By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com
BERRYVILLE -- Authorities have charged three people with plotting to kill Berryville Town Council member Gail Smith -- including her brother.
A Nottoway County Circuit Court grand jury indicted Timothy R. Smith Jr., 50, as well as Edward Visosky III, 39, and Edward Poley, 32, on Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to commit capital murder-for-hire, according to a news release from Berryville Police Chief W. Neal White. All three men are in custody, White stated.
Visosky and Poley lived in Nottoway County at the time of the alleged plot, according to White.
Authorities served an arrest warrant on Visosky at his home in neighboring Prince Edward County sometime late Thursday.
Poley was served an arrest warrant in New Jersey on Friday afternoon, White said. Poley already was being held at a jail in Atlantic County, N.J., on an unrelated charge and likely will face an extradition hearing before being brought to Nottoway County, according to White.
Smith and Visosky are being held at the Piedmont Regional Jail in Nottoway County.
Authorities have alleged that the three defendants conspired to kill the councilwoman sometime between June and August 2008.
"This conspiracy plot pre-dates the actual homicide of Gail Smith, which is still being actively investigated by a joint task force with support from several other law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions," the release states.
"Investigators from the Berryville Police Department, Clarke County Sheriff's Office and Virginia State Police turned over information to the Nottoway County Commonwealth's Attorney Office once the conspiracy was uncovered in order for formal charges to be placed in the jurisdiction where they occurred."
No charges have been filed in the actual murder case in Clarke County, White said.
Smith is scheduled to appear Tuesday in Nottoway County Circuit Court for an arraignment hearing. Information on when Poley and Visosky are to appear in the court was not available through an online database.
Authorities found the councilwoman dead in her Picket Court home when they went to check on her July 30.
Law enforcement agents stated in documents filed in Clarke County Circuit Court that the victim likely knew her killer, and may have even let that person into the home prior to the slaying.
The investigation led authorities to Nottoway County. Smith's brother and sister, Deborah Smith, live in Burkeville, the Nottoway County seat.
Both siblings, in a civil case in Clarke County Circuit Court, had objected to Gail Smith going forward with proceedings to become the legal guardian of their father, Timothy R. Smith Sr., which would put her in control of their father's $200,000 estate, according to court records.
]]>WINCHESTER -- A procedural delay in Maryland has two utilities seeking to build a new high-voltage transmission line across Frederick County asking for a postponement in Virginia's approval process.
Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission on Friday to push back hearings on the Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline project from January until August.
Maryland regulators turned down the application in early September, finding that the subsidiary formed by the two firms to build the line was not an "ele-ctric company" under Maryland's legal definition of the term.
Only utilities can be granted permission to build transmission lines in that state, according to the Maryland Public Service Commission's order.
That prompted the SCC staffers charged with determining whether or not the project was needed to move for dismissal.
Without a set endpoint in Maryland, there's no way to analyze how the line would impact the grid or if it's even needed at all, staffers wrote in court filings.
Allegheny responded that it has no plans to move the endpoint of the line. Ending at Kemptown, Md., is the whole purpose of building the line in the first place, the utility wrote.
Regulators would be doing a major disservice to the local grid by dismissing the application based on Maryland's action, according to Allegheny.
But the Old Line State's delay has thrown a wrench into the works, and applications in both Virginia and West Virginia would now work better using data about the electrical grid and the need for the line compiled for a new proceeding in Maryland, according to lawyers for the utilities.
The companies "believe it would be administratively efficient to use the same [regional grid operator's] analyses to support such need in each of the three proceedings," they wrote.
As drawn, the $1.8 billion, 765-kilovolt line would stretch from St. Albans, W.Va., to Kemptown, via northern Frederick County.
Supporters say the line will bring vital fault tolerance to the region's growing electrical grid, while detractors say the line is unneeded and will only allow the two companies to sell more electricity from coal-fired power plants in places like western Pennsylvania.
Allegheny has yet to reach a decision about how to proceed in Maryland, but the company said in court filings Friday that it would likely made a decision in six weeks or less.
If the commission does push back the proceedings as requested, a final decision on the line could be handed down in February 2011. Hearings on the line were set to begin in Richmond next month.
]]>By Garren Shipley -- gshipley@nvdaily.com
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on controversial health-care legislation today, but it may not happen unless Democrats can round up the votes, according to a local congressman.
As of late Friday, a final vote on the Affordable Health Care for America Act was scheduled for sometime this afternoon.
Democrats are scrambling to find the 218 votes they need to pass the bill, according to Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10th.
"They were close I heard, and now they may not be," he said. "The official thing is 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. Saturday."
