The Richmond Police Department is searching for a missing 19-year-old female.

Shawna Reese was last seen at the Northside YMCA at 4207 Old Brook Road in Richmond on Sunday.

Reese is autistic and may need medical attention. Her family and friends are concerned for her well-being.

If you have any information on her whereabouts, contact the Richmond Police Department at 804-646-6764. Case #202311260271.

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A Virginia Beach woman now faces a second-degree murder charge in the Oct. 7 shooting death of 59-year-old Eldon Valery.

Kristin Barber, 34, was originally charged with reckless handling of a firearm, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and child neglect in the shooting, which was reported at the intersection of Indian River Road and Lynnhaven Parkway.

Valery was found at the scene with a life-threatening gunshot wound to the upper body and was subsequently transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

The charges were upgraded on Oct. 14 to include additional charges of aggravated malicious wounding and shooting in a vehicle.

Valery died from his injuries on Oct. 30, and following his death, the Virginia Beach Commonwealth Attorney’s Office authorized second-degree murder charges against Barber, who was formally charged on Nov. 25 and remains in custody, according to a release from the Virginia Beach Police Department.

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The incident management team for the Matts Creek fire reported full containment late Monday. They have handed command of the fire to a smaller team.

The fire began on Nov. 12 and burned more than 11,000 acres in the James River Face Wilderness and Blue Ridge Parkway. The cause is undetermined.

Heavy equipment operators are completing repairs on the Glenwood Horse Trail near Belfast Creek, and firefighters are still working on repairs within the burned area.

All roads and trails within the fire area are now open to the public, and firefighters are replacing closure signs with warning signs.

Cold, blustery winds and snow flurries are being observed over the fire area today, and hikers are cautioned about entering recently burned areas under windy or wet conditions.

Due to persistent drought, Stage 1 fire restrictions remain in effect.

A team of U.S. Forest Service specialists is on site assessing conditions of the burned area.

A preliminary burned area vegetation map compiled from satellite imagery suggests that most of the fire burned with low severity, and that some moderate burning occurred on steep south-to-southwest-facing slopes. Field validation and additional data collection will improve mapping accuracy this week.

All roads are now open.

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God’s Pit Crew, a nonprofit, faith-based crisis response organization serving victims of natural disasters and communities lacking essential resources, has received a Spirit of Virginia Award.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin presented the Danville organization with the award on November 17.

“Through an unwavering commitment to communities affected by poverty and natural disasters, God’s Pit Crew volunteers exemplify what it means to have a servant’s heart,” First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin said. “Glenn and I celebrate a labor of love that originated in Virginia and now assists communities across the country.”

Randy and Terry Johnson established God’s Pit Crew with a motivation to serve communities devastated by tornadoes in Oklahoma. The nonprofit has expanded across the United States as a volunteer-backed operation combatting humanitarian crisis caused by wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters. God’s Pit Crew distributed more than 3.4 million pounds of food, water and essential products to individuals and families in the U.S. in 2022, and more than 30,000 survival kits known as “Blessing Buckets.”

“God’s Pit Crew is extremely grateful to receive the First Lady’s Spirit of Virginia Award. Our ministry is truly blessed to be able to provide hope, healing and restoration to people in times of need all throughout the Commonwealth and around the world,” God’s Pit Crew President Randy Johnson said. “This award truly highlights the generosity and servitude of all the volunteers and donors that make our mission a possibility. We greatly appreciate Gov. Youngkin and the First Lady for this honor.”

The Spirit of Virginia Award recognizes unique qualities and standout achievements across the Commonwealth and salutes Virginians for uncommon contributions in private industries, education, culture, the arts and philanthropy.

The Youngkins will present six more awards in 2024. All award recipients are recognized during a holiday reception at the Virginia Executive Mansion at the end of the year.

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A 60-year-old man has been convicted in Norfolk Circuit Court for taking indecent liberties with a 5-year-old child this summer.

