Charges dropped after victim no-show

CHESAPEAKE — Misdemeanor assault charges against a Chesapeake woman were dismissed in Lawrence County Municipal Court.

Lindsey C. Burns, 25, of Chesapeake, had been arrested in the McDonald’s restaurant in Proctorville in mid-September following an alleged assault that reportedly happened in the restaurant.

Around 11 a.m. Sept. 12, Sgt. Mike Vaden of the Proctorville village police was called to the McDonald’s on State Route 7. On arrival he was told that Brittany Hufford, 19, of Huntington, W.Va., had been the victim of an assault.

On Monday the charges were dismissed after the victim failed to show up to the hearing. The Lawrence County prosecutor’s office had tried to telephone her, but discovered her phone was disconnected. A letter was then sent to the woman about the upcoming hearing.

Burns had been facing a first-degree misdemeanor charge.

Ohio Valley Bank nixes 2 p.m. cutoff

SOUTH POINT — Ohio Valley Bank takes its very last 2 p.m. cut-off in the 137-year history of the financial institution.

Effective Oct. 1, transactions made at an Ohio Valley Bank office, before the closing time of that office, will be processed on the same business day.

The cut-off for transactions on CellTeller mobile banking, NetTeller internet banking and OVB Line telephone banking will still be 11 p.m. eastern. Transactions made after this time will be processed on the next business day.

OVB Senior Vice President and Chief Deposit Officer Tom Shepherd commented, “We know that folks are working harder these days, with less free time to do the things they want to do. Many of our customers rush to the bank during their lunch break to beat the daily cut-off time. Our extension of this deadline is just one more way that we can help our friends and neighbors in the communities we serve.”

Anime, manga event comes to Big Sandy

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — For those venturing into downtown Huntington next weekend, they may notice groups of ninja, soul reapers, and other assortment of cartoon and video game characters roaming the streets. This is because Tsubasacon has returned to the Riverfront Ballroom and Conference Center at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena for three days of celebrating anime and manga.

Hosting its sixth annual convention since 2004, Tsubasacon will bring hundreds of anime and manga fans to the area. Admission will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The event will be open from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Full day passes will be sold for $25 for Friday, $35 for Saturday, and $15 for Sunday. However, for a better value, weekend passes will be sold for $40.

All passes allow for re-entry into the event.

This year’s roster of guests will not disappoint either. Three new guests attending Tsubasacon include actor Darrel Guilbeau, best known for his roles as Hikari in The Melody of Oblivion and Sousuke Kawara in Samurai Champloo, actress Leah Clark, who was the voice of Noah in Full Metal Alchemist and Paris in Shin Chan, and comic creator Gina Biggs, author of Red String, Erstwhile, and Love of Sausage. Comic creator Jen Lee Quick, author of Off*Beat and Renascence, and Japanese-American pianist, singer, and songwriter Lisa Furukawa will be returning for their third year.

Among the many events attendees can expect is a cosplay café on Friday and Sunday in the neighboring Holiday Inn & Suites, fan and guest panels covering a range of topics, video screening rooms showing classic and newly released anime, an anime-themed mystery dinner, a variety of game shows, and a video gaming room sponsored by the LANding Zone. Every year, the highlight of Tsubasacon is the cosplay contest and masquerade on Saturday night at 7 p.m. were participates dressed in costumes of their favorite characters and perform skits before an audience numbering in the hundreds. A midnight rave finishes off the events on Saturday.

Last year, approximately 750 fans gathered for the three-day event, giving local restaurants and hotels a bump in revenue for the weekend. This year’s event is expected to attract 800 to 900 people to the downtown area. Tsubasacon will also be holding a canned food drive for the Huntington Area Food Bank, allowing attendees to bring in canned goods and other non-perishable food items or make donations for chance at a raffle. During the 2007 convention, over 170 food items were donated as part of the food drive, and $51 was raised through monetary donations and sales of the musical album Game by Piano Squall.

Pre-registration

set for auditions

Ashland, Ky. — Advance registration continues through Saturday for auditions for the 2010 Winter Guard season. 

Rivertown Performing Arts League, Inc. is seeking Tri-State   performers (ages 12 to 22) for Ability Winter Guard and Z Winter Guard. 

 Youth wishing to pre-register for auditions may request an application and other information online at http://rivertownpal.net/contactus.aspx. 

Beginners and experienced guard members are invited to audition Oct. 4 and Oct. 11 at Hatcher Elementary School in Ashland. 

 Members of Rivertown’s performance ensembles have competed at the Winter Guard International World Championships each year since 2007. 

For more information, contact Bill Burroway, director, at 606-922-2982 or 606-922-2903.

Scarecrows wanted for annual display

ASHLAND, Ky. — Community entries are needed for the fourth annual Scarecrow Spectacular at Boyd County Public Library.

The display, at the Main Branch, 1740 Central Ave., runs from Oct. 13-22. It will end with a reception for all the scarecrow makers, bidders and the general public at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. All funds raised from the auction will go to the BCPL Friends, which purchases items or sponsors programs for the library.

Individuals, groups and businesses are invited to build and decorate a scarecrow and bring it to the Main Branch by Friday, Oct 9, ready to display.

The scarecrows will remain on display, inside and outside the library, from Oct. 13-22, during which time the public is invited to vote on their favorite. Trophies will be awarded to the winners in the following categories: Funniest; Most Creative; Scariest; and People’s Choice.

Scarecrow makers are asked to fill out a brief application, available at all three library branches or online, at www.thebookplace.org, by Thursday, Oct. 8.