Wednesday, September 2WATCHFUL EYE

News

VSP launches investigation into Fauquier tractor-trailer crash that shut down I-66 West
No Comments
News, Traffic

VSP launches investigation into Fauquier tractor-trailer crash that shut down I-66 West

The hours-long road closure on Interstate 66 West in Fauquier on Friday was caused by an overturned tractor-trailer that resulted in the westbound lanes being closed at the 24.8 mile marker. Virginia State Police said a 2010 International crashed at 8:10 a.m. The truck was headed westbound and a vehicle, that’s currently unidentified, made an unsafe lane change, VSP said. The vehicle’s maneuver caused the tractor-trailer, which was hauling 50,000 pounds of peas, to run off the left side of the highway, hit a guardrail, and turn over in the median, VSP reported. The truck driver, a 54-year-old Suffolk man who wasn’t named, was wearing a seatbelt and didn’t suffer any injuries. (Photo: VSP) But traffic was detoured off I-66 at Exit 27, and the cleanup effort took hours. VSP...
Read More
+Year-long lane closures on Eltham Bridge in West Point starting next week
No Comments
News, Traffic

+Year-long lane closures on Eltham Bridge in West Point starting next week

If you travel between West Point and New Kent, be advised that work will begin on Eltham Bridge next week and is expected to continue through August 2025. VDOT said there will a $5.6 million effort that consists of three different projects. That work includes applying a concrete sealant to the deck, installing a new gutter system on the movable portion of Eltham Bridge, and installing new utility hangers to attach water and sewer pipes under the bridge. Work begins May 20 On Monday, May 20, work will begin. Those on Rt. 30/33 should expect work crews, equipment, and barrels along the route. Starting at 8 a.m., there will be a lane closure for eastbound traffic that will remain in place until noon on Friday, May 24. That closure will return at noon on Tuesday, May 28 runni...
Read More
VADOC: Gun, drugs & police chase amid Indian Creek CC interdiction operation
No Comments
News, Trending

VADOC: Gun, drugs & police chase amid Indian Creek CC interdiction operation

Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) announced there were three arrests and nine denied visits amid an “intensive interdiction operation” at Indian Creek Correctional Center in Chesapeake. Yesterday, VADOC revealed that, on March 30, they partnered with Virginia State Police and Chesapeake Police Department for an intensive operation to screen visitors for drugs and other contraband. Items found during the searches, include drugs, drug paraphernalia, alcohol, syringes, and three handguns, VADOC stated. In addition to those who were turned away, those arrested include a Virginia Beach woman, 32-year-old Brittney Salley, who reportedly turned up at the facility although she hadn’t shown up in court and had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear, VADOC noted. Salley wa...
Read More
DEA report: Xylazine in Virginia & other ‘dangerous’ shifts in drug trends
No Comments
News, Trending

DEA report: Xylazine in Virginia & other ‘dangerous’ shifts in drug trends

The drug game is changing. Products are becoming more potent. Users often aren’t getting what they think they’re getting. And the fatal consequences are mounting, according to the 2024 drug threat assessment from the DEA. The report “highlights the dangerous shift from plant-based drugs to synthetic drugs” like fentanyl and methamphetamine, which are responsible for nearly all of the fatal drug overdoses and poisonings in the U.S. Drug suppliers Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have control over each segment of the drug trade and have effectively eliminated any competition in US markets, the DEA report states. It adds that cartel members have established a presence in every state. Virginia is one of the states where the cartel footprint is growing. (Photo: DEA) Fenta...
Read More
Guns and +$3 million in drugs seized from Bedford, VA pop-ups
No Comments
News, Popular

Guns and +$3 million in drugs seized from Bedford, VA pop-ups

This week, Bedford County Sheriff Mike Miller made a public commitment to always keep the selling of drugs, including marijuana, as a top priority. That commitment comes after guns and millions of dollars worth of drugs were reportedly seized from two “illegal” pop-ups in the County. According to Sheriff Miller, on May 4, the James River Regional Task Force served a warrant in the 2800 block of Chestnut Fork Rd. and seized: 2 Firearms 77.5 lbs. of marijuana (Estimated street value of $316,260**) 101 lbs. of THC wax (Estimated street value of $1.8 million) 8.6 lbs. of psilocybin mushrooms (Estimated street value of $156,000) 1.5 pounds of THC oil (Estimated street value of $28,741) 35 grams of cocaine (Estimated street value of $3,640) along with numerous edibles an...
Read More
Virginia landowners offered free riparian buffers & maintenance while funds last
No Comments
Biz & Life, News