Keith Marquette Todd will be sentenced on Jan. 26.

According to court records, on Aug. 11, Norfolk Police special crimes detectives responded to a sexual assault report at an apartment in the Lamberts Point area.

The mother of the young victim told investigators that while she stepped outside for a phone call, Todd led the child to a hallway bathroom, undressed, told the child to touch him and tried to sit the victim on his lap. The child later told the mother that they tried to scream, but no one was within earshot.

When Todd and the child returned to the apartment, the mother had already returned from outside and asked where Todd took the child. Todd told the mother that he and the child had been inside the bathroom and told the child in front of the mother, “This is why you don’t go to the bathroom with strangers.”

On Nov. 27, Todd pleaded no contest, pursuant to the rule in North Carolina v. Alford, to taking indecent liberties with a child under age 15. Judge Everett A. Martin Jr. found him guilty.

In an Alford plea, a defendant maintains his innocence but admits that the evidence would be sufficient to convict if the case had gone to trial.

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The number of reported syphilis cases is on the rise in Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Health has launched a new webpage to educate the public.

Reported total early syphilis cases in Virginia increased 14 percent from 2018 to 2022. To date in 2023, syphilis case reports are 21 percent higher than for the equivalent period in 2022.

Most TES cases are diagnosed among men (84 percent in 2022). However, cases among women are on the rise (70 percent increase from 2018-2022).

Syphilis diagnoses among persons who misuse substances such as opioids, methamphetamine and cocaine are also increasing.

Cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when a mother with syphilis passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy, have similarly increased dramatically in the last decade.

National data show comparable trends.

The new syphilis webpage summarizes important information about syphilis infections, including:

• Common symptoms
• Risk factors
• Testing and treatment recommendations.

Virginians can use this information to better protect themselves and their communities from syphilis.

A syphilis data dashboard includes up-to-date information on annual and monthly TES case counts by patient residence and demographics.

Cases are reported by the local health district of the patient’s residence at diagnosis with standard VDH data suppression rules in place to protect patient privacy.

Data on congenital syphilis diagnoses are also presented by year and health region. The dashboard data is updated weekly on Tuesdays.

Additional resources specifically for healthcare providers are also available. Provider resources are designed to assist with identifying, staging, treating, reporting and preventing syphilis.

For more information on sexually transmitted disease testing, visit the VDH testing page.

For more information on syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, visit the VDH STDs page.

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Syphilis cases on the rise in Virginia, up 655 percent in 16 years
Published date: March 1, 2023 | 6:57 pm

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A former Federal Bureau of Prisons Lieutenant was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for violating the civil rights of an inmate in Virginia by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate’s death.

“This inmate’s death was not the result of inadvertence or a lapse in judgment.” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “His death was the completely preventable result of the deliberate choices made by the defendant who knew he had the constitutional duty to provide medical care. Inmates are entitled to basic human dignity.”

According to court documents, Michael Anderson, 52, admitted that on Jan. 9-10, 2021, he was working in his official capacity as a BOP lieutenant at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg.

In that capacity, Anderson was the second-highest ranking officer at the prison and was responsible for the care of inmates.

On Jan. 9, 2021, a correctional officer notified Anderson that a 47-year-old inmate was experiencing symptoms of an apparent medical emergency and asked the defendant to help the inmate obtain medical care. Anderson personally observed the inmate’s symptoms and stated that he would get medical help for the inmate.

The defendant nevertheless failed to notify medical staff, obtain a medical assessment, contact the facility’s on-call physician or notify any other staff members of the inmate’s condition.

The next day, a correctional officer notified Anderson that the inmate had fallen to the ground in his cell.

After receiving this information, Anderson failed to obtain any assistance for the inmate.

The inmate laid on the ground, dead or dying, for more than an hour and a half before any correctional or medical staff entered his cell. By the time correctional and medical staff entered the cell, life-saving efforts failed, and the inmate was later pronounced dead.

