Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending August 2, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office:

On July 25, 2008, Deputy C.M. Garnett responded to Ruther Glen for a domestic disturbance. After further investigation, Barry B. Briggs, 44, of Ruther Glen was charged with Domestic Assault, Abduction and Prevent Another from Summoning Law Enforcement. Deputy F.L. Brennan arrested Briggs on July 26, 2008. He was ordered held without bond and has a pending court date.

On July 27, 2008, Sgt. R.L. Hixson stopped Ernest C. Burruss, 60 of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Burruss was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, 2nd offense. He was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of August 6, 2008 was set.

On July 27, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Kyle P. Yushchak, 29, of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Yushchak was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Reckless Driving and Eluding. He was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of August 6, 2008 was set.

On July 27, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard stopped Harold A. Nelson, 48, of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Nelson was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and refusal to Submit to a Test. He was released on a $1,500 unsecured bond and a court date of August 1, 2008 was set.

On July 27, 2008, Deputy D.W. Mundie encountered a suspicious vehicle in Ruther Glen. After further investigation, Justin M. Higgs, 19, of Ruther Glen was charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor and Underage Possession of Alcohol. He was released on a summons for both charges and court dates of August 5th and 6th 2008 were set. A juvenile passenger was also charged with Underage Possession of Tobacco and has a pending court date.

On July 28, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood responded to Ruther Glen for a larceny. After further investigation, Patrick J. Eiken, 27, of Fredericksburg was charged with Obstruction of Justice, Giving False Statements to a Law Enforcement Officer. He was held on a $1,000 secured bond and a court date of August 8, 2008 was set.

On July 29, 2008, Deputy B.N. Doucet encountered a vehicle in the Lake Caroline subdivision. Upon further investigation, David L. Dobbins, 41, of Ruther Glen was charged with Giving False Information to Avoid a Summons, Drive Without a License, Operate an Uninsured Motor Vehicle, Improper Registration, and No Vehicle Registration. Dobbins was also served an outstanding warrant out of Culpeper County for Intent to Defraud or Destroy Rental Property and an outstanding warrant out of Stafford County for Embezzlement. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of August 1, 2008 was set.

On July 30, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard stopped Richard E. Hockaday, 22, of Ruther Glen for an equipment violation. Upon further investigation, Hockaday was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol. He was released on a $1,500 unsecured bond and a court date of August 1, 2008 was set.

On August 1, 2008, Deputy W.M. Jones responded to Woodford for a domestic disturbance. Upon further investigation, Garnett E. Davis, 65, of Woodford was charged with Domestic Assault. He was held on a $1,000 secured bond and a court date of August 7, 2008 was set.

On August 1, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard responded to Woodford for a domestic disturbance. After further investigation, Vincenza E. Trum, 46, of Woodford was charged with Felony Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer (2 counts) and Obstruction of Justice. She was ordered held without bond and a court date of August 6, 2008 was set.

On August 2, 2008, Deputy T.P. Connolly responded to Milford for a domestic disturbance. Upon further investigation, James K. Young, Sr., 39, of Milford was charged with Domestic Assault. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of August 5, 2008 was set.

On August 2, 2008, Deputy B.N. Doucet responded to Ruther Glen for a disturbance. After further investigation, Kenneth M. Madison, 24, of Ruther Glen was charged with Brandishing a Firearm. He was released on his own recognizance and a court date of August 8, 2008 was set.

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Wrap Up

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 3 drug arrests, 2 DUI arrests, 14 domestic violence arrests, and 48 other criminal arrests during the past week. The deputies served 219 civil papers, issued 340 traffic summonses, handled 7 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 68 alarm calls, and dealt with 12 juvenile offenders. The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 502 calls for service and handled 970 telephone inquiries. The CCSO also logged 40 calls assisting outside agencies and had 235 self-initiated calls.

5th Annual National Night Out on Tuesday: I think McGuff is going to file an OSHA complaint.

