State |
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| State News |
| Posts from December 2012 |
Cuccinelli Announces Campaign Manager
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 31 2012 5:34PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's Republican run for governor has a campaign manager.
The appointment of Dave Rexrode was announced on Monday. He is the former executive director of the Virginia Republican Party and has run several successful state and congressional races.
Cuccinelli became the presumptive GOP nominee for governor after Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced he would not seek the party's nomination.
Bolling has not ruled out an independent run.
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Federal-Mogul agrees to pay Va. waste fine
by AP
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posted Dec 31 2012 4:08AM
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BLACKBURG, Va. (AP) - Federal-Mogul has agreed to pay an $11,600 fine for hazardous waste violations at its auto parts plant in Blacksburg.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality cited the company for deficiencies in storage of hazardous waste at the plant.
Most of the violations involved record keeping and monitoring. They include a lack of weekly inspections and logs, and shortcomings in training for employees who manage some of the plant's waste storage areas.
Robert Steele with the DEQ said that none of the hazardous waste at the plant was released into the environment.
The fine is part of an agreement between the company and the state.
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Rehabbed hawk gets new home at Winchester museum
by AP
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posted Dec 31 2012 4:06AM
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WINCHESTER, Va. (AP) - A rehabilitated red-tailed hawk is getting a new home on the grounds of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.
The hawk will be released at 1 p.m. Monday as part of the museum's new year celebration.
The hawk will join a pair of red-tailed hawks that have nested on the museum's 254-acre grounds for the last 10 years.
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Support for U.Va. board appointment changes
by AP
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posted Dec 31 2012 4:05AM
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A University of Virginia survey shows a majority of residents in the Charlottesville area support changing laws that govern the appointment of the school's board members.
Seventy-nine percent of the more than 1,000 residents who responded to the survey said they favor such changes.
The telephone survey was conducted by U.Va.'s Center for Survey Research. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Charlottesville Delegate David J. Toscano said there's no doubt people want change. He says the question is what form it will take.
He is preparing legislation that would strengthen the committee that vets proposed board appointees. His proposal also would change quorum requirements for boards to conduct major business.
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Appeal in Ruling to Free Death Row Inmate
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 27 2012 11:08PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia authorities say they will appeal a judge's ruling that would have freed a former death row inmate.
A spokesman for Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said Thursday the office would file the appeal. The decision came a day after a federal judge in Norfolk ordered Justin Wolfe freed within 10 days because prosecutors had failed to retry him within the 120 days he gave them when he tossed Wolfe's conviction earlier this year.
Wolfe spent more than a decade on death row for the murder-for-hire of his drug supplier.
Attorney General spokesman Brian Gottstein says Wolfe is not housed in a state prison, so the decision whether to release him will be made by local authorities.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Raymond Jackson barred prosecutors from retrying Wolfe.
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Man robs bank blocks from White House
by AP
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posted Dec 27 2012 1:36PM
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WASHINGTON (AP) - D.C. police are looking for a man who robbed a bank just a few blocks from the White House.
Police say the robbery occurred shortly before 1 p.m. at the SunTrust Bank branch on 17th Street Northwest, near the Farragut West Metro station downtown.
Police say the man announced a robbery, demanded money and left with some cash. He was not visibly armed.
Police say the man was in his 50s or older and wearing eyeglasses, a red baseball cap and purple latex gloves.
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Va participating in agriculture census
by AP
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posted Dec 27 2012 12:28PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia will soon get a better picture of agriculture in the state.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says Gov. Bob McDonnell has declared January as Virginia Agriculture Census Month.
The Census of Agriculture takes place every five years. It is a complete count of all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them.
The last national agricultural census was in 2007. The census is based on the 2012 production year but reporting occurs from January until Feb. 4.
The census is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation.
Officials say federal and state leaders use the information to make policy decisions that have substantial impacts on agriculture.
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Couple accused of avoiding cash reporting rules
by AP
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posted Dec 27 2012 12:26PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Powhatan couple faces federal charges of structuring more than $4.6 million in cash transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements.
