VA DEATHS-WEST VIRGINIA

Fired VA staffer facing 7 murder counts in insulin deaths

A former staffer at a Veterans Affairs hospital in West Virginia is being charged with killing seven patients by giving them fatal doses of insulin. Court documents unsealed Tuesday show Reta Mays is being charged with second degree murder in the deaths of seven people. The former nursing assistant at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia also is being charged with assault with the intent to commit murder of an eighth person. Mays’ attorney did not immediately return a voicemail seeking comment. She has a plea hearing scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-COURT

Kanawha County court staffer tests positive, office closed

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The Kanawha County circuit clerk’s office has been closed after a staffer tested positive for the coronavirus. On Monday, Chief Judge Charles E. King Jr. ordered the office closed until 9 a.m. Friday, writing that it is “unsafe for court personnel, attorneys, parties, and others to be at or near the Kanawha County circuit clerk’s office until negative test results are obtained for remaining employees.” King’s order extends filing deadlines for cases.

MINE DEATH

Police investigate death at Kentucky mine

JACKSON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police are investigating the death of a West Virginia man at a surface mine in eastern Kentucky. Police said in a statement that their investigation has found that 41-year-old Dale Cassel Jr. of Glen Morgan was operating a piece of mining equipment at a surface mine in Breathitt County last week when he lost control of the vehicle. Police say Cassel was ejected when the vehicle traveled over an embankment. Breathitt County Coroner Hargis Epperson pronounced Cassel dead the scene.

STROKE RESEARCH-GRANT

WVU gets $2.2M grant for stroke research

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia University has received a $2.2 million federal grant for stroke research. U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito on Monday announced the grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences in a news release, saying it will be used to study strokes and to manage stroke recovery. Strokes are one of the leading causes of death in West Virginia, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-WEST VIRGINIA

W.Va. governor reinstating virus restrictions as cases rise

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is moving to close bars in the state’s largest college town and reimpose restrictions on large gatherings as coronavirus cases rise to record levels. The Republican on Monday ordered bars in Monongalia County to close at midnight for 10 days as the county, which includes West Virginia University, reports a quarter of the state’s active virus cases, largely driven by people in their 20s. The governor also reinstated a 25-person limit on crowd sizes throughout the state, effectively canceling fairs, concerts and festivals, though he said sporting events and swimming pools can continue to operate.

WORKERS INJURED

3 workers injured at West Virginia chemical plant

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — Officials say three workers have been injured at a West Virginia chemical plant. News outlets report the incident happened Sunday evening at the Westlake Chemical plant, which produces chlorine. Details of what happened at the Marshall County facility weren’t immediately released. Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Hart said one worker was taken to the hospital by ambulance and two others were transported by personnel at the plant. Route 2 was closed briefly but has reopened.