"Agitate, agitate, agitate!" -Frederick Douglass
The Free Lance–Star: Blanton’s daughters testify in mom’s trial:
Donna Blanton’s two teenage daughters testified this afternoon that their mom asked them to hide credit card statements.
[…]
Danielle Blanton said she once asked her mom why she had to hide the mail and said Donna Blanton replied: “We would be homeless and penniless if anyone found out.”
The Free Lance–Star: Witness: Towel had gun imprint
The Free Lance–Star: Victim’s daughter testifies in Blanton case
The Free Lance–Star: Blanton jurors hear 911 tape
The Free Lance–Star: AREA CANDIDATES:
BOWLING GREEN
Mayor: David Storke
Town Council (7 seats): Eric V. Hinson, Robert J. Ketterman Sr., Mark S. Mallin, Glenn McDearmon, Randal Robillard, Jason E. Satterwhite, Daniel C. Webb, Otis Lee Wright
[…]
PORT ROYAL Town Council (7 seats): Mark E. Hampton, Bill E. Henderson, Nancy L. Long, Della F. Mills, William A. Wick Jr., Rosie E. Upshaw.
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Gun used in woman’s death registered to estranged husband:
The gun that was “used and found” at the scene of a Forest woman’s slaying was registered to her estranged husband, according to a search warrant filed by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.
[…]
“The firearm used and found at the scene was registered to Wesley Earnest,” the warrant said. “There is knowledge that there are items related to the weapon found at the death scene along with the motive for Jocelyn Earnest’s death that are located at this residence.”
Uh…the last time I check (and the NRA concurs) Virginia doesn’t require the registration of any type of firearms (except for machine guns [a gun that shoots automatically], “sawed-off” shotgun [a shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches], or “sawed-off” rifles [a rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches].
Now, they could be referring to Form 4473 from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) which is kept permanently by any firearms dealer with a Federal Firearms License (FFL) when they sell a firearm.
However, there is a big difference between a gun being registered with someone, and a 4473 saying that weapon was sold to the person. If a private person purchased a firearm from a FFL and completed the required paperwork (including the 4473), and then proceeded to sell the weapon to someone else, the private citizen would not have to complete any paperwork and the gun could soon become “untraceable”.
I would except someone at RT-D to get the facts wrong, but for a trained police officer to be that incorrect is down right scary. And the Circuit Court actually issued a search warrant with a mistake that big? I’m sure the suspect’s lawyer is going to have a field day with this.
The Free Lance–Star: County creates broadband authority:
Spotsylvania may follow King George into the age of wireless broadband Internet. The Board of Supervisors recently approved a measure that lays the groundwork for a wireless broadband service authority.
With permission to form and hold a public hearing, the authority can now take steps toward creating public-private partnerships that would build a wireless broadband network in the county. Although it has not yet been funded, county supervisors have approved $10,000 for a consultant to help the wireless broadband authority navigate the State Corporation Commission’s requirements for approval.
[…]
Because of low population density, patches of western and southern Spotsylvania are not served by cable companies, and are not eligible for DSL service from phone companies. The wireless system would offer an alternative to dial-up for those residents.
Hey, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
[…]
He [Spotsylvania County Director of Information Services Brian Scott] believes that county residents will benefit from the increased availability of the Internet, as well as increased competition between providers. County services like the Sheriff’s Department and Fire Department could also benefit from countywide Internet coverage.
Oh quiet you, everyone knows that isn’t important. We have a YMCA and a visitors center to worry about.
Oh! Don’t forget about the cannery!
It took King George more than a year to get through the planning stage, and it will take time for any system to get up and running in Spotsylvania, but Scott hopes to use the template created by King George to expedite the process of partnering with a provider.
Meanwhile, Caroline County twiddles its thumbs…
The Free Lance–Star: UPDATE: Most potential jurors unaware of Blanton case:
Jury selection in the case of Donna Blanton started this morning and is expected to be complete by mid-afternoon, with opening statements to follow.
[…]
In Virginia Beach, however, only one of the 40 potential jurors questioned today had heard anything about the case.
[…]
Today is the first day of what is expected to be an eight day trial here.
The Free Lance–Star: City suspect dies in custody:
Cocaine may have contributed to the death of a man who died in the back of a Fredericksburg police cruiser Sunday night, police said.
James Howard Jones Jr., 36, of Roanoke died after being arrested following a disturbance at the Twi-Lite Motel in Fredericksburg, city police spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe said.
As noted previously, Senate Ryan McDougle has introduced a bill (SB 505) that would change Bowling Green’s charter. This bill has since passed through the House of Delegates (97–0).
Again, as noted previously, this change to the charter would affect the upcoming town election in Bowling Green:
An election shall be held on the first Tuesday of May, 2008, and every two years thereafter. At the election to be held in May, 2008, the candidate for the office of mayor receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected for a term of four years; the four candidates for councilmen receiving the highest number of votes, respectively, at such election shall be elected for a term of four years, and the three candidates receiving the next highest number of votes, respectively, at such election shall be elected for a term of two years; in the event that the three councilmen receiving the next highest number of votes cannot be determined because of a tie in the vote, the candidates who have tied in the votes shall draw lots to determine who shall serve the two-year term. Thereafter as the terms of the mayor and the members of the council, respectively, expire, their successors shall be elected for terms of four years. The mayor and councilmen elected at such elections shall enter upon their duties the first day of July next succeeding. Any vacancies on the council occurring other than by expiration of terms shall be filled, from the electors of the town, for the unexpired term, by a majority vote of the remaining members of the council.
In English: For the May 2008 election, the mayor would be elected for a four-year term, while the top four vote getters for the town council would serve a four-year term. The bottom three vote getters would have a two year term, then after the next election, those three seats would have four-year terms as well.
To make it simple: Mayor and four town council seats, elections in: 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, etc.
Three town council seats, elections in: 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018, etc.
The bill would also remove the salary cap for town council members and the mayor.
From WFLS via AP via WTOP (or something): Man Dies in Fredericksburg Police Custody:
Fredericksburg police were awaiting word Monday on the cause of death of a Roanoke man who apparently died just after being arrested. Police have not released the name of the 37-year-old man, but say he stopped breathing Sunday night in the back of a police cruiser.
Fredericksburg police say the man forced his way into a motel officer and attacked the manager with a knife, then was subdued by the manager and family members until officers arrived.
Police report the man was combative and tried to kick out the windows of the cruiser. They say he was put in leg restraints and minutes later an officer discovered that he was not breathing.
Officers began CPR. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Mary Washington Hospital.
And the probable answer to “why?”, directly from WFLS this time: Suspect dies in custody:
A search of the man’s room resulted in the discovery of narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
The Free Lance–Star has a longer write-up: City suspect dies in custody