The future of Charlottesville's First Night celebration is in serious question.

Donations to the annual event are down 50 percent from two years ago, and if the trend continues the party could soon be over.

Charlottesville's First Night team plans a year in advance for the new year's party on the downtown mall. It's an event with a price tag in the tens of thousands that in a tough economy is getting harder and harder to pull off.

First Night Executive Director Barbara Lundgren knows what makes the Charlottesville party special. "We can go from one end of the mall to the other and just find something for everyone."

That may not be the case for long. Donations for the annual New Year's celebration on the downtown mall have plummeted from $24,000 to $12,000 in the last two years. While the show will go on to ring in 2010, the trend does not look good for 2011.

Lundgren says, "It means that we may not be returning in the coming years, we are very much dependent on these donations, these sponsorships and these button sales."

Charlottesville's First Night festivities have been around for 28 years. If the party goes dark, Charlottesville's tourism dollars could take a hit.

Kurt Burkhart is with the Charlottesville Albemarle Visitors Bureau. "You've got a number of businesses that will take full advantage of that one visitor, and multiply that out ten-fold, 100-fold, and you can start to realize the economic impact."

In a good year the event draws 6,000 guests. That number would have to jump to 10,000 this year to keep first night finances on track for success.

Lundgren fears if the money doesn't come in, and fast, it could be the last.

"People are out there for us, but we still do need the cash to run this operation."

Tickets for this year's first night go on sale December 5th.

The Food for Fines program is back for the holidays.

Starting Monday, Staunton, Augusta County, and Waynesboro public libraries will be accepting canned food donations.

One can pays for one library item fine.

All donations go to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, and library officials say it always brings in a lot of food.

Marta Grove from the Waynesboro Public Library says, "People want easy ways to pay off their fines. They also want to help out the community. It's a win-win situation for everybody."

Last year, the libraries donated 1,500 pounds of food to the food bank.

They are hoping to top that number this year.

A motorcycle rider was badly injured tonight in a wreck on Riverside Drive.

Officer Mike Caver, Fatal Accident and Crash Team investigator, said witnesses reported the Yukon, driven by Edgar McClennan of Kingsport, was traveling south on Riverside and pulled into the left turning lane.

McClennan waited until the traffic light at the intersection turned red and was pulling into the Rhino Mart parking lot when a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was traveling north on Riverside struck the passenger side of the Yukon, Caver said.

The motorcyclist, whose name has not been released and condition is unknown, was taken by Lifeflight helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

"Some witnesses are saying the motorcyclist ran the light," Caver said. The investigation is ongoing.

It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were involved in the wreck. McClennan was given a toxicology test at the scene and Caver said there was no alcohol or drugs involved on his part. Caver will go to Vanderbilt to get a report on the motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, Caver said.

The girlfriend of the motorcyclist was a passerby and saw the Harley Davidson motorcycle lying crushed in the road. She got out of her vehicle in shock and approached Caver.

The Staunton Police Department is allurement for the public's advice to acquisition a missing teenager.

Seventeen-year-old Matthew Wayne Davis has aphotic albino hair that may be absolute atramentous and generally wears all atramentous clothing. He's five-feet-ten-inches tall.

Davis has several facial piercings, including the lower lip, the high lip and his nose.

Police say he has been missing back the alpha of the month.

Anyone with advice about his abode is asked to alarm the Staunton Police Department at 540-332-3842 or Crime Stoppers at 800-322-2017.

Due to a significant decrease in influenza activity in the area, the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Flu Care Clinic will be closed after Friday.

The clinic will reopen when and if flu activity increases, according to Terri Huffman, director, Primary Care Services.

“Flu activity typically hits in several waves,” explains Huffman. “We are especially concerned about the prevalence of H1N1, which has had two significant peaks in our area this year: one in April and the other in October. At this point we are experiencing less flu activity and seeing fewer patients in both the RMH Emergency Department and in the clinic. But we would expect another peak to hit a bit later in the season and we will reopen the clinic if and when the situation warrants.”

RMH constantly monitors the flu situation both locally and statewide, she said. The Flu Care Clinic phone line will be updated weekly, if not more often, and anyone needing information about whether the clinic is open may call 540-437-0440.

Patient with flu symptoms who are pregnant, under the age of four or have underlying health problems should seek care from their primary care provider or, if that is not possible, at the RMH Emergency Department.

Huffman said the community’s response to public health appeals to use good cough etiquette, practice good hand hygiene and keep healthy and sick people apart has no doubt been instrumental in helping to prevent further spread of the flu.

