Thursday, September 3WATCHFUL EYE

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VADOC taking control of Lawrenceville prison from GEO Group in August
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VADOC taking control of Lawrenceville prison from GEO Group in August

VADOC recently confirmed the department is still on track with its takeover plan Lawrenceville Correctional Center is in its final weeks under private management. Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) will assume control of the prison on August 1. VADOC announced its intention to take over the state’s only privately-run prison last December. In a press release earlier this month, the department revealed a VADOC team conducted a shakedown at Lawrenceville and discovered an array of contraband, including drugs, phones, and cash. VADOC added that it is still set to take control of the facility next month. Lawrenceville is currently run by GEO Group, a company that owns, leases, and manages prisons in the U.S., Australia, and South Africa. But Lawrenceville is its only operat...
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Companies plan to ramp up shift to automation, reports Richmond Fed
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Companies plan to ramp up shift to automation, reports Richmond Fed

Workers may want to prepare. According to the Richmond Federal Reserve, companies have been investing in automation and plan to ramp up that shift as inflation persists. Over the past year, about 60% of companies have automated tasks previously performed by employees, and nearly two-thirds of companies have made it a “strategic priority” to now ramp up automation going forward, the Richmond Fed said the CFO Survey revealed. The automation that occurred over the past year has come from a combination of software, equipment, and technology. But the  Fed said the majority of firms that plan to automate over the next 12 months intend to do so with AI. And why are companies increasing automation? The majority, 58%, reported using automation to improve product quality, the Fed no...
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Delays, lane closure on Downing Bridge Sunday night
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Delays, lane closure on Downing Bridge Sunday night

Drivers crossing between Tappahannock and Richmond County should expect delays from Sunday evening into early Monday morning due to the Downing Bridge being reduced to one lane, VDOT announced. Crews will be paving Rt. 360 north of the bridge on the Richmond County side. Traffic on the Downing Bridge will be reduced to a single from 8 p.m. on the July 7 until 5 a.m. on July 8. There will be a flagging crew and a pilot car to lead the alternating lanes of traffic across the bridge and through the work zone, said VDOT. If the work is canceled due to weather, it will be rescheduled to start at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 8, and run through 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9. FOLLOW the Watchful Eye on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with what's happening in Virginia!
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VDOT backtracks on decision to cut Jamestown-Scotland ferry service
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VDOT backtracks on decision to cut Jamestown-Scotland ferry service

VDOT backtracked on its plan to cut service for the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry starting July 8. As previously reported, VDOT planned to reduce service for the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, which runs 24/7 every day of the year, citing staffing problems. Today, VDOT said the reduced schedule would no longer be implemented. “As staffing and vessel resources allow, the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry will remain operating under the summer schedule that went into effect May 27 to accommodate the increase in ferry passengers during the summer travel season,” the department stated. With the summer schedule, a boat crosses the James River about every 20 – 30 minutes, depending on the time of day. Meanwhile, VDOT said it’s actively recruiting to fill vacancies on the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry tea...
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VDH ends Lake Anna STEC outbreak investigation, reminds public of swimming advisory
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VDH ends Lake Anna STEC outbreak investigation, reminds public of swimming advisory

Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced it has ended its investigation into the Memorial Day STEC outbreak without conclusively linking the illnesses to Lake Anna. As previously reported, there were 25 Shinga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) cases that appeared linked to visits to Lake Anna around Memorial Day weekend. Five of those cases resulted in children being hospitalized, and the incidents prompted VDH to launch an investigation that included numerous rounds of water testing from various areas around the lake. In its June 20th update, VDH said the lake water “the likely source” of the infections. However, yesterday, July 2nd, VDH said the most recent testing of water samples collected from Lake Anna did not detect the presence of STEC. VDH said fecal bacter...
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Year of lane closures, detours in Mathews near Fort Nonsense
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Year of lane closures, detours in Mathews near Fort Nonsense

