Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending October 4, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office:

On August 16, 2008, Deputy F.L. Brennan arrested James W. Conley, 19, of Rappahannock Academy for being Drunk in Public. Upon further investigation of the incident, Conley was charged with Possession of Cocaine. He was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 28, 2008, Deputy S. Mullane stopped Delores M. Baker, 54, of Ruther Glen, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Baker was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Refusal to Submit to a Test. She was held on a $1,500 secured bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 28, 2008, Deputy C.S. Wooldridge was called to assist Caroline Fire and Rescue Personnel. After investigating, Donald R. Jackson, Jr., 42, of Ruther Glen was charged with Being Drunk in Public. He was released on his own recognizance and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 28, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard stopped Karen B. Warren, 38, of Fairfax, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Warren was charged with Being Drunk in Public, Possession of PCP and Improper Stopping on a Highway. She was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set. A passenger in the vehicle, Michael A. Coleman, 43, of Stafford, was charged with Possession of PCP and was also arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Stafford County for Possession of PCP. He was held on a $5,000 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

On September 29, 2008, Deputy D.W. Mundie stopped Stephen C. Boyle, 20, of Mechanicsville, Maryland, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Boyle was charged with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving Suspended and Possession of a Radar Detector. He was held on a $5,000 secured bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On September 30, 2008, Deputy C. M. Hall (SRO) observed a male juvenile smoking in the bathroom. Upon further investigation, the 15 year old was charged with possession of marijuana and released to his parents.

On September 8, 2008, Investigator M. M. Ellett was assigned to investigate the larceny of firearms in the Ladysmith area. On October 1, 2008, Warren V. DeLoach, Jr. was arrested on three counts of larceny. He was released on a $1500 bond and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On October 1, 2008, Deputy T.P. Connolly was on patrol when he encountered Billie Jo Williams, 37, of Ruther Glen. Upon further investigation, Williams was served an outstanding warrant for Petit Larceny. She was released on her signature and a court date of October 3, 2008 was set.

On October 1, 2008, Deputy R.J. Anderson responded to a Ruther Glen address for an assault call. Upon further investigation, John R. Skinner, 34, of Milford was charged with Breaking and Entering and Assault. He was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date was set.

On October 1, 2008, Deputy G.J. Hamilton and Investigator M.M. Ellett responded to a Bowling Green address for a larceny call. After investigating, a male juvenile was charged with Breaking and Entering, Larceny of a Firearm and Grand Larceny. He has a pending court date in Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Additionally, Jessica N. Spurell, 22, of Ruther Glen, was charged with Obstruction of Justice. She was released on a summons and a court date of December 2, 2008 was set.

On October 2, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall responded to the Caroline Middle School for an unknown situation. Upon investigating, Delores M. Baker, 54, of Ruther Glen, was charged with Being Drunk in Public. She was released on a summons and a court date of November 26, 2008 was set.

On October 2, 2008, Deputy P.E. Ford stopped James A. McFall, 39, of Fredericksburg for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, McFall was charged with Driving Revoked-Habitual Offender, 3rd offense. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of October 3, 2008 was set.

On October 3, 2008, Investigation M.M. Ellett responded to a Ruther Glen address for a forgery and construction fraud call. Upon investigating, Wayne T. Allen, 42, of Ruther Glen was charged with Construction Fraud, Forgery, and 2 counts of Operating without a Professional License. He was released on a 43,500 unsecured bond and a court dte of October 3, 2008 was set.

On October 3, 2008, Deputy P.E. Ford stopped Tamara L. Mariner, 48, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Mariner was charged with Possession of Marijuana and Speeding. She was released on her own recognizance and a court date of October 8, 2008 was set.

On October 4, 2008, Deputy P.E. Ford responded to a Ruther Glen address for a trespassing call. Upon investigating, Kunte K. Foxx, 30, of Ruther Glen was charged with Assault. She was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond and a court date of October 7, 2008 was set.

On October 4, 2008, Deputy B.N. Doucet was on patrol in the Ruther Glen area when he encountered Kadeen L. Montgomery, 19, of Ruther Glen. Upon further investigation, Montgomery was charged with Possession of Marijuana. He was released on a summons and a court date of November 7, 2008 was set.

