Benwood Councilman Posts Bond
By ANNIE DIMMICKArticle Photos
BENWOOD- If a tree branch falls on your neighbor's property, does it really make a sound?
You bet. In Benwood it's called a 12-gauge shotgun blast.
The thunderous roar that follows a 12-gauge being fired rang throughout Benwood several times Wednesday evening after City Councilman Charles Terry allegedly shot the pickup truck of his neighbor, David Davies, over an apparent property dispute stemming from downed tree branches.
Terry, 67, allegedly confessed his crime to West Virginia State Police Cpl. Mike Hogan following his arrest around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at his Roosevelt Avenue home, according to a criminal complaint filed in Marshall County Magistrate Court. No injuries were reported, but Terry's confession allegedly included information to show his intentions could have turned fatal.
"I'll tell you now I did it and he's lucky it wasn't him," Terry said of Davies in his confession.
Marshall County Magistrate David Buzzard set Terry's bond at $1,500 on a charge of wanton endangerment.
He was taken to the Northern Regional Jail and released on bond Thursday morning.
In defending the bond amount, Buzzard said the shotgun was fired at an inanimate object.
"There's no mention of the weapon being fired at a person," Buzzard said, noting that no one was injured. "That was my reasoning."
Witnesses told Hogan, however, that children were playing nearby the Davies home when the shooting took place.
As part of Terry's bond, Buzzard ruled he is to have no contact with Davies.
Hogan's criminal complaint also included details from the scene, such as how he recovered a Mossberg 500 A 12-gauge shotgun with seven live rounds and one in the chamber.
Benwood Councilman Lawrence "Larry" Ferrera, who has been a member of council since 1992, said he didn't know what the repercussions concerning Terry's position on council will be. Terry has been a council member since 2002.
"I am sure you could lose your job," Ferrera said. "I don't know the rules. If that was me I would resign. It has got to be an embarrassment to him and his family, but what are you going to do? Everyone has a bad day, but you can't go out and shoot things."
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Chickenhawk
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09-23-08 11:58 PM
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well done elliswyatt. you hit the nail right on the head. oh, they actually vote in benwood. keep it up elliswyatt we all love your comments.
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EllisWyatt
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09-23-08 6:46 AM
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Mountaineer4life You mistake my proposals/solutions with bashing. If you cannot accept constructive criticism, which, as a taxpayer, I have every right to give, then you should not serve in office or go overboard in defending your friends who do so. I support the military, firefighters, cops, and others who put their lives on the line for me. What I don't support are petty, small town people who think they run the world and should dictate policy to the larger population. I am dangerous? Yes, I guess public officials would think that because I am smart and I speak the truth. You would rather have morons pulling the party lever at election time. Good luck with that.
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PCGS70
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09-21-08 9:57 PM
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Where is Benwood?
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Mountaineer4life
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09-21-08 8:17 PM
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You know I did a little research on EllisWyatt and what I have learned is that Ellis blogs on here daily and gives opinions about eveything. This is great! However, have you ever tried being a public official? If not you should give it a shot. If you have, I bet your no longer doing it. You are a very "angry" person who loves to put down people. You are dangerous! I have read many of your blogs, blogs about many different topics and in every one, no matter what it is about you are downing someone. What a shame. In one of your blogs I read where you said "talk about the topic". Well my friend the topic here is "Benwood councilman post bond". so why are you beating up on Benwood officials and its residents? Get real. This is my last responce to you, your to fake.
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Mountaineer4life
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09-21-08 7:54 PM
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Dear Ellis, it seems that you have a "personal" problem with the officials and people of Benwood. You have veared off the this story and started a "bash benwood" campaign. I feel sorry for you, you are so angry. You need to do something else beside blog about Benwood. The people of Benwood do not really care what your opinion is. It's easy to hide behind on here and give you opinion, if your so smart and you know so much why don't you do something to change every thing that you think is "wrong"? Actions speak louder than words. So go to Benwood and see what you can do to fix everything that you claim is wrong.
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EllisWyatt
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09-21-08 3:03 PM
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'Benwood police Chief Frank Longwell also is unhappy about losing the Fashion Bug store. Longwell who said the city will suffer as The Highlands continues to grow. “The Highlands are like a leech sucking the blood out of all of these communities, and I can’t see The Highlands benefiting any city — whether it be Benwood, Wheeling, Warwood or anywhere else,” Longwell said. “In my own opinion, they just moved the Ohio Valley Mall up to The Highlands. We have prime, prime development property in Benwood with the plaza and other locations. I can see no community benefit for Benwood as far as The Highlands are concerned.”' Longwell, in a letter to the editor: "The beloved City of Benwood that you have referred to has contributed big time to the local economy. Where would retail such as The Highlands and the Ohio Valley Mall be without good paying industrial and manufacturing jobs?" Where, indeed.
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EllisWyatt
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09-21-08 2:17 PM
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RealityPolice I think that Benwood is right out of Orwell's "1984". Don't worry, there is no danger of any of Benwood's leaders having actually read it. Longwell DID rip the Highlands, saying it was killing Benwood businesses. IN THIS PAPER. I think what he's really concerned with is the loss of ticket revenue. The Mayor did claim a $500,000 budget surplus. He was quoted as saying "we have to decide which projects to tackle" and never mentioning that a refund to taxpayers might be a good idea. IN THIS PAPER. Why I used the "1984" analogy is that there are certain people who post on this site who deny deny deny that anyone in Benwood ever said or did anything that could later cast Benwood in a less than positive light. Longwell DID rip the Highlands. The Mayor DID claim a $500,000 budget surplus. Anyone care to dispute that?