“The community should be commended for significantly impacting the incidence of influenza by practicing good hygiene and social distancing, staying home from work or school when sick,” says Huffman. “We also appreciate community members complying with our requests to limit hospital visitors for the safety of our staff, patients and other guests. All of these efforts make a huge difference in containing a communicable illness such as influenza.”

Huffman cautioned that people need to continue these practices to prevent the spread of flu. She also emphasized the importance of getting both regular flu and H1N1 immunizations when they are available.

“Complacency is our worst enemy,” says Huffman. “We need to keep our guard up as we head into the holiday season to ensure people stay healthy and avoid the flu.”

The man bedevilled of abducting his wife from the Dairy Queen in Crozet is headed to prison.

Kevin Stone was bedevilled to added than 28 years, but the adjudicator abeyant all but six years and a ages of that sentence.

Stone aswell got two years of probation, and already he gets out the adjudicator ordered him to break abroad from his wife.

Morgan Harrington will have been missing for a month on Sunday. Her parents will not let their daughter's name drop out of the news media.

They appeared on Dr. Phil and tomorrow, their daughter will be featured in PEOPLE Magazine. She will appear among several other young people who have seeminly vanished.

Since Jaycee Dugard was miraculously rescued last August after an 18-year disappearance, it has given new hope to anguished families of hundreds of missing children nationwide.

In a telephone interview, Gil Harrington told the Newsplex, "We realize we're in a marathon. We're trying to be disciplined and strong."

Gil admits this is difficult. She wrote in her blog that appears on FindMorgan.com. "We are becoming a family of skeletons. Morgan, are you a skeleton now too?" Gil says that the entry is to prepare herself for the worst but that it also expresses the agony she feels from not knowing where her daughter is.

While the surfacing of Dugard has given family hope, Gil also says that with the recent trend of missing young girls, she worries for her daughter and for others like her daughter.

Harrington was last seen in Charlottesville on the Copeley Road Bridge after leaving the John Paul Jones Arena during a Metallica concert October 17th. Her purse was found in a grassy RV parking area near JPJ the next day.

The NCMEC’s switchboard has been reignited with tips on long-dormant cases since the news of Dugard’s return was reported, with parents of the missing continuing to chase every lead long after law enforcement teams wind down their searches. They post more flyers; they set up Web sites; they rack their brains for overlooked clues. “It creates a kind of suspended animation for these families,” says NCMEC president Ernie Allen. “It hovers over.'

State badge say a car blow in Rockingham County angry into an attack. It happened forth Silver Basin Road, in Dayton, the night afore Halloween. Badge say a white Toyota Camry hit addition car.

After the accident, as the cars were anchored next to the lake, the woman whose car was hit says the added disciplinarian punched her in the face again collection abroad in the Camry. The doubtable is declared as a man with a baldheaded arch in his backward 20s or aboriginal 30s.

Staunton Badge are investigating a citizen whose dog got out of a backyard and bit a being on Springhill Road. The pit balderdash had already been declared a alarming dog, and was not declared to be abandoned outside.

Augusta County assembly address that a visiting assistant at Dejected Ridge Community College had a laptop stolen. The Virginia Tech assistant was at the Plecker Center for a appointment on Wednesday.

Workers at the Walmart on John Wayland Highway say they bent a man aggravating to abduct a Santa clothing Monday night. The man alone the clothing as advisers chased him out of the store.

A citizen in Maurertown letters that anyone bankrupt into his home, while he was asleep, and blanket a bread jar with about $250 inside. It happened on Back Road Friday night.

State Badge are searching for a baseborn motorcycle. A 2008 dejected Kawasaki was taken from abaft a home on Donnagail Drive in Penn Laird on Halloween.

Thursday night some valley parents got an eye-opening look at new dangers their kids face on-line.

At Stonewall Jackson High School in Shenandoah County, law enforcement pinpointed cyber threats during live video game play, and a rise is "sexting" which carries a felony charge.

Social networking websites continue to pose a threat.
Currently their are more than 180 of them, which gives sex predators more opportunities to meet young kids
Educators say parents must keep up with technology to protect their kids

"We can't stop kids from using the Internet and we shouldn't stop kids from using the Internet. We need to make parents aware of what things to look for", says Stonewall Jackson High School assistant principal, Morgan Saeler

The presentation also shed light on computer trespass, and copyright infringements, which is something that could get both kids and their parents in trouble

The case of a amateur annihilation in Hardy County is affective forward.

Nakia Keller and his wife Lorie Taylor, both of Rockingham County, were arrested for the crimes endure month. Anniversary of them is answerable with one calculation of arson and three counts of murder.

Investigators say they dead Dennis "Chip" Taylor, his new wife Allaina Taylor, and Allaina's five-year-old daughter, Kaylee Grace Whetzel. Board aswell say anniversary of the victims was attempt at atomic already afore their home was set on fire.