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Wrap Up

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 16 drug arrests, 1 DUI arrest, 17 domestic violence arrests, 163 other criminal arrests and 13 animal control summons or arrests during the past week. The deputies served 272 civil papers, issued 197 traffic summonses, handled 9 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 35 alarm calls, and dealt with 8 juvenile offenders. The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 591 calls for service and handled 1,741 telephone inquiries. The CCSO also logged 36 calls assisting outside agencies and had 250 self-initiated calls.

A SatireWire classic: Small Investors Urged to Remain Calm, Leave Panic to the Professionals.

Seasoned Experts Prove Much Better at Guiding Hysterical Sell-Off:

Heeding the advice of those who know the markets better, most individual investors kept their cool during Wall Street’s historic plunge, allowing seasoned, market-savvy professionals to do the panicking for them.

“What we didn’t need last week was for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to stampede for the exits and sell everything they own,” said Steven Kasalackis of the Fidelity Magellan fund. “That kind of behavior should be left to the experts.”

Across the country, small investors offered similar sentiments, and expressed relief that steadier hands were running the ship aground.

“I kept telling myself I didn’t sell because of patriotism, but the truth is, I don’t have access to the kinds of information the pros have, and I didn’t want to panic with my money,” said Janice Leeman of Ocala, Fla. “I felt much more secure knowing that they were panicking with my money.”

Ironically, some small investors claim the sell-off bolstered confidence in their own stock-trading abilities. “All last week I kept thinking, ‘God, I’ve got to sell!” but I didn’t,” said Stan Persik, a realtor from San Diego, Cal. “Then when I saw the big guys were selling, I thought, ‘Ha! See, I was right!'”

Actually, the whole SatireWire site is great.

Somewhat dated through. Just replace “dot-comers” with “creditors” and “banks”.

This one was years ahead of its time: Record 75 Million Americans Now Pretending They Own Their Own Homes.

Reporter at The Free Lance–Star ignores the fact that the Henrico County Finance Director said the State Fair brings no money into their county.

In what could only be a paid advertisement masquerading as a news story, The Free Lance–Fish Wrap talks about how the State Fair will be bringing in gazillions of dollars into the county:

Screams from thrill-seekers echo over the State Fair of Virginia’s midway as one ride–the Extreme–wavers from side to side, above the crowds.

Music blasts from various games and vendor booths, while the scent seeps out of a tent housing freshly prepared turkey. Visitors to the rabbits, geese and other caged animals point excitedly and take pictures.

These are the rides, animals, sounds and food the fair will offer next year in Caroline County–but will the screams and crowds follow?

State Fair and county officials hope so.

[blah, blah, blah]

If the lazy “reporters” at The Fish Wrap had bothered to read the Richmond Times-Dispatch yesterday, they would have seen this great gem in a story about the fair (H/t: Tom James):

Henrico won’t suffer financial losses from the fair’s departure, said John Vithoulkas, the county’s finance director. Tax revenues from the fair, which draws about a quarter million visitors each year, are minimal. “It’s just a blip,” he said.

The State Fair of Virginia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Most of its activities are exempt from income taxes because of its mission to promote agriculture and education.

Yeah, the State Fair is a nonprofit, but its president, Curry Roberts, makes more than $200,000 for working 60 hours a week.

At least that’s what he tells the IRS.

Did Caroline County lose track of $1,300,000 in tax revenue? Correction/Clarification: Kathy Beard misquoted by The Caroline [Lack of] Progress.

Read the follow up post.

The original post can be read below in its original form:

That, or our astute tourism manager doesn’t know how much money tourism brings into the county (The Caroline Progress):

Kathy Beard, County Director of Tourism, spoke about the role tourism plays in county economics. Beard stated that more than $70 million dollars were spent on tourism related industry in Caroline in 2007, and $1.6 million came back to the county in the form of transient occupancy taxes.

$1,600,000 in transient occupancy taxes (TOT) — that’s the hotel tax for the uninitiated — in 2007?

Let’s see, according to the proposed FY07-08 budget (p. 193), in the second half of the 2007 calendar year, the county only brought in $150,719 in TOT.

Assuming that the county brought in the same amount during the first half of the ’07 calendar year (probably not, but let’s assume), that means a total of $301,438 during the whole calendar year.

So, that leaves three possibilities (I’m leaning towards option #2):

  1. The county “lost” $1,300,000 in tax revenue.
  2. Kathy Beard doesn’t know jack about how much money comes into the county, and decided to claim a figure more than five fold higher than the actual number.
  3. She was misquoted (always a possibilities with The Caroline [Lack of] Progress).

