Local

  ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Wegmans is recalling a batch of pumpkin rolls because the baked goods may contain pieces of clear plastic from the packaging.

 

     The western New York grocery chain says Wednesday it's undertaking the voluntary recall following complaints by customers.

 

     The plastic may be sharp and present a choking hazard.

 

     The bakery pumpkin rolls were sold between Sept. 1 and Tuesday in all of Wegmans Food Markets' 81 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. Packages contained whole rolls, half rolls or two slices. All are being recalled.

 

     Wegmans customers can get a refund at the service desk.

 

 SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Department of Transportation says the multi-billion dollar 495 Express Lanes project is on track to open earlier than expected.

 

     Officials said Wednesday the high-occupancy toll lanes could open as soon as Nov. 17 on the Capital Beltway. To use the lanes, drivers will need an E-Z Pass to pay the tolls. There are no toll booths.

 

     Officials are encouraging drivers to prepare ahead of time to learn how the lanes work.

 

     Two new toll lanes will run in each direction from the Springfield Interchange to the Dulles Toll Road in Virginia. The toll lanes will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pricing will change based on traffic conditions to keep the lanes moving. 

 

     The project was expected to conclude by the end of the year.

 

Power restoration efforts continue throughout Virginia following Superstorm Sandy. Rodney Blevins with Dominion Virginia Power says they still have more than 8800 without service, but they should all be back on by late Thursday.

Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative had massive outages and just over 1400 are still in the dark. That latest time of full restoration for them is also Thursday. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative has over 1500 without power, most in the snow covered western part of the state.

 
 
Around 4 o’clock Tuesday morning Fredericksburg police and fire responded to a report of an explosion inside a home on Normandy Avenue.
 
Natatia Bledsoe of the Fredericksburg Police Department said a woman who lives there was not hurt.
 
Two similar incidents occurred in Stafford County within two hours of the explosion in Fredericksburg.
 
 
In addition to Stafford and Fredericksburg police, the Stafford Fire Marshal’s Office, the BATF and state police are investigating.
Anyone with information is asked to call Fredericksburg police at 373-3122 or the Stafford Sheriff’s Office at 658-4400.
 

 BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - Prosecutors have dropped charges against a bus dispatcher stemming from a Virginia crash that killed four passengers. 

 

     The four involuntary manslaughter counts against Zhao Jian Chen were dismissed Tuesday at a hearing in Caroline County Circuit Court. He was set to go on trial on those charges following the May 31, 2011, crash on Interstate 95 north of Richmond.

 

     Chen was charged after prosecutors said he told Sky Express driver Kin Yiu Cheung to continue driving after Cheun said he was too tired. Officials say new evidence called that claim into question.

 

     Cheung's bus swerved off the highway, hit an embankment and overturned on its way from Greensboro, N.C., to New York.

 

     Cheung faces a trial on involuntary manslaughter charges next week. The dispatcher has been subpoenaed to testify.

 

Virginia Department of Transportation crews continue to work around the clock to deal with different issues across the state: flooding, downed trees and snow/ice.  
All interstate and major roads are open.  More than 280 roads, mostly secondary roads, are closed across the state. In this area, flooding only closes Harrell Road and Route 1013 in Stafford County and Route 606 in Westmoreland.
Although there is no longer a tropical system, the storm is still packing a punch with high gusty winds across the state and blowing and drifting snow in western portions of Virginia into the evening.

 

 

     RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is returning to Virginia as Election Day nears.

 

     The former Massachusetts governor is scheduled to make stops across Virginia on Thursday after canceling events on Sunday ahead of superstorm Sandy.

 

     According to his campaign website, Romney is scheduled to attend a rally at Integrity Windows and Doors in Roanoke on Thursday morning, and then travel to Doswell for a rally at Meadow Event Park in the afternoon. Romney is then set to attend a rally at Farm Bureau Live Amphitheater in Virginia Beach later Thursday.

 

     Polls show Virginia among the last handful of states where the election is a toss-up. In 2008, President Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia since 1964.

 FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Police say a trooper has been injured when a car struck a patrol car in Fairfax.

 

     Troopers say it happened about 6:15 p.m. on the eastbound Interstate 66 ramp to southbound Route 286. Authorities say a car lost control, spun around and t-boned the patrol car.

 

     The impact sent the patrol car off the road.

 

     The trooper was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the other car was not hurt.

 

     Troopers say the other driver was traveling too fast for the wet road. Charges are pending as the accident is under investigation. 

