THURSDAY, MARCH 11th, 2010 A.M. UPDATE
Reported by Chuck Vipperman  & Jack Garrett

(DANVILLE) -- A COMPACT CAR CRASHED THROUGH A LARGE PLATE GLASS WINDOW AT THE OLD DUTCH SUPERMARKET ON NORTH MAIN STREET WEDNESDAY. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ABOUT 12:30 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AS THE GROCERY WAS FULL OF CUSTOMERS. THE 83-YEAR OLD FEMALE DRIVER WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED.  POLICE SAY SHE WAS SLOWING DOWN TO PARK WHEN HER FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKES AND HIT THE GAS.  NO ONE INSIDE THE SUPERMARKET WAS INJURED. DANVILLE POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED. THE DRIVER'S NAME WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. (photos: Leonard Harville)    

(RICHMOND) -- VIRGINIA SENATE BUDGET NEGOTIATORS CUT THEIR PROPOSED $51 MILLION INCREASE IN COURT FILING FEES TUESDAY IN A STEP AIMED AT RESURRECTING STALLED BUDGET TALKS. A DOZEN HOUSE AND SENATE BUDGET WRITERS ARE MEETING AGAIN WEDNESDAY, TRYING TO HAMMER OUT DIFFERENCES IN COMPETING VERSIONS OF A TWO-YEAR, $75 BILLION BUDGET. CHATHAM STATE SENATOR ROBERT HURT SAYS IN CAN’T BE DONE WITH FEE INCREASES ALONE.  AND HURT SAYS THE HOUSE PLAN TO USE TOBACCO FUNDS FOR PURPOSES OTHER THAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS UNACCEPTABLE. DEEP REDUCTIONS IN THE BUDGET ARE LIKELY TO WIPE OUT THOUSANDS OF GOVERNMENT JOBS IN VIRGINIA – INCLUDING THOSE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS – AND CURTAIL SOME MEDICAL SERVICES FOR THE NEEDY AND DISABLED. IF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TO ADJOURN ON SCHEDULE SATURDAY, A BUDGET AGREEMENTS MUST BE REACHED BY FRIDAY MORNING.

(DANVILLE) -- A DANVILLE POLICE OFFICER HAS BEEN CLEARED OF ANY WRONGDOING IN A FATAL SHOOTING ON PAUL STREET. A GRAND JURY HEARD THE EVIDENCE AND RULED THAT CORPORAL SAMUEL C. BRAY WAS JUSTIFIED WHEN HE SHOT THOMAS LEE WALLER, JUNIOR. WITNESSES SAW WALLER RUNNING FROM THE SCENE OF AN EARLIER SHOOTING WITH A GUN IN HIS WAISTBAND. THE OFFICER ORDERED HIM TO STOP, BUT WALLER IS SAID TO HAVE POINTED HIS GUN AT CORPORAL BRAY, WHO PULLED HIS SERVICE REVOLVER AND FIRED. ACCORDING TO POLICE, TWO MEN WERE ARGUING OVER A FIREARM ON JANUARY 5^TH. 27-YEAR-OLD LAMONT WILLIAMS WAS SHOT ON CHATELAINE AVENUE AND DIED AS A RESULT OF HIS INJURIES. THE SECOND SHOOTING INVOLVING THE POLICE OFFICER HAPPENED AS AUTHORITIES WERE RESPONDING TO THE INITIAL SHOOTING CALL.

(DANVILLE) --TWO LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE GETTING TOP HONORS. WOODROW WILSON AND CHATHAM ELEMENTARIES HAVE BEEN NAMED AGAIN AS “TITLE-ONE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS,” BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.  THE SCHOOLS WERE HONORED FOR A HIGH PASSAGE RATE ON THE RIGOROUS BENCHMARKS OF THE STATE STANDARDS OF LEARNING.   THEY AND ONE-HUNDRED OTHER SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA HAVE MET THOSE THRESHOLDS FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW.

(DANVILLE) -- THE DANVILLE REGIONAL FOUNDATION HAS AWARDED A GRANT OF NEARLY $1 MILLION TO THE DAN RIVER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER TO EXPAND ITS VIRTUAL OPERATIONAL CAPACITY, AIDING ENTREPRENEURS IN DANVILLE, PITTSYLVANIA AND CASWELL COUNTIES. THE $912,000 IS FOR THREE YEARS. IT WILL ALLOW THE DAN RIVER BUSINESS CENTER TO EXPAND INCUBATION SERVICES TO START-UP BUSINESSES ON THE SOUTHSIDE. THE MONEY WILL BE USED ON BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP “VIRTUAL TENANTS,” OR THOSE WHO BENEFIT FROM THE SERVICES AND OCCASIONAL USE OF THE FACILITY, BUT ARE NOT TENANTS. THE FUNDING WILL PROVIDE FOR THE EXPANSION OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR COACHING AND COUNSELING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITIONS AND EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLES. OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER'S TENANTS HAVE CREATED 1,758 JOBS, WITH CAPITAL INVESTMENTS OF OVER $54 MILLION.