House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters earlier in the day that the vote might slip later into the weekend.
While they hold 258 of the 435 seats in the chamber, a number of Democrats have expressed serious reservations about the bill.
"You have the illegal immigration issue, you have the abortion issue," Wolf said.
Anti-abortion Democrats want language in the bill that would guarantee federal dollars aren't used for the controversial procedure, while some members of the party's Hispanic caucus want language removed that would bar illegal immigrants from benefiting under the bill.
All 177 Republicans have said they will vote against the legislation.
Tuesday's landslide in Virginia and Republican win in traditionally Democratic New Jersey definitely had an impact on the debate, according to Wolf, whose district stretches from the Washington suburbs to Warren, Clarke and Frederick counties and the city of Winchester.
"I thought it was a very powerful signal," Wolf said. "It's had a big difference on a lot of people."
Democrats from Republican-leaning districts who rode President Obama's coattails into office are starting to look over their shoulders, he said.
"Add to that the numbers that came out today, 10.2 percent unemployment, the highest since 1983," Wolf said.
Voters are angry, he added.
"They're continuing to lose jobs. The [$787 billion] stimulus package which was not very successful," he said.
Obama administration economists predicted unemployment wouldn't break 8 percent if Congress approved the spending package.
"That has a lot of people very, very concerned," he said. "Politically, I think it's a difficult issue for some people."
Financially, the timing of the bill couldn't be worse, according to Wolf.
Even before the economic downturn, Washington was facing a massive pile of debt and unsustainable entitlement obligations -- $53 trillion as of this year and climbing, according to Wolf.
Even without health care expenditures tacked on top of the growing tab, Congress is on track to spend $1 trillion more per year than it takes in for years to come.
Democrats argue that the bill reduces the deficit by $30 billion over the first 10 years of the legislation. But opponents say that's only because it starts collecting new taxes immediately and pushes off providing any benefits for three years.
The bill is House Resolution 3962.
]]>By Preston Knight -- pknight@nvdaily.com
WOODSTOCK -- Former students of the old Woodstock school could bring their lives full circle with the building now allowed to become an apartment complex for seniors.
The Woodstock Town Council gave the go-ahead Tuesday night for the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging to turn the West Court Street building into its headquarters and at least 28 one-bedroom apartments for people 65 and older. The agency works out of Front Royal now.
Council members unanimously approved a special-use permit for the work Tuesday night, with six conditions attached, Town Manager Larry Bradford said Thursday. Those conditions include keeping a Civil War Trails designation on site, submitting a landscaping plan and having a stormwater capacity that can withstand a 100-year storm, he said. The final site plan is not finished, Bradford added.
The project could cost an estimated $2.8 million, and the nonprofit agency is currently trying to secure financing, said Jonathan Price, the group's director of housing development.
The agency's adult day care center and a respite center, which is in Edinburg, will move into the basement, and a health clinic and hair salon are planned there as well. Price said those services will be available to the community.
The building, purchased by the agency along with about 3 acres from Shenandoah County for $1 two months ago, will be environmentally friendly, he said. A Strasburg native, Price said he has a personal affection for the area and its historic structures.
"As an agency, we thought the building was gorgeous and it can't be sitting there rotting," he said. "And getting a piece of property for $1 from the county ... we were very fortunate."
Bradford said the town, which built the school in the early 1900s and eventually gave it to the county, tried to obtain it in 2005 with the intent of making it the new municipal building. The current town hall would have become police headquarters or been sold. Plans never went too far, however, as the town never received the property.
The agency's plan will still benefit Woodstock, Bradford said.
"We think if there's a use of it, this is a good re-use of the facility," he said. "It's creating housing for seniors and bringing 30-40 people into the downtown area."
A former high school, which also served as the learning place for pupils of all ages at times, the building had been used for School Board offices and the Virginia Cooperative Extension until January 2000. That year, the school system and extension office moved to their current locations in the County Government Center, which is in an old middle school.
Until July 2004, the school system housed textbooks and media supplies at the former high school before turning it back over to the county.
Construction could begin next summer or fall, Price said. The apartments would be the agency's first project toward its new goal of developing senior housing.
"We're really happy about it," Price said.
In December, the agency will receive a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Housing Development Authority to go toward senior housing, he added.
]]>By Linwood Outlaw III -- loutlaw@nvdaily.com
FRONT ROYAL -- A Rileyville man who police say tried to rob two local stores on the same day in May will stand trial in Page County later this month on another robbery charge.
Christopher Bryan Parker, 35, of 852 Compton Hollow Road, Rileyville, appeared in Warren County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon to be arraigned on charges of feloniously robbing a cashier, Elena Scott, of U.S. currency by placing her in fear of serious bodily harm, and attempted robbery of cash from another cashier, Leah Collins, on May 2. Parker was indicted on the charges last month.