PDF:

CAROLINE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF CAROLINE COUNTY TO OUR 5th ANNUAL NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

WHEN: AUGUST 5, 2008
6:00PM TO 8:00PM

WHERE: CAROLINE PARKS AND RECREATION PARK
(BEHIND CAROLINE HIGH SCHOOL, DEVILS THREE JUMP ROAD)

WHY: TO PROMOTE A SAFER COMMUNITY

You can come join us in a cookout for the community. We will have hamburgers, hotdogs, snow cones and drinks. Get your children fingerprinted. The kids can come see the fun things inside of a police car, ambulance and a fire truck.

McGruff will also be onsite to visit with the kids.

Make sure you bring your whole family, to assist us in promoting a safer community.

Looks like the high tomorrow is supposed to be around 95°F according to The Weather Channel.

I feel sorry for that poor bastard McGruff.

If John McCain keeps this up, he might just win this one.

From a press release:

Americans across the country are feeling the effects of high gas prices and our need to expand domestic oil production.

John McCain says we need offshore oil drilling and we need it now. Senator Barack Obama has consistently opposed offshore drilling – calling it a “gimmick.” Senator Obama’s solution to high gas prices is telling Americans to make sure their tires are inflated.

Today, I’m asking for your help in putting Senator Obama’s “tire gauge” energy policy to the test. With an immediate donation of $25 or more, we will send you an “Obama Energy Plan” tire pressure gauge. Will simply inflating your tires reduce the financial burden of high gas prices on your wallet?

It’s clear Senator Obama has no plan to address the energy challenges we face as a nation. He has said no to offshore drilling, no to expanding domestic drilling and no to nuclear energy. He has no plan to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Check out D.J. McGuire’s take too.

Is Barack Obama the personification of narcissism?

The man who would be King:

Obama’s section of the plane rivals that of any first class. Recently the front cabin of the Boeing 757 was retrofitted to install four individual chairs that resemble La-Z-Boys. They are free-standing and made of plush leather with pockets on the sides. There is also a booth which seats four for a meeting or a meal.

His chair has his name and campaign logo embroidered on the back top — “Obama ‘08” on one line and “President” underneath. To one side is a small table stacked with newspapers ready for the candidate’s arrival. The table of the booth is always covered in snacks and cheese and is where Obama spends most of his time during flights meeting with staff and sitting for the occasional interview.

I’m sure his donors are loving hearing about this…

By the way, what’s his carbon footprint?

H/t: Ace of Spades HQ

The people we let into this country [and county].

Palestinian Election Commission Visits Caroline County Registrar’s Office:

Thursday, July 31, 2008 Caroline County registrar’s office hosted a visit from members of the Palestinian Election Commission. Pictured above (left to right) are Danette Moen, General Registrar, Suhair Dweik, an attorney who serves as the head trainer of the Election Commission, Vladimir Pran, Chief of Party for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Hisham Kuhail, the Chief Executive Officer of the Election Commission, Luther Morris, Vice Chairman of the Caroline County Electoral Board and Barbara Cockrell of the State Board of Elections (SBE) in Richmond.

The Election Commission arrived in Virginia on Sunday evening and attended the 2008 SBE Election Uniformity Workshop. The workshop was held Monday through Wednesday in Richmond. Thursday they visited DMV headquarters in Richmond to see how Virginia’s Motor Voter program works. Their trip also included tours of the SBE offices, the Capital and Henrico Department of Social Services before stopping by Caroline County on their way to Washington DC.

The purpose of the trip was to see how Virginia handles Voter Registrations. At present Palestine has one day a year for voter registrations and they are interested in seeing the many options for voter registration in the Commonwealth.

If you are not yet registered to vote go on the State Board of Elections website www.sbe.virginia.gov and copy an application or call the registrar’s office at 804-633-9083.

Who is Hisham Kuhail? Well, from The Chronicle of Higher Education (March 28, 2003):

In the West Bank, all Palestinian universities that were not previously closed by Israeli military orders suspended their operations for a few days. At Birzeit University, the oldest Palestinian institution, officials said that because Israel does not provide gas masks to Palestinians, the administration had decided students should remain home with their families in the event of an Iraqi attack with Scud missiles carrying chemical weapons. “The Israelis don’t even think about this for Palestinians,” said Hisham Kuhail, deputy minister of higher education for the Palestinian Authority.