Lorie had a basic audition on her accuse Thursday in Moorefield. A court beatific the case to a admirable jury.

During affidavit Thursday, board gave new advice about items bedeviled from Lorie's parents' home.

West Virginia State Police Sgt. Chris Siler says a Beretta 9 mm pistol was taken from her father's house. Siler says the gun was beatific to a lab backward endure anniversary for testing. It's cryptic if it was acclimated to accomplish the crimes.

Lorie's aegis attorney, Deborah Lawson, approved to altercate Thursday, "There is annihilation to absolutely anon tie [Lorie Taylor] to the contest at Chip and Allaina's residence."

Hardy County Deputy Brent Fertig talked about two affairs begin in the adept bedchamber of Lorie's home. Fertig alleged them affairs of activity on how to backpack out the crimes.

Based on affidavit at Thursday's audition and at endure week's audition for Keller, it appears neither plan was agitated out. According to Fertig's testimony, one plan alleged for killing Chip and demography him to Franklin. The plan alleged for his barter to be taken about else.

According to Fertig, a additional plan complex killing Chip and Allaina while their kids were at school.

Lawson argued there was no affirmation that Lorie was present at the time of the murders or that she even assisted.

Hardy County Court Craig A. Hose did not arise convinced. He said the agenda begin in the bedchamber was "written to be plural not singular," implying added than one being was complex in planning the murders.

During testimony, attorneys referred to an concealed "state's witness" who board say took photos of the victims' house.

Investigators say that attestant is a 14-year-old girl.

Last week, a babe with the aforementioned description was referred to as "Jane" and was articular as a third suspect. The Hardy County Sheriff's Office has not accepted if a third arrest has been fabricated in the case.

Keller and Lorie's cases are appointed to go afore a admirable board February 2.

Fenton Art Glass of Williamstown is getting featured on the Discovery Channel appearance "Dirty Jobs."

The adventure affectedness 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Host Mike Rowe visited the bulb endure year, if Fenton advisers were aggravating to acquisition means to advice their financially disturbing aggregation survive.

Though it was on the border of defalcation two years ago, Fenton is still in business. Now, it employs about 125 people.

President George Fenton says sales are strong, and the aggregation is bearing beneath colors at any one time to abate its activity costs.

Fenton says the aggregation has aswell agreed to accomplish baddest pieces for Rowe's own Website, alleged MikeroweWORKS.com.

Among them is a atramentous T-shirt with a Rowe catchphrase, "Get accessible to get dirty."

Augusta County assembly arrested Kelly Tianna Morris for allegedly getting the biologic provider for abounding inmates central Augusta Correctional Center.

According to cloister records, bedfellow Anthony Roach handed out block with Morris' name on them to added inmates with acquaintance advice to access drugs.

She allegedly had been alive as the alfresco antecedent for April Hogsett, the correctional administrator who is aswell adverse charges.

Morris has been answerable with biologic delivery.

Churchville advocate Francis Chester filed a acknowledgment to the courts on Tuesday, advertence why he should not be accustomed for his accusation adjoin the Augusta Canton for what he calls arbitrary absolute acreage assessments.

Chester says the county's motive is to blackout him and avoid the apropos of the canton citizens he represents.

He says if sanctions were imposed, he could face belief affairs by the Virginia Bar, which he says is unnecessary.

Chester adds, "I intend to accomplishment my commitment, and my charge ends not if I get tired. But if there is a final acknowledgment of the issues that are getting presented to the court."

Chester aswell says the canton advocate was inaccurate if it comes to the chic activity law clothing Chester filed beforehand in the year.

Chester says chic accomplishments apparel are frowned aloft in the accompaniment or Virginia, about they accept been accustomed in assorted cases.

One Valley wireless buzz aggregation appear says it is getting affected to accomplish layoffs Tuesday.

Thirty-seven advisers at the nTelos abode in Waynesboro will no best accept a job afterwards Tuesday.

nTelos Public Relations Director Mike Minnis says, "This is a difficult day for those that are impacted by this, and for those that are about them. This is a actual difficult accommodation that you don't yield lightly."

Minnis says they are getting affected to blow the employees, and 11 others are getting offered aboriginal retirement.

He adds, "We had to acquisition a way to ascendancy our costs. One of those areas was abominably a workforce reduction."

However, Minnis says the aggregation is still profitable, admitting the reductions. He says it is the industry itself that is changing.

He says about 90 percent of humans already own corpuscle phones, which banned the abeyant for advance in the industry.

Minnis says, "Numbers and trends abide in a assertive direction. You accept to do things to abode that."

