News
LEXINGTON, Va. (AP) – An internal review has found reports of child abuse and neglect that were ignored by Rockbridge social services.
The review identified 41 problems, including evidence that a former Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services supervisor shredded reports before they could be investigated. Other problems cited in the report include slow responses to emergency calls, missed deadlines, altered documents and low staff morale.
The review also cites one case in which a child later died. Police are investigating that case as well as others. Susan Reese, head of the social services’ Piedmont Regional Office, says the three-month review, which was completed in May, is “very concerning.”
The regional office conducted the review after receiving several complaints from the county sheriff’s office and other state agencies.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Two Virginia state senators are calling for an investigation into a $2.3 billion University of Virginia surplus.
Sens. Chap Petersen and Bill DeSteph said in a statement Thursday that they intend to formally call for an audit into the fund, which former university board member Helen Dragas called a “slush fund.”
The two senators say the fund should be used for lowering student tuition and fees. They also accuse the university of overcharging for its services.
The university said in a statement Tuesday that the Strategic Investment Fund is not connected with tuition or public funding. The school also says that the money came primarily from additional returns on the university’s $7.5 billion endowment since 2009.
Zackery Toms
UPDATED July 14 3:40 pm — Roanoke County Police say Zackery Toms was arrested without incident today by county officers and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force. Toms is behind held without bond at the Roanoke County/ Salem Jail.
UPDATED July 13 5:45 pm — Roanoke County police have identified the suspect for last weekend’s armed robbery at the 7-Eleven along Plantation Road at Hershberger. They are looking for Zackery Toms. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Roanoke County Police.
16 rising 8th and 9th graders are spending this week at the latest “Camp Carilion Clinic” as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
A coffee shop in Roanoke received international attention this week after a message an employee wrote went viral. WFIR’s Starr Anderson has the story.
Next month Help Save the Next Girl and the Roanoke City Police department are teaming up for a special event centered around personal safety. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia’s advisory council on open records has argued that Gov. Terry McAuliffe shouldn’t keep secret a list of felons whose voting rights are believed to have been restored.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council issued the opinion Tuesday, arguing that the list doesn’t qualify as an executive working paper.
The list contains roughly 206,000 felons believed to meet the criteria of McAuliffe’s rights restoration order.
The council also says that exemption doesn’t apply to the list since it was distributed to the Virginia Department of Elections for voter registration purposes.
McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy says the administration disagrees with the council and will continue to keep the list confidential until an official clemency report is made to the general assembly next year.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is expected to be named the next chairman of the National Governors Association.
The governor, a Democrat, announced Wednesday that he is traveling to Des Moines, Iowa, this week for the NGA’s annual summer meeting.
The nonpartisan group advocates on behalf of the governors.
McAuliffe is the current vice-chairman of the group, and said he will spend his coming year as chairman promoting the need for states to address cybersecurity concerns.
The last Virginia governor to be named chairman of the NGA was Mark Warner in 2004.