Across Virginia
(Update 6-6) The victim of the May 28 house fire on Brookridge Road has died as a result of her injuries. Charges against suspect Caleb Firebaugh have been upgraded to first degree murder
(Roanoke County, VA) – On Saturday, May 28, 2022, at approximately 1:43 pm the Roanoke County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call about a house fire where the homeowner had been assaulted in the 4000 block of Brookridge Road. Roanoke County Fire & Rescue and Roanoke County Police responded to the scene. Upon arrival, flames were showing from the house and a victim was found in the front yard. The victim was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The fire was extinguished by responding fire personnel from Roanoke County and Roanoke City Fire-EMS. A suspect and a suspect vehicle were quickly identified and the information was relayed to area law enforcement. About forty-five minutes after the initial 911 call the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office advised that they had received a call about the suspect vehicle being involved in a car crash in the Boones Mill area of Franklin County. The suspect fled on foot from the crash and was taken into custody by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police. The suspect Caleb Firebaugh, 25, of Roanoke County was arrested and charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and is being held without bond at the Roanoke County/Salem Jail. The Roanoke County Police would like to thank the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police for their assistance. Detectives from the Roanoke County Police Department and investigators from the Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office continue to investigate this incident. If anyone has information about this crime they are asked to call the Roanoke County Police at (540) 562-3265.
(Richmond, VA) — Yesterday, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced the first presumed monkeypox case in a Virginia resident. The initial testing was completed at the Department of General Services Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services. VDH is awaiting confirmatory test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The patient is an adult female resident of the Northern region of Virginia with recent international travel history to an African country where the disease is known to occur. She was not infectious during travel. She did not require hospitalization and is isolating at home to monitor her health. To protect patient privacy, no further information will be provided. The health department is identifying and monitoring the patient’s close contacts. No additional cases have been detected in Virginia at this time.
“Monkeypox is a very rare disease in the United States. The patient is currently isolating and does not pose a risk to the public.” said State Health Commissioner Colin M. Greene, MD, MPH. “Transmission requires close contact with someone with symptomatic monkeypox, and this virus has not shown the ability to spread rapidly in the general population. VDH is monitoring national and international trends and has notified medical providers in Virginia to watch for monkeypox cases and report them to their local health district as soon as possible. Based on the limited information currently available about the evolving multi-country outbreak, the risk to the public appears to be very low.”
Although rare, monkeypox is a potentially serious viral illness that is transmitted when someone has close contact with an infected person or animal. Person-to-person spread occurs with prolonged close contact or with direct contact with body fluids or contact with contaminated materials such as clothing or linens. Illness typically begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, and swelling of the lymph nodes. After a few days, a specific type of rash appears, often starting on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. Symptoms generally appear seven to 14 days after exposure and, for most people, clear up within two to four weeks. Some people can have severe illness and die. As with many viral illnesses, treatment mainly involves supportive care and relief of symptoms.
If you are sick and have symptoms consistent with monkeypox, seek medical care from your healthcare provider, especially if you are in one of the following groups:
Those who traveled to central or west African countries, parts of Europe where monkeypox cases have been reported, or other areas with confirmed cases of monkeypox during the month before their symptoms began,
Those who have had contact with a person with confirmed or suspected monkeypox, or
Men who regularly have close or intimate contact with other men.
If you need to seek care, call your healthcare provider first. Let them know you are concerned about possible monkeypox infection so they can take precautions to ensure that others are not exposed.
On May 20, 2022, VDH distributed a Clinician Letter to medical professionals reminding them to report any suspected cases of monkeypox to their local health department as soon as possible and implement appropriate infection prevention precautions.
Following the fatal school shooting in Texas ,Roanoke City’s Sheriff wants more resource officers stationed at schools across the district. WFIR’s Clark Palmer has that story.
UPDATE: Steven P. Lender, 50, of Pennsauken, NJ was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and Misdemeanor Hit and Run, for his role in the early morning CMV crash on Interstate 81 at Interstate 581, which left the bridge and several vehicles on I-581 damaged. There were no injuries reported in the crash, and the vehicles on I-581 only struck the debris that had fallen off the bridge.
Previous: from Virginia State Police: At 5:20 a.m. this morning a northbound tractor-trailer struck the bridge on Interstate 81 as it crossed the Interstate 581 bridge. The truck is reported to have been hanging off the bridge. After striking debris from the crash, several vehicles have been disabled on I-581.