Virginia landowners offered free riparian buffers & maintenance while funds last

Virginia property owners can have riparian forest buffers installed and for free under the new Riparian Forest for Landowners Program. The offer, which includes, planning, site preparation, planting, and one year of maintenance is available to private property owners include property associations, homeowner associations, and civic leagues. It’s also available in rural, urban and suburban areas. Planting Locations The buffer offered through the Riparian Forest for Landowners Program can be installed on open land adjacent to a water feature where a forested buffer of at least 35 feet in width from the water’s edge can be planted. An existing buffer may be expanded up to 300 feet from the water’s edge. The water feature may be any of the following bodies of water: Streams R...
Read More
Retail theft crews from NJ & NY get busted in Fairfax, VA
No Comments
Crime, News

Retail theft crews from NJ & NY get busted in Fairfax, VA

In less than a week, Tyson’s Urban Team, aka TUT, made two busts of individuals they describe as members of organized theft crews. During those incidents, the accused were reportedly caught with tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise. May 8 arrests On May 8, TUT detectives reportedly received word of a retail theft crew in the 1900 block of Chain Bridge Road in Tysons. When they located the men, police found over $24,000 in merchandise, and most of it was Victoria’s Secret underwear, said Fairfax PD’s Public Affairs Bureau. The merchandise was connected to thefts that occurred in Prince William County, the Public Affairs Bureau noted. And it added that the same crew was involved in larcenies in other nearby jurisdictions earlier on the day they were arrested. TUT detective...
Read More
Regulations on more VA counties after deer chronic wasting infections found
No Comments
News

Regulations on more VA counties after deer chronic wasting infections found

isease Management Area (DMA) regulations have been imposed in additional counties after deer were detected with chronic wasting disease in new areas. DMA 3 changes For the 2023-24 hunting season, DMA3 encompassed Carroll, Floyd, Montgomery, Patrick, and Pulaski counties. Throughout the year, 1449 deer were tested. Seven had chronic wasting disease. One of the infected deer was found in Carroll, which was the first detection in that county. Because of positive detections in Carroll, Floyd, and Montgomery that were within 10 miles of their county borders Franklin, Roanoke, and Wythe counties will be added to DMA3 for the 2024 –25 deer hunting season, DWR announced. New DMA 4 Over 2500 deer were tested across Virginia outside of DMAs and an infection was found originating in Ta...
Read More
16-year-old charged with murder in Virginia Beach shooting
No Comments
News, Popular

16-year-old charged with murder in Virginia Beach shooting

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged for the murder of another 16-year-old. According to Virginia Beach Police Department, the incident occurred in the afternoon on Tuesday. Officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Bryce Ln., a residential area lined with townhomes. Street view of 1000 block of Bryce Lane (Photo: Google Earth) Upon arrival, officers found a teenage boy who had been shot and was already dead, VBPD reported. The following morning, May 8, VBPD said they located the suspect, who is also from Virginia Beach. He has been charged with 1st degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Because they’re minors, police are not releasing the name of the suspect or the victim. However, 3 WTKR reported that the suspect was...
Read More
Woman arrested in Kentucky with baby missing from Virginia
No Comments
News, Popular

Woman arrested in Kentucky with baby missing from Virginia

Cedar Samuel Smith, a 10-month-old baby, was featured in an Amber Alert earlier this week. According to the alert, which was circulated on behalf of the sheriff’s office in Scott County, VA, the missing baby was last seen on Daniel Boone Rd. in Gate City. Police believed he had been abducted by Ashley Jordan Griffith, a 30-year-old Gate City resident. Griffith was caught with the baby in Kentucky, according to Madison County Sheriff's Office. It was around 5:50 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, when a call came in for a motorist assist on Battlefield Memorial Highway, Madison Sheriff’s Office reported. Deputy Shane Johnson responded and found a female driver with a child who reportedly told him she needed a jump. Johnson’s investigation into the vehicle revealed there was an Amber Ale...
Read More