News – Page 42 – Watchful Eye

Alexandria police asking for tips on abandoned baby

26Jan

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Alexandria police asking for tips on abandoned baby

A joint investigation between Alexandria Police and Child Protective Services is underway after a little girl was reportedly “abandoned” on South Van Dorn Street Wednesday night. It was approximately 9:45 p.m. when police responded to witness reports that a man left a child in front of 8 South Van Dorn Street, says APD. Officers found a little girl that they estimated was between 1 to 2 years old. She was “dressed in warm clothing and in apparent good health,” but no one in the area claimed to know the child or who she belonged to, the department statement. Alexandria Child Protective Services was notified and took the little girl into custody. Meanwhile, shortly before midnight, police issued an urgent public appeal asking anyone with information about the child or the parents to ca...

VA General Assembly update: HB 721, an anti-rent gouging bill, moves forward

25Jan

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Biz & Life, Business, News

VA General Assembly update: HB 721, an anti-rent gouging bill, moves forward

HB 721 “aims to protect Virginians against rent gouging practices,” said Delegate Nadarius Clark, who introduced the bill. If passed, HB 721 will give localities the ability to adopt anti-rent gouging provisions and an anti-rent gouging board. Notice would have to be provided and a public hearing held before a locality adopted its measures. The bill also requires landlords to provide at least two months written notice of a rent increase. Additionally, a rent increase couldn’t exceed the locality calculated allowance. And the allowance would be set at equal to the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index or 7%, whichever is less. An allowance would remain in place for a 12-month period. “Changing economies, inflation, and gentrified neighborhoods have provided the environment...

80-year-old Emporia woman killed by Greensville County crash

25Jan

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News, Traffic

80-year-old Emporia woman killed by Greensville County crash

An 80-year-old Emporia woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Tuesday, Virginia State Police reported. The incident occurred on Low Ground Rd. just south of Little Low Ground Rd. in Greensville County. According to VSP, the investigation revealed Merle Marie Thorpe, was traveling southbound and, for an undisclosed reason, she crossed into the northbound lanes. The woman then ran off the road, and the 2005 Chevy Impala she was driving crashed into a tree stump before flipped over leaving, said VSP. Thorpe, the sole occupant, was entrapped in the vehicle and was suffering from "serious life-threatening injuries," accord to VSP. When she was freed from the vehicle, she was first taken to Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center in Emporia. Then, she was flown to Chippenham...

Threats lead to evacuation of Alexandria, VA elementary school

25Jan

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Threats lead to evacuation of Alexandria, VA elementary school

Wednesday, an Alexandria, VA elementary school was evacuated amid a series of “false threats” that are now being investigated as swatting incidents, according to the police department. After receiving a call “of someone going to the school with guns” APD said it responded to Charles Barrett Elementary at 12:04 p.m. with officers, K9s, and SWAT and began searching the school. In a letter to families, the Charles Barrett principal, Loren Brody, said the school first went into “secure the building” status. But by 12:20, it was determined students and staff would be evacuated “due to additional information received regarding a bomb threat that was in the vicinity of the school.” APD said school administrators made the decision to evacuate and move students to Cora Kelly School on Comm...

Woman wanted for fatal Norfolk crash now in custody

24Jan

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Woman wanted for fatal Norfolk crash now in custody

Dominique Goodwin, the Chesapeake woman wanted for the fatal wrong-way tunnel crash in Norfolk, turned herself in Monday morning, VSP reported. Goodwin was wanted for aggravated involuntary manslaughter after an incident in the early hours of December 30. According to VSP, she was driving her Volkswagen eastbound in the westbound lanes of the Downtown Tunnel when she crashed head-on with a Chevy Equinox driven by Shelby Riddick Walker of Portsmouth. Riddick, 43, was killed instantly, authorities say. Virginia State Police had been looking for Goodwin for weeks to no avail. They had even issued a public appeal for information on her whereabouts. According to 3WTKR, VSP said Goodwin wasn’t immediately arrested after the incident because she was taken to the hospital and ...