In other funny stuff from the Economic Development Office, you gotta love the fact that the e-mail link to Director Gary Wilson that is on the Economic Development Office’s homepage doesn’t even work.

How bad is it for an Economic Development Office to not even have a functioning e-mail link to the Director?

Caroline County government: We don’t have to tell you where your money is being spent.

Here’s a copy of an e-mail that I sent to County Administrator Percy Ashcraft on September 25th:

Dear Mr. Ashcraft,

What was the total cost of adopting the ordinances that vacated Saddlehorse Farms and the other subdivision owned by the Farmers?

This request for information includes, but is not limited to: the cost for advertising the public hearing, any cost for legal services by the county attorney (not asking for the privileged work of the county attorney, just the cost), as well as the waiver of fees to the Farmers for the Planning Commission hearings that had to be conducted.

When will the county be taking action against the other six (or more) subdivisions that were identified to also be in violation of the subdivision code? Surely the Board does not intend to selectively and vindictively prosecute one person.

-Tim

Here’s the response I received from the county attorney, Benjamin Emerson, via snail mail today [emphasis mine] (PDF link):

Dear Mr. Watson:

As I believe you are aware, this firm and I represent Caroline County as its County Attorneys. Your e-mailed request for information to Mr. Ashcraft was referred to me for response as a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”).

Your e-mail inquires as to the cost of adopting certain ordinances vacating the Saddlehorse Farms subdivision and other subdivisions being developed by the Farmers, and includes other questions.

Among other things and with certain exceptions and limitations, FOIA requires that public records of public bodies be open and made available to citizens of the Commonwealth for inspection upon request being made for such records with reasonable specificity. It does not require the public body to compile records, to create records that do not exist, or to respond to questions in general that are not requests for specific documents or existing records.

Because your inquiry consists of questions to which you have requested answers, it is not subject to FOIA.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Benjamin W. Emerson

Well, the county just managed to get their butts sued over this issue.

And for the record, anyone think that payments made to The Caroline Progress aren’t public records?

I guess the judge in Caroline County General District Court will be deciding that.

Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending September 27, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office:

On September 23, 2008, Deputy M.J. O’Connor responded to a Ruther Glen business to complete a follow-up investigation on a larceny that occurred on September 15, 2008. After investigating, Mary R. Lee, 33, of Ruther Glen was charged with Embezzlement. She was ordered held without bond and a court date of September 24, 208 was set.

On September 19, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall encountered 3 juveniles, while on patrol at the Caroline High School football game. All three juveniles were charged with trespassing and one juvenile was also charged with Underage Possession of Alcohol. All three juveniles have a pending Court date in Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 20, 2008, Deputy G.J. Hamilton responded to a Ruther Glen address in reference to Destruction of Property. After investigating, a juvenile was charged with Throwing a Missile at an Occupied Vehicle and Destruction of Property. The juvenile has a pending court date in Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 21, 2008, Deputy W.D. Lipscomb stopped Derrick J, Rippy, 29, of Richmond, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Rippy was charged with Destruction of Property. He was released on his own recognizance and a Court date of November 28, 2008 was set.

On September 21, 2008, Deputy J.O. Cecil responded to a Ruther Glen address for a report of Animal Cruelty. After investigating, William G. Dean, 46, of Hanover was charged with three counts of Failing to Pay License Tax and three counts of Failing to have Dogs Vaccinated for Rabies. He was released on a summons on all charges and a court date of January 21, 2009 was set.

On September 21, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Michael B. Harris, 23, of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Harris was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Fail to Drive on the Right Side of the Highway. He was released on a $2,000 unsecured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

On September 22, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall encountered a juvenile acting disorderly at the High School. After investigating, the juvenile was charged with Disorderly Conduct. He has a pending court date in the Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 22, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall encountered juvenile at the Caroline High School. After investigating, the juvenile was charged with trespassing. He has a pending court date in the Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 22, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood responded to a Ruther Glen address for an intoxicated person. Upon investigating, Donnie L. Poindexter, 46, of Ruther Glen was charged with being Drunk in Public, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer and Obstruction of Justice. He was ordered held without bond and court date of September 24, 2008 was set.