Before Parker was arraigned, however, his attorney, Ilona L. Beatty, told Judge Dennis L. Hupp that Parker will have a jury trial in Page County Circuit Court on Nov. 24, and that she wants to see how it turns out before moving forward with his case in Warren County. Hupp agreed to delay proceedings in Parker's case until Dec. 7.
Parker was indicted in Page County on one count of feloniously robbing a clerk at Bo's Belly Barn of money on May 3, the day before he allegedly robbed a Dollar General and attempted to rob a gas station in the Front Royal area. Coincidentally, Parker also is suspected in an attempted robbery of the Gas Mart at 8002 Winchester Road on May 3, according to the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
According to documents filed in Page County Circuit Court, Parker robbed Bo's Belly Barn in a similar fashion to the other robbery and attempt in Front Royal. He "presented a note saying that he had a gun" and demanded money during the May 3 incident, according to court records. Parker also admitted to robbing Bo's Belly Barn, according to a criminal complaint filed in Page County. "[Parker] said he just wrote the note to scare [the clerk]," the complaint says.
According to charging documents filed in Warren County Circuit Court, officers from the Front Royal Police Department responded to a reported robbery at the Dollar General at 470A S. Commerce Ave. at 4:42 p.m. on May 2. The cashier told police that Parker showed a "demand note" and told her to fill a yellow plastic bag with money from the register, court records state. Parker fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Later that night, at around 11:12 p.m., police were called to an attempted robbery at the Wilco gas station at 1710 N. Shenandoah Ave. Based on video surveillance and interviews with the cashier, authorities discovered that "physical characteristics of the suspect matched that of the suspect" from the previous robbery, court documents state. Police said Parker also showed a similar note during the attempted heist, but did not get away with any money.
Soon after the robberies, police issued a lookout alert for a Chrysler Concorde believed to have been driven by Parker. He was spotted walking near the vehicle on Reliance Road on May 3 and subsequently arrested.
Parker confessed to the robberies while being interviewed at police headquarters, court records state. He also told police that he returned to a local residence after each robbery to "purchase crack cocaine for his personal use and that he had been staying at the residence over the past 24 hours," according to documents.
Parker, meanwhile, is expected to appear in Warren County General District Court for a hearing on another robbery charge on Dec. 9. He is being held without bond at the Warren County Jail.
]]>WINCHESTER -- The Winchester-Frederick County Economic Development Commission has had to scale back its efforts to promote area business growth.
The situation may not change much if the city doesn't fund the group's budget request for the current fiscal year.
The commission on Friday unanimously approved its draft budget for fiscal 2011, which includes revenue of $461,055 -- an amount slightly above its current financial plan due to additional non-local income.
The EDC should keep its proposed budget at the adopted fiscal 2010 spending level of $447,555, Executive Director Patrick Barker told the commission, citing discussions he had with Frederick County staff. How the city addresses the EDC funding request remains unknown, Barker said.
"We kept in line the same kind of thought that we had last year in that the cuts that we received in [fiscal year 2010] hopefully will be temporary, with the idea that we'll see some restoring ... sometime next year or the year after," he said.
"Obviously the elements we need to be focusing on are the brand, the personnel, some level of proactive marketing and the Web site," Barker added.
The EDC's "brand" focuses on the development of existing businesses.
The City Council did not fund the EDC's entire request for the current fiscal year. But as the commission learned from Barker, the council may reconsider the request and fund all or part of the remaining funds.
Barker said he and EDC Chairman Roger Crosen met with Winchester's interim city manager, Robert "Bob" Noe Jr., to discuss the matter. Barker also recalled a recent conversation with council President Jeffrey Buettner and Councilman Art Major regarding the possible reconsideration of the funding of the EDC budget.
"For us, this is kind of a critical juncture," Barker said. "If we get into February and all of a sudden they turn around and say they're not going to fund us, that puts the county in the lurch and it puts us in the lurch."
"This past year we were able to at least recover most of the city's $72,000," Barker added. "I would be very surprised if we were able to do that this year."
According to the current budget, excluding staff salaries, 74 percent of the EDC's spending goes toward existing business development and 26 percent on new business development. If the city doesn't fund the EDC's request for the next budget, Barker warned the commission may have to make more cuts to its existing business development efforts.
The EDC has not received word on a deadline to submit its budget proposal, but that date usually falls sometime in early December, Barker said.
]]>FRONT ROYAL -- A man arrested by Warren County deputies this week after giving them a fake name during a routine traffic stop had a good reason for concealing his identity.
