News – Page 25 – Watchful Eye

New Loudoun judge arrested for public intoxication

31Aug

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News, Popular

New Loudoun judge arrested for public intoxication

A week after being sworn in as a judge for Virginia’s 20th Judicial District, Charles F. Koehler, Jr. was arrested by Leesburg Police Department. According to LPD, at 1:30 this morning, officers responded to a report of an individual walking down the Leesburg Bypass near South King Street. That individual was reportedly Koehler. LPD said after officers interacted with him, he was arrested and charged for public intoxication. Koehler was transported to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center and was released on his own recognizance, LPD stated. Koehler is a sitting judge in Loudoun. His 6-year term as 20th District judge began on July 1, and according to Loudoun Times-Mirror, he was just sworn in at a courthouse in Leesburg on August 23. SEE: How 4 Men Beat Felonies for Gun...

Mathews man charged & jailed after using 911 to make racial threats

30Aug

By watchfuleyeNo Comments

Crime, News

Mathews man charged & jailed after using 911 to make racial threats

A 34-year-old Mathews man is being held without bond after an arrest for making race-based threats. Mathews County Sheriff’s Office reported that Randal James Diggs called 911 numerous times between July and August. “In these phone calls, Diggs targeted and made multiple threats towards a specific population in our community based solely on their race over a recorded phone line.” When Diggs was arrested, MCSO said evidence was retrieved from his vehicle to substantiate some of the threats. Diggs is charged with giving a false report to law enforcement officials on individuals solely because of their race, a felony. He also faces three misdemeanor counts of threatening an illegal or immoral act with the intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass a person over the telephone. Diggs i...

Gate City, VA man accused of shooting father in the face

29Aug

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Gate City, VA man accused of shooting father in the face

A 25-year-old Gate City man is in jail facing a list of charges after an incident that includes allegedly shooting his father in the face. According to Gate City Police Department, deputies were dispatched to 451 Reed Hollow Rd. for a report of a person shot in the head. Deputies reportedly found Bobby Ray Darnell with a gunshot wound to the left side of the face. When police arrived, his son, Travis Ethan Darnell, was sitting in the kitchen area, according to GCPD. And when police announced themselves, he ran toward the living room. The officers followed, and T. Darnell "brandished" a rifle, the department added. He was ordered to drop the gun, and he was arrested. GCPD said the rifle T. Darnell brandished was determined to be the weapon used to shoot his father, and it was deter...

2 failure-to-move-over stops lead to drug charges in Fredericksburg

28Aug

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2 failure-to-move-over stops lead to drug charges in Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg officers had the Move Over Law top of mind last week. On two consecutive days, cases of drivers allegedly failing to move over ended with drug charges. Wednesday stop The first incident occurred on Wednesday, August 21. Officer Velasco was providing backup for a traffic stop in the 1800 block of Emancipation Highway and a vehicle came by that failed to move over and failed to slow down, according to FPD. Velasco was cleared and went after vehicle that passed. When he made the stop, FPD said Officer Hibbitts arrived at the scene to assist. The two officers saw “drug items in plain view,” FPD reported. Velasco searched the driver, 26-year-old Kyle Hill of Spotsylvania. Meanwhile, Hibbitts was attempting to identify the female passenger who “repeatedly provided t...

Cape Charles woman killed in Northampton crash

28Aug

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News, Traffic

Cape Charles woman killed in Northampton crash

An 85-year-old Cape Charles woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the Eastern Shore this morning. According to Virginia State Police, Nadine Marie Good was driving a 2017 Ford Fiesta headed north on Rt. 13, aka Lankford Highway, in Northampton County. She was north of Cobb Station Road in Cheriton when she reportedly lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road around 9 a.m. Good hit a culvert and tree before the vehicle flipped. She was thrown from the vehicle’s passenger side and died at the scene. VSP said there is not indication that alcohol or speed were contributing factors. This is the third fatal Eastern Shore crash in less than two weeks. The other crashes occurred in Accomack. Follow the Watchful Eye on Twitter, Facebook, & Inst...