On September 23, 2008, Deputy D.W. Mundie responded to a Ruther Glen address for a report of a sexual assault. After investigating, Brian M. Braxton, 27, of Ruther Glen was charged with Sexual Battery. He was held on a $1,500 secured bond and a court date of September 24, 2008 was set.

On September 23, 2008, Deputy K. Digravio-Ferguson responded to a Bowing Green address for a Domestic Disturbance. Upon investigating, Michael W. Henson, Sr., 36, of Bowling Green was charged with Domestic Assault. He was ordered held without bond and court date of September 25, 2008 was set.

On September 23, 2008, Deputy S. Mullane encountered Keith A. Pleasants, 34, of Ruther Glen. Upon further investigation, Pleasants was charged with Driving Suspended, Possession of a Schedule I or II Narcotic, and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs. He was held on a $2,000 secured bond and a court date of September 24, 2008 was set.

On September 24, 2008, Deputy C.M. Pollard stopped Erik H. Ingram, 39, of Port Royal for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Ingram was charged with Felony Habitual Offender and Fail to Obey a Stop Sign. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of September 26, 2008 was set.

On September 26, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Basil E. Fountain, 56, of Highland Springs for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Fountain was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Refusal to Submit to a Test and Littering. He was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

On September 27, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Christopher R. Cannon, 27, of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Cannon was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Defective Equipment. He was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond and a court date of October 3, 2008 was set.

On September 27, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard stopped Ann McCrummen, 48, of Bowling Green for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, McCrummen was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Drive Revoked – DUI related. She was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Wrap Up

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 9 drug arrests, 5 DUI arrests, 13 domestic violence arrests, and 70 other criminal arrests during the past week. The deputies served 221 civil papers, issued 264 traffic summonses, handled 6 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 36 alarm calls, and dealt with 12 juvenile offenders. The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 548 calls for service and handled 850 telephone inquiries. The CCSO also logged 27 calls assisting outside agencies and had 324 self-initiated calls.

Tentative live hate-blog schedule.

The second Presidential debate on Tuesday, October 7, at 9 p.m.

The third Presidential debate on Wednesday, October 15, at 9 p.m.

Election night November 4, starting at 6 p.m.ish (subject to change).

Unfortunately, can’t do the Veep debate on Thursday, October 2, 9 p.m., due to the fact that I have a class at that time. Well, I could do it, but I don’t think the instructor would be too happy with me watching steaming video and typing up stuff for a blog. :)

Coveritlive.com has some great free software for live blogging for the bloggers out there, by the way.

Why can’t Albert Pollard be my representative to Congress?

His thoughts on the bailout deal in his weekly column (DOC file):

While the leaders of this nation negotiated a new bailout deal over the weekend, things seemed pretty normal on the Northern Neck. I got a chance to see some bald eagles that were on “The Cliffs” of Richmond County, geese were moving South and the weather forced farmers to take a break from long harvest days.

I rarely delve into national policy, but while the bailout deal won’t change whether there is rockfish migration this fall, it will change just about every aspect of American Capitalism.

As I am writing on deadline, I do not pretend to know everything in the 110 page bailout plan, nor do I know if it will even pass in the House of Representatives today. However, there are some things that I do know.

Free markets depend upon risk, reward and failure so that they can make long term efficient decisions. Indeed, the very efficiencies of big picture economic decision making means that – to avoid a future crisis — there must be some losers on Wall Street and in the investment community.

If the bailout bill insures that the people who should lose big do lose big, then it is probably acceptable and deserves passage.

Those people who take the biggest risk of time, talent and capital in the free market deserve to get the biggest return. However, everybody who has ever opened a lemonade stand knows that those who risk the reward also risk getting stuck with some lemons.

It is a firm understatement of fact that $700,000,000,000 (700 Billion dollars) is a lot of money – even judged by federal government standards. And, it is also true that the markets need help – I am not so Pollyannaish as to say that we should let complete economic meltdown occur without any action.

However, those who buy too many lemons – whether for loans or for a lemonade stand – should bear the responsibility they took with that risk. It is not the responsibility of the American taxpayer to reward bad economic decisions – and that is what this bailout deal appears to be, a reward of bad economic decisions.

Meanwhile, the earth as God designed it will move on. Fish will start their fall run, deer will start their rut, and the fields will dry up enough to finishing harvesting the crop. And, depending upon the action of Congress, there may be some extra lemons to go around.

I’m sure as heck aren’t going to get this from my current representative to Congress (Rob Wittman).