 

Hurricane Sandy has forced organizers to cancel an event in Charlottesville featuring former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Albright was scheduled to attend a forum at the University of Virginia this evening.
Meanwhile, Democrat Tim Kaine has canceled all Senate campaign events in Virginia today and tomorrow. President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney have followed suit and a debate tonight in Fredericksburg the First Congressional District candidates is also canceled. 

 

Eight localities have opened shelters throughout the region for those without power due to once Hurricane Sandy.

Spotsylvania County has a shelter at Thornburg Middle School just off U.S. One. It is staffed by the Red Cross, county social services and animal control. There will be an area for non-agressive pets.

Stafford County has a shelter at Gayle Middle School on Panther Drive. Residents can bring their pets to the shelter, but they will be housed at the county animal shelter.

King George's shelter is at King George High School. Only service animals will be allowed to stay there. Others will be housed at the county animal shelter.
There are others in: Westmoreland County at Washington and Lee High School on 16380 Kings Highway; in Colonial Beach at Colonial Beach High School on 100 1st Street. They are also open in King George at King George High School on 10100 Foxes Way; in Culpeper at the Salem Fire Station on 13428 Scotts Mill Road and in Fauquier at Liberty High School on 6300 Independence Avenue.

 

     RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is declaring a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.

 

     While there's some uncertainty of the storm's final track, the governor's office says all forecasts call for significant impacts to Virginia over the weekend and early next week.

 

     McDonnell says the declaration is a precautionary measure to ensure that Virginia is ready for any potential impacts from the storm. 

 

     The hurricane is following a path that could see it blend with a winter storm to hit the U.S. East Coast with a super-storm next week. 

 

     McDonnell says the projected long duration of the storm has the potential to produce significant flooding, extensive power outages, as well as snowfall in part of Virginia.

 

Two Orange County residents have been shot, the result of a domestic dispute, according to authorities.

Deputies were summoned  a residence at 7635 vermont Road just before midnight, Thursday night. There they found both residents, 39-year-old James Eckman Jr. and 45-year-old Virginia Marie Eckman, had been shot. The victims' wounds appear to be non-life threatening according to a sheriff's office press release.

The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Authorities in Caroline County continue to look for the second suspect in a brutal beating that has left one man in a coma.
The Sheriff's Office says the victim suffered a skull fracture in the incident in the Ruther Glen area on October 9th. Gregory A. Pollard of Partlow is already in custody charged with attempted homicide, malicious wounding, and robbery.
The whereabouts of Al-Lahteef Salaam Jones of Richmond are still unknown. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous. A photo of Jones is on wfls-dot-com under local news. Anyone with information should contact the Caroline County Sheriff's Office.

 

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Metro says track work on the red, orange, green and blue lines will affect train riders over the weekend. 

 

     Metro says the work begins Friday at 10 p.m. and continues through closing on Sunday. 

 

     On the red line, trains will single track between Twinbrook and Grosvenor and between Forest Glen and Takoma. Customers traveling through the work zones should allow for about 15 minutes of extra travel time. 

 

     On the orange line, trains will single track between Stadium-Armory and Cheverly, leading to 10 minute delays. 

 

     On the green line, trains will single track between Greenbelt and College Park. Customers traveling to or from Greenbelt should allow about 10 minutes of additional time.

 

     Finally, on the blue line on Saturday only trains will single track between Franconia-Springfield and Van Dorn Street, leading to 10 minute delays.

 

  ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - A Manassas woman is being held without bond after police say she tried to drive her car into a security officer outside Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda.

 

     Angela Akosua Cobbold is due back in court Oct. 31. She's being held pending a psychiatric evaluation.

 

     Cobbold is charged with first-degree assault.

 

     Police say Cobbold struck another car with her vehicle while trying to make a U-turn Tuesday at an entrance gate of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Police say she drove away and later tried to run over a security officer with her car. The officer shot at the Cobbold's car, but she wasn't injured. She was taken into custody after crashing her car at a construction zone.

 

     

 

A crash and fuel spill that happened around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night closed all three lanes of 95 north in Stafford County for more than six hours.
Police say a Honda CRV lost control at the 138 mile marker, crossing all three lanes, overcorrecting and hitting a tractor trailer in the middle lane. The impact caused the truck to jackknife and its' fuel tank to rupture. Hazmat crews were called to clean up the 150 gallons of gas.
The Honda's driver, Ahmed Mohammed, of Falls Church is charged with reckless driving. He and two passengers were taken to Mary Washington Hospital. The tractor-trailer driver was not hurt.