Previous: A tractor trailer crash this morning has closed all I-81 north bound lanes in Roanoke County. The accident happened around mile marker 143. No word on possible injuries.
LEESBURG, Va. (AP) — A political newcomer and Vietnamese immigrant emerged from a field of 11 candidates to win the Republican nomination in a northern Virginia congressional district.
Hung Cao, a retired Navy officer, won the nomination in Virginia’s 10th District, which encompasses the outer suburbs of the nation’s capital.
He will face two-term Democratic incumbent Jennifer Wexton in November.
Republicans chose Cao in a firehouse primary with ranked-choice voting. He led through every round, but multiple candidates were eliminated before he achieved a majority over his closest competitor, Prince William County Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.
The redrawn 10th District leans Democratic but Republicans see it as competitive; Republican Glenn Youngkin won 49 percent of the vote in the district in last year’s gubernatorial race, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.
Cao raised less money than Lawson, but concentrated his campaign in the region’s immigrant communities.
He is one of three congressional nominees selected by Republicans Saturday. In the 5th District, Rep. Bob Good overwhelmingly won re-nomination at a district convention In the heavily Democratic 8th District, Ukrainian immigrant Karina Lipsman won the party’s nominating convention and the right to challenge Democratic incumbent Don Beyer.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Dozens of graves at a city-owned cemetery in Norfolk are threatened by eroding shorelines on the Elizabeth River.
A city review of the 44-acre site at Riverside Memorial Park found the shoreline surrounding the cemetery has been damaged by decades of dredging, nearby marine industrial activity and wind-driven waves that have undercut the riverbanks.
At least 10 headstones are only feet away from steep slopes leading down to the river, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
The city is seeking $1.9 million from the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund to repair 1,500 feet of shoreline. But the money in that fund comes from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, from which Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to withdraw.
A city official said it’s unclear if that funding source would be available if Virginia withdraws from the regional initiative.
Rep. Bob Good
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Republican Bob Good has overwhelmingly won his party’s nomination to seek a second term in Congress representing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.
Good — a conservative who touted endorsements from former President Donald Trump and GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert from Colorado, among others — won with 85 percent of the weighted vote among the 1,300 delegates who cast ballots at the party’s nominating convention Saturday at Hampden-Sydney College.
He was challenged by Air Force veteran Dan Moy.
Good will face Democrat Josh Throneburg in November. The district, which includes parts of central and southside Virginia, leans heavily toward Republicans.
Republicans held two other nominating contests Saturday. In the heavily Democratic 8th District in northern Virginia, Ukrainian immigrant Karina Lipsman, a defense and intelligence expert, won the nomination at a convention in Springfield with nearly 62 percent of the vote. Her closest competitor, Kezia Tunnell, received 19 percent.
Lipsman will now face four-term Democratic incumbent Don Beyer.
Eleven candidates are on the ballot in Virginia’s 10th District, where Republicans are holding a firehouse primary with ranked-choice voting to pick a nominee to face Democrat Jennifer Wexton.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A former Tidewater Virginia sheriff was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for bribery and money laundering.
Former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe apologized to the court before the sentence was issued, news outlets reported. McCabe was ordered into custody in August after he was convicted of 11 counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.
McCabe served as Norfolk’s sheriff from 1994 to 2017. He was already under federal investigation when he abruptly resigned in 2017 and was indicted two years later.
McCabe was accused of using his position to solicit bribes and campaign donations from people linked to two companies that had large Norfolk City Jail contracts. While McCabe admitted violating campaign finance laws and getting loans and gifts from businessmen, he denied taking bribes. He testified that he consistently waited until the last minute to file campaign finance reports and probably failed to report some contributions and expenditures, but claimed it was never intentional.
U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen disputed McCabe’s claims that he’d simply made mistakes, calling his bribery scheme “sophisticated and very intricate.”
“In the court’s opinion, you were guilty beyond all doubt,” Allen said. “It’s not a mistake, it’s a crime — a 22-year crime.”
All Carilion Clinic facilities will return to pre-pandemic visitor policies as of Monday, May 23 with exceptions for COVID-19 patients.
“Having family and friends at the bedside is a huge benefit for our patients, and we’re excited to be able to offer that again,” said Michael Abbott, Pharm.D., senior vice president for hospital operations. “Safety of our staff and patients remains our top priority. Visitors will still be asked to mask, safety precautions like social distancing remain in place, and we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 should we need to make future adjustments.”
Visitors should not visit a patient if they are sick, have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone with known or suspected COVID-19 within the past 10 days. Screening signs are located at every entrance, and visitors are asked to review the instructions before entering to ensure it is safe for them to visit.
