1986bettszachary: February 2014

Friday, February 14, 2014

UPDATE: Bays Mountain re-opened following rockslide

By David McAvoy, Reporter/ Photographer/ Producer

Update: Bays Mountain Park re-opened this afternoon, after a rockslide shut down the park earlier in the day.

Crews finished removing the large rocks that had fallen on the access road around 2 p.m.

The park's website stated that park grounds and the Herpetarium are now open, however the Nature Center and Planetarium are closed.

The park closes at 5 p.m., and will reopen on its regular schedule Saturday.

A majority of the access road was impassible, but no one was injured by the slide.

The rockslide occurred north of the gatehouse and north of the area where road repairs were made two years ago.

Copyright 2014 WJHL. All rights reserved.

Watch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whFDuO1q6n0

Read More: http://www.wjhl.com/story/24724818/rockslide-closes-bays-mountain-park

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Multi-agency manhunt leads to arrest in Blountville

A manhunt sent a Sullivan County community into high alert last night and now the suspect who caused all the commotion is behind bars.

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office arrested 21-year-old Larry Allen Stumbo late last night. After he led them on a short foot chase across Highway 394.

A helicopter from the Virginia State Police illuminated the Blountville Bypass in Sullivan County.

Several law enforcement agencies were called in after witnesses reported that the suspect attempted to break into their home.

According to Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson the suspect was pursued by sheriff's deputies across the highway, where he ditched a pistol, and was soon apprehended.

Sheriff Anderson says Stumbo could also be connected to an alleged rape that happened in the same neighborhood early Friday morning.

"It happened in the same neighborhood so that makes him a strong person of interest. Because it happened in the same neighborhood we don't know it's the same guy. It could be a coincidence but at this point he is a person of interest," said Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson.

Read more: http://www.wjhl.com/story/24669115/multi-agency-manhunt-leads-to-arrest-in-blountville
Watch Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN-BKQ1pPKk

Friday, February 7, 2014

School sends Social Security numbers, personal information home

Several Johnson City parents are frustrated after their children's personal information, including Social Security numbers, went home with other students.

Johnson City Schools Supervisor of Instruction and Communications Dr. Debra Bentley says some Woodland Elementary School students in six classrooms were affected by the mix-up earlier this week.

"In six classrooms some parents did receive the incorrect information," Dr. Bentley said. "(Documents) were put in the child's folder, the child then takes the folder and puts it in their backpack."

She says the school sent emergency contact information home with students in an effort to make sure all of that information was up-to-date. Unfortunately, the school system says some children's emergency contact cards went home with the wrong kids.

"We want our parents to know we consider this quite serious so we are quickly moving to make sure we have procedures in place to make sure this doesn't happen again, but also monitor in the long term any concerns from this," Dr. Bentley said.

Although the superintendent says he believes the potential for harm is minimal, he is now apologizing for the mix-up and pledging the school system will do everything it can to make sure it never happens again. According to Dr. Bentley, schools will never again send home documents containing personal information. Instead, emergency contact information will be updated securely online.

Click here to read the apology letter. (.pdf)

Kenneth Thompson was one of the parents who received a letter alerting him that his son's information may have been sent home with the wrong child.

"It's crazy, I just don't understand how you can send someone else's information to someone else's house, it doesn't make sense to me," Thompson said. "Only thing I can do is just take their word and hope that it doesn't happen again, but whatever happened they need to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn't happen again."

WJHL Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Read more: http://www.wjhl.com/story/24662384/school-sends-social-security-numbers-personal-information-home-with-wrong-kids

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAxUCQyCcvs

Forgotten cell phone in Marion, Va., leads to child porn charges

Booking photo of Daner Bruce Durham

Booking photo of Lindsey Nicole Dees

A cell phone left in a taxi led to child pornography charges against two people in Marion, Va.

According to a news release from the town of Marion, a taxi company called the police department on Saturday to report suspicious material found on a phone that had been inadvertently left in one of the cabs.

Police found the phone belonged to Lindsey Nicole Dees. The taxi company provided an address where she was taken. Police said that location is the home of Daner Bruce Durham, a newly registered sex offender from Texas, according to the release.

Dees admitted the phone was hers when police showed up at Durham's place.

Police looked at Durham's phone and found child pornography on it too.

Dees and Durham were charged with possession of child pornography.

They were being held without bond at the Southwest Regional Jail in Abingdon.

Copyright 2014 WJHL. All rights reserved.

Read More: http://www.wjhl.com/story/24666989/forgotten-cell-phone-in-marion-va-leads-to-child-porn-charges

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPJHO_EPnQ

3 Charged with Murder in Connection with Capt. Quick Disappearance

One felongy count of gang participation added to charges against the three people arrested today in connection with Capt. Kevin Quick's case. The suspects were arrested outside a Prince William hotel Thursday night.

Virginia State Police has not identified the body found in Goochland yesterday but they are now calling Quick's case a death investigation.

Three people have been charged with capital murder in connection with the disappearance of Waynesboro Police Captain Kevin Quick.

According to the Henrico County Sheriff's Office, the three suspects were booked early Friday morning: 22-year-old Halisi Uhuru of Danville was booked at 2:36 a.m., 31-year-old Anthony Darnell Stokes Jr. of Manassas was booked at 3:17 a.m. and 49-year-old Leslie Hope Casterlow was booked at 3:45 a.m.

All three have been charged with Capital Murder in Commisson of Abduction – Principle in the Second Degree in connection with Quick's disappearance and are being held without bond at Henrico County Jail West.

The Goochland County Commonwealth's Attorney told ABC 8 News Reporter Parker Slaybaugh that Casterlow, Stokes and Uhuru are not directly responsible for murdering Quick; the principle in the second degree charge indicates they shared the same intent as the killer.

Uhuru is also known to use the name Girt Wright.

Though Quick's brother Glenn told ABC 8 News he believes the body found along Old Columbia Road in Goochland County on Thursday is that of the missing captain, Virginia State Police say that as of 11 a.m. Friday, the Office of the Medical Examiner is still in the process of positively identifying the body.

Earlier this week three siblings, Daniel Mathis, Mersadies Shelton and Shantai Shelton, were arrested in the City of Alexandria in connection with the case. The three are being held in Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange and are due back in court on Tuesday, March 18.