The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

“Inmates entrusted to the care and custody of a correctional facility rely on correctional officials for basic healthcare, especially in a medical emergency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s civil rights division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold correctional officials who blatantly disregard inmates’ serious medical needs accountable.”

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The Radford University campus is safe after a social media post mentioned a potential threat to the university.

According to the Radford University Police Department, it received a message through the Radford Safe app about the threat by an identified student at 11:17 a.m.

Officers were able to identify the student in the post, who was out of the area and determined this to be a hoax where no threat existed.

According to the RUPD, this appears to be a swatting incident using social media.

“We appreciate the fast response from our officers and first responders, as well as from members of th public who reported the information they observed on the social media platform.”

RUPD is working with local and state agencies to identify the person responsible for the post.

The post has been removed from the social media platform.

If anyone has information regarding the investigation, they are asked to call (540) 831-6824.

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Virginia small businesses have been awarded $4.1 million under the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Technical Assistance Grant Program.

The program was reauthorized and expanded by the American Rescue Plan.

Federal funding will be allocated through the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (VSBFA) to help small businesses in Virginia access capital. The funding will specifically provide small business owners with technical assistance like webinars, workshops, one-on-one mentoring, job and resource fairs and community events.

“Small businesses help keep our communities and economy running, but many of the smallest and most underserved businesses face significant barriers accessing capital,” U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine said. “Thanks to the American Rescue Plan we passed, Virginia is receiving funding for the SSBCI program to help ensure entrepreneurs across the Commonwealth have the resources they need to access capital and grow their business.”

Virginia received $230.4 million in American Rescue Plan funding for the SSBCI program in December 2022, which will enhance access to capital for Virginia’s small businesses. The $4.1 million in funding will help ensure very small and underserved businesses receive technical assistance to assist them in applying for funding through this and other federal programs. The VSBFA anticipates providing technical assistance to 1,000 beneficiaries, resulting in 500 pitch applications submitted to the state’s SSBCI capital programs and other federal programs.

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Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat is performing Christmas shows in December in Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia.

Singer-songwriter Wopat is set to host and perform on Dec. 2 at Leo & Leona’s in Bangor, Wisc., where he’ll perform with the Midwest All Star Quartet.

He will also perform solo on Dec. 10 at The Peculiar Winery in Peculiar, Mo., and a two-day event on Dec. 16-17 at Cooter’s Place in Luray.

Tom Wopat Christmas show dates:

• Dec. 2 – Christmas Concert @ Leo & Leona’s / Bangor, Wisc.
• Dec. 10 – Christmas Concert @ Peculiar Winery / Peculiar, Mo.
• Dec. 16-17 – Christmas Concert @ Cooter’s Place / Luray

Wopat, who recently reunited with his Dukes of Hazzard co-stars at Gallatin Comic Con, is currently promoting his 13th solo release album, Simple Man. The album is highlighted by one of his own self-written songs, “County Line,” a country blues tune that is also the namesake for his new movie trilogy now available on INSP Networks.

In the four decades since Dukes of Hazzard, Wopat has had starring roles on Broadway, various television appearances, singing in such venues as The Ol’ Opera, Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, to a featured role in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

The second and third installments of the County Line movie trilogy, County Line: All In & County Line: No Fear, were recently released on the INSP Network.

Wopat also recently starred on the TV series, Black List, which features James Spader.

“I enjoy keeping a lot of balls in the air,” said Wopat.

Tom was a staple on the Broadway stage for 35 years, garnering a pair of Tony award nominations along the way. Long known for his musical leading man abilities, Wopat also was critically acclaimed for his dramatic work in The Trip to Bountiful and Glenn Gary Glenn Ross.

But currently it’s his work in the studio and on the road with some of the most talented musicians in the world that has provided Wopat the most satisfaction.

“At this point, I basically do what I enjoy,” Wopat said. “I’ve been blessed.”

For more information, visit TomWopat.com

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