December 2007
Oct. 20 - Nov. 20, 2007
A special grand jury called by Staunton Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Robertson indicted Rick E. Krial, 40, on felony obscenity charges after viewing movies sold at Krial’s business, After Hours Video. The store opened in October on Springhill Road. After nationally known First Amendment lawyer Paul Cambria Jr. was hired to represent Krial, Robertson tried to get Cambria removed from the case, saying his past representation of Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt and others in the adult video industry was a conflict of interest. Judge Humes J. Franklin Jr. ruled that Cambria would be allowed to represent Krial, who also has Staunton attorney Tate Love as counsel. Meanwhile, some wished Robertson would spend time and money on other cases, rather then trying to block access to material that is readily available on the Internet.
Democrats gained control of the Virginia State Senate, but in the Valley, Republican almost always meant winner. All local incumbents to the State Senate and House of Delegates were easily reelected. Despite having 10 opponents to dilute the vote, Republican nominee Chaz Evans-Haywood was elected Harrisonburg-Rockingham Clerk of Court. Despite Richard Connellee’s death in October, the Republican was re-elected Rockingham Commissioner of the Revenue over his Democratic opponent. The county’s board of supervisors may request a special election in early January, which would cost almost $20,000. In Augusta County Board of Supervisors’ races, Republican incumbent Larry Howdyshell, seen as a megasite proponent, defeated his independent opponent by 39 votes, while Republican Jeremy Shifflett, a 23-year-old newcomer who refused to participate in Staunton News Leader candidate interviews, defeated his Democratic opponent by 16 votes.
Waynesboro voters approved three of five ballot referendums, thereby endorsing city plans to build a west-end fire station, make storm water improvements and expand the library. In Broadway, two write-in candidates, Betty Fitzwater and Richard E. Fulk, were elected to Town Council, resulting in the defeat of one incumbent. Controversy over the town’s downtown streetscape plans fueled the ouster. Turnout in area elections ranged from 21 to 40 percent.
Some in state Republican leadership were so angry about losing the Senate that their calls for fresh faces led them to encourage Del. Chris Saxman of Staunton to run against for former Gov. Jim Gilmore for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. Saxman also got headlines for being named Virginia co-chair of U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign.
The Staunton News Leader fired sports reporter Blair J. Parker after several instances of plagiarism and fabrication came to light.
Gemeinschaft, a transition home for ex-offenders in Harrisonburg, held its first graduation for women. State Sen. Mark Obenshain, a Gemeinschaft critic in the past, met with representatives of the home and Virginia Department of Corrections and said he saw improvement, but more work is needed. He believes the program shouldn’t accept felons who committed crimes elsewhere in the state.
Controversy continued at the financially troubled Waynesboro Country Club with some calling for the board’s removal.
Police asked for help in locating Steven Neiswander, a 43-year-old schizophrenic Harrisonburg man who has been missing since Oct. 22. His family is concerned for his safety and well-being.
After deliberating for 30 minutes, an Augusta County jury found Stephen and Heather Tomlin innocent of child abuse charges. The pair had been accused of holding Stephen’s teen-aged daughters captive in sparsely furnished rooms and denying them food.
After renovation bids came in too high, Harrisonburg City Schools decided not to move their offices to One Court Square downtown.
The Waynesboro News Virginian reported on criticism of Circuit Court Judge Humes J. Franklin Jr.’s harsh sentences against gang members. Harrisonburg police arrested four boys ages 12-14 for spraypainting gang graffiti on and around Waterman Elementary in September. Shaun Sams, 18, of Verona entered an Alford plea on charges relating to a 15-year-old girl’s sex initiation into a gang.
Violet Christene Darcus, 70, of Grottoes, died after running a stop sign at the intersection of Route 340 and Port Republic Road. Travis Williamson, 17, of Grottoes died after losing control of his car on slick pavement on Route 340. Police said his tires were worn.
Brittany Engleman, 18, of Staunton, died in a 4 a.m. traffic accident on Route 42 in Augusta County. She was a passenger in a car that was racing. Three men face charges of racing and lying about it to police.
The Humane Society of the United States released video footage from Rainbow’s End Kennel in Staunton as part of a report on puppy mills. The footage shows kennel owner Jean Payne trying to sell a sick dog at a reduced price and encouraging the potential buyer, an undercover investigator, not to take the dog to a vet.
A quilt from a nationally touring exhibit was stolen from the Virginia Quilt Museum.
Local authorities said a rash of swastika vandalism in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta was the work of one man: David C. Blackmon, 19, of Staunton. He confessed after being caught with a smudge of paint on his forehead and cans of paint in his truck.
Changing with the times, the Massanutten Regional Library began allowing patrons to carry in beverages, so long as they’re non-alcoholic, in a “sturdy, covered container†and kept a safe distance from the computers and genealogy collection.
Two people, including a 10-year-old boy, were injured in a drive-by shooting on Halloween in Staunton. Three adults, two from Harrisonburg and one from Staunton, were charged in the crime.
Eight-month-old Julien-Alexandre Oryschak of Staunton died at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., on his parents’ second anniversary. He had been sick almost his whole life.
Repairs on the long-closed pedestrian bridge between Water Street and Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg finally began.
Raymond Wilhelm, a Salvation Army bell ringer, fought off a would-be kettle thief in front of the Dollar General in Verona. He and a bystander held down the suspect until a deputy arrived to make the arrest.
Handyman Herman Gentry, 61, from Hinton, was critically injured in an explosion at a Rockingham County mobile home. A propane leak likely caused the fire. Bob Smith, 62, of Fulks Run, was also injured but not as badly. Marcus Fleming, 19, entered a burning apartment building in Harrisonburg and saved his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son.
James Madison University broke ground on the Performing Arts Center. The South Main Street building is the biggest and most expensive building project in JMU History.
Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville turned 60. The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro turned 25.
Waynesboro dog breeder Sheri Smith donated $6,000 to her city’s police department so it could buy and train a replacement for Kizmet, the police dog who died of cancer in September.
Six people were injured in an accident on the I-64 overpass, and John Rudin, 42, of Waynesboro faced his sixth DUI charge as a result.
Augusta Medical Center’s Hospice of the Shenandoah opened Shenandoah House, the area’s first residential hospice.
Colgan Air starting flying larger planes – seating 34 instead of the smaller planes’ 19 passengers