Month: January 2008

Busy Week: Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending January 12, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office: Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending January 12, 2008:

On January 6, 2008, Deputy S. Mullane stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. After a narcotics canine alert and further investigation, Latoya A. Price, 27, of Landover, MD was charged with possession with intent to distribute Ecstasy. She was ordered held under a $3500 bond and an arraignment date of January 9, 2008 was set.

On January 7, 2008, Deputy T. J. Ketchem stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Kevin L. Gray, 46, Georgetown, SC was charged with possession of marijuana -2nd offense and driving on a revoked driver’s license. He was ordered held under a $1600 bond and an arraignment date of January 9, 2008 was set.

On January 7, 2008, Deputy C. S. Wooldridge stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Randolph V. Liles, 30, of Bowling Green was charged with driving on a revoked driver’s license – 8th offense. He was ordered held without bond and an arraignment date of January 9, 2008 was set.

On January 8, 2008, Deputy J. K. Miller stopped a vehicle fro a traffic infraction. After investigating, Paul E. Barnett, 42, of Ruther Glen was charged with being a fugitive from South Carolina. He was ordered held without bond to await extradition.

On December 27, 2007, Deputy J. K. Miller handled a breaking and entering. After investigating, Jermaine T. Brown, 20, of Ruther Glen was charged with breaking and entering and grand larceny on January 9, 2008. He was released on a personal recognizance bond and an arraignment date of January 16, 2008 was set.

On January 9, 2008, Deputy C. M. Polliard stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Allyson B. Durham, 24, of Stafford was charged with driving on a suspended driver’s license, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. Also charged was Daniel M. Fallon, 33, of Ruther Glen. He was charged on a probation violation, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and obstruction of justice. Both were ordered held without bond and a court date of January 11, 2008 was set for both.

On January 9, 2008, Deputy C. A. Heywood responded to a residence in Ruther Glen for a reported disturbance. After investigating, Lindsay A. Stanley, 50, of Ruther Glen was charged with brandishing a firearm. She was ordered held without bond and a court date of January 11, 2008 was set.

On January 10, 2008, Deputy M. M. Ellett stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Brian K. Hopson, 36, of Madisonville, TN was charged with felony driving under the influence – 5th offense; refusing to submit to a chemical test and drinking while driving. He was ordered held without bond and an arraignment date of January 11, 2008 was set.

On January 12, 2008, Deputy F. L. Brennan responded to a disturbance at a business in Carmel Church. After investigating, Terrance Mosley, 42, of Ruther Glen was charged with trespassing. He was released on a personal recognizance bond. Imed Chama, 43, of Brooklyn, NY was charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of January 16, 2008 was set for both.

On January 12, 2008, Deputy G. J. Hamilton stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Andre During, 19, of Ruther Glen, was charged with possession of marijuana. He was released on a summons and a court date of January 23, 2008 was set.

On January 12, 2008, Deputy W. D. Lipscomb responded to a Bowling Green residence for a domestic. After investigating, Dana C. Bailey, 41, of Bowling Green was charged with domestic assault and battery. She was ordered held under a $1500 bond and an arraignment date of January 15, 2008 was set.

On January 12, 2008, Deputy W. D. Lipscomb stopped a vehicle for a traffic infraction. After investigating, Judy F. Thompson, 52, of Fredericksburg was charged with driving under the influence – 2nd offence and refusal to submit to a chemical test. She was ordered held under a $1500 bond and a court date of February 21, 2008 was set.

Ouch, that has to hurt…

I’m not sure how many of you guys are familiar with the television show Jericho but the second season was supposed to premiere on February 12, 2008.

However, about eight hours ago, the first three episodes of the second season were posted on a BitTorrent tracker, making it possible for people anywhere to download the episodes for free (albeit illegally). Judging by the comments left by people on the tracker site, the episodes posted are in fact the real deal.

It was just a couple months ago when Battlestar Galactica: Razor was released (illegally) on BitTorrent in the end of October when the scheduled premiere wasn’t until November 24.

I almost forgot about when the first four episodes of 24‘s sixth season were released on BitTorrent and also posted on YouTube a couple weeks before the television premiere. The copies that made their way to the internet were made from a DVD that was in the process of being produced for release following the television premiere (they release the four episodes on DVD following their television premiere). Fox subpoenaed YouTube seeking the poster’s identify but I’m unsure of the deposition of the subpoena or if any further legal action was taken against the person that posted the episodes on YouTube or the individuals that posted them on BitTorrent.