It turns out 44-year-old Thomas Rufus Williams is wanted in California on drug charges that date back to early last year.
Williams, of 303 E. Fifth St., Los Angeles, is being held without bond in the Warren County Jail, and was charged with possessing a fictitious driver's license and providing false identification to a law enforcement officer after deputies pulled him over on Interstate 66 early Tuesday morning to question him about a cracked taillight on his 1990 Cadillac.
Deputy Chad D. Lamma noticed that the Cadillac had Washington, D.C., tags and asked Williams for his driver's license. Lamma grew suspicious when Williams gave him a license "that did not appear consistent with" an identification card furnished by a passenger who was in the car with him, according to a news release issued by the Warren County Sheriff's Office on Friday. "On [the] driver's ID, [the] script was blurred and [the] photo was not very clear. I also noticed [the California] state seal was a different size [from the passenger's ID]," Lamma wrote in a criminal complaint filed in Warren County General District Court.
Lamma asked Williams to step out of the vehicle and noticed that the suspect was taller than the height listed on the license. California highway patrol officers told Lamma that Williams' identification was most likely fake.
Williams told the deputy his name was Earl Walker, and said he didn't know his own Social Security number, according to the criminal complaint. Williams also told Lamma that he had been arrested in the past, but "had no criminal history."
"[Williams] could not produce any documents with his name on it, but had numerous documents with another man's name," Lamma says in the complaint. "I asked [Williams] numerous times to tell me who he was. He stated that he was Earl Walker every time."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that Williams was wanted by California authorities on charges of unlawfully transporting, selling or distributing dangerous drugs, charges that date back to February 2008, according to court records. Lamma obtained a fugitive warrant for Williams, and he is awaiting extradition. Williams is scheduled to appear in General District Court for a hearing on Nov. 18.
]]>WINCHESTER -- A West Virginia man listed as a fugitive by authorities has been indicted on two sex crimes by a Winchester Circuit Court grand jury.
Marion Dale Riggleman, 69, of Romney, W.Va., was indicted Oct. 20. An address in Romney is not listed for Riggleman in court documents.
Riggleman is charged with the April 1 aggravated sexual battery of a child under 13, according to the indictments.
He also is charged with indecent exposure against a child under 18. Riggleman maintained a supervisory relationship with that victim, the indictments state.
The Northern Virginia Daily does not publish the names of victims of sex crimes.
Also indicted by a Winchester Circuit Court grand jury:
* Joshua Ryan Whirley, 18, of 345 Virginia Ave., Winchester, on one count of carnal knowledge and one count of rape by mental incapacity.
* Khalil Abdul-Wali, 52, of 314 Parkway Street, Winchester, on one count of assault and battery.
* Joseph E. Beaudin Jr., 56, of 651 N. Cameron St., Strasburg, on one count of grand larceny.
* Luther B. Bethea, 56, of 217 Brigstock Drive, Winchester, on two counts of heroin distribution.
* William R. Bishop II, 20, of 136 Country Club Circle, Winchester, on one count of credit card fraud.
* Quentin Lee Blowe, 19, of 27 W. Bond St., Winchester, on one count of larceny.
* David Osear Brooton Jr., 41, of 441 N. Loudoun St., Winchester, on one count of third-offense larceny.
* Cecilia S. Buracker, 30, of 336 Woodstock Lane, No. 1, Winchester, on one count of third-offense bad check.
* Kristy E. Campbell, 31, of 1110 Valley Ave., No. 2, Winchester, on one count of third-offense larceny.
* Candido Castillo, 30, of 104 S. Southwerk St., Winchester, on two counts of assault and battery and one count of making a threatening call.
* Kristian Presley Collins, 33, address unavailable, on one count of larceny with intent to sell.
* Raymond Corley, 42, of 21 Raleigh Court, Winchester, on one count of cocaine possession and three counts of cocaine distribution.
* Michael S. Cunningham, 22, of 435 N. Cameron St., Winchester, on one count of larceny.
* David Davon Deans, 24, of 113 Cool Springs Drive, Stephens City, on one count of grand larceny.
* Nicholas W. Flowers III, 52, of 651 N. Cameron St., Winchester, on one count of grand larceny.
* Carlos Hernandez-Mijango, aka Moises Baez, 24, of 1005 Franklin St., Winchester, on one count of third-offense DUI.
* Kenneth Edward Hite, 38, of 119 Valley View Drive, Chester Gap, W.Va., on one count of eluding police.
* George Edward Holmes Jr., 38, of 2091/2 Baker St., Winchester, on one count of cocaine possession.
