AP
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia’s practice of automatically holding death row inmates in solitary confinement will be reviewed by a federal appeals court. Experts say that if the court upholds a ruling in favor of condemned inmate Alfredo Prieto, prisoners in other death penalty states could be encouraged to file similar challenges. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria ruled last year that solitary confinement on death row is so onerous that the Virginia Department of Corrections must assess its necessity on a case-by-case basis. She said failure to do so is a violation of due process. The state argues in its appeal that courts should defer to the judgment of prison officials on safety issues. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments Tuesday.
Hannah Graham
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Authorities say remains found Oct. 18 in a rural area are that of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. Graham disappeared Sept. 13 after a night out with friends. The remains were found about 12 miles from campus. The man Graham was last seen with, 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., has been charged with abduction with intent to defile Graham. The remains were discovered roughly 6 miles from where the body of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington was found after she vanished in 2009. Police have said forensic evidence connects Matthew to Harrington’s killing, which in turn is linked by DNA to a 2005 sexual assault in northern Virginia. Matthew has been charged in that case as well.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Appalachian Power is proposing ways for its Virginia customers to reduce energy usage and demand. The utility on Friday filed a request with the State Corporation Commission seeking approval for four residential programs and two for commercial and industrial customers. The residential programs would provide home assessments and incentives for long-term energy reduction; provide free pickup and cash incentives for removing second refrigerators or freezers from the power grid; give incentives if new manufactured housing is built to efficiency standards; and offer retail rebates and markdowns for high-efficiency lighting and appliances. A financial incentive for commercial and industrial users would tie to specific results from installing high-efficiency lighting and heating and cooling equipment. Another would provide rebates for certain larger energy conservation projects. Appalachian Power has about 500,000 Virginia customers.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell
(Associated Press photo)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell’s sentencing on nine public corruption convictions has been set for Feb. 20. McDonnell had originally been scheduled for sentencing Jan. 6, but she asked for a postponement because one of her attorneys has a scheduling conflict that day. U.S. District Judge James Spencer approved her motion last week and set the new sentencing date Thursday. Former Gov. Bob McDonnell and his wife were convicted in September of performing “official acts” to promote former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams’ dietary supplement products in exchange for more than $165,000 in gifts, trips and loans. Bob McDonnell was convicted on 11 public corruption counts. His sentencing remains set for Jan. 6.
Jesse Matthew, Jr.
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) _ A judge in Fairfax County has issued a bench warrant to bring the man accused of abducting a missing University of Virginia student to Fairfax to face charges in a separate crime. Fairfax County prosecutors sought and received the bench warrant Thursday for Jesse Matthew. He’s charged with attempted capital murder and other charges in a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax City. Matthew is currently being held in the Charlottesville area on charges of kidnapping University of Virginia student Hannah Graham. Officers searching for Graham found human remains on Saturday. The remains have not yet been identified. It’s not clear when Matthew will make an initial appearance in Fairfax. Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh has indicated he will cooperate with prosecutors in the Graham case.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Terry McAuliffe is continuing to pay off campaign debt from last year’s expensive gubernatorial contest. McAuliffe has transferred $250,000 from his political action committee to his gubernatorial campaign account since September. His campaign account also took in a $12,500 donation earlier this month from Tim Finchem, the Florida-based commissioner of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The campaign reported having $375,000 in unpaid debt in June. Michael Halle, an adviser to the governor’s political action committee, says it’s normal for campaigns to pay off debts after an election. He noted that McAuliffe spent heavily during last year’s race to help bolster turnout for all state Democratic candidates. McAuliffe is one of the Democratic Party’s premiere fundraisers and is the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Motorists are being urged to stay focused and alert as deer mating season is creating deadly road hazards in Virginia. AAA Mid-Atlantic says thousands of deer-related crashes take place across the state each year, resulting in fatalities, injuries, and costly vehicle damage. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles more than half of all deer-related vehicle crashes happen between the months of October and December. Last year, the most Virginia deer-vehicle crashes occurred in Loudoun and Fauquier counties.The auto club is telling motorists to buckle up and reduce speed, be alert and observant, and be on the lookout for groups of deer. AAA also says to slow down and brake instead of swerving.
(AP) — Virginia voters in next month’s midterm elections will have to bring a photo ID to vote. Here are things voters need to know about the new requirement:
Several different types of photo ID are acceptable, including a driver’s license or other ID issued by the state Department of Motor Vehicles; a U.S. passport; an employer-issued ID; a student ID from a college or university in the state; a photo ID card issued by the federal, state or local government; and a state-issued voter photo ID card.
People who don’t have one of those forms of ID can get a free voter photo ID card from their nearest Voter Registration Office. A list of those offices can be found by clicking HERE.
Voters who arrive at their polling place without proper identification can still cast a provisional ballot. Such voters will have until noon on the Friday after the election to deliver a copy of their photo ID to the voter registration office, which they can submit by fax, email, in-person, mail or commercial delivery service. People casting provisional ballots can also apply for a Virginia voter photo ID card by noon of that Friday.
Undated file image from the
Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) shows Ebola virus
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia Department of Health is helping answer questions from the public and provide the most up-to-date information regarding Ebola to Virginians. The agency says it has set up a hotline that’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hotline can be reached at 877-275-8343. Officials say Virginia’s 211 Call Center will be handling these calls using frequently asked questions developed by the department. State Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa Levine says Virginians are understandably concerned about their risk of catching Ebola and the agency is responding through multiple channels. Updates and answers to frequently asked questions are also being shared daily via the agency’s website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
Update: Wed., 10/22/14 4:55 a.m.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ The Virginia State Crime Commission is recommending stronger measures to ensure the accuracy of police eyewitness identifications. The commission agreed Tuesday to back legislation requiring law enforcement agencies to adopt a model policy recommended by the state Department of Criminal Justice Services in 2011. The bill will be considered by the 2015 General Assembly. Only 6 percent of the agencies responding to a University of Virginia law professor’s study last year had adopted the model policy. A new study by the Crime Commission staff found that 46 percent of the agencies now have a policy nearly identical to the “best practices” model. Police lineups are under scrutiny because 13 of the 16 people wrongly convicted in Virginia and later exonerated by DNA evidence originally were misidentified by eyewitnesses.