Makes you wonder if companies should start doing premieres on iTunes or something instead of relying on broadcast/cable television for premieres…

And, no, I won’t give you a link to download the episodes.

Caroline County to spend $700,000 on land for the Sparta fire station…

That was already paid for by volunteers at Sparta Volunteer Fire Department?

Appears so…

From The Free Lance-Star: Less is more for Caroline station:

Estimates in the report put a $700,000 price tag on 2 acres and almost $2 million for the station itself. Designs will cost $200,000 and a construction contingency of $265,300 is included in the proposed budget.

The Caroline Progress also reported that the $700,000 was to purchase land as well (I can’t locate a copy of that edition [might have been used to house train a dog]).

From the November 9, 2005 minutes of the Emergency Services Commission (ESC) on the proposed Station Replacement Policy:

Example: Some stations that need to be replaced have already purchased land in different locations for a new station. Sparta station 4 at the top of the list. Based on the criteria in the program, if it meets that criteria it will be one of the first to be replaced, because of the fact that is sits in a flood plain and has had damage from rising waters, they have outgrown the facility and it is a dated facility. They have purchased property on the top of the hill across from Salem Baptist Church, but they want a stake in the building.

Of course, that isn’t the funniest part of the minutes (Ibid):

The Board did set aside $1 million dollars in the 2006 budget for Sparta’s building, but turned it over to the Commission, we need to act quickly so we do not lose the funds.

From the September 13, 2006 minutes of the ESC:

SPARTA FIRE STATION’S $1,000,000 IS STILL IN THE CIP AND THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO START THE PROCESS FOR A NEW STATION. INCLUDED AN EXTRA $500,000 DUE TO THE 1 MILLION ESTIMATE BEING SEVERAL YEARS OLD.

ARCHITECT FOR STATION REPLACEMENT: CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC UTILITIES HAVE SPLIT INTO TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. GAVE PUBLIC WORKS AND MR. RAMSEY THE ABILITY TO OVERSEE COUNTY BUILDINGS. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PERCY ASHCRAFT ASKED MR. RAMSEY TO OVERSEE THE ARCHITECT FOR THE SPARTA BUILDING. MIKE BROWN STATED THAT HE HOPED THEY FOUND AND ARCHITECT WHO UNDERSTOOD FIRE-RESCUE AND NEEDS OF PERSONNEL.

SPARTA IS OUTSIDE OF THE STATION REPLACEMENT POLICY AND WILL NOT BE HELD UP. ARCHITECT CAN DESIGN A BUILDING THAT CAN BE REUSED BUT MAY TAKE TOO LONG FOR THIS BUILDING. MAY LOOK AT A DESIGN BUILD FOR THE SPARTA FIRE STATION.

795 days later and still no Sparta fire station…

Security guard shot and killed in Fredericksburg

From NBC4 in Washington, D.C.: Security Guard Shot Dead At Va. Restaurant:

A security guard was shot dead early Saturday in the doorway of a city restaurant and police are searching for his killer, police said.

Officers were called to the Mi Casa Restaurant in the Central Park shopping center about 1:15 a.m. for several reports of shots fired. When they arrived, they found the victim just inside the front door, suffering two gunshot wounds to the chest, police said.

Police said 30-year-old Dasan Ka’Wila Richardson, a restaurant security guard, died a short time later, despite live-saving efforts at the restaurant and in an ambulance.

Detectives identified a possible shooter based on witness interviews. Police obtained a search warrant and the SWAT team made their way into a teen’s home in Riverside Manor about 11:15 a.m., police said. No one was there.

Police have obtained warrants charging Brandon Lee Smith, 19, with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Fredericksburg police at 540-372-1122.

January 8, 2008 – Board of Supervisors meeting roundup

Yeah, I’m late with this but you get what you pay for (hint, hint).

And since I’m lazy, I’ve linked to some stories from The FL-S so I don’t have to bother writing about stuff at the meeting that has already been covered:

Organization Meeting: Floyd Thomas (Mattaponi) was elected as Chairman, Jeff Sili (Bowling Green) was elected as Vice-Chairman.

Presentations/Reports: Nothing important (trust me, zzzzzzzz)…

Appointments: Nothing important (trust me; at least it wasn’t as boring as the VDOT presentation)…

Consent Agenda: Approved.

Public Comments: Caroline’s prosecutor wants job full time

Public Hearings:

BPOL Ordinance: (Someone correct me if any of my numbers are wrong) As originally presented, the new ordinance would exempt the first $50,000 of receipts from tax and would exempt the license fee up to $25,000. At Bobby Popowicz‘s (Port Royal) suggestion, the license fee was exempted up to $50,000. Approved.

