Results tagged “Virginia”

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied convicted D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad's request to stay his execution. Barring any unforeseen intervention, the decision means that Muhammad will be put to death by the state of Virginia at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night. The Post notes that Justices John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor all objected to the speed at which the high court made its decision, writing that they "allowed Virginia to truncate our deliberative process on a matter." The court sped up its normal review process after Virginia scheduled Muhammad's execution for Tuesday.

Former Alexandria Police Chief David Baker is back in the news this week, thanks to agreeing to appear in this PSA for the DUICheckpoint campaign, a joint effort from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, the Maryland Department of Transportation and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation. You'll recall that Baker retired from his position shortly before pleading guilty to driving while intoxicated and serving five days in jail.

by DCist contributor Brett Gellman The Coastal Division of the ACC is representing the conference well, as two teams are currently ranked in the Top 25. It's going to be a real battle between Virginia Tech, Miami (FL), and Georgia Tech to see who will ultimately reach the conference championship game in Tampa Bay. As for the Atlantic Division? Well, it's just an utter mess.

If you love guns, Whitetail deer, or even just want everyone to know you're a horse enthusiast, Virginia's the place for you. With 180 designs for personalized and commemorative license plates, the commonwealth caters to drivers of all sorts (well, except advocates of traditional marriage, it seems). But while Virginians who love hunting things have long been able to get a license plate celebrating that fact, vegetarians have largely been left without a way to tell drivers on I-66, "Hey, I love broccoli!" Until now.

You have to feel sorry for the 15-year-old son of Vienna's Jenifer Joy Madden, who got outed by his mom in an op-ed in Sunday's Washington Post for having only just now learned how to ride a bus.

We couched it as another test of their mettle. After all, if these 15-year-olds could swing at objects flying 90 miles an hour and get whacked by titanium lacrosse sticks, they could walk to a bus stop and ride a few miles across town.

Virginia vs Southern Miss: I gather that the U. of Virginia took note when Southern Miss adopted the rugby-style punt last year. The Golden Eagles soared on that tricksy-looking punt, turning the season around after an awful start marked by dreadful special-teams performances and eventually nabbing a ticket to a bowl game. When the 0-3 Cavs deploy the rugby punt, though, it doesn't feel like Southern Miss's quick-fix for a special-teams problem. Of course, nothing against UVa sophomore kicker Jimmy Howell; hell, the rugby punt's the best play that offense has.

• Middle Tennessee State 32, Maryland 31
  Southern Mississippi 37, Virginia 34
  
  These are not typos, I swear. Sorry, Cavs and Terps fans -- it might be time to pack it in until hoops season kicks off. In other scores, #13 Virginia Tech dramatically beat #19 Nebraska after going 91 yards on two plays in the final minute of the game and Georgetown (yes, they have a football team) lost.
• Fever 81, Mystics 74 (OT): The Mystics' season came to an end after losing a decisive Game 2 to Indiana on the road. The Fever sank Washington thanks to a 17 point advantage from the free-throw line and Tamika Catchings' 24 points and 16 rebounds. While the loss ended the Mystics season, they can at least say they went out with a good fight against a team that was almost unbeatable at home during the regular season. Crystal Langhorne highlighted for Washington with 15 points and 10 boards.
• Mets 3, Nationals 2: Man, this one was a snoozer which had some fans questioning the sanity of the manager; appropo for two teams whose fans have endured two of the more star-crossed seasons in recent memory. On the positive end: Adam Dunn earned his 100th RBI of the year, a pretty good number for a guy that seemingly nobody else wanted to sign in the offseason.