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TheRealityPolice
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09-21-08 8:57 AM
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Ellis, Benwood "thinks" it has jurisdiction over the entire world. Remember Longwell's quote, "The Highlands ia a blight on the entire Ohio Valley"? Guess his high school economics class from 30 years ago served him well. No business wants to move there; they earned their empty shopping center all by themselves. The town is a joke.
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theRev
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09-20-08 5:27 PM
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i do not know Brautigan personally. i do know he is a blue collar worker. so i doubt he will be giving out favors for the ruling class.
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EllisWyatt
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09-20-08 2:43 PM
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This is going to sound rather immature but doesn't this guy look like Arthur Slugworth from the Gene Wilder version of Willy Wonka? Just a thought.
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Chickenhawk
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09-20-08 12:30 AM
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hey we had a bet here at work everyone guessed who mountaineer4life was and now everyone knows for sure who it is. by the way you have condemned councilmen ferreria for not being in the offices everyday we didn't know to be agood councilmen in your little town you had to loaf in the offices everyday we all thought the action was on the street. councilmen work for the people not a few employees. benwood has omni jurisdiction over the whole universe.
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Mom2Four
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09-19-08 8:40 PM
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Wake up Marshall County Voters. ========== I would love to see a shake up in the magistrate's offices, but we have to get someone to run for the office first! The only new hat we have in the ring this time is a Brautigan from (you guessed it) Benwood/McMechen! Kerwood and Buzzard need to GO!! Please give us some alternatives!
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theRev
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09-19-08 6:23 PM
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i think chuck admitted what he did. i think the alleged part can be droped.i perdict he wil be he will no resign he will not do any jail time and will be relected for ten more years. he will probaly say that he has a problem with alcohol or drugs. maybe he will have to attend anger management classes. its not just benwood all of marshall county is like that. lets not forget the padlow incident. well its not just marshall county its the state its the federal govenrment. its who you are and who you know. two sets of laws one for us one form them
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EllisWyatt
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09-19-08 6:10 PM
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This board is no place for threats. A certain ****** off individual does not want the truth to come out so he posts threats. Why would anyone get a notice to appear in court to "prove" the words they write on a website? Does Benwood have jurisdiction over the internet? I don't think they do. If they did, they would give out speeding tickets to those who type too fast.
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Patterson
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09-19-08 5:52 PM
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Illogical thinker and even more scary he owns a shotgun.
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alfred
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09-19-08 5:25 PM
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This story belongs on "RIPLEYS" beleive it or not.!!!!!
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WV4Life
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09-19-08 2:44 PM
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Ok maybe I was wrong for saying without bond but only $1,500 bond? I feel it should have been higher than that. Just my personal opinion!
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whg26003man
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09-19-08 2:36 PM
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"I feel that Terry should have stayed in jail without bond." That would be illegal in the State of WV. He is not charged with murder.
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TheRealityPolice
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09-19-08 2:29 PM
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Just more proof that Benwood is a joke in the state of West Virginia - what a pathetic town full of people.
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WV4Life
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09-19-08 2:19 PM
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I feel that Terry should have stayed in jail without bond. What about the comment he made to the state police "I'll tell you now I did it and he's lucky it wasn't him," Isn't that a threat to shooting someone??
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surgelaw
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09-19-08 1:11 PM
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"Good Ole Politics", just look back and remember when a certain Bethlehem Mayor acted out on a Law enforcement Officer. Was there any violations? ...............
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Mountaineer4life
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09-19-08 10:37 AM
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And by the way "Chicken". Never in my comments have you seen me condemn anyone. what Terry did is wrong, 100 percent wrong. But the question I have for you is why is what he did bringing out the anger in you against Longwell and Kuca? They were not there, they did nothing! Appearently you have an axe to grind and you are very sore at them and this site gives you the chance to vent. Why don't you change you name from chicken to "BRAVE" and go to the public meeting and ask the questions you are asking here? In the case of Larry Ferrera, he is a good man and he is right in what he says. However, there is more to being a councilman in a city than just showing up to a meeting twie a month. The offices are open 5 days a week 52 weeks a year. Ask him how many times he is there! No need to ask because you already know the answer, NONE. Although terry is wrong in what he did, he is in the officer "EVERY DAY". So even though Larry is a good man he don'
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LK0812
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09-19-08 10:34 AM
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lol, not felonies involving firing a gun in a residential neighborhood with kids around.
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whg26003man
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09-19-08 10:32 AM
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Yes and there are also felonies who get released on a personal recognizance bond.
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LK0812
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09-19-08 10:30 AM
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whg26003man, I agree that he is entitled to bond, but bonds get set higher than that for misdemeanors every day. And there are additional conditions that could have been imposed for his pre-trial release, such as home confinement, reporting to day report centers, mental health services, etc. All he was required to do is post 150 bucks.
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