Greear will challenge Webster for court seat

Dan Greear, the Republican lawyer who nearly unseated AttorneyGeneral Darrell McGraw, announced Thursday he will challengeDemocrat Carrie Webster for her new spot on the Kanawha CountyCircuit Court.

Webster, whom Gov. Joe Manchin on Wednesday named to replaceJudge Irene Berger on the court, has not yet taken her seat on thebench. Berger left last month for a lifetime seat on a federaldistrict court. Webster will have to run in 2010 to keep the seatand fill the remainder of Berger's unexpired term.

In an announcement of his intention to run, Greear said Webster,one of Kanawha County's representatives in the state House ofDelegates and the current chairwoman of the …

Mental Health Crisis Strains New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - Mental health problems soared after Hurricane Katrina, just as the city's ability to handle them plummeted, creating a crisis so acute that police officers say they take some disturbed people to a destination of last resort - jail.

Because of the storm damage, only two of New Orleans' 11 hospitals are fully functioning. What's more, one of the closed facilities is the sprawling Charity Hospital, which police officers had relied on to drop off people at any hour.

"You knew they were safe. You knew they would get the care they needed. You don't know either of those things now," said James Arey, a psychologist who commands the police crisis negotiation team. …

Bilodeau takes dual moguls, Kearney wins women's

Alexandre Bilodeau capped a perfect weekend by winning the men's dual moguls, and Hannah Kearney topped the women's event at a World Cup freestyle meet on Saturday,

Bilodeau, who led a Canadian podium sweep in the individual moguls Friday, beat Guilbaut Colas of France in the men's final to close in on the moguls title.

It was the third straight win in moguls _ individual or dual _ for the 21-year-old Bilodeau, who won another World Cup event last weekend at West Vancouver, British Columbia.

Maxime Gingras, another Canadian, beat Sho Kashima of the United States for third place.

With the win, Bilodeau moved to 590 points atop the …

Scoping it out: The observation deck is now open

Flipping through the news pages, clicking through the channels,taking on the jerks and looking at life's quirks:

Linda MacLennan is a sparkling presence on the Channel 2 news at10 p.m., but I wish she would learn to drop that Canadian way ofpronouncing the "ou" sound.

Every time she says "The `Soath' Side of Chicago," I cringe.

All right Linda, what's the sound you make when you stub yourtoe - it's not "oach," it's "ouch," right?

So, whenever you have to say "south" or "about," just think ofstubbing your toe.

If those kids on the ABC-TV show "Head of the Class" are sosmart, how come they can't get out of high school?

Here's a …

Bush: Terror War 'Calling of Generation'

WASHINGTON - Five years after the worst terror attack in U.S. history, President Bush said Monday night the war against terrorism is "the calling of our generation" and urged Americans to put aside differences and fight to victory.

"America did not ask for this war, and every American wishes it were over," Bush said. "The war is not over - and it will not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious."

Bush, in a prime time address from the Oval Office, staunchly defended the war in Iraq even though he acknowledged that Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

He said Saddam's regime, while lacking …

Nepal pro-monarchy party protests in capital city

Thousands of supporters of Nepal's deposed king blocked the main government offices in the capital city and clashed with police Tuesday to demand a referendum on restoring the monarchy and the country's status as a Hindu state.

Supporters of National Democratic Party Nepal, the only group to openly support the monarchy, gathered in the heart of Katmandu and blocked roads leading to Singhadurbar, the complex that houses key government offices including the prime minister's office.

The supporters briefly scuffled with police who were trying to remove them from the area where protests are banned by the government. No major injuries were reported in the scuffle.

Katmandu Police Chief Ganesh Chetri said police have detained a few protesters but did not give more details.

Bharat Rayamajhi, a spokesman for the party, claimed nearly 200 supporters have been detained and several were injured in the scuffle with police.

The party had enforced a general strike in Katmandu on Monday that shut down transportation, schools and markets.

It was the first time the royalist party has been able to organize a general strike. It has maintained a low profile since the centuries-old monarchy was abolished in 2008 and the king dethroned. Nepal was also declared a secular state at the same time.

Pro-democracy protests in 2006 forced then-King Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule and restore democracy. The king was stripped of power and Nepal was declared a republic two years later.

Nepal still suffers from political instability nearly four years later. A new constitution is supposed to be written by May 2010, but the main political parties are struggling to agree on a new document.

Betancourt's ex is new French envoy to Costa Rica

The ex-husband of former guerrilla-held hostage Ingrid Betancourt is France's new ambassador to Costa Rica.

Fabrice Delloye campaigned for his ex-wife's release during the six years she was held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

A dual French-Colombian citizen, Betancourt was running for Colombia's presidency when she was captured. She was freed in July when military agents posing as aid workers helicoptered 15 hostages to freedom without a shot being fired.

Delloye and Betancourt were married from 1981 to 1990 and have two children.

Delloye presented his credentials to Costa Rica's government Thursday. He has held diplomatic posts in Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Canada.