 

Authorities are looking for a suspect who reportedly exposed himself to a woman inside the Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street Tuesday afternoon.
The 23 year old Culpeper resident says she was at a table studying when a man came up and asked if he could sit down. She looked over a few minutes later and saw his genitals were out. She immediately left the table to report it to the staff and the man left through a library door onto Lewis Street.
He is described as a black, in his mid to late 40s with short black hair and a medium complexion.  He was wearing a sleeveless red shirt and carrying a black coat and bag. 

 

An accident involving a car and a tractor-trailer on northbound Interstate 95 in Virginia's Stafford County is lead to major traffic delays during the morning commute.

 

Authorities say appears that the driver was in the left lane when he suddenly swerved off to the right, overcorrecting came back to the center lane striking a tractor trailer around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. The trailer jackknifed and spilled 150 gallons of diesel fuel. A hazardous materials team was called in to clean up the highway. 

 

All lanes of traffic were open as of 6 a.m. Wednesday.

 

Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said in a statement that 24-year-old Ahmed Mohammed of Falls Church was cited for reckless driving. Mohammed and two passengers, a 23-year-old female and 20-year-old male, were taken to the hospital.  

 

The tractor trailer driver as not injured.

   BETHESDA, Md. (AP) - A Virginia woman is in custody after police say she rammed her car into a vehicle, then tried to run into a security officer, outside the entrance of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

 

     The officer shot at the car Tuesday after police say she tried to back her vehicle into him. The woman was not injured and drove away. She was being treated but was not immediately charged.

 

     Montgomery County Police spokesman Paul Starks identifies the woman as Angela Akosua Cobbold from Manassas.

 

     Starks says earlier Tuesday, Cobbold's car had been spotted going more than 90 mph on Interstate 66 in Virginia. He says the woman was also seen biting a bar of soap.

 

     The woman never got on the base.

 

Good news for Stafford County. Fitch Rating Service announced Tuesday an upgrade to the county's bond rating for lease revenue bonds from AA- to AA.
It cites two key factors: superior economic and financial performance. Fitch says Stafford has shown significant financial resilience, strong revenue performance and consistent budgeting.
Fitch says Stafford entered and emerged from the recession with strong reserves and financial flexibility.

 

The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office has found a missing 12 year old runaway runaway.
Helicopters, K-9's and other resources were deployed to search for Summer Owens. The is 5 foot 8 inches tall and 115 pound girl has last been seen Monday evening at Child Help around 8:00 p.m. K-9's tracked her to the Burger King in Locust Grove Tuesday afternoon.

Summer has a medical condition that requires medication and the Sheriff's Office is greatful to have found her unharmed.

  WASHINGTON (AP) - A massive electronic database detailing the burial sites of hundreds of thousands of people at Arlington National Cemetery is now accessible to the public.

 

     Cemetery officials built the database over the last two years to verify the accuracy of their records in the wake of reports of misidentified graves. Prior to 2010 the cemetery used paper records.

 

     On Monday, the cemetery debuted an interactive map available through its website and through a free smartphone app. It uses geospatial technology to hone in on specific graves and can also be searched by name.

 

     Officials say the new app makes it easier for people walking the cemetery to locate a loved one's burial place as well as some of the cemetery's notable graves.

 

     The cemetery hosts more than 4 million visitors annually.

 

 

Twice within four days, delivery drivers in Fredericksburg have been threatened attacked and had food stolen.
One was threatened to be hit if he did not hand over the food and another reports being tackled by a group of men. Fredericksburg Police say both incidents happened at the Forest Village Apartment complex on Fall Hill Avenue and they are possibly related.

One suspect is described as a black man in his mid 20s, approximately 6 feet tall with a slender build and wearing a reddish brown hoodie with the hood pulled up. Only one of the suspects is described in the group attack, as a black man in his mid to late 20s, approximately 6 feet and 220 pounds, with medium length dreadlocks and wearing a black hoodie. 

 

  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Police will have its largest graduating class ever.

 

     A ceremony is set for Friday morning at Meadow Event Park in Caroline County for 89 new troopers.

 

     In addition to have its biggest graduation class, 13 women represent the highest number of female graduates.

 

     Members of the 118th Basic Session began a 37-week training session in February. The new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments on Monday for the final phase of training.