Fifty-five-year-old Loveleen Khare and 50-year-old Jayant Khare are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Richmond on Thursday.
A federal information charges both with conspiracy to structure currency transactions.
Federal law requires banks to report cash transactions in excess of $10,000 to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The couple is accused of using multiple bank accounts to avoid the reporting requirement. Federal authorities say the money likely came from cigarette trafficking.
Loveleen Khare's lawyer, William J. Dinkin, declined to comment.
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Va holding health care workforce forum
by AP
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posted Dec 26 2012 12:10PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - An upcoming forum is set to discuss the health care workforce in Virginia.
The forum hosted by the Department of Health Professions Healthcare Workforce Data Center is scheduled to take place on Jan. 9 in suburban Richmond.
Officials say the meeting will explore the implications of the age, gender, diversity, early development, academic preparation and geographic location of the health care workforce.
Virginia Secretary of Health & Human Resources Bill Hazel is scheduled to discuss the demand for dentistry, nursing and pharmacy services from Virginia's 8 million residents.
New survey data show that nearly 72 percent of all Virginia dentists are male and that the median age of Virginia's nursing workforce is 47. Additionally, almost 13 percent of Virginia's pharmacists plan to retire within the next five years.
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Zoo needs help naming female baby siamang
by AP
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posted Dec 26 2012 12:09PM
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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk needs help naming its female baby siamang.
The zoo says the animal was born in August to first-time mother Hitam. But it hadn't been named because its gender had not yet been determined.
Officials are taking name suggestions through Jan. 15. The top four names will be selected by zoo staff and submitted for a final vote by the public.
The animals are native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia and are the largest species of gibbon. They have black shaggy hair and a naked face.
They are omnivorous, eating mostly leaves, but also fruit, insects, nuts, small animals, birds and bird's eggs. Males and females are similar in size, growing to 30 to 35 inches in length and weighing approximately 17 to 28 pounds.
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Judge Weighs If Stores Must Post Tobacco Apology
by AP
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posted Dec 26 2012 10:50AM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal judge will soon decide whether your next tank of gas or bottle of soda comes with a free apology from the Marlboro man and Joe Camel.
A recent ruling ordering an advertising blitz stating that the nation's largest tobacco companies lied about the dangers of smoking left open the possibility that retailers could be required to place large displays on their countertops.
Retailers are concerned the signs would take away some of their most valuable selling space and would possibly imply their own guilt by association. Stores also could lose millions they receive under merchandising agreements with cigarette makers.
But public health organizations say the tobacco companies have long used retail displays to perpetuate deceptive marketing messages and that retailers are an important place for the corrective statements.
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DC Police Investigating 'Meet the Press' Incident
by AP
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posted Dec 26 2012 10:22AM
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WASHINGTON (AP) - D.C. police say they are investigating an incident in which NBC News reporter David Gregory displayed what he described as a high-capacity ammunition magazine on "Meet the Press."
Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump told The Washington Post in an email that the matter is under investigation.
Gregory interviewed Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the National Rifle Association, on Sunday's program. When asking whether high-capacity magazines should be banned, Gregory held an object and said it was a magazine that could hold 30 rounds.
High-capacity ammunition magazines are banned in the District of Columbia. "Meet the Press" is generally taped in Washington.
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Summer Windstorms Cost Lynchburg $2.1M
by AP
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posted Dec 26 2012 10:20AM
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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - Severe windstorms in June cost Lynchburg more than $2 million to repair damage to public property, clean up debris and operate shelters.
But the city is expected to pay only 2 percent of the bill. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to pay 75 percent of the costs. The News & Advance reports that the state could provide 23 percent of the funding.
The largest cost was debris cleanup. The city spent $1.6 million to remove debris and brush.
Lynchburg also spent about $110,000 for shelter operations and other emergency protective measures. Repairs to public property, including buildings, cost nearly $240,000.
