Across Virginia
James Fields, Jr.
UPDATE: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – A jury has recommended life in prison plus 419 years for a man convicted of murder for driving his car into counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally last year. The jury made its recommendation on Tuesday, a day after listening to emotional statements from the mother of a woman who was killed and from numerous people who were injured. James Alex Fields Jr. plowed into the counterprotesters during a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12, 2017.
The jury reached its sentencing verdict shortly before noon Tuesday, after about four hours of deliberations over two days. Jurors also recommended 70 years for each of five malicious wounding charges, 20 for each of three malicious wounding charges, and nine years on one charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
On Friday, the same jury convicted Fields of first-degree murder and other felonies, rejecting his lawyers’ arguments that he had acted in self-defense.
PREVIOUS: A man convicted of first-degree murder for driving his car into counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia faces 20 years to life in prison as jurors reconvene to consider his punishment. The panel that convicted James Alex Fields Jr. will hear more evidence Monday and then recommend a sentence to Judge Richard Moore. Fields was convicted Friday of killing Heather Heyer during last year’s “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, organized to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederal Gen. Robert E. Lee. The 21-year-old Fields, of Maumee, Ohio, also was found guilty of injuring dozens of others by driving into a crowd of people who were marching peacefully after the rally.
PREVIOUS: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – A man who drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia has been convicted of first-degree murder. In delivering its verdict late Friday afternoon, the jury rejected arguments by lawyers for James Alex Fields Jr. that he acted in self-defense. Prosecutors said Fields drove his car directly into a crowd of counterprotesters at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017, because he was angry after witnessing earlier violent clashes between the two sides. The rally was held to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Fields’ lawyers told the jury he feared for his life after witnessing the violence. The 21-year-old Fields of Maumee, Ohio, faces up to life in prison at sentencing.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) _ Students at a university in Virginia are pushing the school’s leaders to provide free tampons and other menstrual products. The Virginian-Pilot reported Monday that the efforts by students at Christopher Newport University in Newport News are part of a larger movement around the country. The efforts include removing obstacles to getting menstrual products on campus. Christopher Newport University has a local chapter of the organization called PERIOD. It’s a national nonprofit that advocates for women on menstrual issues. It has started a petition that asks the school to provide what they say are basic necessities and to “end period poverty.” The push is part of a national campaign called United for Access. The force behind it is PERIOD and THINX, which makes “period-proof underwear.’
WEST POINT, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia high school teacher is fighting a recommendation to be dismissed in the wake of a controversy involving a transgender student. News outlets report West Point High School French teacher Peter Vlaming was placed on paid administrative leave Oct. 3. Attorney Shawn Voyles said his client declined a female student’s request to be referred to as a male. Before a school board hearing Thursday, Voyles said Vlaming offered to use the student’s name and to avoid feminine pronouns, but the school was unwilling to accept the compromise and chose to force Vlaming to speak and act contrary to his own Christian convictions or be fired. An online petition entitled “Protect Trans Kids” said the student had been openly trans for the whole year and students were constantly correcting Vlaming.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for much of the region, mainly for areas along and south of US 460. Forecasters say heavy snows are possible in affected areas starting as early as Saturday night and lasting into Monday. Heaviest accumulations are currently expected across parts of Southside Virginia and northwest North Carolina.
From the National Weather Service: Low pressure will track from the southwest U.S., to the Gulf Coast states through Saturday while cold high pressure builds across the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. This low will then move off the southeast coast Sunday into Monday. With the colder air in place, a prolonged period of snow is expected, starting as early as Saturday night, and lasting into Monday. Based on the forecast track, the heaviest snow is expected to occur across southern Virginia, into northwest North Carolina.
WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
Counties: Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-Montgomery-Carroll-Floyd-Roanoke-Patrick-Franklin-Henry- Pittsylvania-Halifax-Mercer- Including the cities of Danbury, Eden, Yanceyville, Tazewell, Marion, Bland, Pearisburg, Wytheville, Radford, Pulaski, Blacksburg, Galax, Floyd, Roanoke, Salem, Stuart, Rocky Mount, Martinsville, Danville, South Boston, and Bluefield.
* WHAT…Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 10 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.
* WHERE…Southern West Virginia, Southwest Virginia mountains, east to southside Virginia, including the Roanoke Valley.
* WHEN…From late Saturday night through Monday morning.
A new poll suggests Virginians are quite optimistic on the direction the commonwealth is heading — but far less so when it comes to the country. The Wason Center at Christopher Newport University asked state residents if they like the direction Virginia is heading, and 64% — almost two-thirds — said they do. Only 35% per cent say they approve of the nation’s direction. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Click here for full poll results
This is the time of year when black bears typically start going into hibernation — but only after packing in the calories to make it through the winter months. With natural food supplies a little scarce this fall, they’re looking a little longer for other calorie sources, and trash cans and bird feeders are often easy places to find them. Home owners in bear-prone areas are urged to take precautions for another couple of weeks or so. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
From the National Weather Service: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EST WEDNESDAY. Light accumulating snows expected tonight into Wednesday. An upper-level disturbance moving out of the central Plains interacting with a cold air mass will produce an increase in coverage of snow showers tonight. Potential exists for short-lived bursts of snow that may cause difficult travel conditions for the Wednesday morning commute. While snow showers generally cease by mid-morning Wednesday in most areas, a longer period of continued accumulating snow expected across the mountains in southeastern West Virginia.
WHAT Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of up to one inch expected, which will likely impact the Wednesday morning commute.
WHERE Monroe and eastern Greenbrier County in West Virginia as well as the New River and Roanoke Valleys, Alleghany Highlands, southern Shenandoah Valley and the central Virginia Piedmont in Virginia.
WHEN From midnight tonight to 9 AM EST Wednesday.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions likely will impact the morning commute.
You can once again buy gasoline in the valley for less than $2 a gallon. The Gas Buddy website shows several stations in the Cloverdale area now doing so Monday, the result of sharply lower crude oil prices. But as average gas prices keep going down, some stations are lowering them much more slowly than others. WFIR’s Evan Jones reports has more:
James Fields, Jr.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) _ A jury has been seated in the trial of an Ohio man accused of killing a woman and injuring dozens at a white nationalist rally in Virginia last year. Jury selection was completed Thursday morning in the trial of James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio. He’s charged with first-degree murder and accused of driving his car into a crowd of counterprotesters during a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. Opening statements from prosecutors and Fields’ lawyers were expected to begin after a brief court recess. Fields’ lawyer has indicated Fields may claim he was acting in self-defense. Prosecutors say he intentionally plowed his car into the group. A jury of 12 regular jurors and four alternates will hear the case.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Republicans have asked a federal court to move Virginia’s 2019 primary schedule back three months to allow the U.S. Supreme Court to settle a redistricting lawsuit. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox Wednesday formally requested Wednesday the district court suspend efforts to redraw 11 House districts found to be racially gerrymandered. Republicans have appealed the ruling that the districts are unconstitutional to the Supreme Court in an attempt to stave off a new, more Democratic-friendly map. A Supreme Court ruling isn’t likely to come until May or June. Legislative primaries are scheduled for June 11, which Cox wants rescheduled to Sept. 10. A court-appointed expert is scheduled to file a redrawn map Dec. 7. Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday he hopes the outstanding legal issues are quickly resolved.