 

 

Germanna Community College and Northern Virginia Community College are among the most technically innovative colleges in the nation.
The Republic's Center for Digital Education announced the results and winners of the eighth annual Digital Community Colleges Survey. Germanna, with campuses in Spotsylvania and Orange counties and centers in Culpeper and Stafford counties, tied for seventh place. Northern Virginia Community College, which has a campus in Woodbridge, tied for fourth place.
Colleges from 26 states across the U.S. participated in the 2012 Digital Community Colleges Survey. 

 

 ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - Arlington Police have arrested a suspect after a man threw a Molotov cocktail into the food court at the Ballston Common mall during the lunch rush.

 

     Police say nobody was injured during Thursday's incident, which occurred shortly after noon. Police evacuated the mall after the bottle shattered. It did not ignite.

 

     A suspect was arrested a few hours later near the Courthouse Metro station; authorities would not release his name Thursday. FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire said charges will likely be filed as soon as possible.

 

     According to police, a man wearing a gray jacket dropped a 40-ounce bottle, with a lit fuse attached, onto the food court. Authorities described it as a "rude, crude incendiary device" that smelled like gasoline.

 

     Three similar bottles were found on the mall's second level.

 

Robert Crawford
Casey Ross
Amanda Garza

Spotsylvania County Authorities conduct a sting operation and bring down three people involved in heroin distribution and prostitution.

Captain Mike Harvey says undercover detectives found multiple ads on a website advertising prostitutes. The sting at a local hotel led to heroin being found and Robert Crawford, Casey Ross and Amanda Garza all facing multiple charges. Both women admit that Crawford was their "pimp." Crawford is from King George, Ross is from Spotsylvania and Garza is from Orange County. Garza also has an outstanding warrant in Orange on another charge.

Harvey says heroin is a devastating drug and they aggressive pursue suspected heroin dealers.

 

A man was hit and killed by a southbound Amtrak train around 4:00 p.m. Wednesday in Spotsylvania.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office says the victim, who's age is not yet known was a white male. The train was carrying about 200 passengers and was in the middle of three tracks along Benchmark Road. The train's engineer tells police he saw the man crossing the tracks 200 yards ahead, be he did not acknowledge the train. An empty Amtrak picked up the stranded passengers and two more of its trains were also delayed. Some VRE service was also affected. 

Police are still investigating the case.

 

   CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is rallying supporters in Virginia.

 

     Romney will make two campaign appearances in the battleground state on Wednesday.

 

     He will hold a rally at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake in the afternoon before heading to Leesburg for an evening rally at Ida Lee Park.

 

     On Tuesday, Romney's running mate Paul Ryan held rallies in Lynchburg and Fredericksburg. 

 

     Both Romney and President Barack Obama are making frequent appearances in Virginia in the final weeks before the election. Obama spent the weekend in Williamsburg preparing for Tuesday evening's debate with Romney.

 

For the second time in less than three weeks, a dangerous situation happens in Fredericksburg involving gun owners. 

Police Spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe says both men involved face felony and misdemeanor charges, but beyond that is the responsibility to not endanger their neighbors.

The first incident was on September 29th, where a neighbor found a bullet hole in the floor the morning after it was fired. The latest report in October 16th. The five year old son of Alexander Fergason's neighbor found a bullet hole in his dresser. In that case, three young children were in the apartment and Bledsoe says 25 year old Furgason did not go check to see if everyone was okay. 

There are no injuries reported in either case, but Bledsoe says gun owners have to be responsible. They should make sure that guns are stored unloaded until ready to use and that it is clear of ammunition before cleaning. It should always be pointed in a safe direction and a finger should be off the trigger until it is time to be fired.

Even if a gun is not in the home, children should be educated that they are not toys and if they find a weapon to contact a trusted adult.

   RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia health officials say a second person has died in the state from a rare outbreak of meningitis.

 

     Virginia Department of Health spokesman Matthew Lipani said Tuesday night the latest death involved an adult who lived in southwestern Virginia.

 

     The victim's name wasn't immediately released.

 

     Last week an autopsy confirmed a Salem man who received a spinal injection for relief from a pinched nerve died Sept. 18 of acute fungal meningitis.

 

     Nearly three dozen suspected meningitis cases in Virginia have been reported from among 689 patients who received injections of a possibly tainted batch of steroids typically used to relieve back pain. Virginia health officials said two clinics, in Roanoke and Christiansburg, are the only medical facilities in the state to have received the now-recalled steroid from a Massachusetts supplier. 