* Donald David Jackson Jr., 18, of 331 Fairview Ave., Winchester, on one count of grand larceny.
* Gregg Albert Jennings, 40, of 734 Virginia Ave., Martinsburg, W.Va., on one count of larceny.
* Michael Edward Jones II, 27, of 508 Rocky Ford Road, Clear Brook, on one count of breaking and entering and one count of destruction of property.
* Brandon Lawrence McKinney, 27, whose address was listed as the Northwest Regional Adult Detention Center, on one count of breaking and entering, one count of grand larceny and one count of identity theft.
* Misha Jo Mejia, 31, of 206 S. Braddock St., No. 2, Winchester, on one count of prescription fraud.
* Kimberly Orndoff, 47, of 707 Old Charlestown Road, Stephenson, on one count of prescription fraud.
* Jade L. Parsons, 42, of 306 Tenacious Heights, Martinsburg, W.Va., on one count of receiving stolen property and one count of obtaining money by false pretenses.
* Tiffany D. Richardson, 25, of 1224 Valley Ave., Winchester, on one count of cocaine distribution.
* Shylah Nicole Royal, 20, of 2564 Wilson Blvd., No. 202, Winchester, on one count of larceny.
* William L. Sanders II, 34, of 104 Holiday Drive, Winchester, on one count of cocaine distribution.
* Joseph J. Sexton, 36, of 2934 Packer St., Winchester, on four counts of prescription fraud.
* Benito Sital, 47, of 207 E. Whitlock St., Winchester, on three counts of cocaine distribution.
* George Sloane, 27, of 514 N. Kent St., Winchester, on one count of assault and battery.
* David Wayne Snyder, 26, of 2945 Valley Ave., Winchester, on one count of larceny.
* Alan W. Souders, 33, of 4182 Middleway Pike, Kearneysville, W.Va., on one count of heroin possession with intent to distribute, one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, one count of oxycodone possession, one count of hydrocodone possession and one count of controlled paraphernalia possession.
* Kassie L. Spurlock, 23, of 317 S. Cameron St., Winchester, on one count of breaking and entering.
* William A. Stracka, 22, of 109 Davis Drive, Martinsburg, W.Va., on one count of heroin possession and one count of receiving stolen property.
* Patrick Keith Stickley, 22, of 2053 Gerrardstown Road, Inwood, W.Va., on one count of breaking and entering and one count of destruction of property.
* Sally Mae Talbott, 40, of 425 Warren Ave., Front Royal, on five counts of obtaining money by false pretenses.
* Maurine Adriana Walter, 31, of 2524 Wilson Blvd., No. 203, Winchester, on one count of identity fraud.
* David Henry Ward, 44, of HC 61 Box 36, Capon Bridge, W.Va., on one count of third-offense DUI, one count of driving with a suspended license and one count of refusal of tests.
* Jason Allen Wright, 20, of 1224 Virginia Ave., Winchester, on one count of cocaine distribution.
]]>WINCHESTER -- The Frederick County Planning Commission postponed rezoning 271 acres to light industrial use Wednesday night to resolve questions related to the project.
Submitted by Graystone Corp. of Virginia, the rezoning would bring office and manufacturing space to the Stonewall District. The property is located north of Redbud Road and west of Milburn Road.
Commission member George J. Kriz, who represents the Gainesboro District, made a motion to postpone action on the proposal for 60 days.
Planning staff raised several questions about the project in documents provided to commission members, including transportation impacts and consistency with the county's comprehensive plan.
In addition, the Historic Resources Advisory Board noted that a portion of the property is part of the Second Winchester battlefield.
While not a part of the core battlefield area, county planning documents state, the proposed site is adjacent to that area. The property also is within the study area of the Third Battle of Winchester, the documents state.
Several historic landmarks also are close to the property.
The panel will reconsider Graystone's changes to the rezoning application in January.
In other business, the Planning Commission:
* Approved an ordinance amendment that adds additional manufacturing, office and service uses to the county's office-manufacturing zoning district.
Changes include increasing allowed height for buildings.
* Approved an ordinance amendment that allows the Board of Supervisors to modify proffers -- a list of financial commitments by developers to offset developmental impacts to the county -- during or after a public hearing.
According to the revised ordinance, the board may not modify proffers to reflect a more intense density.
The revised ordinance also requires proffer statements to be recorded with the Frederick County Circuit Court.
* Approved adding commercial recreation uses to the county's light industrial zoning classification.
The Blue Ridge Dog Training Club requested the change to accommodate a new facility.
"Unfortunately, all of the buildings that we have found that meet our area and budget requirements have been located in M1 industrial facilities," a letter from the club to county planning staff states.