He says the cuts are mostly abutment positions, which will not affect chump service.

"Making abiding that we are advantageous financially and to break aggressive is allotment of that process," says Minnis.

He says this accommodation is something on which the aggregation has spent time and does not plan on authoritative again.

Minnis says, "We absolutely achievement this is the endure time you will apprehend this announcement."

The 11 advisers offered aboriginal retirement will accept 45 canicule to accomplish their decision.

The added advisers were laid off, able immediately.

Harrisonburg City-limits Schools Administrator Dr. Donald Ford has appear to his ambition to retire at the cessation of the 2009-2010 academy year. The advertisement comes afterwards a affair of the city-limits academy lath Monday night.

Ford came to Harrisonburg 12 years ago to activate his administration as administrator of the city-limits schools.

In his notification to the academy board, Ford writes, “While I looked advanced at that time to a abiding accord with Harrisonburg City-limits Schools, I could not accept predicted that I would abide actuality for able-bodied over a decade. These 12 years accept been challenging, but aswell both alone and professionally rewarding. I accept formed in Harrisonburg with some of the finest agents and administrators I accept anytime met, and I am adequate that so abounding of these individuals will abide to abetment the next administrator beforehand the attitude of arete we accept in our schools.”

Ford’s career in apprenticeship began in 1972 as a abecedary and drillmaster in Bedford County, Virginia. He has served as a teacher, coach, abettor principal, principal, abettor administrator and administrator during his 37 years of experience. In 2007, he was called as Virginia’s Administrator of the Year. He aswell served as admiral of the Virginia Association of Academy Superintendents for 2007-2008.

Just over three and a bisected years ago, Ford asked the lath to extend his arrangement until June 30, 2010, at which time he would be acceptable for abounding retirement beneath the Virginia Retirement System. The lath accustomed that appeal and afresh continued an allurement to abide alive above this academy year. However, while cogent acknowledgment for the offer, Ford abreast the lath Monday night that he was respectfully declining.

“I am, therefore, appointment my apprehension of retirement to you now to accommodate the lath with affluence of time to conduct a acceptable seek for my successor,” said Ford to the board. “I am appreciative of all that our committed academy lath members, academy staff, parents, association and, a lot of importantly, acceptance accept able back 1997 and I will leave the academy analysis next summer beholden to accept been a allotment of one of the finest academy capacity in the state.”

Members of the academy lath bidding their acknowledgment to Ford for his years of account in Harrisonburg and thanked him for accouterment added than seven months of beforehand apprehension to adapt for a administration transition. The lath will now activate developing a plan for administering a seek for the academy division’s next superintendent.

One plan for a multi-screen affective amphitheater in Waynesboro has collapsed through, but a bounded developer promises the blind will rise.

Brett Hayes has a king-sized plan, abundantly called Zeus Agenda Theaters. "We're architecture the alone all-digital amphitheater with amphitheater basement in Virginia," said Hayes. "Nobody abroad has a amphitheater like this anywhere in Virginia. We'll accept two 3-D screens."

Hayes believes cine lovers from both abandon of the Blue Ridge will appear for the agenda 3-D experience. In fact, he's action 6-million dollars on it.

Three months ago, the abettor of Staunton’s Visulite Amphitheater partnered with Hayes to run a circuitous on the aforementioned Waynesboro website forth Lew Dewitt Boulevard. That accord fell through, but Hayes is accomplishment ahead.

"I've been alive on a cine amphitheater actuality for two years," he said. "I'm not traveling to let annihilation get in the way of me bringing a cine amphitheater in here."

"I apperceive there's a abundant appeal for it from the public," said Waynesboro city-limits councilwoman Lorie Smith. "I apperceive these deals are harder to put calm and they're complex."

Smith recalls a alternation of bootless affairs to accompany a cine abode to Waynesboro, something it hasn't had in a decade. "Unlike the added guys who came in and had to get a rezoning or had to cull a accord in with altered people, it's all just me," Hayes said. "I own the land, I own the theater, I'm accomplishing the building, there's cipher abroad to accommodate with. It's just me."

"I anticipate Mister Hayes’s access is one that's unique," added smith. "and I anticipate he's absolutely committed to the effort, and I anticipate he'll cull it off."

Hayes has submitted website affairs to the city-limits of Waynesboro for an 8-screen, 11-hundred-seat theater. He hopes to breach arena afore Thanksgiving, and accessible about Labor Day of next year.

Virginia State Police say there are no new leads in the Morgan Harrington case, even afterwards it was mentioned on "America's Most Wanted" Saturday.

Meanwhile, added than 1,600 volunteers searched added than 2,500 acreage over the weekend.

