| DUEL TO THE DEATH - A Mercer County man charged with a rare murder by dueling pleaded guilty in McDowell County to two lesser offenses.
Steven Bryant Simpson Sr., 49, of Rock, was indicted by a grand jury last year on one count of murder by dueling in connection with a 2007 shoot-out.
Dana Martin, 39, died after being struck twice during the gun fight.
Simpson pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and brandishing a firearm.
All together, nine shots were fired in the duel between the two men.
Authorities said the duel was the apparent result of an argument over an ATV.
Simpson claimed Martin was riding too fast through the community. He told police he was making a citizens arrest when he stopped Martin, and had him pinned against the fence.
Later, both men returned to the same location armed with weapons.
The murder by dueling statute has been in West Virginia's legal code for more than 100 years, but it is a charge that has rarely been used.
Officials said the incident did not exactly meet the dueling statue, with a lack of a dueling agreement before the shooting.
DOLLAR GENERAL HELD-UP - Parkersburg Police responded to an armed robbery at the Dollar General on Seventh Street this week.
The suspect allegedly held up the store and got away with an undisclosed amount of money.
The suspect had a hand gun and demanded cash, then fled on foot.
Police are releasing a description of the suspect and video tape.
WOMAN ROBBED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT - A woman was robbed in broad daylight at a Brooke County gas station.
Police said a Follansbee man who stole a woman's purse may have returned to the scene of the crime with intentions of robbing a gas station.
Ronald Anthony DiEugene, 19, of Follansbee, is charged with petit larceny and brandishing a weapon.
DiEugene was carrying a fake gun and wore a ski mask when he allegedly took a woman's purse from her car as she pumped gas Wednesday.
Pamela Merritt said she left her doors unlocked at a Sunoco gas station on Main Street, when the man stole her purse, took her driver's license, prescriptions and a diamond ring.
Investigators said they believe DiEugene returned to the scene about 1 ½ hours later, but did not steal from the store.
CLERK GOES WILD ON PARKERSBURG CROOK - The night clerk of the Microtel Inn had a scary night this week when a man attempted to rob his cash register.
The man came to the front desk and demanded money.
The night clerk refused, so the suspect attempted to get the cash from a drawer. Then the clerk hit him with a phone.
The suspect then pulled a knife on the clerk so the clerk pulled out his own knife on the suspect.
Police will be releasing the video tape.
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