|
WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 17th, 2010 P.M. UPDATE
Reported
by Chuck Vipperman & Jack
Garrett
UPDATE:
WHITE NOT GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES
(DANVILLE)
--
JURY
DELIBERATIONS IN A DANVILLE MURDER
TRIAL CONTINUED FOR THREE-AND-A-HALF
HOURS BEFORE THE PANEL RETURNED ITS
VERDICT: NOT-GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES.
JURORS ENTERED CHAMBERS AT
11:30 WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EMERGED
WITH A VERDICT JUST AFTER THREE PM.
THE PANEL HEARD CLOSING ARGUMENTS
AFTER THE DEFENSE RESTED AND WAS
THEN ASKED TO DECIDE WHETHER
28-YEAR-OLD STUART WHITE MURDERED
HIS NEIGHBOR OR WAS ACTING IN
SELF-DEFENSE.
WHITE SHOT AND KILLED
42-YEAR-OLD ALEX TOTHEROW LAST
SEPTEMBER. HE TOLD DETECTIVES THAT
HE HEARD BREAKING GLASS AND SAW AN
INTRUDER COMING THROUGH HIS BATHROOM
WINDOW. WHITE GRABBED A GUN AND
CHASED THE MAN OUT OF HIS APARTMENT
AND FIRED AS TOTHEROW FLED DOWN THE
STEPS. HE DIED OF A SINGLE GUNSHOT
WOUND TO THE BACK.
WHITE HAS SAID THAT HE
DIDN’T KNOWN HE HAD SHOT HIS
NEIGHBOR UNTIL TOTHEROW SPOKE AND
SAID HE FEARED THE INTRUDER WOUND
HARM HIM, HIS GIRLFRIEND OR THEIR
BABY. HE WAS FOUND NOT-GUILTY OF
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND FIREARMS
CHARGES AND IS NOW A FREE MAN.

Danville
police escort jurors to the the scene of a
September shooting death.
(Leonard Harville photo)
(DANVILLE)
-- ERIC
DEATON SAYS THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT
DANVILLE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IS
NOT TURNING ANYONE AWAY BECAUSE THEY
DON’T HAVE INSURANCE. THAT IS ONE
OF SEVERAL RUMORS THE HOSPITAL’S
NEW CEO IS ADDRESSING IN HIS FIRST
MONTH ON THE JOB. DEATON SAYS THERE
IS ALSO NO TRUTH TO REPORTS THAT
D-R-M-C'S EMERGENCY ROOM
DOCTORS ARE NOT PART OF THE
ANTHEM-BLUE CROSS NETWORK.
HE SAYS THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN
CORRECTED AND A CONTRACT IS NOW IN
PLACE WITH ANTHEM-BLUE CROSS. AND
DEATON SAYS HE DOES NOT THINK ANYONE
WAS BILLED AT A HIGHER AMOUNT
"BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT IN
NETWORK." DEATON SAYS
MOST OF THE COMMENTS HE HAS RECEIVED
FROM THE COMMUNITY INVOLVE WAIT
TIMES IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM. HE SAYS
THE HOSPITAL IS WORKING TO REDUCE
THOSE DELAYS. DEATON, WHO HAS BEEN
ON THE JOB FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS,
HAS ALREADY MET WITH DANVILLE WITH
COUNCIL AND HAS PROMISED TO PROVIDE
QUARTERLY UPDATES TO CITY
LEADERS.
(SOUTHSIDE)
-- THE
JANUARY REPORT FROM THE VIRGINIA
EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION SHOWS HIGHER
JOBLESS RATES ON THE SOUTHSIDE.
DANVILLE’S 14.9 PERCENT
JOBLESS RATE WAS UP A FULL
PERCENTAGE POINT FROM THE SAME MONTH
A YEAR AGO AND WAS THE
FOURTH-HIGHEST IN VIRGINIA.
MARTINSVILLE’S 21.6 PERCENT LEVEL
WAS THE STATE’S HIGHEST.
HENRY COUNTY RANKED THIRD
FROM THE TOP T 15.5 PERCENT.
THE JANUARY RATE IN HALIFAX
COUNTY WAS JUST UNDER 13 PERCENT.
