i have funky windows, there's a crank that causes a window panel to open outward.. i use a portable AC with a hose and it does a decent job, but the attachment it came with didn't fit my funky window. it was pretty easy to remedy: cut a piece of plywood to fit the window frame, cut a hole in the center and attached the hose to it.
that DIY air conditioner is bunk for a couple different reasons - your fridge will generate more heat in creating the ice than the ice will absorb melting (not to mention the heat generated by the fan), and their explanation for using copper shows zero understand of physics..
but, anyway, the biggest piece of advice for keeping a cool apartment is to really conserve energy. turning off a 300 watt appliance like a PC, or conservatively using high-energy appliances (hot water heater, dryer, stove, etc) will make a huge difference in room temp. but that may not be enough if you live in an unusually hot area... i dunno what the weather's like in WV.