 

 

 

Fredericksburg police have an arrest warrant for a woman who called a city department store to complain about a rejected store credit.
Rebecca Lynn Betancourt apparently went to the Kohl's store in Central Park Monday, picked up a coffee maker and immediately took it to the customer service desk for store credit, saying she did not have a receipt for the return. A loss prevention officer was suspicious after the woman left and checked the store surveillance camera. He called police after seeing that she came in empty-handed and went to customer service without checking out.
Meanwhile, she went to another area Kohl's and tried to use the store credit. When it was rejected she called the Central Park store to complain, but was forwarded to a loss prevention officer, who handed the phone to a city officer, who was at the store taking a report about the theft. 

 

    MANASSAS, Va. (AP) - Fire officials are investigating the cause of a three-alarm fire at a storage facility in Prince William County.

 

     County fire and rescue Battalion Chief Curtis Brodie says firefighters were called to the blaze at the facility on Sudley Road about 11 p.m. Sunday. The fire caused extensive damage to the building and clean-up efforts are expected to last through Monday morning. 

 

     No injuries were reported.

 

     Sudley Road was temporarily shut down while firefighters battled the fire. 

A Fredericksburg man gets a pleasant surprise after winning a major Virginia Lottery Prize.
Wesley Thompson says it was a lazy Sunday morning when he stopped at the Sunoco at 2300 Jeff Davis Highway to buy some lottery scratch off tickets. He scratched the $150,000 Players Club ticket after he got home and couldn't believe what he saw: he had won the $150,000 top prize. Thompson says he carried the ticket around all day. He plans to use his winnings to pay bills.
The $5 ticket has two top prizes remaining.

 

A Culpeper County woman dies Thursday morning after crashing on Sperryville Pike.
Authorities say they responded to the scene where Wanda Sue Sisk's Chevy S-10 pick-up ran off the road and struck a tree. They say she was immediately ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
It is unclear why she ran off the road and the investigation is continuing.  

 

   BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - A plea hearing has been set for a North Carolina bus dispatcher facing charges stemming from a Virginia crash that killed four passengers.

 

     The Caroline County Circuit Court clerk's office says a plea hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30 in the case of Zhao Jian Chen, of Greensboro, N.C. 

 

     That's the day he was set to go on trial for four involuntary manslaughter counts following the May 31, 2011, crash on Interstate 95 north of Richmond. 

 

     Chen had pleaded not guilty to those charges in March.

 

     Prosecutor Tony Spencer has said Chen told Sky Express driver Kin Yiu Cheung to continue driving after Cheung said he was too tired to drive.

 

     Cheung's bus swerved off the highway, hit an embankment and overturned. He will face involuntary manslaughter charges in November.

 

Fredericksburg Police are looking for two men accused of assaulting a Stafford resident in the city early Thursday morning.
The victim says he was walking home along the Canal Path, near old Cossey Pond, when he ran into the men. He says they had a verbal exchange before the suspects started hitting him. After the assault, the victim continued home and was taken to the hospital by a friend.
The suspects are both black and were wearing dark clothing. One of them is reportedly in his 30s and approximately six feet tall while the other was described as younger and a few inches shorter. The investigation is ongoing.

 

Police say one person is dead after being struck by a Virginia Railway Express train in the Fairfax Station area this afternoon.
Manassas train 325 was stopped on the tracks between Burke Centre and Manassas Park as authorities investigated the fatality. Buses were sent to pick up the stranded passengers. As a result of a train hitting what is believed to be a trespasser on the tracks, Manassas trains 331 and 335 are cancelled. Trains 327, 329, 333 and 337 stop in Burke, where buses  take riders to their final destination.

 

This Friday, the eve of the third anniversary of Morgan Harrington's disappearance, her case will be featured on "America's Most Wanted." The segment will air at 10:00 p.m. on Lifetime. Harrington disappeared Oct. 17, 2009, during a Metallica concert on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Her remains were later discovered Jan. 26, 2010, in a field on an Albemarle County farm.

Later that year, the case was forensically linked to the attacker in a 2005 abduction and sexual assault of a young woman in Fairfax City. A reward of $150,041 is still available for anyone with information that leads to the case being solved.