IN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, THE
JOBLESS RATE WAS AN EVEN 11 PERCENT.
THE REPORT NOTED NEARLY 14,000
PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT JOBS IN
SOUTHSIDE DURING THE REFERENCE WEEK
IN JANUARY.
(DANVILLE)
-- A
FOUNDATION FORMED LAST YEAR BY THE
DANVILLE PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE IS GETTING A BOOST,
THANKS TO A FOUNDATION FORMED FOUR
YEARS THROUGH THE SALE OF DANVILLE
REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.
CHAMBER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
LAURIE MORAN SAYS THE DANVILLE
REGIONAL FOUNDATION IS SENDING
$125,000 TO THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION.
THE GRANT WILL PAY FOR
INNOVATIVE PROJECTS TO BOOST
SOUTHSIDE’S EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
MORAN SAYS THE FOUNDATION IS
AN EXTENSION OF THE EDUCATION GOLF
TOURNAMENT THE CHAMBER HAS SPONSORED
FOR THE PAST 19 YEARS. DURING THAT
PERIOD, THE CHAMBER HAS RAISED
$250,000 FOR INNOVATIVE CLASSROOM
PROJECTS.

Flowers
adorn former Danville City Manager
Lyle Lacy's seat at last night's
City Council meeting.
(Bruce Hedrick photo)
(WASHINGTON,
D.C.) -- AS WE INCH CLOSER
TO A HEALTH CARE VOTE IN WASHINGTON,
FIFTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN TOM
PERRIELLO IS SIGNALING THAT THE
FINAL LANGUAGE MAY STRIKE ONE KEY
PROVISION HE’S BEEN FIGHTING. THE
CHARLOTTESVILLE DEMOCRAT SAYS HE’S
NOW CONFIDENT THE SENATE VERSION
WOULD NOT PAY FOR ABORTIONS.
THE CATHOLIC HEALTH
ASSOCIATION YESTERDAY CAME OUT IN
SUPPORT OF THE SENATE BILL.
BUT PERRIELLO SAYS HE’S
STILL UNDECIDED ON THE LARGER BILL.
HE WANTS ANY HEALTH CARE
REFORM TO LOWER PREMIUMS FOR THE
MIDDLE CLASS, WHILE NOT INCREASING
THE FEDERAL DEFICIT.
PERRIELLO IS ALSO WAITING FOR
A COST ESTIMATE FROM THE
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE.
(DANVILLE)
-- INTERIM CITY
MANAGER JOE KING SAYS THE DANVILLE
UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS WILLING TO
WORK WITH CUSTOMERS WHO ARE HAVING
TROUBLE PAYING THEIR UTILITY BILLS.
THIS, AFTER MANY FOLKS
COMPLAINED ABOUT SOME SKY-HIGH
WINTERTIME BILLS.
KING SAYS RATES ARE NOT THE
PROBLEM. HE NOTES THAT
DANVILLE'S NATURAL GAS RATES ARE THE
LOWEST IN THE REGION---AND THE
CITY’S ELECTRIC RATES ARE ALSO
COMPETITIVE.
HE SAYS MOST OF THE HIGHER
BILLS WERE BECAUSE OF POOR HOUSING
STOCK, WHICH IS HARD TO HEAT IN THE
WINTER. KING SAYS THE
UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH
CUSTOMERS WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE
PAYING THE HIGHER BILLS.
(RICHMOND)
--A PITTSYLVANIA
COUNTY KILLER’S LATEST FEDERAL
APPEAL WILL BE HEARD NEXT WEEK IN
RICHMOND.
TERESA LEWIS HIRED TWO MEN TO
KILL HER HUSBAND AND STEP-SON EIGHT
YEARS AGO.
LEWIS’ STATE APPEALS WERE
SPENT IN 2007 WHEN THE STATE SUPREME
COURT REFUSED TO CONSIDER HER
APPEAL. LAST YEAR, A JUDGE IN U-S
WESTERN DISTRICT COURT IN ROANOKE
REFUSED TO GRANT HER A NEW TRIAL.
