Hotel owner settles for $10.9M lawsuit
The owner of a hotel in Norfolk, VA will pay nearly $11 million to settle a lawsuit concerning a child’s fall from a walkway. Chelsye Clayton’s lawsuit against Pride Group Inc. originally sought $50,000.
Clayton’s son fell through an opening in a railway on the second floor of the company’s Ramada Hotel. The boy suffered permanent brain injuries. $4 million of the $10.9 million settlement will be used to pay off attorney fees and unpaid medical bills. The rest of [...]
National Cathedral wins preservation contest
On Monday, the Washington National Cathedral and George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate each won $100,000 grants. The cathedral and the estate competed with 24 other sites in order to in their prize.
The National Cathedral won votes from the public in the span of three weeks, earning nearly 1.4 million points in the Partners and Preservation program. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express announced the winners and awarded over $1 million dollars to sites in the D.C., Virginia, [...]
High school student charged with Va. shootings
Joshua Clark, 18, was arrested at his home on Wednesday and is being charged with two counts of unlawful wounding and five counts of assault and battery.
Clark shot several people with pellets or BBs from an Airsoft rifle last week. Four children were among the eight individuals who were shot. Victims reported the shots coming from a red car.
Clark was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond.
Hearing date scheduled for pardon scam
A preliminary hearing has been set for Joseph Yancey, the man responsible for swindling an imprisoned former state legislature’s family in a pardon scheme.
Yancey faces six counts of taking money under false pretenses. He is accused of scamming former Del. Phillip Hamilton of Newport News, who has been imprisoned for bribery and extortion.
Yancey tricked Hamilton’s wife into believing that Yancey was working to obtain a presidential pardon for the former lawmaker. Hamilton’s wife paid Yancey over $20,000 that [...]
Va. recognizes all-black high school
Ralph Bunche High School, located in King George County, will be recognized by The Virginia Department of Historic Resources as a former all-black high school. The school opened in 1949 following a 1947 court ruling that eventually led to the desegregation of Va. schools.
The school was named after diplomat and Nobel Prize winner Ralph Bunche and closed in 1968 after King George County desegregated schools. A monument will be erected in order to honor the school.
Body of missing 83-year-old woman found
Victoria Kong, 83, went missing on Friday after getting off of an airplane at Reagan National Airport. Police say her body was found in Arlington on Monday.
Kong was last seen walking along Mount Vernon trail that leads to Gravelly Point. Her body was found 30 feet away from the trail in a wooded area. Police also found her purse, but do not suspect foul play.
Kong’s daughter said that her mother was suffering from the beginnings of dementia and [...]
Arlington expansion prompts environmental concerns
Critics believe that the 27-acre Millennium Project expansion of Arlington National Cemetery would damage a stream and trees that have been at the site since the Civil War. Critics have asked the cemetery to consider a day when they will not have room to bury anyone else.
Cemetery officials plan to dedicate a new area on Thursday where over 20,000 cremated remains can be stored. Without the expansion of this particular area, the cemetery will run out of room by 2016. [...]
Teen sentenced for church fire
Eighteen-year-old Jean Claude Bridges has been sentenced to two year in a federal prison for setting a church on fire. Bridges was 17 when he committed the crime, but the court allowed for the government to try him as an adult.
New Holy Deliverance Outreach Ministry was burned down in May of 2012. Bridges admitted to burning down the church because of the congregation’s racial makeup.
Along with his prison sentence, Bridges will have to pay up to $142,000 in [...]
UVA opening center for ADHD children
The University of Virginia is opening a center focusing on the assessment and treatment of children diagnosed with ADHD or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Rather than focusing on fixing a problem, the center will focus on helping children to reach their full potential. The center will be available for children ages 8 to 12, where they will undergo 2 weeks of testing, which will determine whether they are eligible for a 10-week, non-medicated treatment plan.
Man with Tourette syndrome barred from plane
Michael Doyle, 19, was kicked off of a JetBlue flight after repeatedly saying the word “bomb” during his check-in process. Doyle had been scheduled to fly to Puerto Rico on Thursday for a Revolutionary War re-enactment.
Doyle claims to have had the Boston Marathon bombings on his mind, which prompted the repetition. As he became more nervous, the condition worsened. Doyle brought paperwork documenting his disorder in case security concerns would arise.
Doyle was allowed to board the plane, but was [...]
Mitt Romney gives commencement speech
At Southern Virginia University, Mitt Romney gave a commencement speech to over 110 graduating seniors. Romney emphasized living abundant lives, raising families and serving God.
Romney talked about his own life experiences and quoted scripture during his message on Saturday in front of the University’s main hall.
The University also presented Romney with an honorary doctorate.
Richmond lawyer becomes bankruptcy judge
Richmond bankruptcy attorney Keith Phillips was chosen to succeed retiring U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Douglas Tice Jr.
On Thursday, the judges of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals named Phillips to a 14-year term. Tice is retiring on June 30th; Phillips will resume the position in the fall.
Phillips, who is originally from Richmond, received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and received his law degree from the University of Richmond.