Police say, even admitting several items of accouterment were found, none were affiliated aback to Morgan.

The 20-year-old Virginia Tech apprentice was endure apparent October 17 while accessory a Metallica concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville.

Her parents, Dan and Gil Harrington appear a account Monday, thanking volunteers for their efforts.

"We ambition to acknowledge the abounding admirable humans who volunteered their time and harder plan this accomplished weekend to advice seek for our admired daughter, Morgan. An breadth of about 2,600 acreage was searched by teams fabricated up of the 1,667 absolute registered volunteers. Your affectionate generosity and continuing abutment accept affected our hearts during an unbearably difficult time.

"We abnormally ambition to acknowledge the Laura Recovery Center, which organized the three-day seek for Morgan, assiduity law enforcement's seek and analytic efforts. Added importantly, the Laura Recovery Center accomplished association associates to abide advancing seek efforts. While no new advice has yet been discovered, we accept acquired some accord in alive abundant arena was, and will abide to be, covered during the search."

Police are analytic for advice afterwards several backward night car break-ins at a academy in Waynesboro.

Six cars were torn into Saturday night while the the owners were accessory a play at Kate Collins Middle School.

Police say a purse, a wallet or a backpack were taken were taken from each.

Sgt. Kelly Walker says the purse independent a baby bulk of money, but the capital things baseborn cover IDs, acclaim cards, allowance cards and checkbooks.

Waynesboro Police say the analysis is ongoing. They accept fabricated no arrested but admiral say they are advancing several leads.

A corrections administrator accused of analogous biologic deals with inmates pleaded accusable in Augusta County Monday.

Twenty-six-year-old April Hogsett of Staunton faced accuse of carrying drugs to a bastille and of bribery of a accessible official.

The above bastille bouncer was reportedly paid for her allotment in a arrangement to get marijuana to inmates.

She won't be bedevilled until January 28, but she could absorb up to 20 years in prison.

While annihilation is set in rock yet, an Albemarle Canton analysis aggregation has fabricated a advocacy to adjourn or annihilate several above projects.

With 25,000 materials, several book programs, and alone eight parking spots, Crozet Library in it's accepted architecture is not acid it.

"Our job is to serve the community, and we're award it added and added difficult to do that," said Wendy Saz, the Crozet Library Branch Manager.

The Crozet Library Steering Committee afresh begin out the activity could be adjourned until 2015. This came afterwards a advocacy by the county's abstruse analysis team.

"In adjustment for the abstruse analysis aggregation to antithesis the program, they've had to accomplish affecting reductions in our basic program," said Bill Letteri, the Facilities Development Director for Albemarle County. "We're about ambidextrous with a aliment alone program."

Crozet Library isn't the alone activity accepting pushed back. Added above projects ambidextrous with blaze stations, schools, and courts are aswell included in the Basic Improvement Program, which is defective funding.

"It's so harder for us to adumbrate our revenues," said Letteri. "We anticipate it's advisable at this time that we yield a actual bourgeois approach."

Saz says this activity cannot delay 5 years. They accept angry old bathrooms into accumulator rooms. Book programs accept confused to added locations in the town. Also, a lot of money has already gone into the project.

"There is a lot invested in this," said Saz. "Practically, financially and aswell emotionally the association is so acquisitive for this to go through."

She says the plan is in abode on their end. As anon as they get the go advanced from the county, they will accompany a new library to Crozet.

Bill Letteri aswell said there are a amount of big projects traveling on in Crozet, like a artery aspect program, account relocations and a storm baptize administration program. Letteri says those projects will a lot of acceptable not be postponed.

Students at Crozet Elementary School will get barbarian flu shots Tuesday as the breeze of the vaccine picks up afterwards a continued dry spell.

Most of the Albemarle County elementary schools already had their vaccine clinics if the accumulation ran out, abrogation Crozet and three added schools cat-and-mouse for a new shipment.

The three schools, Greer, Meriwether Lewis and Agnor-Hurt, are set to accept barbarian flu clinics on Friday, but that's alone if addition addition of vaccine arrives, according to Albemarle County Schools backer Maury Brown.

Enough vaccine is in Charlottesville to serve the Crozet kids.

The shots are chargeless to accouchement if their parents assurance the adapted forms. About 70-90% of the acceptable accouchement accept been accepting the vaccine if it's available.