The change was approved despite a recommendation by the Winchester-Frederick County Economic Development Commission to deny the request.
]]>The time is significant, member Ray Powell said, because the armistice for World War I was signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Wednesday is Nov. 11.
R. Craig Jones, the new head of Massanutten Military Academy, will be the featured speaker for the event, and the entire cadet corps of the school has been invited, Powell said.
Three area senior homes will bring veterans, too -- Greenfield, Skyline Terrace and Dutch Haven. Powell said more than 15 veterans are expected from those homes.
"It's going to be an honor for us to have them there to honor," he said.
There were about 130 veterans in attendance at last year's event, Powell said.
The Legion is hosting its ceremony with the help of VFW Post 2447 in Edinburg. It will take place at 411 S. Muhlenberg St.
Daily Staff Report
]]>In fact, it's been pretty easy counsel to follow. No matter where I've lived over the years, I've been lucky to have wonderful people living just across the fence.
I can only wonder what it's like to wake up one morning and learn that the wolf has been living next door.
Of course, I mean the wolf who walks on two legs, who goes off to work each morning and mows the lawn on the weekends.
To the neighbors, he seems perfectly normal. He's the quiet type. Keeps mostly to himself.
We never dreamed he was a predator.
No doubt, that's what people in his neighborhood are thinking this morning about Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army psychiatrist who turned a building at Fort Hood, Texas, into a slaughterhouse on Thursday. Thirteen were killed and 29 wounded after Hasan opened fire on troops at the Soldier Readiness Center on the base.
He only stopped shooting when a civilian police officer returned fire, wounding Hasan and leaving him hospitalized.
Investigators are trying to determine what triggered his deadly spree. Was it terrorism? Mental illness? Religious fanaticism?
Meanwhile, the rest of us are left peering through one more tear in the fabric of society, catching yet another glimpse of the wolves that haunt our imagination. That fabric, woven largely on mutual trust, seems more tattered by the day.
Consider a case closer to home: The September slayings in Farmville of a college professor, her estranged husband, their teenage daughter and a girl who was visiting.
The murders were allegedly committed by a California rapper, a guest who shared an interest with the two girls in a music genre called "horrorcore," which glorifies rape and murder.
Investigators have described a grisly scene at the house, which is located in one of the town's older, more upscale neighborhoods -- where no one expected the darkest corner of the human soul to be exposed.
Consider another case even closer to home: The June shooting deaths here in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Gregory Scott Slater Jr. and Kayleigh Marie Plamondon. Justin Slater, Greg Slater's younger brother and Plamondon's ex-boyfriend, is charged with the murders. Investigators say he shot Greg Slater at his Frederick County home and Plamondon at a Clarke County residence where she was house-sitting.
The lawyers are still debating whether Justin Slater is sane enough to stand trial for the deaths. There's probably no such uncertainty in the neighborhoods where the shootings happened. Ask anyone and they'll tell you. Crazy things like this don't happen here.
These three very different cases share one common thread: A deadly breach of trust that leaves all of us wondering if any more wolves are in the fold.
* Bob Wooten is the managing editor of the Daily. Contact him at 800-296-5137 or at <a href="mailto:bwooten@nvdaily.com">bwooten@nvdaily.com</a>.
]]>WINCHESTER -- The firm building a 500-kilovolt power line through several states claims it needs to gain access to land in Frederick County to do so.
The Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co. filed a petition in Frederick County Circuit Court on Wednesday for condemnation of an easement for the electric transmission line and an early right of entry on 1.79 acres of land near Hunting Ridge Road in the Back Creek District.
The Maryland-based firm states in its filing that it has authority under state code to take the property "by exercise of eminent domain" which includes work related to the building of the transmission line.
TrAIL is a project approved Oct. 7, 2008, by the Virginia State Corporation Commission that calls for an electric power transmission line to be built from Pennsylvania, passing through West Virginia and Virginia, where it would connect to the Meadow Brook substation and continue to a facility in Warren County.
The SCC determined a need existed for the power line in order to prevent what Allegheny Power and Dominion Power called an anticipated shortage of electricity for the mid-Atlantic region.
TrAIL seeks the right to keep the right of way clear and to have ingress and egress over the property. The respondents and their heirs would have the right to use the easement, the petition states. TrAIL shall repair or pay for damage to fences, roads, crops or other improvements either inside or outside the right of way, according to the petition, when such damage results from the exercise of the company's rights obtained through the court action.