Unfinished Business:

Adjustments to Water & Wastewater Rates: The reason as stated for the proposed increase was to help stop Caroline’s need to subsidize the system as the county is currently doing. Hearing was continued. Depending on whether the public notice for the hearing was correct in the paper, the next hearing will be January 22 (if the ad was correct) or February 12 (if the ad was incorrect).

Salary Adjustments for Full-Time Employees of Caroline Library: Approved.

Award Contact for Engineering Services for Ladysmith Solid Waste Convenience Site Expansion: Approved.

Selection of Vendor to Conduct Youth Needs Assessment [for the Youth Task Force]: Cost: $20,000. Approved.

New Business

Creation of County Wireless Authority: Caroline in early stages of pursuing public-private wireless Internet service

Acceptance of Property Donated [by the Rozell family] to County as Site for New Dawn Library: Continued until soil testing has been completed at Bobby Popowicz‘s suggestion. No sense in receiving property donated to you if you can’t use it, right? UPDATE: Library land will be tested first

And that’s about it, kids.

Next meeting: January 22, 2007.

We don’t need no stinking openness in government!, Part 2

Raising Kaine: House Republicans Reject Open Government

UPDATE: Hiliarity from the AP via NBC4: Va. House Kills Bid To Record Subcommittee Votes:

Democrats failed Wednesday in an effort to prevent bills from being killed anonymously by a handful of House of Delegates members in sparsely attended subcommittee meetings.

Open government groups and organizations as disparate as the conservative Virginia Club for Growth, the League of Women Voters and the AARP had called for requiring recorded votes when a subcommittee acts on a bill.

But on a nearly party-line 45-54 vote, the first substantial policy issue vote taken in the opening hour of the 2008 General Assembly, Republicans used their majority to defeat the amendment offered by Del. Kenneth R. Plum.

“The public’s right to know is a basic tenet of all we do. It’s why we pass freedom of information law,” said Plum, D-Fairfax.

Virginia’s part-time legislature relies heavily on its committee system to vet legislation and either advance it to the House or Senate floor or kill it. Committees appoint subcommittees to edit and amend the bills before they come before the full committee. Votes were not recorded, but subcommittees could not kill bills.

Two years ago, the House changed the rules to allow subcommittees to kill legislation. Critics objected that bills should not be killed by a few people without a recorded vote.

Plum argued Wednesday that some subcommittees consist of as few as five delegates, that they can meet with a quorum, which is three delegates, and that a majority of that quorum — just two delegates — can kill a bill with no record of their action. And because subcommittees often huddle at odd times ranging from dawn to evening hours in out-of-the-way niches across Capitol Square, it’s difficult if not impossible for the press or public to monitor them.

“The public needs to know how we conduct our business,” he argued.

House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith countered that requiring recorded votes for subcommittees would make an already heavy work load of about 3,000 bills over just 60 days almost unbearable.

“If we go to this process, we might as well forget about subcommittees and go to hearing all bills in full committee,” said Griffith, R-Salem.

House Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong, D-Henry County, argued that a transparent legislature is more important to voters and taxpayers than a streamlined one.

“If want to take (Griffith’s) argument that this saves time, gee, think how much time could be saved if we didn’t bother with recorded votes here on the floor,” Armstrong said.

Caroline Rural Alert #2

From the Caroline Rural Alliance: CAROLINE RURAL ALERT: Public hearing on barn and chicken coop ban postponed:

Dear Caroline Resident,

Well, attending the Planning Commission worksession yesterday evening was a waste of time. At the outset of the meeting, the audience (all three of us) were told that since this was a worksession and not a public hearing, there would be no open dialogue permitted between the audience and the Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission decided to continue the January 16th Public Hearing to a later date due to the size (81 pages) and complexity of the changes they are considering. I wish they had decided to cancel the public hearing BEFORE publishing a half-page announcement in the Caroline Progress.

The one thing I was glad to be present for was the short discussion about grandfathering and whether Caroline County has the right to limit grandfathering to a certain amount of time. Can you imagine a business owner being told that after 50 years of operation in Caroline, that they must cease operations within two years due to a zoning reclassification? Sounds crazy, but they’re talking about it!

We will continue to follow the progress of the barn and chicken coop ban and other changes that may affect the rural citizens of the County and let you know when the public hearing is rescheduled.

Thanks!

Sonny

—

Copies of the new zoning text amendments (81 pages) are available at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Caroline_Rural_Alliance/files/

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1791