 

Two teens in Louisa County face adult charges of attempted armed robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, malicious wounding and assault and battery.
Commonwealth's Attorney Rusty McGuire says 16 year old Kyle McKeown and 16 year old Melik Perkins purchased bandanas and airsoft guns and targeting a small group of county teens back in April.
McKeown hit two of them with a gun. He also bragged about running with a criminal street gang while in Greensboro and said he and Melik wanted to form one in Louisa.
Both conspirators face up to 51 years behind bars when sentenced in January.

 

Cash and Guns Seized

Marijuana Plants Seized

A 34 year old Culpeper man is arrested after a massive drug bust this week. 

Peter Gates apparently slams the door in the face of detectives when they arrive at his home this week. Officers later get a search warrant and seize 60 marijuana plants from the home, along with several ounces of packaged pot, cash, handguns and an assault rifle. Gates faces several drug and firearms charges. He has been released from the Culpeper County Jail on a $10,000 secured bond. 

This is the second large drug bust in Culpeper in a week.

 

 

The Stafford County Sheriff's Office is requesting the public's help to identify and located two men responsible for a robbery that took place  at the 7-11 store at 1 Commerce Parkway, late on September 3rd. Spokesman Bill Kennedy says they are again putting the word out after surveillance video is released.

Both suspects are black, one is about 5 foot eight with a partial beard, weighing about 200 pounds. He has a tattoo with three teardrops on his left cheek. The second man is about six feet and 185 pounds. They may have fled the scene in an unknown vehicle. 

 

Virginia Railway Express officials are thanking riders of the Fredericksburg and Manassas lines for their patience Tuesday afternoon.
Some were forced to wait for another train and others had to stand for much of the trip, after a suspicious package was located near VRE's L'Enfant station.
The Metropolitan Police Department advised CSX that rail traffic needed to be held during some of their investigation, over safety concerns. Train traffic returned to normal after just over an hour, but by then the damage was done. A few of the trains passed by normal stops to allow the trains to move more quickly on the tracks and to try and minimize overcrowding.

 

   The 19th century scrapbook of a Confederate general's niece in Virginia has been sold at auction to a New York man.

 

     Henrietta Magruder Turner's leather-bound scrapbook includes a hand-drawn map of the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg.

 

     Rick Stattler with Swann Auction Galleries tells The Free Lance-Star that the scrapbook was sold Tuesday for $4,400 to Kevin F. Kelly of New Palz, N.Y.

 

     Turner compiled the scrapbook from 1852 to 1875. She was a niece of Confederate Gen. John Bankhead Magruder.

     CLYMER, N.Y. (AP) - A coworker of the western New York school superintendent killed at his home last month says the Virginia man charged in the slaying had showed up at the district's office and asked to see the administrator.

 

     Acting Clymer School Superintendent Edward Bailey tells WGRZ-TV in Buffalo that Anthony Taglianetti of Woodbridge went to the school district's office on Sept. 21 and asked for a substitute teacher application. Bailey says he also asked to see Keith Reed Jr., who wasn't in at the time.

 

     Officials say Taglianetti fatally shot the 51-year-old Reed that same day outside his rural Chautauqua County home. Taglianetti was captured by U.S. Marshall a week later in Virginia and charged with second-degree murder. 

 

     Authorities say the 42-year-old Taglianetti is fighting extradition to New York. 

A once reported scam that targets senior citizens in Virginia and Maryland is resurfacing. 

Diane Richardson with the Charles County Sheriff's Office says it happens by phone and the suspects are sneaky. The person often has personal information and pretends to be a grandchild or a foreign official. They say they are jailed and need money to be set free.

The digital age is making it even easier to get personal information that makes the call sound even more realistic. 

Richardson says the scam artist has been successful in getting money in several cases.

Never give personal or financial information over the phone. Always verify that the caller is legitimate.

 

Two Stafford County teens are taken into custody and faces multiple offenses for nearly $15,000 in damage to Hampton Oaks Elementary School. 

The Sheriff's Office says both 19 year old Jarred Tyler Kee and a 17 year old were apparently intoxicated when found inside early Sunday morning. 

Among the items broken were tables, a sound system, televisions, computer monitors, ceramic globes and glass. The outside had also been sprayed by fire extinguishers. 

Kee faces charges on everything from felony vandalism to contributing to the delinquency of a minor.  

State police that a father and son were killed in a plane crash in Spotsylvania County Saturday afternoon,.

The blue-and-white plane had apparently just taken off from Shannon Airport in Spotsylvania County. A witness says it went straight up in a vertical climb and then turned and went straight down, corkscrewing into the ground. The plane hit a tree and landed where Carrie Court dead-ende near the airport.