THE FOURTH U-S CIRCUIT COURT
OF APPEALS WILL TAKE UP THE CASE ONE
WEEK FROM TODAY. LEWIS IS THE ONLY WOMAN ON VIRGINIA’S DEATH ROW; AND THE
FIRST SINCE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT WAS
RE-INSTATED IN 1976. SHE WAS SET FOR EXECUTION IN NOVEMBER-2007, BUT WAS GRANTED A
STAY WHILE SHE APPEALED.
(DAVIE
COUNTY, N.C.)
--HALIFAX COUNTY’S
CHIEF FORESTER DIED IN A FREAK
TRAFFIC ACCIDENT FRIDAY NIGHT ON
I-40 IN NORTH CAROLINA.
TROOPERS SAY A THREE-FOOT
WIDE METAL DISK BOUNCED OFF THE
INTERSTATE AND THROUGH THE
WINDSHIELD OF ALEX WILLIAMSON’S
S-U-V.
IT HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS
TRAVELING 70 MILES PER HOUR IN DAVIE
COUNTY.
THE 59-YEAR OLD WILLIAMSON
WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD.
A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER
MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED
FIVE MILES UP THE ROAD.
SOME OF THE OTHER PASSENGERS
WERE HURT BY THE DISK, WHICH ENDED
UP IN THE BACK SEAT.
INVESTIGATORS THINK THE DISK
HAD FALLEN OFF OF ANOTHER CAR.
WILLIAMSON SPENT 35 YEARS
WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF
FORESTRY.
RICHMOND,
Va. (AP) - Virginia
regulators are being urged to
carefully examine a proposed rate
increase for Appalachian Power.
The State Corporation
Commission held a public hearing
Tuesday to discuss the company's
request for a 12.5 percent base rate
increase.
Lawmakers and customers told
the commission about the hardships
being faced by Appalachian Power
customers in parts of Virginia hurt
by high unemployment and
higher-than-expected winter heating
costs.
Last month, lawmakers passed
a bill suspending the interim rate
increase following complaints from
customers.
Appalachian Power's interim
rate increase went into effect in
December. The commission will hold
an evidentiary hearing in the case
later this month and is expected to
rule on the increase by July 15th.
%2010-18-07.jpg) (RICHMOND)
--
SOUTHSIDE
LAWMAKERS BANDED TOGETHER TO KEEP
ONE UNPOPULAR LINE ITEM OUT OF THE
BUDGET THAT PASSED IN RICHMOND SUNDAY.
A HOUSE PROPOSAL TO BORROW
$100 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE
TOBACCO COMMISSION TO BALANCE THE
BOOKS WAS STRICKEN FROM THE BUDGET.
BUT DANVILLE DELEGATE DANNY
MARSHALL (left) SAYS THERE
WAS LITTLE THEY COULD DO TO AVOID
CUTS FROM LOCAL SCHOOL FUNDING.
MARSHALL SAYS "THEY ARE NOT
WHERE THEY WERE LAST YEAR, BUT THEY
ARE STILL BETTER OFF THAN WHAT
(FORMER GOVERNOR) KAINE'S BUDGET
PROPOSED." PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY
DELEGATE DON MERRICKS (right) SAYS
-- ALL THINGS CONSIDERED --
SOUTHSIDE FARED PRETTY WELL. HE SAYS
FUNDING WAS MAINTAINED FOR
DANVILLE'S INSTITUTE, THE HIGHER ED
CENTER AND THE NEW COLLEGE INSTITUTE
IN MARTINSVILLE. THE BUDGET PROVIDES
NO PAY RAISES FOR STATE WORKERS FOR
THE FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW.
IT ALSO RESTORES MUCH OF THE
FUNDING THAT FORMER GOVERNOR TIM
KAINE WANTED TO TRIM FROM
SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENTS.
(PITTSYLVANIA
COUNTY)
--
A PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY MAN FACES
THREE COUNTS OF FELONY HIT-AND-RUN,
MALICIOUS WOUNDING AND WEAPONS
CHARGES AFTER A ROAD RAGE INCIDENT
SUNDAY AFTERNOON ON SPRING GARDEN
ROAD. DEPUTIES SAY 42-YEAR OLD EDDIE
LEE DIXON OF CHATHAM PASSED A
CADILLAC DRIVEN BY 69-YEAR OLD
MELVIN EMERSON OF JAVA. EMERSON
ALLEGEDLY REAR-ENDED DIXON’S BMW
THREE TIMES. POLICE SAY LATER STRUCK THE CAR A FOURTH TIME AFTER DIXON HAD
PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF A HOUSE
ON BROWNSVILLE HEIGHTS LANE. THE BMW
HIT THE FRONT PORCH OF THE HOME.
