casebolt said. "Then we can determine how much we can pay for the building."

There is a potential for a council chamber at the building, Casebolt said. But he would not discuss any further specifics about the building.

The city pays $31,800 annually in rent to Kingsway Church for the building where the police department, city council chambers, municipal court and the senior center are located.

"Everyone on council agrees we need to move out," Casebolt said.

Nitro City Attorney Johnnie Brown amended the city's proposed lease agreement to allow the city to defer the lease terms within six days of signing.

Brown wanted the city to have that option if it is needed.

Nitro Police Chief Steve Walker is eager for the move.

"Right now there is very little security for the police department, municipal court and for City Council when they are in here," Walker said. "We have outgrown the usefulness of this building and the city has been looking for several years for another option."

Also on Tuesday, City Council members moved forward with a World War I Memorial Park project on Second Avenue after passing a resolution to accept a $60,000 grant match from the Federal Land and Resource grant.

The 4 to 3 vote was reached after council members went back and forth on how best to utilize the piece of property on Second Avenue. Council members Brenda Tyler, Andy Shamblin and Laurie Elkins voted against the project.

The park project aims to connect future generations to Nitro's World War I legacy.

Casebolt believes its one of the most exciting city projects.

No council members disagreed with the idea of a memorial park, just its location at Second Avenue, and wanted to explore if there were better ways to utilize the property for continued pressing city needs.

In other business, council:

n Approved meeting minutes from Dec. 15 and Dec. 28

n Set the terms and conditions for the sale of city property valued at less than $10,000

n Approved opening request for bids on drainage issues on the city's east end

n Announced documents for running in the upcoming municipal election will be accepted in the city recorder's office March 14 - March 25 at 4 p.m.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia legal services organizations providing foreclosure prevention help to indigent residents are getting a boost from a federal settlement with the Bank of America.

The West Virginia State Bar says it has received $329,000 from the settlement with the U.S. Justice Department.

Anne Werum Lambright chairs the state bar's Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts Committee. She says the settlement involved residential mortgage-backed securities and other conduct related to the housing crisis several years ago.

She says the money can help provide counsel to people facing foreclosure today. Also, organizations involved in community redevelopment can request money to support legal work for their projects.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - A convicted murderer is behind bars again after a reported yearlong sexual relationship with an underage family member.

The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington reports 34-year-old Granville Ray McCloud was arrested and charged with 10 counts of third-degree sexual assault, 10 counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust and 10 counts of incest on Dec. 18.

West Virginia State Police troopers are quoted in criminal complaints from the Cabell County Magistrate Court saying the teenage victim said the sexual encounters began in November 2014. She also reportedly told troopers the encounters were not forced.

McCloud was convicted of first-degree murder in 2000 for the 1998 slaying of 80-year-old Juanita Tia Loretta Hughes. McCloud was sentenced to life in prison with mercy, serving the minimum of 15 years before being paroled.