There's nothing classy about driving drunk, perhaps especially when you're the Chief of Police. But former Alexandria Police Chief David Baker has at least managed to handle the aftermath of his recent DUI arrest with a healthy amount of respect for the law. After retiring from his position almost immediately following his arrest, Baker today pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, and will serve five days in jail. Baker will also lose his driver's license for a year, pay a $300 fine and attend the county's Alcohol Safety Action Program for DUI offenders. From the statement Baker released after his court hearing, via the Post: "I offer no excuses for my bad decisions and behavior because there are none. And I am, and will be, forever haunted by the personal embarrassment and humiliation I caused to those who have supported, mentored and guided me through my personal life and long and rewarding public safety career."

I can't think of a single time we've ever heralded the opening of a business all the way out in Reston, but hey, it's August! There's a new Apple Store opening in Reston Town Center, at 11900 Market Street in Reston, Va. That's according to an email from Apple's customer news service. The big grand opening is set for Monday Saturday, Aug. 15, and if you're one of the first 1,000 visitors, you'll get a free Apple T-shirt! (Aside: that's about the most useless thing we can think of for them to giveaway. Where's our free iPod nanos, Apple?). More details here. There's still no estimated opening date for the District's first Apple Store, which will eventually be located in Georgetown, at 1229 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Arlington County Police released this YouTube video over the weekend showing the suspect responsible for Friday's armed robbery and shooting at the Clarendon Apple Store. The video doesn't show a particularly clear shot of the suspect's face, but does offer at least a basic description to work with (and it doesn't show the actual shooting, in case you were worried about watching it -- the suspect can merely be seen entering the store, holding a gun to the victim, and then they walk out of view of the camera). Below is the info included with the video.

At approximately 10:15 a.m. on July 3, 2009, an unknown man rang the doorbell at the service entrance to the Apple Store in the 2700 block of Clarendon Boulevard. An employee walked to the back of the store to answer the door. A short time later, another employee heard a gunshot. The victim, a 26 year old female, was found suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the right shoulder. The suspect had already fled the area on foot. The victim was transported to an area hospital where she remains in serious but stable condition.

Continue reading "Arlington County Police Release Apple Store Gunman Video"

We'd imagine it'd be a lot like what's happening this week. Residents of the Old Dominion will be subject to a bulk supply of new laws come this Wednesday -- some important, some, uh, not so much. (Don't get me wrong: I'm sure that Virginia residents are all very concerned about the new prohibition restricting "stores from selling novelty cigarette lighters to those under 18," but we're going to skip over that one for the time being.)

Obviously, Tim Kaine wasn't wooed by the state GOP's plentiful YouTube skills -- representatives from the office of the Virginia Governor have denied the FOIA request made by the Republicans seeking details of his recent schedule, including travel he takes as head of the Democratic National Committee. According to Kaine's communications director, the "governor's working papers" are not included under the purview of the Freedom of Information Act. Stilted, the Republicans have changed course, now using the strategy of comparing Kaine to disgraced South Carolina governor Mark Sanford -- because obviously, traveling publicly as the head of a major party's committee is on par with fleeing the country for a week to meet your mistress.

For all the hubbub about Virginia being one of the keystones of the new Democratic revolution, it's still important to remember that the states still boasts a fairly wide conservative base. A fairly wide conservative base whose leadership has obviously mastered the art of using iMovie to splice together a montage of Tim Kaine speeches, postcards, "I've Been Everywhere," and huge text overlays. Take that, lefties!

Look, I know what you're thinking: just when are Virginians going to be able to wear clothing plastered with Terry McAuliffe, Bob McDonnell, or other state candidates or messages to polls, without the fear of being expelled? When will the brutish reign which condemns them to wear but lackluster cloth ever end? For the love of all things tacky, let them free! Well, my friends to the south, I bring you good news: the Commonwealth now says go for it. [Ed. note: Alas, not until July 1st. Thanks aaronw79!] Virginia had banned wearing campaign-related clothes at polling places as a "political act" last fall, but now obviously wants to free up the market for cheap, iron-on decal shirts. (Now to await the McD/McA paraphernalia cottage industry with baited breath.) D.C.'s ban? Still in effect. Baby steps, I guess.