28Aug

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News, Traffic

Essex man killed in early morning crash

This morning, the southbound lanes of Rt. 17, aka Tidewater Trail, in the Caret area of Essex were shut down for hours due to a fatal crash that’s now under investigation by Virginia State Police. At 4:40 a.m., VSP was dispatched to the scene at Supply Road and Tidewater Trail where there was a two-vehicle crash involving a 2018 Chevrolet pickup and a tractor-trailer. According to VSP, the pickup driver, 61-year-old Danny William Holmes, failed to stop at the stop sign and hit the tractor-tractor trailer, which was heading south on Tidewater Trail. Holmes, an Essex resident, died at the scene. The driver of the tractor-trailer, who wasn’t named, was injured, but VSP said the injuries were non-life-threatening. Follow the Watchful Eye on Twitter, Facebook, & Instag...

Botetourt is not a sanctuary county for illegal immigrants, says Sheriff’s Office

28Aug

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News

Botetourt is not a sanctuary county for illegal immigrants, says Sheriff’s Office

Botetourt is not a “sanctuary county” for illegal immigrants, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a statement yesterday. That message was issued to counter a post that Botetourt Sheriff’s Office said is circulating on social media. The Sheriff’s Office shared a copy of the post, which shows a map of sanctuary cities, counties, states, and correctional from the Center for Immigration’s website. And the post says “the Sheriff isn’t handing over illegals that ICE has a detainer on.” “We want to clarify that this claim is inaccurate. The Botetourt County Sheriff's Office is committed to enforcing all laws and working closely with federal, state, and local agencies to ensure the safety and security of our community. This includes cooperation with ICE where applicable,” BCSO said. ...

Man allegedly led 2 police pursuits in VA, taken down by P.I.T. in NC

23Aug

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Crime, News

Man allegedly led 2 police pursuits in VA, taken down by P.I.T. in NC

A 21-year-old Ridgeway man is in Rockingham County jail in North Carolina awaiting extradition after allegedly leading two police pursuits in Virginia. According to Henry County Sheriff’s Office, at around 12:48 a.m. a caller reported that a black Ford Mustang was doing burnouts and speeding near the 15000 block of A.L. Philpott Hwy. That caller reportedly followed the Mustang until it entered Martinsville where Martinsville Police got involved and attempted to stop the Mustang. HCSO said the Mustang driver ignored the Martinsville police, increased speed, and initiated a police chase down Memorial Blvd. During the pursuit, Martinsville police lost sight of the Mustang near Koehler Rd. and Appalachian Drive. Police determined that the Mustang was registered to Ashton Wright who li...

Richlands gets $2 million grant for energy project that’ll save residents an avg. of $1,500

22Aug

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News

Richlands gets $2 million grant for energy project that’ll save residents an avg. of $1,500

Richlands was awarded $2 million for an energy project that’s supposed to substantially lower residents’ energy bills. Richlands is a town that owns and operates an electric utility, which serves roughly 2,500 people. Currently, Richlands claims to be purchasing energy from American Municipal Power at wholesale rates and providing it to customers “at very competitive rates.” In recent years, residents beg to differ on the claim of competitive rates. In 2022, News Channel 11 did a segment titled “Richland residents furious over expensive utility rates” after rates jumped 20% in two years. “We’re running businesses out, running residents out. We have people who are getting their electricity and water turned off because they can’t afford to pay such high rates. And everybody mirrored...

Henry County man wanted by 4 agencies allegedly tries trap door getaway

22Aug

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Henry County man wanted by 4 agencies allegedly tries trap door getaway

On Tuesday, Henry County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 44-year-old man wanted by four law enforcement agencies for a list of charges, including hit and run, drugs, and larceny. HCSO said officers executed a search warrant on a residence at 1106 Joppa Rd. in Ridgeway after obtaining “credible information” that William Jackson Kennedy was hiding at the location. Henry County Sheriff's Office reported finding Kennedy under a mobile home at 1106 Joppa Rd. Kennedy reportedly attempted to evade police during their search using a trap door. According to HCSO, the trap door allowed him to get under the mobile home, but police discovered it and found him beneath the mobile home. Once he was discovered, HCSO said Kennedy was taken into custody without incident. The charges he faces from...