The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Today's Front Page

December 4, 2011

Penn State scandal a concern for W.Va. lawmakers?

By Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — So far, the Penn State sex abuse scandal hasn’t set off any tremors under the dome in West Virginia’s Capitol.

That doesn’t mean the fallout from the stunning case against a former Nittany Lions assistant football coach hasn’t been considered by state lawmakers.

In fact, Senate President Jeffrey Kessler, D-Marshall, wants a complete assessment of West Virginia’s child abuse reporting obligations, and admittedly his call was inspired by the Penn State debacle that chased legendary coach Joe Paterno into early retirement.

“We will take whatever steps necessary to protect our children,” Kessler said in a statement Friday, noting his judiciary chairman, Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, already is looking at existing statutes to see if they need to be revisited.

Palumbo said he is in sync with Kessler’s view that the law should be given more teeth.

See complete story in Monday's edition of The Register-Herald.

Text Only
Today's Front Page
  • Mulch for United Way Thank you very mulch

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • Juvenile sexting soon to be illegal

    It soon will be illegal for minors to sext in West Virginia.
    Legislation signed May 6 by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin makes it a crime for youths to make, possess or distribute photos, videos or other media that show themselves or another minor in an inappropriate sexual manner.

    May 22, 2013

  • Kessler says stormwater runoff fee is a hardship

    A former West Virginia legislator Tuesday decried the stormwater runoff fee imposed on some residents as unfair and uneven, warning that it is hurting businesses and individuals alike.

    May 22, 2013

  • Search for Okla. tornado survivors nearly complete

    Helmeted rescue workers raced Tuesday to complete the search for survivors and the dead in the Oklahoma City suburb where a mammoth tornado destroyed countless homes, cleared lots down to bare red earth and claimed 24 lives, including those of nine children.

    May 22, 2013

  • An eye toward the future An Eye Toward the Future

    The community of Clifftop may be small, but it has meant big things to one of its most recent high school graduates.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • Power of Moore tornado dwarfs Hiroshima bomb

    Everything had to come together just perfectly to create the killer tornado in Moore, Okla.: wind speed, moisture in the air, temperature and timing. And when they did, the awesome energy released over that city dwarfed the power of the atomic bomb that leveled Hiroshima.

    May 21, 2013

  • Fire chief says search almost complete in Oklahoma

    The search for survivors and the dead is nearly complete in the Oklahoma City suburb that was smashed by a mammoth tornado, the fire chief said Tuesday.

    May 21, 2013

  • Sexting will be illegal for minors in W.Va. starting July 12

    It soon will be illegal for minors to sext in West Virginia.

    May 21, 2013

  • Former legislator says stormwater runoff fee unfair

    A former West Virginia legislator Tuesday decried the stormwater runoff fee imposed on some residents as unfair and uneven, warning that it is hurting businesses and individuals alike.

    May 21, 2013

  • 052113 OK tornado 10.jpg Crews race to find survivors of Oklahoma twister

    Emergency crews searched the broken remnants of an Oklahoma City suburb Tuesday for survivors of a massive tornado that flattened homes and demolished an elementary school. At least 24 people were killed, including at least nine children, and those numbers were expected to climb.

    May 21, 2013 2 Photos 5 Stories