Might want to prepare some brain bleach before clicking through to this story, from Fredericksburg.com, about a Spotsylvania man who was arrested this week 'after admitting to family members he had been "fooling around" with his pet German shepherd.' The charges? Bestiality. The suspect, Robert John Ward, 66, was also apparently a registered sex offender. Highlight of the story: the arrest came only after a veterinarian exam revealed the female dog’s anal glands were swollen. Gaaaah. NBC4 also has the story, and they say Ward's actually being held without bond, which, despite the grossness of the crime, does seem awfully extreme.

Now this is some off the wall ridiculousness right here. A Fairfax County girl was given a two-week suspension and a recommendation for expulsion because she was "caught" taking her birth control pill during lunch last month. Of course, the school's side of the matter is that there is a zero-tolerance policy in the school for any kind of pill -- the Post reports that students are subject to possible expulsion if they bring "any 'controlled substance' or addictive drug regulated by the federal government" on to school grounds. (I'll remember to keep my Advil at home the next time I'm on school grounds in the Commonwealth, then, lest someone with a headache gets expelled.) The teen that was suspended -- an honor student and a letterman, no less -- studied the handbook on drugs and found that not only would her punishment been less if she had been caught with heroin, but that her two-week suspension was the same punishment if she had brought a gun to school. It's understandable that the school wants to curb prescription drug abuse by students, but their blanket reaction to the issue sets a very dangerous precedent -- not to mention the message it sends to other students who might not care to have the school system as a mediator in choices they and their parents make regarding their sexual health. Mark Fisher's column today also covers a similar case -- a Fairfax student caught with marijuana for the second time was threatened with possible expulsion. Sadly, as a result, Josh Anderson took his own life. If these two cases aren't justification enough to take a second look at the rules, I'm not sure what is.

Just last month, the state of Maryland saw some activity with regard to the death penalty. Yesterday was Virginia's turn. The Washington Post reports that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine vetoed a mess of bills related to gun carry, capital punishment, and vicarious liability.

The Virginia General Assembly today voted to approve a smoking ban in most of the state's bars and restaurants. The Virginia Senate approved the measure 27-13 on Thursday morning, and a few hours later, the House passed it as well, 60 to 39, without debate.

Really big news from Virginia. The Post is reporting that Gov. Tim Kaine and House Speaker William Howell (R) announced this morning that they have struck a deal on legislation that would ban smoking in restaurants and bars across the entire state. The agreement is one that some thought would never come, given the importance of tobacco to the state's economy.

We first learned last month that Hilton Hotels Corp. was planning to pick up and move from their Beverly Hills digs to the D.C. area; now the Washington Business Journal has the scoop again that Fairfax will officially be their new home. Both Maryland and Virginia had been vying for the business, which will create 300 new jobs in the area, but Fairfax and the state beat out Maryland by offering Hilton a $4.6 million incentive package. Not bad considering Hilton plans to invest about $17 million upon their arrival. The exact location of the headquarters isn't known yet.

As expected, the U.S. Secret Service, along with regional transportation officials and the MPD, unveiled their plan yesterday to close all Potomac River bridge crossings on Inauguration Day. The announcement also included the above map, which shows plans to close off almost 3.5 square miles of downtown Washington to vehicular traffic starting at 3 p.m. on January 19 until the morning of January 21. You can download PDFs of both the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Public Affairs Subcommittee Joint Transportation Plan and the Secret Service Security Plan at the D.C. government's Getting There web site. Both documents contain extensive information on road closures and restrictions throughout the inaugural celebration period. Maryland and Virginia also have special web sites set up with the latest information. Below the jump, you'll find excerpts from the recent announcements that include lists of road closures and traffic restrictions. Of special note for those of you planning on walking down to the National Mall for the inauguration will be the list of pedestrian access points -- you'll want to pick which way you plan to walk before you set out that morning, or you may find yourself stuck.