Those who use Rt. 3 / Rt. 14 to travel between Mathews and Gloucester be advised. On Monday, VDOT will begin a major bridge rahab project that will change the traffic pattern in the Fort Nonsense area for over a year. On July 8, VDOT is slated to start its $5.5 million project improving the westbound bridge over Burke Mill Stream in Mathews. By late August, the westbound lanes of Rt. 3 / Rt. 14 will be closed at Windsor Road. When the westbound lanes close, westbound traffic will be shifted to an eastbound lane on Rt. 3 / Rt. 14, which means eastbound traffic will also be reduced to a single lane. This work zone traffic pattern is expected to be in place from the August 2024 to fall 2025 “to accelerate work,” said VDOT. Westbound view at the intersection of Rt. 3/ Rt. 14 and Wi...
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Man arrested and charged for setting fires in Chesterfield
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Man arrested and charged for setting fires in Chesterfield

Chesterfield Fire Marshal’s Office believes the fires found along Iron Bridge Road on Monday were intentionally set. Just before 5 p.m. fire and EMS crews were dispatched for a report of a brush fire along Rt. 10 near Kingsland Rd. When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found two separate fires, one on each side of the road, Chesterfield authorities reported. (Photo: Chesterfield Fire & EMS) To help gain control of the incident, Chesterfield Fire said it called in additional units and resources, including a bulldozer from the Virginia Department of Forestry. Both fires were marked under control at 6:18 p.m. But, in total, between two and three acres were burned, the department reported. (Photo: Chesterfield Fire & EMS) Chesterfield Fire Marshal’s Office c...
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South Carolina man pled guilty to killing Virginia police officer
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South Carolina man pled guilty to killing Virginia police officer

On Wednesday, Michael Donivan White, a 36-year-old South Carolina man, pled guilty to eight federal charges linked to the murder of Michael Chandler, a Big Stone Gap Police Officer. Chandler was killed in the line of duty on November 13 at 2505 Orr Street. That location, referred to locally as “the red house,” was well-known to police who were dispatched there for civil disturbances, warrants, welfare checks, overdoses, assaults, and drug-related activities, according to Virginia State Police. On the morning he was killed, Chandler was dispatched to the red house for a welfare check. Federal court documents show it was just after 4 a.m. when he parked his patrol vehicle on the street, approached a Sonata sitting in the driveway, and knocked on the window with his flashlight. Three...
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Report of gun shots leads to discovery of dead man in Colonial Beach
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Report of gun shots leads to discovery of dead man in Colonial Beach

On Sunday, June 9, Colonial Beach Police Department announced there was a large police presence in the area of Kintz St. and Franklin Ave. due to police working a crime scene. That crime scene, it turns out, was a fatality. In an update on Tuesday, CBPD stated a call for shots fired came in around 12:13 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a Colonial Beach man, 30-year-old Jereamy Pierce lying in the roadway. According to CBPD, EMS personnel declared Pierce dead after they arrived at the scene. CBPD said this appears to be an isolated incident, and added that there’s no known threat to the public. No arrests or suspects have been announced. CBPD said the investigation is still underway and Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police have assisted. Ind...
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Leesburg man stopped for public intoxication hit with drug & gun charges
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Leesburg man stopped for public intoxication hit with drug & gun charges

Appearing to be intoxicated landed a Leesburg man in jail facing several drug and gun charges. According to Leesburg Police Department, officers were in the 75 Plaza Street NE area at around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday conducting foot patrol when they encountered 28-year-old Nicholas T. Roach, who “appeared to be under the influence.” LPD said Roach was placed under arrest for public intoxication. When police searched him, they found “a large amount of cash and narcotics on his person.” Nicholas Roach of Leesburg (Photo: LPD) That led the officers to obtain a search warrant for Roach’s residence, also at 75 Plaza Street NE. According to LPD, during the residential search, officers found another ‘substantial amount of cash.” They also reportedly discovered more drugs, including su...
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