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Longtime Georgetown Kayak-rental Business To Close
by AP
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posted Dec 24 2012 9:45AM
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WASHINGTON (AP) - A popular business that rents kayaks and canoes near the Key Bridge in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood will soon be forced to close.
The National Park Service has told the owner of Jack's Boathouse that his lease will be terminated next month.
Owner Paul Simkin says he's "brokenhearted" by the news. He says he didn't get much explanation from the park service and notes that the business has been thriving, with 72,000 visitors last summer.
Jack's Boathouse has been open since 1945.
The park service says the lease is no longer valid but has not explained further. The agency says it wants to provide recreational activities as a concession at the site, and that Simkin is free to submit a proposal to operate the concession.
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Campaign Seeks Parents for Foster Children
by AP
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posted Dec 24 2012 9:38AM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Children's Home Society of Virginia is trying to find adoptive families for about 90 older children in foster care.
The nonprofit's president, Nadine Marsh-Carter, tells the Richmond Times-Dispatch that these children are at risk of "aging out" of foster care without being adopted.
She says children who age out of foster care without being adopted lack the stability of a family. They're likely to make poor choices and fall through the cracks.
The $15,000 campaign is funded by a grant of more than $55,000 from the Sunshine Lady Foundation.
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Police: US Sen. Crapo Arrested, Charged With DUI
by AP
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posted Dec 24 2012 6:13AM
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<VIDEO> U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence in Alexandria, Virginia, authorities said. He was released on an unsecured $1000 bond.
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VDOT Lifts Temporary Lane Closures
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 21 2012 7:18PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Temporary highway lane closures will be suspended across Virginia to help holiday travelers reach their destinations.
The Virginia Department of Transportation says lane closures in temporary work zones will be lifted from noon Monday to noon Dec. 26, and from noon Dec. 31 to noon Jan. 2.
Travelers can check road conditions and traffic incidents on VDOT's travel information website, ww.511Virginia.org, or the mobile version for handheld devices, mobile511virginia.org. The service also can be accessed by telephone calling 511.
Officials are encouraging Virginians to plan for a safe trip by staring well-rested, avoiding distractions, wearing your seat belt and obeying the speed limit and other traffic safety laws.
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Man with board arrested at Sandy Hook school in Va
by AP
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posted Dec 19 2012 5:34PM
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STRASBURG, Va. (AP) - A man was arrested after he walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in northern Virginia with a 2-by-4 board with the words "High Powered Rifle" written on it.
Maj. Scott Proctor of the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Office said 33-year-old Christopher Gerrit Johnson apparently was attempting to make a statement about school safety Wednesday when he walked into the elementary school in Strasburg about 60 miles west of Washington.
The Strasburg school shares the same name as the Connecticut elementary school where 20 pupils were slain last Friday.
Proctor said Johnson was immediately detained by a school resource officer and arrested by police, who charged him with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor.
Johnson is being held without bond in the county jail. Proctor did not know if Johnson has retained an attorney.
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Airports board hands out numerous pay raises
by AP
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posted Dec 19 2012 11:51AM
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WASHINGTON (AP) - Records show that the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has given tens of thousands of dollars in pay raises to several top officials this year.
The airports board, which controls Ronald Reagan Washington National and Dulles International airports, has been criticized for its spending and hiring practices. An audit by the Department of Transportation's inspector general found employees accepting improper gifts and the issuance of no-bid contracts. Records also show that dozens of relatives of MWAA staff have been hired.
At least five vice presidents received pay raises of up to nearly 14 percent this year. MWAA President Jack Potter says he recommended the pay increases in order to retain highly qualified employees and compensate them according to their responsibilities.
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Va ranks high in health-emergency preparedness
by AP
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posted Dec 19 2012 11:50AM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A new report by two health advocacy groups ranks Virginia high compared with the rest of the country in being prepared for public-health emergencies.
But the report released Wednesday says spending cuts could threaten the state's ability to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, disasters and other threats.
The Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation say in the report that Virginia was among 10 states that meet seven of 10 key benchmarks of public-health preparedness. No state met all 10 benchmarks.
The scores reflect improvements over time in how officials prevent, identify and respond to disease, bioterrorism threats and natural disasters. But the report noted that Virginia has decreased its public-health budget from the 2010-2011 to 2011-12 fiscal years.
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Gov: Time to discuss arming school officials
by AP
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posted Dec 18 2012 4:37PM
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RICHMOND. (AP) - Gov. Bob McDonnell says policymakers should discuss allowing school officials to carry firearms on campus.
If school officials were trained and chose to have a weapon, McDonnell says they might have an opportunity to stop someone from trying to get into a school.
He says policy changes shouldn't occur in the immediate aftermath of an event such as the mass shooting on Friday at a Connecticut elementary school. But he says it's appropriate to hold a larger discussion about related issues.
McDonnell says gun control isn't a comprehensive solution to violence in America. He says access to mental health care, personal responsibility and the overall health of our culture also should be discussed.
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Va. teen sentenced in assault of ex-NFL player
by AP
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posted Dec 18 2012 4:36PM
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CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) - A Chesapeake teenager has been sentenced to five years in prison for an attack on former NFL player Ed Beard.
Media outlets report that 18-year-old Jalen Riddick will receive credit for time served in juvenile detention. He was sentenced Monday in Chesapeake Circuit Court.
Riddick is one of five teens who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the assault. The others are awaiting sentencing.
Police say Beard was riding his bicycle in his neighborhood on Oct. 23, 2011, when he came upon several youths fighting on school baseball field. When Beard tried to stop the fight, he was surrounded and some of the youths started hitting him.
The 71-year-old Beard suffered a concussion, a black eye and bruises.
Beard played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1965 to 1972.
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State to close Hanover juvenile detention center
by AP
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posted Dec 18 2012 4:36PM
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HANOVER, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice plans to close a juvenile detention center in Hanover and repurpose it.
Transfers of inmates and staff at the Hanover Correctional Center will begin early next year. A study will be conducted to determine what the facility should be repurposed as.
The department also plans to repurpose the Oak Ridge Center in Bon Air into an evaluation center.
It attributes the moves to budget cuts and a decrease in the number of juveniles who commit serious crimes.
Greg Davy with the department says some workers at the Hanover center will be reassigned to other facilities. Others are expected to retire.
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Governor presents amended budget
by Bill Dubensky
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posted Dec 17 2012 5:24PM
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Governor McDonnell's revisions to the state's two-year budget target modest spending increases.
Secretary of Finance Rick Brown says overall, the budget spends about $211 million more than it cuts.
“The governor announced major proposals in transportation, in K-12, more adjustments for higher education.” Brown said Monday.
The governor's midpoint amendments for year two of the $80 billion budget include $93 million in savings state agency chiefs recommended for their departments.
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Virginia to review school safety policies
by AP
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posted Dec 17 2012 5:21PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia plans to review school policies and procedures, as well as funding and resource challenges to ensure the safety of students and educators in their classrooms.
Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday said he's asked Secretary of Education Laura Fornash and Secretary of Public Safety Marla Graff Decker to review recently submitted school safety audits with school superintendents. They'll identify any changes in procedures or additional resources needed in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Connecticut.
McDonnell also created a task force of educators, public safety exports, local leaders and legislators to review school safety. It will provide legislative and budget proposals.
The governor also announced a new position within the state Department of Criminal Justice Services dedicated to issues associated with school and campus safety.
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Virginia electors cast tallies for Obama, Biden
by AP
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posted Dec 17 2012 5:20PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's 13 Electoral College members have cast their ballots for Democratic incumbent Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, formalizing the outcome of the presidential election in the state.
Electors of all 50 states and the District of Columbia convened Monday to cast their ballots. Virginia's electors met at the state capitol in Richmond.
It's a constitutional formality that played out nationwide involves party luminaries and activists carrying out the will of their state's voters. The popular vote from state-to-state dictates whether Democratic and Republican electors get the honor.
