Across Virginia
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Brock Doman proved an able replacement for injured Malik Cunningham, throwing for one touchdown, running for another and leading Louisville to a 34-17 victory at Virginia on Saturday.
Domann overcame a slow start — his first completion was to former teammate Anthony Johnson, now a Virginia defensive back — and evoked thoughts of Cunningham when he took off on a 44-yard run for a tying touchdown.
“That even tricked me,” Louisville strong safety M.J. Griffin, who also started, said. “I didn’t even think he had the ball honestly.”
Domann found out he was starting on Sunday, but even with a week to prepare, said it took him awhile to get settled.
“I was in my own way in the first quarter,” he said after finishing 17 for 30 for 275 yards with two interceptions. “As much as you want to prepare for your first start, you need to get out of your own way. Once I did that, this team was amazing.”The Cardinals (3-3, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) were without Cunningham, who had started a school-record 40 consecutive games, as he remained sidelined by a concussion sustained last week against Boston College.
Brennan Armstrong threw for a touchdown and ran for one for the Cavaliers (2-4, 0-3), but also helped kill Virginia’s first quarter momentum when he fumbled the ball away and threw a pair of interceptions.
Virginia coach Tony Elliott said Armstrong is trying to do much at times and needs others to come along, but Armstrong said that wasn’t the problem.
“I don’t really feel like I’m trying to play outside the offense, but I mean I’m just making mistakes also with trying to play and make plays,” he said.
Virginia led 10-0 and had the crowd roaring when the fumble was lost.
“That was really huge right there because if they were to score, it would have been 17-0,” Griffin said. He also had one of the Cardinals’ two interceptions.
Trevion Cooley and Jahwar Jordan ran for touchdowns for Louisville, with Jordan’s making it 34-17 with 11:03 left and sending fans streaming out.
Those who stayed saw Mike Hollins stopped on a fourth-and-1 try from the Cardinals’ 5 with just over 8 minutes left on a call that was initially ruled a first down, but overturned on review, all but sealing Virginia’s loss.
The road victory surely helped Cardinals coach Scott Satterfield, rumored to be on the hot seat. The victory also ended a remarkable nine-game losing streak for Louisville in games they led or at least tied in the fourth quarter.
“I don’t know about me. I do know they showed up and supported Brock,” Satterfield said, praising how the offense and defense both got better.
Virginia finished with six rushing yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
Louisville: With two weeks to get Cunningham back, the Cardinals at least don’t have to worry about Domann. He overcame his slow start, completed many clutch passes and may have surprised himself with the long TD run.
Virginia: The Cavaliers continually made things hard of themselves in key spots. Armstrong’s fumble at the Louisville 18 came with them ahead 10-0 and driving for a third consecutive score. Sure-handed Keytaon Thompson had two drops in three plays to kill their ensuing drive, and with the Cardinals going backwards on penalties, Anthony Johnson’s pass interference call in the end zone gave them a first-and-goal at the 2. Cooley ran it in from there.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals have a week off, then are at home against Pittsburgh.
Virginia has a week off, then plays at Georgia Tech on a Thursday night.
On October 8, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m., Roanoke Police were notified by the City of Roanoke E-911 Center of a person with a gunshot wound in the 2700 block of Hoover Street NW. The caller advised they were transporting a juvenile male to LewisGale Medical Center for treatment of a critical gunshot wound. As officers arrived at the Hoover Street NW scene, LewisGale Medical Center staff advised the victim had arrived. The victim was stabilized, then transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Ultimately, the juvenile male succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
Details about what led to this shooting are limited at this time. This remains an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call (540)344-8500 and share what you know. You can also text us at 274637; please begin the text with “RoanokePD” to ensure it’s properly sent. Both calls and texts can remain anonymous.
FINCASTLE, VA – On October 8, 2022, at 7:02 a.m. the Botetourt County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from a citizen reporting an unresponsive female lying on the ground in the 22,000 block of Botetourt Road.
Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrived on the scene to find an apparent deceased female lying in a gravel lot. Detectives are currently examining the scene. We are in the preliminary stages of this investigation and as more information becomes available, we will provide updates.
This incident appears to be isolated with no threat to the public.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday denied a request to rehear a case that found that gender dysphoria is a condition covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In August, a three-judge panel of the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the first federal appellate court in the country to find that the landmark federal law protects people with gender dysphoria, a condition that causes anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth.
The decision came in the case of Kesha Williams, a transgender woman who sued the Fairfax County sheriff in Virginia for housing her in a jail with men under a policy that inmates must be classified according to their genitals.