The respondents listed in the petition own approximately 20 acres, according to Frederick County records. However, none of the respondents live in Frederick County. Respondents are Richard A. Barnes, of Palm Bay, Fla.; Edward D. Barnes, of Chester; Elizabeth J. Shupe and Elmer Jantry Shupe Jr., both of Kingsport, Tenn.; and Theresa J. McGirr, address unknown.
The petitioner searched records to determine the heirs of Elmer Jantry Shupe Sr. and Lillian B. Barnes as well as the owners of the property, the document states. However, the petitioner has not been able to make a bona fide effort to all respondents since neither McGirr's address nor the heirs-at-law of Elmer Shupe Sr. are known, according to the filing.
The SCC order requires the petitioner and Dominion Power to build the power line and place it in service by July 1, 2011. The petitioner states, in its request for an early right of entry, that it must obtain access to the site to begin work as soon as possible.
TrAIL states that it is impossible for the condemnation proceeding to be fully litigated. Nor can any appeals be resolved while still allowing TrAIL time to complete the project, the petition states.
The petitioner has asked that the court appoint a guardian ad litem to represent and protect the interests of unknown and unidentified respondents; that the estates, interests or rights described in the petition be condemned and title be vested in TrAIL; and that compensation of such rights acquired be ascertained and awarded.
TrAIL is represented by Winchester-based attorney H. Edmunds Coleman III.
]]>By James Heffernan -- jheffernan@nvdaily.com
FRONT ROYAL -- The proposed sale of Allegheny Power's service areas in Virginia is still more than six months away, but one of the two electric cooperatives involved is already staking its claim.
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative plans to purchase the LeHew building in the Kelley Industrial Park for its new Blue Ridge district office, according to the local Economic Development Authority.
REC will invest $5.5 million in the property, which includes 30,000 square feet of office and warehouse space on 12 acres of land.
The move will bring 45 jobs, retaining a number of local Allegheny Power employees while creating other positions to serve REC's new members, the EDA said.
In May, Greensburg, Pa.-based Allegheny Power announced that it intends to sell its electric distribution operations in Virginia to REC and Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative. Both are member-owned, not-for-profit utilities.
Under the terms of the $350 million agreement, REC, headquartered in Fredericksburg, would serve Rappahannock County and parts of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren counties. Mt. Crawford-based SVEC would pick up the remainder of Allegheny's local service area, including all of Winchester.
If the State Corporation Commission signs off on the deal, the transfer would take place in May 2010. A public hearing is scheduled for March 2 in Richmond.
REC customers will enjoy greater rate stability in the long term as a result of the transaction, "and we will gain additional well-trained and highly-qualified field employees," President and Chief Executive Kent D. Farmer says in a press release.
"Additional jobs will create new opportunities for our employees and communities," he says.
"We look forward to welcoming another community-oriented organization to our County," says Patty Wines, chairwoman of the local EDA. "In addition to their investment and job creation, we believe Rappahannock will be a good corporate neighbor."
Jeff LeHew, president of Via Satellite, a local DISH Network provider, is in the planning stages of building a similar facility on adjacent property in the Kelley Industrial Park, according to the EDA.
LeHew could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
]]>Winchester resident Bryan Biddle has opened Proforma Bottom Line Marketing, offering commercial printing services, promotional products, business documents and e-commerce solutions to local companies. The company is part of the Proforma network of more than 700 independent offices throughout North America. Contact Biddle at 535-5068 or Bryan.Biddle
@proforma.com.
The Southerlands retirement community held a grand opening Oct. 15 for its new cafe and wellness center, allowing residents to experience a quality dining experience in a casual atmosphere and improve overall health through fitness and rehabilitative services.
Morning Glory at Dutch Haven held an open house Oct. 29 for its memory-care facility at 257 Toll House Road, Maurertown. Call 436-3297.
Companies
Stage Stores Inc., the parent company of Goody's, Peebles and Stage, held its annual Fall Charity Days on Nov. 1-2 to benefit local charities and nonprofit organizations.
Martin's Food Markets and Giant Food Stores will donate $500,000 to fight hunger in their communities as a result of their annual Bag Hunger campaign. From Sept. 6-19, customers were asked to donate $1 at the checkout to area food banks and pantries. Locally, the Lord Fairfax Area Food Bank will receive $8,453, while Loaves and Fishes in Martinsburg, W.Va., will receive $4,504.
Awards
Body Art Tattoo Studio has been selected for the 2009 Best of Berryville Award in the Tattoo Parlor category by the U.S. Commerce Association. The USCA's "Best of Local Business" award program recognizes businesses that have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community.
The Henry and William Evans Home for Children recently took home two peer awards: the Winchester Education Association's Friend of Education award and the Distinguished Administrator award for Executive Director Marc Jaccard.