A majority of the 538 electoral votes was required to become president.
Obama is on course to get 332 votes to Romney's 206, barring defectors. The ballots head to Washington, where Congress will count them on Jan. 6.
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Governor Wants Raises for Virginia Teachers
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 13 2012 5:37PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Gov. Bob McDonnell wants 2 percent pay raises for public school teachers, provided lawmakers make it easier for officials to fire incompetent teachers.
The Republican governor is asking for nearly $59 million as the state's share for the raises for the fiscal year starting July 1.
Raises are contingent on passing the Education Fairness Act, extending probationary periods for rookie teachers. Localities would match the state share based on a sliding scale.
McDonnell says the money is assured regardless of whether Congress avoids a year-end "fiscal cliff" that could cripple Virginia's revenues.
He said he'll reduce the official revenue forecast on which budgeted state spending is based when he presents his budget to legislative budget writers Monday. He calls the reduction substantial, but won't say how much.
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An Appeals Court Upholds a Legislator's Bribery Conviction
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 13 2012 5:37PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal appeals court has upheld a former Virginia legislator's bribery and extortion convictions.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled against Phillip A. Hamilton of Newport News on Thursday.
Hamilton was sentenced to more than nine years in prison after becoming the first state lawmaker convicted of public corruption. The Republican was vice chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee in 2007 when he secured $500,000 in taxpayer money to fund a teacher training center at Old Dominion University while negotiating a job as its director.
The appeals court rejected Hamilton's claim that email exchanges with his wife should not have been allowed into evidence because they were protected by a legal doctrine known as "marital privilege."
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UVA Accrediting Issues Could Cause Problems for Rector
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 12 2012 7:59PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Some lawmakers say the University of Virginia's accrediting problems could make it more difficult for the school's embattled rector to win reappointment.
The university was put on warning by a national accrediting agency on Tuesday for its Board of Visitors' failed attempt to oust President Teresa Sullivan this summer.
Some lawmakers say that gives them more ammunition when the General Assembly takes up the governor's appointments next month.
Rector Helen Dragas led the effort to oust Sullivan in June. But the board reinstated Sullivan after two weeks of protests by students, faculty and donors.
Gov. Bob McDonnell reappointed Dragas days after Sullivan's reinstatement, but many called on lawmakers to block the appointment.
Bath County Sen. R. Creigh Deeds says the university can't move on with the same leaders in place.
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Grant to Support Virginia Wind Development
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 12 2012 7:58PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Energy has announced awards to speed the development of offshore wind projects, and Dominion Virginia Power is among the recipients.
The grants announced Wednesday provide up to $4 million for each recipient to complete engineering, design and other costs. The Dominion award is for two 6-megawatt turbines off Virginia Beach.
The turbines will use what is called "twisted jacket" foundations, which use less steel but maintain their strength.
Oceana's Nancy Sopko says the awards provide much-needed support to a growing and promising industry. The ocean advocate said offshore winds provide clean, renewable energy while creating thousands of jobs.
The federal government plans to sell leases for wind farms off the coast of Virginia next year.
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McDonnell's Budget Will End Accelerated Sales Tax
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 11 2012 7:37PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The revised budget Gov. Bob McDonnell presents to legislators next week will end the accelerated sales tax for all but about 200 Virginia retail merchants, freeing 98 percent of dealers from the 3 1/2-year-old budget-balancing scheme.
The governor's office announced Tuesday that McDonnell will include nearly $21 million to offset revenue lost from drastically reducing the number of dealers subject to the accelerated sales tax.
Merchants despise the requirement that they make early estimated sales tax payments.
It was enacted to shore up state finances at the depth of the recession in 2009. McDonnell asked lawmakers in 2011 to phase it out early.
McDonnell proposes boosting the threshold for paying the tax from $26 million in annual taxable sales to $48.5 million. He calls the tax bad policy that's anti-business.