Visitors for patients confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 are still restricted to no visitors for adults with the exception of end-of-life care, medical necessity or patients in labor, and two parents or guardians for pediatric patients.
“Vaccines remain critical in ensuring that we minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” said Abbott.
Vaccines are readily available across our community. Please consider getting vaccinated and boosted to best protect yourself against COVID-19. If you are 50+ or immunocompromised, it is important to get your second booster to further extend protection. Visit vaccinate.virginia.gov to find a vaccine near you.
Visit CarilionClinic.org/visitor-guidelines for more information.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Federal officials have accused a company that runs a Virginia facility breeding dogs for research of violating animal welfare law and recently seized at least 145 beagles found to be in “acute distress,” according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The Envigo RMS facility in Cumberland County has been under increasing scrutiny for months, drawing concerns from animal rights groups, members of Congress and Virginia lawmakers, who passed animal welfare measures this year intended to tighten up the facility’s requirements and strengthen state oversight.
Repeated federal inspections since Envigo acquired the facility in 2019 have resulted in dozens of violations, including findings that dogs had received inadequate medical care and insufficient food, were housed in filthy conditions, and some had been euthanized without first receiving anesthesia. Hundreds of dogs have also been found dead at the facility, according to inspections.
“Despite being on notice since July 2021 that the conditions at its Cumberland facility fall far below the (Animal Welfare Act’s) minimum standards, Envigo has failed to take the necessary steps to ensure that all of the beagles at its facility are provided humane care and treatment and that the Cumberland facility is operating in compliance with the (act),” said the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
Court records do not list an attorney for Envigo. A spokesman said the company was working on a statement and would have a response at some point Friday.
According to the complaint, agents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General and other law enforcement officers began executing a federal search warrant at the facility Wednesday. As of Thursday’s filing of the complaint, 145 dogs and puppies veterinarians found to be in acute distress had been sized, the lawsuit said.
The government is requesting that a judge declare Envigo has repeatedly violated the Animal Welfare Act and restrain the company from further violations.
“Envigo is failing to meet the minimum standards for handling and housing the beagles, resulting in the unnecessary suffering and, at times, death of beagles at the Cumberland Facility,” the complaint said.
According to the complaint, the facility has housed up to 5,000 beagles since July 2021. It alleged staffing has been “paltry” and the attending veterinarian has failed to provide and oversee adequate care.
“Rather than spend the money to meet the minimum standards … Envigo has employed a paltry number of employees and elected to euthanize beagles or allowed beagles to die from malnutrition, treatable and preventable conditions, and injuries resulting from beagles being housed in overcrowded and unsanitary enclosures or enclosures that contain incompatible animals,” the complaint said.
It cites a finding from a July 2021 inspection report that found Envigo had euthanized dozens of beagles over the course of months rather than provide care for injuries caused when a body part like an ear or tail was pulled through a kennel wall by a dog next door.
As for the dogs that have been found dead, the complaint alleges animal care technicians with no formal training are allowed to make the decision about whether a necropsy should be performed.
Medical records reviewed during the July 2021 inspection indicated that for 173 puppies, Envigo staff could not identify a cause of death because the bodies had already begun decomposing.
The complaint noted that inspectors have found unsanitary conditions, including an “extensive, widespread pest problem,” overcrowded enclosures and buildups of feces, urine and other waste.
Envigo, which has a business mailing address in Indiana, registered as a Virginia LLC in 2019, the complaint said. It acquired LabCorp’s Covance Research Products business, including the Cumberland facility, in June 2019.
The company has worked to make improvements at the site, including reducing the total number of dogs on site, raising pay, increasing staff training and enhancing cleaning processes, according to a statement a spokesman provided The Associated Press earlier this year.
In March, Virginia’s U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, called for federal inspectors to strip the facility of its license. And a month earlier, U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria and six other representatives wrote to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, raising similar concerns about why Envigo’s license had not been suspended.
PETA, the Norfolk-based animal rights group, conducted a months-long undercover investigation into the facility in 2021 and filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in October of that year, prompting inspections, senior vice president Daphna Nachminovitch said Friday. The group has been sounding the alarm about the facility for months.
Nachminovitch credited federal officials for “finally” taking “decisive action.”
“PETA finds suffering like this every time we crack open an operation like Envigo, and this needs to be the beginning of the end for this hideous beagle-breeding mill,” Nachminovitch said in a statement.