The U.S. Supreme Cloister has denied an appliance for a break of beheading for bedevilled DC assassin John Allen Muhammad. The 48-year-old was bedevilled to afterlife for masterminding the attacks in Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland in 2002 which larboard ten humans asleep and blood-soaked three others. The abnegation by the top cloister clears the way for the accompaniment of Virginia to backpack out the beheading on November 10th. The killing bacchanalia by Muhammad and abettor Lee Boyd Malvo abashed the nation's basic for several weeks. Police bent the brace hid in the block of Muhammad's car and attempt victims with a activating burglarize through a aperture cut in the car. Malvo is confined a activity bastille term.

Fenton Art Glass of Williamstown is getting featured on the Discovery Channel appearance "Dirty Jobs."

The adventure affectedness 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Host Mike Rowe visited the bulb endure year, if Fenton advisers were aggravating to acquisition means to advice their financially disturbing aggregation survive.

Though it was on the border of defalcation two years ago, Fenton is still in business. Now, it employs about 125 people.

President George Fenton says sales are strong, and the aggregation is bearing beneath colors at any one time to abate its activity costs.

Fenton says the aggregation has aswell agreed to accomplish baddest pieces for Rowe's own Website, alleged MikeroweWORKS.com.

Among them is a atramentous T-shirt with a Rowe catchphrase, "Get accessible to get dirty."

Health officials expect an active flu season, and cities and counties in the valley are putting together preparedness plans.The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Task Force, has gathered the resources of more than twenty agencies, and has worked closely with the state department of health to create it's plan."What our plan is, is a very basic plan that shows us who's responsible for what, and who will do what," says Rockingham County fire chief Robbie Symons.Chief Symons presented the 31 page emergency plan to the board of supervisors Wednesday night.It breaks down the responsibilities of local government, law enforcement, emergency agencies, hospitals, and even schools.The plan includes guidelines for canceling classes, and quarantine guidelines for sick people."The comforting part is that we've worked together for several years, and we know what our capabilities are, and we know what resources we have within each agency," Chief Symons says about the task force.The protocol may not be final..Chief Symons says, as the number of flu virus infections changes, so might the guidelines to address it"As the CDC may change the way they do things, or the health department has recommendations, we're going to change our plan based on what those recommendations are," says chief Symons.The task force will conduct a drill to test the plan, which may be modified at that time.

A team of Bigfoot enthusiasts is hoping to find the legendary creature in the bogs and barrens of a West Virginia wilderness area.Members of Sasquatch Watch of Virginia went camping in the rugged Allegheny Mountain highlands of the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area with GPS navigators, cameras, voice recorders and plaster of Paris to make casts of huge footprints.Billy Willard, founder of the group, says they're looking in places where people have reported sightings. He says he has never seen Bigfoot himself.Bruce Harrington, the group's self-described skeptical member, says he has yet to see convincing proof that the creature exists.The group took plaster casts of suspicious prints but didn't spot the creature during the expedition last weekend.

A woman from the Charlottesville area has died from a swine flu related illness.She passed away last week but her death was only confirmed, publically, Wednesday afternoon. Where she lived and how old she was, are being kept confidential.All we're being told is that she was an adult and had an underlying medical condition. 12 Virginians have died from illnesses related to the H1N1 virus.

One Charlottesville church is stepping up to help people in need keep their clothes clean. Parishioners at the Belmont Baptist Church are in the process of opening a free laundry facility for homeless and low-income people. They recently accepted a $25,000 national grant to get the project off the ground. The group says it will allow families to spend their laundry money on things like groceries. Belmont Baptist Church member Barbara Lowery says, "I might not think that $20 is a whole lot but to someone that doesn't have $20 that's a lot and can make a real difference to a family who is struggling." The group will use a building behind the church for the new laundry ministry.The goal is to have it up and running by January.

A woman who repeatedly locked a teen inside a sparsely furnished bedroom, sometimes without food, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty last week in Waynesboro Circuit Court to felony charges of child abuse and abduction.Assistant Waynesboro prosecutor Jim Camblos said the girl, 15, weighed about 62 pounds when she escaped from her legal guardian, 46-year-old Billejo King, just days after Christmas.King was originally scheduled for a jury trial Wednesday before entering the guilty pleas last Friday.Camblos said King, who has a home on North Poplar Street in Waynesboro, began locking the teen inside a bedroom in June 2008, often for days on end in a room with no television, books or radio. Camblos said the room had only a bed and small dresser and was connected to a half-bathroom equipped with a broken toilet, forcing the teen to use a sink to relieve herself.During the last incident that lasted for 3 1/2 days, Camblos said the teen was locked in the bedroom and denied food. She managed to escape when the pair visited a psychologist's office in Waynesboro, Camblos said. The teen later called police and Child Protective Services were immediately notified."She's doing really well in a very loving foster home in another jurisdiction," Camblos said. The teen has brought her weight up to about 135 pounds, he said.King, who has no prior felony convictions, faces the possibility of 30 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. She remains free on bond.