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UVA warned after failed ouster
by AP
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posted Dec 11 2012 2:08PM
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DALLAS (AP) - An accrediting panel has placed the University of Virginia on warning following the Board of Visitors' failed attempt to oust the prestigious public school's president this summer.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools took action on Tuesday at its annual meeting in Dallas.
In an October letter to the school, the commission said it was examining whether the board acted with integrity in its attempt to remove President Teresa Sullivan. The association also was looking into whether U.Va. met standards for governing boards and the faculty's role in governance.
The university has argued that it fully complied with the principles of accreditation, state law and its own policies.
Sullivan was forced to resign in June, but was reinstated about two weeks later after a campus and community backlash.
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McDonnell budget to cut accelerated sales tax
by AP
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posted Dec 11 2012 2:06PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The revised budget Gov. Bob McDonnell presents to legislators next week will end the accelerated sales tax for all but about 200 Virginia retail merchants, freeing 98 percent of dealers from the 3 1/2-year-old budget-balancing scheme.
The governor's office announced Tuesday that McDonnell will include nearly $21 million to offset revenue lost from drastically reducing the number of dealers subject to the accelerated sales tax.
Merchants despise the requirement that they make early estimated sales tax payments.
It was enacted to shore up state finances at the depth of the recession in 2009. McDonnell asked lawmakers in 2011 to phase it out early.
McDonnell proposes boosting the threshold for paying the tax from $26 million in annual taxable sales to $48.5 million. He calls the tax bad policy that's anti-business.
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Uranium mining focus of Southside meeting
by AP
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posted Dec 11 2012 2:04PM
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CHATHAM, Va. (AP) - A multi-agency study group's report on uranium mining in Virginia is up for questioning in the county where a mining company wants to tap a 119-million-pound deposit of the ore.
The Coal and Energy Commission is meeting jointly Tuesday with its uranium mining subcommittee in Pittsylvania County. The Chatham meeting will also include members of the Uranium Working Group, which submitted a report to Gov. Bob McDonnell on Nov. 30 on various aspects of uranium mining.
The report did not include a recommendation on the state's 30-year ban but it did lay out a regulatory structure that would need to be in place if uranium mining were to occur.
The issue is headed to the 2013 session of the General Assembly.
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Governor Announces Military Credentialing Website
by AP
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posted Dec 10 2012 11:28AM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A new online tool is available for military members who want to make the transition to Virginia's civilian healthcare work force.
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the launch of the Department of Health Professions Military Credentialing Assistance website on Friday, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
The website provides a full list of professions regulated by the Department of Health Professions, along with a reference of the statutory and regulatory requirements for initial licensure and relevant statutes for deployed active duty military personnel and the their spouses.
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Online:
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Brig Boss: Manning's Treatment Closely Watched
by AP
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posted Dec 10 2012 11:24AM
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FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) - A former Marine Corps brig commander says her decision to have underwear removed from an Army private charged in the WikiLeaks case prompted a request that she run future orders involving Pfc. Bradley Manning up the chain of command before executing them.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Denise Barnes testified Monday on the 10th day of a pretrial hearing at Fort Meade. The hearing is to determine whether the nine months Manning spent at the brig at Quantico amounted to illegal pretrial punishment.
Barnes says she was never ordered to keep Manning in maximum custody, with additional restrictions to prevent self-injury.
The defense contends Manning's conditions were dictated by Lt. Gen. George Flynn, then the highest ranking officer at Quantico.
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Deer with Rope Around Its Neck Crashes Into Windshield
by WTVR
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posted Dec 10 2012 9:42AM
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<VIDEO> Deer with rope around its neck slung off I-295 overpass.
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Obama Visits Northern Virginia Family
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 6 2012 7:47PM
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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) - President Barack Obama is visiting a middle-class family in suburban Washington as he continues to push for a plan to extend tax cuts to all but the top 2 percent of earners.
Obama, visiting the Northern Virginia home of Tiffany and Richard Santana, said every day that passes without a solution to the fiscal problem creates more stress and uncertainty for American families.