This AP story reporting a soon to be announced proposal from Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine to raise the per pack cigarette tax in the state by 30 cents seems pretty interesting. We obviously don't follow Virginia politics as closely as we do the District's, but it strikes us that it would be kind of amazing if the inextricably tobacco-linked state ends up finally making its cigarettes more expensive due to the recession. Kaine is reportedly facing an estimated budget shortfall of about $2.9 billion, and the cigarette tax will just be part of his plan to get Virginia's financial house in order. Normally, we'd be skeptical that the General Assembly would even consider passing a new tobacco tax, but given the state of the economy, it would seem pretty ridiculous if they refused. Even if the tax is passed, smokers in the D.C. area would still pay a lot less in Virginia than they do in the city; the District recently implemented an additional $1 per pack tax, making the total tax $2. The total tax per pack in Virginia under Kaine's rumored proposal would be 50 cents.

NBC4/WRC has video of a suspect leading police on a high speed chase from Maryland into Virginia while driving a tractor-trailer. The semi eventually crashed near Tysons Corner, ending the chase, which began in Germantown, Md., without injuries. The driver, a suspect from Baltimore who was wanted on assault charges, has been identified as Vernon Edward Jones. Jones is now in the custody of Virginia State Police.

Via the New York Daily News, we find our recommended daily dose of cuteness. Behold the story of 3-year-old Jaylynn Thorpe of Halifax County, Virginia. Jaylynn wandered away from his babysitter and got lost in the woods a few days ago, but was found safe and sound over the weekend thanks to two family puppies that accompanied him on his journey. The little boy told his mother that the puppies kept him warm while he slept out in the cold by cuddling up against him. Awwwwwwwwwwww.

LSU vs Arkansas: Sure, Arkansas won this nailbiter. And in the leadup to the game, all eyes might have been on Arkansas's dueling quarterbacks, brothers Casey and Nathan Dick. But the true star to emerge today was LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson. No, his numbers weren't electric -- 9 of 21 for 143 yards and 2 touchdown passes -- but they're downright remarkable for a true freshman. Jefferson ran for a respectable 50 yards and, moreover, showed versatility in the pocket, running tall for one long gain of 15. He looked good out there. If I'm Les Miles, I'm not feeling so sorry about my prospects after a tough year for Tiger quarterbacks.

All the Hits: Viewers at home are still recovering from Virginia Tech linebacker Brett Warren's assassination attempt on Darrius Heyward-Bey, a hit that had the Maryland wideout reeling as he left the field on Thursday night. (Speed ahead to 6:45 or watch it here close up about a third of the way in.) Then there was Hokie running back Darren Evans's arguably NSFW assault on Terps free safety Terrell Skinner, just one of a lineup of Terps defenders whose jerseys wound up stamped with #32 in maroon and gold as the red-shirt freshman rusher set the one-game rushing yards record for his school. Highlight hits: Hokies have them.

UPDATE:10:55 p.m.FOX News has called Virginia for Obama. No one else has yet.

The chattering classes have put the so-called Bradley effect front and center, asking what kind of dent it could potentially put in Barack Obama's campaign for the Presidency. Few people can speak about the effects of race on voting with more knowledge than former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, who claims that he was the victim of a similar trend when he campaigned for the governor's office almost 20 years ago. In a long profile in the Washington Post, Wilder admits that he believes his race almost cost him dearly in his tightly contested victory over Republican Marshall Coleman in 1989 -- a race in which the margin of victory for Wilder was less than one half of one percent. From the Post piece:

We brought it to your attention this morning, but in case you're a visual learner, flickr contributor DC Metrocentric brings forth visual proof of the long lines at the Courthouse voting location. If you're out and waiting in line, feel free to document your experiences and send them to us.

Have you guys seen this one yet? The Virginian Pilot reports that a phony flier telling Virginia Democrats they are supposed to vote on Nov. 5, instead of Nov. 4, is being circulated around the Hampton Roads area of the battleground state (via TPM Muckraker, hat tip to Brian Smith).