The grand jury directly indicted the former Augusta County information technology director Monday after county property was reportedly found inside his home, according to information provided by the sheriff's office.Rick L. Vernier is charged with misuse of public assets with a value of more than $1,000.Lt. A.C. Powers, an investigator with the Augusta County Sheriff's Office, said authorities were notified about two months ago through an anonymous tip that property belonging to Augusta County was taken by Vernier and could be found inside his Stuarts Draft home. Powers said county computers and equipment worth more than $1,000 were discovered in the residence."Most of it was recovered," Powers said.Augusta County hired Vernier in March 1999. "He resigned Aug. 18," said County Administrator Pat Coffield. Vernier's salary was $84,820 at the time of his resignation.On Tuesday, Coffield said there are no plans to fill the position anytime soon."Yesterday, I proposed to the board that we keep it vacant ... through the remainder of the fiscal year," he said.Vernier faces the possibility of a 10-year prison term if convicted of the felony charge.

A severely mentally ill man who spent more than 15 years in seclusion at a Virginia psychiatric hospital has died, weeks after his family won a battle to have him moved closer to them.

Cesar Chumil, 59, died Oct. 19 in a northern Virginia mental health facility, his attorney, Alex Gulotta, said Tuesday.

Chumil's family fought for years to have him moved from Western State Hospital in Staunton, where he had lived for more than a decade locked inside a specially built three-room dormitory-style suite because hospital officials said he was too unpredictably violent to live among the other patients.

He was moved to Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute on Sept. 30, where Gulotta said he lived in a two-room suite on a regular housing unit. His door was not locked.

"One of the things I promised him was that he wouldn't die in that room and he didn't, but just barely," Gulotta said.

Chumil died of complications from colon cancer. Surgeons took part of his colon in 2007 and thought he was cancer-free, but it returned earlier this year, Gulotta said.

Chumil has been in and out of mental hospitals since 1978, when he was 28 and became violent toward family in his native Guatemala. He moved to the U.S. in 1980, and after several short hospital stays he was admitted in 1983 and never released.

Chumil moved to Western State Hospital in 1986 and he averaged 300 assaults against staff and another 100 against patients over each of the next seven years, according to records from a closed administrative hearing obtained by the AP.

To limit the amount of time he was spending in restraints or in a small seclusion cell because of the violent outbursts, hospital officials in 1993 built the three-room "limited containment suite," which had a separate bathroom, living area and a small outdoor area. He remained separated from the other patients, his meals pushed through a slot in a solid door that remained locked.

Chumil's family liked the idea in the beginning because Chumil had more freedom, but in 2007 filed a complaint because they said Chumil was not getting treatment in his native language and had no hopes of ever leaving the isolation room.

Chumil's family had been allowed to take him to Wal-Mart, the local mall and restaurants without hospital staff, but he was placed back in seclusion when he returned to the hospital.

Last summer, a state oversight committee ordered Chumil removed from seclusion, so the hospital moved all other patients off his ward and unlocked the door to his suite so he could go out into the day room. He remained alone, except for staff.

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Commissioner James Reinhard intervened and this spring worked out a move to the northern Virginia facility. Chumil's sickness delayed that move.

"The transfer was an extremely complex case that needed to be carefully planned and involved many partners so that it would be positive for the individual and those around him," department spokeswoman Meghan McGuire said.

Gulotta said he was glad Chumil got to spend those last few weeks with his family.

"I think it's incredibly sad," Gulotta said. "He really was a kind and humorous and intelligent man underneath a serious mental illness."

All northbound lanes on Interstate 81 are open, after being shut down at the Weyers Cave exit due to a crash involving a tractor trailer and a deer.The crash occurred at 11p.m. Tuesday night in Rockingham County. Traffic was backed up for at least three miles. Lanes were blocked for at least an hour and a half.

Shenandoah Co Considers Wind Turbines--WHSV
Members of the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors are reviewing information on residential wind turbines used to produce electricity.Joyce Wegryniak, the county zoning and subdivision administrator, says they hope is to learn enough about such turbines so the board can make educated decisions on a draft ordinance.A preliminary ordinance has been drafted using language from other community ordinances that allow residential wind turbines.Wegryniak says the language in the draft could change between now and when the board of supervisors votes. The preliminary draft ordinance permits a small scale wind energy facility, with a maximum height of 120 feet, to be used on land of all zoning classifications where structures of any sort are allowed. The minimum lot size for a small scale facility is 20,000 square feet, or nearly half an acre.Large scale or utility scale energy facilities taller than 120 feet would be allowed with a special use permit. The minimum lot size for a large scale facility is five acres and 25 acres for a utility scale facility.A date for a vote hasn't been set. Wegryniak says the date depends on how long it takes the board of supervisors' Public Safety and Code Enforcement Committee to sort through the information before making a recommendation.Wegryniak says a vote from the board of supervisors could happened in January.
Posted by Newsroom at 10/28/2009 04:15:00 AM

