| Edited by Dianne Weaver
"POTTED" PLANTS - A Roane County man allegedly told his grandparents he was growing tomato plants on their front porch.
A Roane County Trooper was returning a dog to a residence near the Roane-Kanawha line when he noticed 4 marijuana plants growing in pots on the porch.
When Sgt. D.P. Kitzmiller spoke with the lady of the house about the plants, she told him her grandson said they were tomato plants. Six more "tomato" plants were found growing behind the house.
The trooper arrested Christopher Adam Hundley, 23, and a female on charges of manufacturing marijuana, possession with intent to deliver, and 2 counts of conspiracy.
KEY SPREE - Spencer Police Chief Gary Williams said an 11 year old Spencer youth was responsible for thousands of dollars in damages to parked cars over a two month period.
Most of the damage was done by "keying" at least six vehicles. The vandalism took place from May through July, on Pike Street and Circle Avenue in Spencer.
THE CHURCH "CLEANING" LADY - A Kanawha County woman who wrecked her car in Roane County on State Rt. 36, on July 22nd will be charged with theft. Police discovered the woman had stolen cash and credit cards she took while attending a church wedding in Ohio.
Roane Deputy Mike King said Margaret Darling, 46, was injured and hospitalized after the wreck, but has since been released. Darling had stolen five different drivers licenses belonging to Ohio drivers, and 22 credit cards.
She also stole a laptop computer belonging to the church, a DVD player, two digital cameras, a gold wedding band, $700 in cash and two MP3 players.
She allegedly posed as the church cleaning lady, and even took a check left to pay the real cleaning lady.
"SETTLED" OUT OF COURT - A Greenbrier County sheriff's deputy was arrested after getting into a fistfight with the county's prosecuting attorney last week.
State Police said Deputy Kevin Sawyers, 36, of Ronceverte was fighting with Prosecutor Kevin Hanson in the front yard of a residence on Foster Street when State Police troopers arrived about 11 p.m. Thursday.
Police saw the two men fall to the ground as they continued to fight, according to the complaint, the police pulled Sawyers off Hanson.
Prosecutor Hanson was taken to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center for treatment and Sawyers was charged with battery. A special prosecutor will be appointed to the case.
LAWYER SUES LAWMAKERS - A lawyer found with nude photos on his state-owned computer while he worked for the Legislature is now suing the House of Delegates.
Richard Lindroth says his 2005 firing was because of age discrimination.
Lindroth was fired after investigators stumbled upon more than 80 nude photos on his computer while on an unrelated case. Lindroth said he didn't know how the photos got on his computer.
The incident did not appear to be related to a secreted basement operation in the state Capitol that was making illegal copies of music DVDs.
"HE DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT HER" - Richard "Ricky" Booth tried to snatch an 82-year-old woman's purse in March.
He didn't rob her of money. He robbed her of her mobility.
The woman, who was on her way to a favorite restaurant with her husband, refused to give up her purse and was knocked to the ground, breaking her hip as her frail husband sat in the car, unable to move or help his wife.
Circuit Judge James Mazzone, whose 1st Judicial District includes Brooke, Hancock and Ohio counties, imposed the 80-year prison sentence a month after the 21-year-old Moundsville man pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery.
Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith said Friday the sentence sends a message of intolerance for people who prey on the weak.
Booth's attorney, assistant public defender Thomas Moore, said his client had no intention of harming the woman when he tried to snatch her purse in March. He was just looking for money for drugs.
Dr. Mary Haus, an orthopedic surgeon said that the woman's "quality of life has been severely diminished," enduring two surgeries and months of physical therapy.
"I went from being an active helper for my husband who has great difficulty walking ... and an 'always available' babysitter for my 9-year-old grandson ... to a helpless person who can't even go to the bathroom without assistance," she told the court.
Booth will have to serve at least 20 years of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
TWO THOUSAND IN CASH & A BONUS PRIZE - An automated teller machine containing $2000 was stolen from O'Dell's Exxon in Amma, Roane County, last week.
State Trooper P.S. Fisher of the Spencer detachment, said the thief entered the convenience store through a window, unlocked the door from the inside, and took the ATM machine valued at $10,000 and the cash contents.
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