AP
Former Virginia
Gov. Bob McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says his wife never asked him to do anything to help the wealthy vitamin entrepreneur who gave the couple more than $165,000 in gifts and loans. He also says there was never an implied understanding that he would do any favors for former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams. Bob and Maureen McDonnell are charged with accepting gifts and loans from Williams in exchange for promoting his company’s dietary supplements. McDonnell was back on the stand for questioning by his wife’s lawyer Monday. He testified his wife eventually agreed to take medication and undergo mental health counseling amid concerns about her frequent outbursts toward him and her staff. McDonnell now faces cross-examination by prosecutors.
FORT LEE, Va. (AP) _ The Army says early reports indicated that a female soldier turned a gun on herself and fired one shot, injuring herself, on a central Virginia base. The Army put Fort Lee on lockdown Monday morning, with a report of an active shooter. Officials say the soldier had a gun inside a four-story building that is the headquarters for the Army’s Combined Arms Support Command. Pentagon spokeswoman Alayne Conway says the shooter did not wound anyone, but she was uncertain of the shooter’s status. The lockdown has been lifted. Fort Lee is 25 miles south of Richmond and 130 miles from Washington. The military says it’s the Army’s third-largest training site.
Former Virginia
Gov. Bob McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says he knows in his heart he’s innocent of the federal corruption charges he’s facing. The former governor finished his third day of testifying Friday at federal court in Richmond by proclaiming his innocence and saying he would never corrupt his office in exchange for gifts. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, are charged with accepting more than $165,000 from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his products. McDonnell said he had thought Williams was a true friend and accused him of making false statements in court. The former governor is expected to resume testifying on Monday.
ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Appalachian Power is warning small business customers in Virginia about a scam. The utility says some businesses have received calls from scam artists posing as Appalachian Power representatives. The callers threaten to disconnect service if payment is not received. Victims sometimes are directed to buy prepaid debit cards to make the payment. Appalachian Power spokeswoman Jeri Matheney says the company does not demand payment in this manner. She says anyone receiving such a call should hang up and call the company at the toll-free number listed on their bill or call local police.
Former Virginia
Gov. Bob McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says he took a second loan from a wealthy businessman because it was offered. McDonnell testified Friday about asking Jonnie Williams for a $20,000 loan two months after borrowing $50,000. He said Williams had told him that if he needed more money, he should just ask. McDonnell said he did so when he found two vacation rental homes he owned with his sister were still operating in the red. He said there was nothing inappropriate about either loan. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, are charged with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from the former Star Scientific Inc. CEO in exchange for promoting his company’s dietary supplements.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Kings Dominion plans to expand its 20-acre water park for its 2015 season. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the amusement park will add a water-slide complex, a splash zone for small children and expanded cabanas. The amusement park says the new Splash island area will double the size of the children’s options now available. The 65-foot-tall waterslide complex at the park will feature three new attractions. Paradise Plunge will drop guests into a series of loops and s-curves in a translucent flume, Aqua Blast will send riders through an enclosed chute with four 360-degree loops before dropping into a pool of water and Thunder Falls, where visitors will climb into single or double rafts before being launched down a series of drops and turns.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Mark Warner has agreed to appear in eight joint public forums with Republican rival Ed Gillespie. Of those eight appearances, two of them will be televised debates. The first debate will be sponsored by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 7. The other debate is sponsored by the League of Women Voters and American Association of Retired Persons. It will be held Oct. 13 in Richmond. The other appearances will be in Newport News, Virginia Beach, Danville, Roanoke and northern Virginia.
Former Virginia
Gov. Bob McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ After an emotional day of testimony, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will be back on the stand in his public corruption trial. McDonnell testified Thursday about his strained marriage before answering questions about thousands of dollars in gifts and loans he and his family received from a wealthy vitamin entrepreneur. He’ll answer more questions from his lawyer Friday. It’s unclear when prosecutors will begin cross-examination. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, are charged with accepting more than $165,000 from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his products. Their marriage is a key element to the defense, which has suggested the couple couldn’t have conspired because they were barely communicating.
FINCASTLE, Va. (AP) — A former sheriff in Botetourt County has been indicted on felony charges related to his operation of a private investigation firm. Media outlets reports Reed Kelly was arraigned this week on four counts of obtaining money under false pretenses. The 61-year-old Kelly is a former two-term sheriff who retired in 1999. State police spokesman Sgt. Rob Carpentieri says special agents had received complaints about Kelly’s private investigation business. Carpentieri had no further information on the complaints. The indictments say Kelly allegedly took money or property in excess of $200 from someone on four separate occasions from 2006 to 2011. Kelly’s attorney didn’t immediately return a phone message left at his law firm Thursday.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A task force to combat sexual assaults on Virginia’s college campuses has been created by Gov. Terry McAuliffe. McAuliffe signed an executive order Thursday creating the Governor’s Task Force on Combating Campus Sexual Violence. The task force will include campus administrators, advocates, law enforcement, higher education attorneys, health professionals and others. The task force will be chaired by Attorney General Mark Herring. Herring’s office will also begin a training program with college and university staff who are involved in the prevention of and response to reports of sexual violence. A statewide summit will be held in Richmond in October to bring together campus leaders to discuss ways to prevent and respond to sexual violence.