The president called the problem solvable, but added: "The closer it gets to the brink the more stress there is going to be."
Obama is trying to keep up pressure on Republicans to avoid a so-called fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and across-the board spending cuts set for Jan. 1. Tiffany Santana said the tax increase would amount to two months' rent for her family.
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Governor Talks Budget Amendments
by Associated Press
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posted Dec 6 2012 7:46PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Even if Congress reaches a deficit-reduction agreement to avert the end-of-year "fiscal cliff," Gov. Bob McDonnell says some of the $130 million in state agency cuts recommended to him last week will appear in his amended budget.
McDonnell told journalists attending the 11th annual AP Day at the Capitol that he feels he has to include some of the suggestions state agency chiefs submitted for paring their own spending by 4 percent because less federal money is coming to Virginia.
The third-year governor said his budgeting has to be conservative and austere because even if the deep, automatic cuts to military and domestic spending are avoided before January, Virginia will be disproportionately affected by reduced federal support.
He says he won't approve many suggestions to cut aid to local governments.
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Va. launches farm conservation initiative
by AP
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posted Dec 5 2012 1:08PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia is launching an initiative to help farmers keep livestock out of waterways and manage grazing on pastureland.
Gov. Bob McDonnell announced the Virginia Enhanced Conservation Initiative on Wednesday.
Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech says the state's agricultural cost-sharing program will now reimburse farmers up to 100 percent of the cost of installing stream exclusion systems. Previously, the reimbursement was capped at 75 percent.
Stream exclusion systems include fences, vegetative buffers and other features that prevent livestock from entering nearby waterways.
McDonnell says keeping livestock out of rivers and streams will reduce water pollution and contamination.
The program also will reimburse farmers up to 100 percent of the cost of installing systems that manage grazing.
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Richmond man charged with attacking trooper
by AP
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posted Dec 5 2012 1:07PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Richmond man accused of attacking a Virginia State Police trooper faces attempted capital murder and other charges.
Michael D. White is being held at the Richmond Jail without bond pending an arraignment Wednesday.
State Police Sgt. Thomas Molnar says White is charged with attacking Trooper R.J. Barrett after the officer tried to intervene in an argument between White and another man.
Molnar says the suspect fled on foot after the Tuesday afternoon incident. He was captured about two hours later.
The 31-year-old White also is charged with malicious wounding, resisting arrest, and several weapons counts.
Molnar says Barrett was taken to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries. He is recovering at home.
The jail had no information regarding whether White has an attorney
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Va. Beach official's assault charge withdrawn
by AP
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posted Dec 5 2012 1:06PM
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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - A Virginia Beach councilman no longer faces a domestic assault charge.
A special prosecutor agreed Wednesday to withdraw the misdemeanor charge against Councilman John Uhrin in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
Norfolk prosecutor Jill Harris cited lack of evidence. She has the right to refile the charge within one year.
A spokeswoman for Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant says Harris handled the case because Bryant and Uhrin have supported each other's political campaigns.
Uhrin was charged on Oct. 6 after a neighbor called police. Uhrin and his wife, Catherine, denied allegations that he assaulted her.
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U.Va. IDs 67 graves in cemetery found by survey
by AP
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posted Dec 4 2012 4:31PM
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - The University of Virginia says 67 grave shafts have been identified since an archaeological survey uncovered the burial ground.
Rivanna Archaeological Services LLC conducted the survey for a planned expansion of the University Cemetery. The previously unrecorded grave shafts are north of and adjacent to the University Cemetery.
Rivanna principal investigator Benjamin Ford says the number of grave shafts that have been identified suggest the burial ground was used by a large population associated with the university.
Investigators believe the graves were filled in the 19th century. At that time, Ford says the largest population living on U.Va.'s grounds, with the exception of students, would have been slaves.
U.Va. Cemetery Committee chair Dr. Dearing Johns says there are no plans to uncover the remains or to excavate deeper.