And when did it become the responsibility for the Israelis to give gas masks to Palestinians?

The Palestinian Authority has been given $3,000,000,000.00 since 1993 from various countries (Edmonton Journal, April 22, 2002), and they have money to give to the families of suicide bombers, but they can’t provide for their citizens.

Oh, and didn’t Yasser Arafat have a massive mansion before he died? And didn’t he have $1,000,000,000.00 in his portfolio, most of it taken from the Palestinian Authority (CBS News)?

And the last time Iraq shot Scuds at Israel, the Palestinians were on the roof-tops cheering.

From USA Today (April 25, 2002):

At the Ministry of Higher Education, the Israelis scooped up computer disks and used explosives to destroy PCs, fax machines and other electronic equipment, Deputy Minister Hisham Kuhail says. “We have no secret information here,” says Kuhail, who estimates the damage at $ 289,000.

So, let me get this straight, the Israelis with their finite amount of explosives destroyed approximately 192 pieces of computer equipment ($289,000 / ~$,1500 a computer = ~192)?

That would require placing a piece of C4 on every single piece of equipment and detonating them.

Uh, wouldn’t dropping a couple bombs on the building be a hell of lot more efficient?

[…]

The Israeli government says it had to look everywhere: At the education ministry, there was material that will shed light on how Palestinian youngsters are taught to hate Israel and aspire to martyrdom as suicide bombers. In the home of the Nablus mayor, there was a secret laboratory for making explosives, Israel says.

From the Edmonton Journal (April 22, 2002):

Hisham Kuhail, an undersecretary in the six-story Ministry of Higher Education, stood atop a broken computer in a hallway crammed with cracked, smashed and burned computers, printers and copiers.

“They were on a mission of destruction only. … I could understand what they were doing if they’d come in looking for guns. But here? Guns? There is no single reason for what they were doing here,” Kuhail said.

[…]

Israeli army officials acknowledged searching the ministries but denied any attempt to deliberately cripple public services. They also denied using explosives to destroy computers or documents.

“We searched them because we had to search them. In these searches, there’s a certain amount of disruption,” said one military official. “We do not know of wanton damage.”

Well, this is just great, at the very least we have a Fatah propagandist touring the local registrar’s office and the Virginia DMV headquarters.

Anyone else feel safe?

Steven Hatfill exonerated; the real anthrax mailer commits suicide.

Los Angeles Times:

A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him for the attacks, the Los Angeles Times has learned.

Bruce E. Ivins, 62, who for the last 18 years worked at the government’s elite biodefense research laboratories at Ft. Detrick, Md., had been informed of his impending prosecution, said people familiar with Ivins, his suspicious death and the FBI investigation.

Ivins, whose name had not been disclosed publicly as a suspect in the case, played a central role in research to improve anthrax vaccines by preparing anthrax formulations used in experiments on animals.

Regarded as a skilled microbiologist, Ivins also helped the FBI analyze the powdery material recovered from one of the anthrax-tainted envelopes sent to a U.S. senator’s office in Washington.

Ivins died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital after ingesting a massive dose of prescription Tylenol mixed with codeine, said a friend and colleague, who declined to be identified out of concern that he would be harassed by the FBI.

[…]

The anthrax mailings killed five people, crippled national mail service, shut down a Senate office building and spread fear of further terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The extraordinary turn of events followed the government’s payment in June of a settlement valued at $5.82 million to a former government scientist, Steven J. Hatfill, who was long targeted as the FBI’s chief suspect despite a lack of any evidence that he had ever possessed anthrax.

Nathan Larson (Libertarian nominee for the 1st CD), the free encyclopedia candidate that anyone can edit.

Nathan Larson is the Libertarian nominee for the 1st Congressional District.

He is (or has been) a “cannabis activist”.

Translation: He’s a pothead, dude.