In her lawsuit, Williams said that she was harassed and that her prescribed hormone medication was repeatedly delayed or skipped, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A federal judge granted a motion by the sheriff’s office to dismiss the lawsuit, but the 4th Circuit panel reversed that ruling, finding there is a distinction between gender identity disorder and gender dysphoria.
The modern diagnosis of gender dysphoria “affirms that a transgender person’s medical needs are just as deserving of treatment and protection as anyone else’s,” Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote in the opinion.
On Friday, the 4th Circuit rejected a request from the sheriff’s office for the full court of 15 judges to rehear the case.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment, and attorneys for the sheriff’s office did not respond to an email.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The head of a Virginia company accused of exploiting immigration detainees seeking bail has now been charged with defrauding the brother of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz.
The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office said Mike Donovan, the CEO of Nexus Services in Verona, Virginia, was arrested Wednesday after being indicted on fraud charges. The indictment states that the victim is Zachary Cruz, 22, who for several years has lived with Donovan and his spouse, Richard Moore, in Fishersville.
Moore, who is a part owner and executive with Nexus, and three others are also facing charges along with Donovan.
Donovan denies that Cruz has been defrauded. He said the charges are retaliation for efforts he has undertaken to expose corruption in the sheriff’s office and hold it accountable for two police shootings last year.
“I want to go to a jury. I will call witnesses and expose these people,” Donovan said in a phone interview Thursday.
Donovan and Moore took Zachary Cruz in nearly four years ago. Donovan said he became acquainted with Zachary Cruz after learning he was facing $500,000 bail on a trespassing charge for skateboarding at the high school where the shootings occurred.
After getting to know him, they offered him a home in Virginia and Donovan said he considers Cruz to be part of the family.
“When you see what he’s gone through, and what he’s been able to accomplish, it’s pretty inspiring,” Donovan said.
He said he’s offended by authorities’ suggestion that Zachary Cruz is mentally incapable of making his own decisions.
A search warrant affidavit filed in May 2021 states that Shenandoah Valley Social Services launched an investigation last year after receiving a report that Zachary Cruz was being financially exploited by Donovan and Moore.
The affidavit alleged that Cruz lacked the mental capacity to make his own financial judgements, even though he is an adult, and that a $428,000 inheritance he received after his mother’s death was transferred into other accounts.
Donovan said federal prosecutors investigated those allegations and exonerated him. He said that at this point, the inheritance money is spent and that Donovan and Moore are essentially supporting Cruz financially with a weekly stipend.
The county sheriff’s office did not return a call Thursday seeking comment.
Cruz could not be reached for comment Thursday. His attorney, Amina Matheny Willard, who also represents Donovan, denied that Cruz has been victimized by his new family.
Last year the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and three states, including Virginia, sued Donovan and his company, alleging that a subsidiary — Libre by Nexus — has exploited immigrant detainees by charging excessive fees to get them released on bail while they await hearings. That lawsuit is ongoing.
Donovan has vociferously defended his conduct. He says his company has helped tens of thousands of immigrants avoid prolonged detention while they await adjudication in a broken immigration system.
Zachary’s older brother, Nikolas Cruz, pleaded guilty last year to fatally shooting 14 students and three staff members at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
A sentencing trial is currently ongoing to determine whether Nikolas Cruz will receive the death penalty. Defense lawyers have argued that Nikolas Cruz suffered brain damage because his birth mother drank during pregnancy.
Zachary Cruz is two years younger and has the same birth mother. Both were adopted and grew up together in Parkland. Testimony during the trial has highlighted the boys’ unstable family life.
Zachary Cruz had been listed as a defense witness but was not called to testify.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A lawsuit against a Virginia town that alleges its police department has operated in a way that led to unlawful racial discrimination and violated individuals’ constitutional rights can move forward, a judge ruled Thursday.
The Office of the Attorney General initially brought the lawsuit against the small southeastern Virginia town of Windsor in December, after an investigation prompted by a 2020 traffic stop involving two Windsor police officers and Caron Nazario, an Army lieutenant.
Video of the incident showed the officers drawing their guns, pointing them at Nazario, who is Black and Latino, and using a slang term to suggest he was facing execution before pepper-spraying him and knocking him to the ground. The video led to widespread outrage when it surfaced months later, after Nazario sued the two officers.
A judge on Thursday heard arguments in the state’s lawsuit before denying an attempt from the town to have the case dismissed, TV station WVEC reported.
“We are pleased with the Court’s ruling today and have no further comment,” Victoria LaCivita, a spokesperson for Miyares, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
While the lawsuit was initially filed in the waning days of Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring’s term, Miyares — a Republican who took office in January — has continued to pursue it.