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State collects more than 42,000 pounds of pesticides
by AP
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posted Dec 4 2012 4:30PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - More than 42,000 pounds of unwanted pesticides have been collected in Virginia this year.
Eighteen counties and five cities participated in the state's annual Pesticide Disposal Program.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said Tuesday the program has collected and destroyed more than 1 million pounds of unwanted pesticides since it began in 1990.
The program helps farmers, pesticide dealers, pest control companies, golf courses and homeowners with the proper disposal of unwanted pesticides.
Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Matthew J. Lohr says the program is a "win-win-win situation" for farmers, the pesticide industry and the environment.
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Bomb-making ingredients found in student's home
by AP
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posted Dec 4 2012 4:25PM
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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) - Lynchburg police say bomb-making ingredients have been found in the home of a student accused of bringing a chemical bomb to a school.
Items found by investigators are similar in nature to the bomb that was brought to the Rivermont School last week. He declined to provide details.
Police have said the 14-year-old student brought the bomb to the school in his backpack. Staff became aware of the threat and took the bomb outside. State police took the bomb to a secure location away from the school and defused it.
The student has been charged with felony possession or manufacture of an explosive device.
No one was injured in the incident.
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Statewide Sunday alcohol sales at ABC stores boost revenue
by AP
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posted Dec 3 2012 5:04PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Sunday alcohol sales at state-run liquor stores have surged Virginia since they went statewide in July.
Sales at all 339 Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control retail stores totaled $243 million by the end of October. That's up $9 million from the same period in 2011, when 130 stores were allowed to open their doors on Sunday.
Delegate Dave Albo says the General Assembly changed the law to increase state revenue. While the move is working, the Springfield Republican says he's still philosophically opposed to the state being in the liquor business.
Gov. Bob McDonnell has unsuccessfully tried to privatize the state's liquor business.
A spokesman for Gov. Bob McDonnell says the governor still believes that selling liquor isn't a core function of state government.
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Virginia extends fall fire season until Dec. 10
by AP
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posted Dec 3 2012 5:02PM
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia's fall fire season is being extended until Dec. 10 because of dry conditions.
John Miller with the Department of Forestry says the agency doesn't expect a significant break in the rainfall pattern.
Conditions will be evaluated weekly to determine whether additional extensions are needed.
The fall fire season was scheduled to end Nov. 30.
The Department of Forestry says 73 fires burned 1,133 acres in November.
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Dominion restarts nuclear reactor after refueling
by AP
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posted Dec 3 2012 5:02PM
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SURRY, Va. (AP) - Dominion Virginia Power is restarting one of the nuclear reactors at its Surry County power station following scheduled refueling.
According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Unit 2 at Surry was operating at 5 percent of capacity on Monday.
Dominion had powered down Unit 2 at Surry on Nov. 1. The Richmond-based energy provider originally planned to take the reactor offline earlier but delayed those plans because of the threat of Hurricane Sandy.
Dominion also had planned to do a variety of maintenance work, including inspecting and cleaning piping and portions of the unit's three steam generators.
Surry's Unit 1 continues to operate at full power.
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Judge: US Has Jurisdiction in Somali Murder Trial
by AP
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posted Dec 3 2012 11:31AM
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NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A federal judge has ruled Somalia's territorial waters extend only 12 miles from shore, allowing the U.S. to continue its prosecution of the murders of four Americans aboard their pirated yacht.
The owners of the yacht and their friends were killed in 2011 about 40 miles off the coast of Somalia. A band of pirates had taken them hostage in hopes of ransoming them for millions of dollars.
Defense attorneys for the men charged in the killings contended Somalia's territorial waters extend 200 miles from shore, based on its domestic legislation. But prosecutors noted Somalia signed a treaty agreeing to a 12-mile limit.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith denied a motion seeking to have the murder charges dismissed. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty.
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USS Enterprise Retired From Active Service
by AP
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posted Dec 3 2012 10:09AM
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<VIDEO> The world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, was retired from active service at its home port at Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday. It will eventually be towed to Washington state for scrapping.
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