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There are new details about the suspects accused of killing a family of three in Mathias, West Virginia over the weekend.Nakia Keller and his wife Lorie Ann Taylor, from Rockingham County, were arrested early Tuesday morning. They are accused of arson and murder. Investigators say the suspects shot Chip Taylor, his wife Alaina Taylor, and Alaina's five-year-old daughter Kaylee Grace Whetzel, then burned the home to try to cover up the crime.Chip Taylor is the ex-husband of one of the suspects, Lorie Taylor. According to investigators, the two were in a custody battle over their three children.Investigators believe Keller and Taylor committed the crimes Friday. Court records show the suspects were in Harrisonburg Monday getting married.According to West Virginia code, in this type of case a husband and wife cannot be called to testify against one another without both consenting. The code doesn't specify whether it matters that the marriage happened after the alleged crimes. Court records in Rockingham County detail Keller's long history of criminal activity.The Fulks Run man pleaded guilty in 2004 to a series of crimes.According to court records, his first wife was the victim in some of them. Abduction, petty larceny, assault and battery, and child endangerment were the charges.Records show Keller thought his wife was with another man. In November 2003, he stole her phone from her. The next day the assault and battery happened. While Keller was in jail awaiting trial he wrote, "This is my life I am fighting for." He went on to say, "I am scared as I should be since my freedom is on the line here..."But his case never went to trial. Instead, Keller took a plea agreement. He was sentenced to almost three years in a state prison. According to a transcript of the plea hearing, Keller said he had changed.Keller told the judge, "Well, sir, I just want to apologize to my wife and to my family and friends for having to endure the trouble and pain that I've put them through. I have turned my life around. I've given myself to the Lord, and I'm sorry for what has happened." Keller was released from prison in 2006.

VDOT will break ground Monday to widen an uphill, accident-prone stretch of Interstate 81 in Rockbridge County.The project will add a truck climbing lane along a seven mile stretch of northbound I-81 from mile marker 195 north to near Fairfield. That area has several long, steep grades that slow down tractor trailers to unsafe speeds with other drivers trying to get by. The $74-million project is expected to take three years to complete.

Albemarle County Police are investigating a series of car break-ins at three churches during Sunday services. One was at church on Rose Hill Church Lane and another on Stony Point Road. Police say that one car in each parking lot was broken into with purses, money, and credit cards stolen. All of this happened in a two to three hour time frame Sunday morning. Officers believe all three are connected.

A couple with a record of philanthropy has donated $5 million to fund diabetes research at the University of Virginia Health System.The gift by Paul and Diane Manning comes on top of nearly $3 million they've donated to the university in recent years.Paul Manning, whose two children have diabetes, says he thinks the health system has the best shot in the country of ultimately discovering a cure for Type I diabetes.Manning is the chief executive officer of PBM Products in Gordonsville, which markets and distributes baby formula to more than 20,000 retail locations.

The band Metallica has raised the reward in the search for Morgan Harrington. The Harrington family says the band, who Morgan went to see at John Paul Jones Arena last Saturday, is adding $50,000 to the reward. The reward for vital information in the investigation into the 20-year-old's disappearance now stands at $150,000.Morgan Harrington’s parents reported her missing when she didn't return from the concert one week ago. Virginia State Police tell us they spent eight hours canvassing around the arena Saturday night, handing out missing persons fliers with Morgan’s picture, description, and the tip line number. Investigators were hoping for new leads from people who travel around the arena routinely. Harrington's photograph was also featured on the "Whoo-tron" during the University of Virginia football game Saturday. Police say nothing significant came out of the night's canvas.Take another look at the pictures of Morgan Harrington on this page, if you've seen her or know anything, call the state police tip line at 434-352-3467.

After a tussle over payment and contract issues, Virginia health offices are getting 115 laptop computers to help monitor swine flu in the state.The Health Department's computers were held up for about three weeks while the contractor that provides information technologyservices to the state hesitated.Northrop Grumman, which has a 10-year, $2.3 billion contract with Virginia, was initially uncertain it would be paid for the computers.Samuel Abbate of Northrop Grumman says those discussions werequickly cleared up and the request approved.Dr. James Burns, deputy commissioner for public health, says thecomputers will be paid for with federal funds, although he didn't provide a cost per unit.