The Virginia Knights of Columbus has approved a $20,000 grant to Shenandoah County SEARCH Inc. to expand and modernize its group home in Mt. Jackson. SEARCH, which serves Shenandoah, Page, Rockingham and Frederick counties, is in the process of raising more than $132,000 through its thrift shop operations as well as donations to add two bedrooms and expand its living, dining, storage and laundry rooms.
Two Lord Fairfax Community College employees took home three first-place awards in the Virginia Community College Association 2009 Excellence in Communications competition. Aaron Riddle, LFCC's print and Web communication manager, won first place in the category of Course Catalogs and Schedules for the design of the spring 2009 Workforce Solutions catalog, "Partners in Your Success." Riddle also earned first place in the 3D Objects category for a megaphone designed using the theme of "Then and Now." In addition, Riddle and LFCC webmaster Curtiss Grymala took first place for the college's home page, www.lfcc.edu.
DuPont's Front Royal plant recently presented Samuels Public Library with a $6,250 grant to help sponsor reading zones for children and adults and furnishings for the library's technology and study rooms.
Personnel
Edward B. Lee III has joined Adams-Nelson & Associates as an independent commercial specialist. A Clarke County native who owned his own business for 15 years, Lee brings extensive experience in recycling technology, financing and business management. His commercial real estate career includes transactions ranging from business sales, offices and large commercial parcels to industrial warehouses, 1031 Exchanges and land.
Greg Davis has joined Frederick Block, Brick & Stone as a sales representative. Davis will be managing contractor accounts, as well as assisting with retail sales. He has over 32 years of experience in the masonry and building industries.
Whitney Crawford, a recent graduate of Shenandoah University's physician assistant program, has joined Potomac Family Practice in Leesburg.
Appointments
Dee Dee Shiley is the newest member of the Winchester Area Society of Human Resources Managers' board of directors, holding the position of hospitality chair. Shiley is the finance and human resources manager for SpecialMade Goods & Services in Stephens City.
Richard McClung, of New Market, has been chosen as one of 386 delegates to the 126th annual American Angus Association Convention, to be held Nov. 16 in Louisville, Ky.
Gary R. Frink was recently named president-elect of the nonprofit Belle Grove Plantation Inc., which manages the 1797 limestone manor house and acreage near Middletown.
The Kiwanis Club of Front Royal has elected new officers for 2009-10: Candy Lang, president; Lisa Parker, president-elect; Brenda Wells, secretary; and Terry Leckie, treasurer. Richard Hoover is the new lieutenant governor for the region, which includes clubs in Warren, Shenandoah, Clarke and Frederick counties.
Conferences
Dick Davies, stone manager at Frederick Block, Brick & Stone, recently attended the Allied Stone Industry Study Tour in Glenwood Springs, Colo. The event included tours of Colorado Yule Marble Quarry, a marble quarry and historic mill site; Pine Stone Co.; and Glenwood Spring Caverns, as well as job sites in Aspen, Colo.
Shanan Hambrick, of Winchester, an independent consultant with Scentsy Inc., a provider of scented, wickless candles, attended the company's annual convention, Shine in '09, held Aug. 13-14 at The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
Jane Wine, of Front Royal, and Shirley Dick, of Winchester, attended Celebrating Home's Rally 2009 conference, held Aug. 13-15 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn.
Certifications
Heather R. Anderson, of Winchester Environmental Consultants Inc., recently completed her EPA training to become a licensed asbestos inspector in Virginia and West Virginia. Anderson is a recent graduate with a degree in environmental engineering.
Winchester attorney Phillip S. Griffin II recently attended the Continuing Legal Education class "The Law of Fair Elections in Virginia," sponsored by the Virginia State Bar Association.
Attorney Eryk Boston recently attended Virginia Indigent Defense Council training in Alexandria. Boston is an associate at the Winchester law firm of Marilyn Ann Solomon.
Meetings
The Top of Virginia Regional Chamber held its 2010 Planning Retreat on Oct. 13 at ERA Oakcrest Realty in Winchester. Shenandoah University professor Bill Shendow, who served as director of the local chamber from 1986 to 1996, spoke on the chamber's mission in the past and its vision for the future.
Warren Memorial Hospital Auxiliary held its annual Education Conference on Oct. 14th at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Approximately 90 volunteers attended. The conference is held every October to bring volunteers up to date, including any changes in policy.
Financial
The board of directors of Shentel has declared a cash dividend of 32 cents per share payable Dec. 1 to shareholders of record on Nov. 10. The payout is an increase of 2 cents per share, or 7 percent, over the 2008 dividend.
-- Daily Staff Reports
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