(CASWELL COUNTY, N.C.) --FORMER CASWELL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOEL BREWER IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGEDLY USING HIS POST TO DISMISS CITATIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR POLITICAL FAVORS, AND FOR IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER.   THAT’S ACCORDING TO A SEARCH WARRANT THAT WAS ORDERED TO BE MADE PUBLIC YESTERDAY.  BREWER ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY HE WOULD RETIRE AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD TEN FULL MONTHS LEFT IN HIS TERM.   BREWER WAS APPOINTED TO THE POST IN 1994, AND WON RE-ELECTION FOUR TIMES OVER THE NEXT 16 YEARS.  THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED A PROBE IN NOVEMBER, AND SEIZED ITEMS FROM BREWER’S OFFICE LAST WEEK.  HIS SEAT WILL STILL BE ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER.   NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR BEVERLY PERDUE TODAY APPOINTED FORMER JUDGE JAMES M-LONG AS INTERIM DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR CASWELL AND PERSON COUNTIES.  LONG SERVED AS A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE FROM 1970-1994. 

     MEANWHILE, GOVERNOR BEVERLY PURDUE ON WEDNESDAY APPOINTED FORMER SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE JAMES M. LONG TO SERVE AS ACTING DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN PERSON AND CASWELL COUNTIES. LONG WILL COMPLETE BREWER'S TERM. JUDGE LONG SERVED AS A RECORDER'S COURT JUDGE FOR CASWELL COUNTY FROM 1964-1970 AND AS A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE FROM 1970-1994. GOV. PURDUE PRAISED LONG FOR "HIS WILLINGNESS TO SERVE" THE PEOPLE OF CASWELL AND PERSON COUNTIES.  

(CHATHAM) --AN ALREADY-BAD BUDGET SITUATION IN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY IS ABOUT TO GET WORSE.  SUPERINTENDENT JAMES McDANIEL SAYS THEY’VE BEEN BRACING FOR A FOUR-AND-A-HALF (M) MILLION DOLLAR CUT IN STATE FUNDING.  TURNS OUT THE COMPETING HOUSE AND SENATE SPENDING PLANS WOULD BE EVEN WORSE!   AS IT STANDS NOW, THE SENATE PROPOSAL WOULD CUT STATE FUNDING TO COUNTY SCHOOLS BY $4.7 MILLION.  THE HOUSE PLAN CALLS FOR A NINE-MILLION DOLLAR LOCAL CUT.   THE SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT APPROVED A PLAN TO OFFER EARLY RETIREMENT TO TEACHERS.   BUT McDANIEL ADMITS THIS WON’T BALANCE THE BOOKS.  HE SAYS TEACHER LAYOFFS WILL BE THEIR LAST RESORT TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

(WASHINGTON) --EVERYONE ELSE IS TIGHTENING THEIR BELTS, AND CONGRESS SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT.  THAT’S WHAT FIFTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN TOM PERRIELLO SAYS AS HE SUPPORTS A MEASURE TO CUT CONGRESSIONAL PAY FIVE PERCENT.  PERRIELLO WAS AMONG THE SUPPORTERS LAST YEAR IN A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO BLOCK AUTOMATIC CONGRESSIONAL PAY RAISES, AND HE’S SUPPORTING AN EFFORT TO PREVENT ANY PAY HIKES FROM AUTOMATICALLY TAKING PLACE IN THE FUTURE.  IF IT PASSES, THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL PAY CUT SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

The scene of last Thursday's plane crash in Louisa County where a Danville-bound pilot was killed.

(LOUISA COUNTY, VA.) --STATE POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A NORTHERN VIRGINIA MAN WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH LAST THURSDAY IN LOUISA COUNTY.    63-YEAR OLD JAY YOUNGQUIST WAS FLYING INTO DANVILLE TO UMPIRE A BASEBALL GAME.   INVESTIGATORS YOUNGQUIST HAD JUST FUELED UP.  HE CRASHED INTO A HOUSE ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT.    THE HOMEOWNER WAS IN THE BASEMENT AT THE TIME AND MANAGED TO ESCAPE THE FIRE.  YOUNGQUIST WAS FLYING IN TO OFFICIATE THE AVERETT UNIVERSITY BASEBALL GAME AGAINST HAMPDEN-SYDNEY.  INVESTIGATORS SAY NO ONE ELSE WAS ON BOARD THE TWIN-ENGINE CESSNA.  THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

Hazardous Materials team members block off the Municipal Building while they quarantine a suspicious white powder.
(Leonard Harville photo)

(DANVILLE) --A SUSPICIOUS POWDER CAUSED AUTHORITIES TO BLOCK OFF THE AREA AROUND THE DANVILLE MUNICIPAL BUILDING MONDAY AFTERNOON.  THAT’S BECAUSE A PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY MAN BROUGHT A WHITE POWDER TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS.  HE SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO WITH IT---THAT SOMEONE HAD PLACED IT ON HIS PORCH SATURDAY, AND HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS.   THE DANVILLE HAZ-MAT TEAM ISOLATED THE POWDER AND DETERMINED IT WAS NOT HARMFUL.  STATE POLICE HAVE SENT A SAMPLE TO THE STATE LAB IN RICHMOND TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

(RICHMOND) -- THE STATE CAPITAL WILL BE “GROUND ZERO” TODAY IN THE LATEST CHAPTER OF THE URANIUM MINING DEBATE.  THE SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER IS SPONSORING A SYMPOSIUM TO HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL DANGERS FROM A PROPOSED MINE IN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY.  ORGANIZER BRENT BLACKWELDER SAYS THEY’RE BRINGING IN FIVE EXPERTS. THE SPEAKERS WILL HAVE DETAILS ON URANIUM MINING OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN U-S, CANADA, AND AFRICA.  THE SYMPOSIUM RUNS FROM TEN TO FOUR THURSDAY AT THE RICHMOND CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

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