Racist school message in Gloucester is 2nd on Middle Peninsula this month

24Jan

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News, Trending

Racist school message in Gloucester is 2nd on Middle Peninsula this month

Gloucester County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Vladu issued a notice last Friday informing families and staff about a racist incident at Peasley Middle School. According to Vladu, on January 19, school administrators were notified of “a deeply concerning incident at Peasley Middle School involving racist graffiti on a 6th-grade bathroom stall, depicting a threatening message toward the African American community.” According to a report from Wavy 10, which showed redacted images from Gloucester Sheriff’s Office, the message said , “I hate [N-word]” and “[N-word] need to die.” The statement from Dr. Vladu also stated: “Gloucester County Public Schools unequivocally condemns discrimination of any kind. We are actively collaborating with the Gloucester County Sheriff’s ...

Woman unidentifiable after Isle of Wight crash

24Jan

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News, Traffic

Woman unidentifiable after Isle of Wight crash

The extent of the injuries in an Isle of Wight crash Tuesday night left Virginia State Police unable to positively identify the driver, VSP announced. It was just after 11 p.m. when VSP was informed that there was a single vehicle on Brewers Neck Boulevard north of Newton Haven Lane in Carrolton. Based on its preliminary investigations, VSP said it was determined that the woman, who authorities are currently calling Jane Doe, was traveling northbound on Brewers Neck Boulevard, when she lost control of the vehicle. She ran off the road, struck a ditch, and when the 2004 Ford Taurus hit the ditch, it flipped over several times, said VSP. Jane Doe was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car, VSP also reported. Currently, it’s undetermined if speed or alcohol were contri...

Charges filed in 2 drug cases at Deerfield Correctional Center

23Jan

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Crime, News

Charges filed in 2 drug cases at Deerfield Correctional Center

Southampton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric A. Cooke filed indictments against suspects for two separate drug seizures at Deerfield Correctional Center. Both incidents date back to last summer. According to VADOC, on August 12, Mary Margaret Marchio came to Deerfield to visit inmate Leopold T. Ashe. After visitation, Ashe was searched and was reportedly found to have surgical mask containing suspected drugs. VADOC Drug Task Force launched an investigation, and the department determined that Marchio and Ashe were allegedly conspiring to traffic drugs into the facility during their visit. Cooke charged both with two counts of possession of unlawful controlled substances, possession of Buprenorphine and Naloxone (Schedule III), and delivery of drugs, firearms, explosives, etc....

VA bill proposes Civilian Cyber Corps priced at $550k a year

23Jan

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Biz & Life, News

VA bill proposes Civilian Cyber Corps priced at $550k a year

A Virginia House bill to create and oversee a corps of cyber security experts who would help public and private entities tackle cyber security threats moved forward this week. HB 651, patroned by Delegate Micheal Feggans, creates an advisory board within the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) that will establish the roles and duties of a Civilian Cyber Corps. That corps would consist of vetted, volunteer cyber experts "who would expand the state’s ability to assist public and private entities and defend and recover their systems," said Feggans. The bill, which is modeled after a similar initiative in Michigan, provides the framework for VITA to outline the responsibilities for the Corps and procedures on background checks as well as the granting of immunity to certain...

Wanted man jumps off James River Bridge, survives

23Jan

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Wanted man jumps off James River Bridge, survives

A 29 year-old Suffolk man who was wanted for felony probation violation jumped off the James River Bridge this morning, January 22, in an attempt to avoid arrest but was later caught, Virginia State Police reported. Kelly Golden, Jr. was driving a 2021 Hyundai sedan headed northbound on the James River Bridge, when at around 8:45 a.m., he caught the attention of a DMV special agent who reportedly saw him driving recklessly, VSP noted. That agent attempted to stop Golden, but he allegedly refused. However, traffic had come to a halt because the bridge was opening. According to VSP, “in an attempt to flee the agent,” Golden sideswiped a 2022 Toyota Rav4 and ran into the back of a 2018 Dodge Charger and a 2019 Ford Fusion. Golden then got out of the Hyundai, and the special agent wit...