DIXON SAYS EMERSON THEN GOT OUT OF
HIS CAR AND FIRED A SHOT INTO THE
AIR BEFORE DRIVING AWAY. EMERSON’S
WRECKED CADILLAC WAS FOUND LATER
AFTER THE CAR STRUCK A TREE ON ROUTE
640. DEPUTIES FOUND A
LOADED .38 CALIBER REVOLVER INSIDE.
DEPUTIES SAY EMERSON WAS FOUND
HIDING BEHIND HIS HOME A SHORT TIME
LATER. DIXON AND HIS SIX-YEAR SON
WERE TREATED AND RELEASED AT
DANVILLE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.
(DANVILLE)
-- DANVILLE
CITY COUNCIL IS READY TO SPEND
700-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BUY LAND FOR
A NEW DOWNTOWN FIRE STATION.
THIS WOULD REPLACE THE BRIDGE
STREET STATION, WHICH IS 84 YEARS
OLD, AND NO LONGER TO HANDLE
LARGE-SIZED FIRE TRUCKS.
THE CITY IS NOT RELEASING THE
LOCATION OF THE NEW STATION UNTIL
THE LAND IS PURCHASED, BUT THEY SAY
IT WILL ALLOW THEM TO BUILD AN
18-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT STATION WITH
FOUR BAYS.
IT’LL ALSO ALLOW THEM TO
MOVE THE CITY’S 9-1-1 CENTER AND
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT
UNDER THE SAME ROOF.
COUNCIL APPROVED THE
PURCHASE LAST NIGHT.
(DANVILLE)
-- A NEW RESEARCH
OPPORTUNITY COULD ALLOW A HI-TECH
DANVILLE COMPANY TO HIRE FOUR MORE
WORKERS.
NEXTGEN OPENED IN THE
CYBERPARK IN LATE 2008. THEY’VE RECEIVED A HALF (M) MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO DEVELOP
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT THAT COULD STAY IN
THE AIR FOR UP TO TWO WEEKS WITHOUT
LANDING.
NOW, THEY’RE ASKING THE
TOBACCO COMMISSION FOR A MATCHING
GRANT OF 553-THOUSAND DOLLARS TO
FUND THE RESEARCH.
CITY COUNCIL
ENDORSED THEIR REQUEST AT LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.
(DANVILLE)
--
THE 2010 CENSUS FORMS WILL ARRIVE IN MAILBOXES THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY THIS WEEK. TAMMIE
MCGEE IS A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U-S
CENSUS BUREAU.
SHE SAYS IT’S VITALLY
IMPORTANT THAT EVERY HOUSEHOLD FILLS
OUT IT’S FORM AND SENDS IT IN AS
QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
ACCORDING TO MCGEE, EVERY ONE
PERCENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF
FORMS RETURNED IN THE MAIL, SAVES
TAXPAYERS ABOUT 85 MILLION DOLLARS
IN THE COST OF SENDING CENSUS TAKERS
DOOR-TO DOOR TO COLLECT THE
INFORMATION.
CENSUS
INFORMATION IS USED TO
DETERMINE HOW MANY SEATS AN AREA
GETS IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HOW
VOTING DISTRICTS ARE REDRAWN, AND
MOST ESPECIALLY HOW BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS
ARE DISTRIBUTED.
MCGEE SAYS THE FORMS ASK FOR VERY
LITTLE PERSONAL INFORMATION.
AND SHE SAYS WHAT INFORMATION
IS GATHERED IS TALLIED BUT NOT
SHARED WITH ANY OTHER AGENCIES.
ANYONE WHO NEEDS HELP FILLING
OUT THE QUESTIONNAIRE CAN CALL THEIR
TOLL FREE HOT LINE AT 1-866 872-6868
OR GO ONLINE AT 2010CENSUS.GOV.

E-mail
us
|