Now, like all enterprising political morons (me included), he created a web site (nathanlarsonforcongress.com). The funny part?

The web site uses the same software (MediaWiki) as Wikipedia, which means anyone can go and edit the pages, including being able to “vandalize” them.

Now, I have a question, if I edit a page and state that “Nathan Larson will support the legalization of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs)”; does that make it true?

I could have a lot of fun with this exercise and create the very candidate I want for office!

I’m sure as hell aren’t going to get that from Rob Wittman, that’s for sure.

Reefer madness, I tell you.

Who says politics isn’t funny?

James Yerby, Caroline County teacher for 31 years, passes away.

The Free Lance–Star:

James Nathan Yerby of Richmond passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, as a result of injuries received in an automobile accident in Charles City County.

He was raised in a Christian home and joined Macedonia Baptist Church in Heathsville at an early age.

He later joined Moore Street Baptist Church in Richmond and was an ordained deacon and served in many other capacities until his death.

James was educated in the Northumberland County public schools. Upon graduation, he attended Virginia Commonwealth University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education in May 1975.

James began his career of teaching seventh-grade history in 1976 at Caroline Middle School, Milford, and continued until he retired in 2007.

He was more than just a colleague. He was a beloved brother and friend who inspired many people with his love for teaching and his daily quote of “God is good.”

He leaves to cherish his love and precious memory his devoted wife, Vernice; two sons, Patrick and Brandon; and one daughter, Tiffany, all of Richmond; a loving father, James Clinton Yerby of Heathsville; seven sisters, Margaret and her husband, James, of Wytheville, Jane and her husband, Darryl, of Christiansburg, Lorraine and her husband, Isaac, of Richmond, Loretta of Washington, D.C., Patricia of Bowling Green, Sheila and her husband, Calvin, of Ruther Glen, and Carol A. Yerby of Heathsville; one sister-in-law; one brother-in-law; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Mary Othella Taylor Yerby; a twin brother, John; and a sister, Betty Jo.

A viewing will be Thursday, July 31, from noon to 8 p.m. at C.W. Edwards Funeral Home, 16476 Richmond Turnpike, Bowling Green, with the family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m. A viewing also will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Moore Street Baptist Church, 1408 W. Leigh St., Richmond, Va. 23220.

A funeral will be held Saturday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m., at Caroline County Community Services Center, 17202 Richmond Turnpike, Milford, Va. 22514, with the Rev. Alonza Lawrence officiating. Burial will be private at a later date.

Port Royal District Constituent Meetings.

PDF:

PORT ROYAL DISTRICT COMMUNITY MEETINGS
with Supervisor Bobby Popowicz

Monday, August 11, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Rehoboth United Methodist Church
18580 Partlow Road
Beaverdam, VA 23015

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Upper Caroline Volunteer Fire Department
12563 Stonewall Jackson Road
Woodford, VA 22580

Thursday, August 28, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Port Royal Volunteer Fire Department
435 King Street
Port Royal, VA 22535

There will be an open agenda for these meeting. Please make plans to attend, bring a topic of discussion and meet with Supervisor Popowicz.

We need some “change and hope” in leadership at the Caroline County Republican Committee (CCRC).

The current leadership is, of course, provided by Jeff Sili.

If you take a look at the CCRC’s website, you would think that George Allen is running for the United States Senate this year based on the picture that is posted on their website (the Republican nominee is of course Jim Gilmore).

Of course, the reason that picture is still on their website is because the site hasn’t been updated since September 2006.

For another example of Sili’s incompetence, check out the Caroline County Agricultural Fair:

When I was there on Friday, the Caroline County Democratic Committee (CCDC) had a tent open with with at least three people handing out signs and materials and registering people to vote. (They also manage to keep their website up to date as well.)

What did the Republican Committee have at the fair?

NADA.

You have an election coming up when the citizens of Caroline County will help to choose the President, a Senator, and two Congressmen, and the local Republican committee can’t be bothered to pay a few dollars for tent space in an attempt to turn out votes for fellow Republicans?