Miyares filed an amended complaint in August that substantially revised the claims made in the case. The lawsuit alleges the town’s police department “has engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct” that has deprived individuals of their rights, privileges or immunities under the First, Fourth and Fourteenth amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It also says the department policed in a way that unlawfully discriminated on the basis of race, color or national origin.
In court documents, the town has said the state’s lawsuit refers only to one incident, Nazario’s traffic stop, and doesn’t establish that the town engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprived individuals of their rights.
Attorneys for the town did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday’s ruling.
Isle of Wight NAACP members told the TV station they were pleased to see Miyares push forward with the case.
“It is good to know that it is not about parties,” said Valerie Butler, president of the Isle of Wight NAACP.
The non-emergency phone lines in the Roanoke County Emergency Communications Center are not operational at this time. Citizens are asked to only dial 911 if it is an emergency. Citizens can call 540-283-6597 for non-emergencies and if there is a busy signal, please try again later. The phone company is working on the problem and we will update once the lines are restored.
The Blacksburg police department is also experiencing some phone issues this morning. If you cannot get ahold of the Blacksburg Police Department, please call the New River Valley Emergency Communications Regional Authority at 540-382-4343 for assistance.
From Virginia State Police– Virginia State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash, which resulted in a fatality. The crash occurred September 29th , at 3:17 a.m. on Route 678, one tenth of a mile south of Route 688 in Franklin County.
A 2004 Jeep Cherokee was traveling north on Route 678, when the vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree.
Raymond Leon Chisom, 80, of Hardy, Va. drove the Jeep. Mr. Chisom was wearing his seatbelt and was transported Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Chisom died on October 3, 2022, from injuries received in the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
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From the University of Mary Washington: The 2022 annual statewide survey from the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington focuses on current contests this fall, with one notable forecast. If Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D) face off in a possible 2024 U.S. Senate contest, 41 percent of Virginians would support Kaine, while 39 percent could support Youngkin, according to this year’s survey.
“Governor Youngkin has been building his national profile in recent weeks as he campaigns for Republican candidates around the country, and that could help him if he chooses to run for the Senate,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “While there has been some buzz lately about the governor being a possible presidential candidate, this poll suggests Youngkin has additional political opportunities here in Virginia.”
The narrow difference between the two candidates, within the survey’s margin of error, suggests that such a contest – if it occurs – would likely be the closest Senate race in the Commonwealth in a decade. The 1,000-person poll of Virginia adults was conducted for UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies by Research America Inc. Sept. 6-12 and contains a margin of error of plus/minus 3.1 percentage points.
As shown in the poll, Kaine’s support is strongest in Northern Virginia and in the Tidewater region, while Youngkin’s support is strongest in south Central Virginia and in the state’s western and Northwest regions. Among women surveyed, Kaine has a 42 percent to 36 percent advantage; Youngkin has a 42 percent to 40 percent advantage among men.
Asked to evaluate Sen. Kaine’s job performance, 36 percent of those surveyed approved and 34 percent disapproved. For Youngkin, 45 percent of respondents said they approved of the job he was doing, while 30 percent expressed disapproval. For more information on these results in comparison to prior governors and current presidential ratings, see the first set of results from the survey.
Virginia governors can only serve one consecutive term, and so often choose to run for the U.S. Senate after their four years of service ends. Kaine and Mark Warner (D), Virginia’s other senator, are both former governors. Youngkin’s term as governor expires in January 2026.
Virginians approved of Warner’s job performance by a 38 percent approve to 33 percent disapprove margin, similar to Kaine’s ratings.
Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012, defeating George Allen, a former senator and governor, by a 53 percent to 47 percent margin. Kaine was re-elected in 2018 with 57 percent of the vote in a contest with Corey Stewart, a Republican conservative who had served as chair of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.
Survey Information:
The University of Mary Washington’s Virginia Survey Fall 2022 was conducted by Research America Inc. Sept. 6 to 12. The total sample included 1,000 Virginia residents, including 819 registered voters and 705 likely voters. Part of the sample (630) was contacted by phone (72 percent cell and 28 percent landline), and part of the sample (370) was contacted online. All interviews were in English. Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies, including age, gender and race/ethnicity. The margin of error on the total sample is +/- 3.1%. The margin of error on the Likely Voters portion of the sample is +/- 4.1%.
For a more in-depth look at survey results, see Topline and the 2024 Senate Cross Tabs report. Or read about the Sept. 23, 2022 release, Virginia Public Schools Make the Grade in New Statewide Survey, or the Sept. 27, 2022 release, Voters Motivated in Midterm Elections According to New Statewide Survey.