WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10th, 2010 A.M. UPDATE
Reported by Chuck Vipperman  & Jack Garrett

(CASWELL COUNTY, N.C.) --FORMER CASWELL COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOEL BREWER IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGEDLY USING HIS POST TO DISMISS CITATIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR POLITICAL FAVORS, AND FOR IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER.   THAT’S ACCORDING TO A SEARCH WARRANT THAT WAS ORDERED TO BE MADE PUBLIC YESTERDAY.  BREWER ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY HE WOULD RETIRE AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD TEN FULL MONTHS LEFT IN HIS TERM.   BREWER WAS APPOINTED TO THE POST IN 1994, AND WON RE-ELECTION FOUR TIMES OVER THE NEXT 16 YEARS.  THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED A PROBE IN NOVEMBER, AND SEIZED ITEMS FROM BREWER’S OFFICE LAST WEEK.  HIS SEAT WILL STILL BE ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER.

(CHATHAM) --IT WON’T BE ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR A PROJECTED FOUR-AND-A-HALF (M) MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET SHORTFALL, BUT PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JAMES McDANIEL HOPES SOME PROPOSALS THAT PASSED LAST NIGHT WILL BRING THEM A LITTLE CLOSER.   THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED A PROPOSAL TO BRING MORE COUNTY SCHOOL TEACHERS CLOSER TO EARLY RETIREMENT.   THE OVERALL PLAN FOCUSES ON RESTRUCTURING THEIR ENTIRE OPERATION, INCLUDING CONTRACTS FOR NEW TEACHERS THE SCHOOLS GOT A LITTLE HELP THIS WEEK WHEN THEY LEARNED THEY’LL GET MORE MONEY FROM THE COUNTY THAN FIRST EXPECTED. 

(WASHINGTON) --EVERYONE ELSE IS TIGHTENING THEIR BELTS, AND CONGRESS SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT.  THAT’S WHAT FIFTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN TOM PERRIELLO SAYS AS HE SUPPORTS A MEASURE TO CUT CONGRESSIONAL PAY FIVE PERCENT.  PERRIELLO WAS AMONG THE SUPPORTERS LAST YEAR IN A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO BLOCK AUTOMATIC CONGRESSIONAL PAY RAISES, AND HE’S SUPPORTING AN EFFORT TO PREVENT ANY PAY HIKES FROM AUTOMATICALLY TAKING PLACE IN THE FUTURE.  IF IT PASSES, THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL PAY CUT SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

The scene of last Thursday's plane crash in Louisa County where a Danville-bound pilot was killed.

(LOUISA COUNTY, VA.) --STATE POLICE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A NORTHERN VIRGINIA MAN WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH LAST THURSDAY IN LOUISA COUNTY.    63-YEAR OLD JAY YOUNGQUIST WAS FLYING INTO DANVILLE TO UMPIRE A BASEBALL GAME.   INVESTIGATORS YOUNGQUIST HAD JUST FUELED UP.  HE CRASHED INTO A HOUSE ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT.    THE HOMEOWNER WAS IN THE BASEMENT AT THE TIME AND MANAGED TO ESCAPE THE FIRE.  YOUNGQUIST WAS FLYING IN TO OFFICIATE THE AVERETT UNIVERSITY BASEBALL GAME AGAINST HAMPDEN-SYDNEY.  INVESTIGATORS SAY NO ONE ELSE WAS ON BOARD THE TWIN-ENGINE CESSNA.  THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

Hazardous Materials team members block off the Municipal Building while they quarantine a suspicious white powder.
(Leonard Harville photo)

(DANVILLE) --A SUSPICIOUS POWDER CAUSED AUTHORITIES TO BLOCK OFF THE AREA AROUND THE DANVILLE MUNICIPAL BUILDING MONDAY AFTERNOON.  THAT’S BECAUSE A PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY MAN BROUGHT A WHITE POWDER TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS.  HE SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO WITH IT---THAT SOMEONE HAD PLACED IT ON HIS PORCH SATURDAY, AND HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS.   THE DANVILLE HAZ-MAT TEAM ISOLATED THE POWDER AND DETERMINED IT WAS NOT HARMFUL.  STATE POLICE HAVE SENT A SAMPLE TO THE STATE LAB IN RICHMOND TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.

(RICHMOND) -- THE STATE CAPITAL WILL BE “GROUND ZERO” THURSDAY IN THE LATEST CHAPTER OF THE URANIUM MINING DEBATE.  THE SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER IS SPONSORING A SYMPOSIUM TO HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL DANGERS FROM A PROPOSED MINE IN PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY.  ORGANIZER BRENT BLACKWELDER SAYS THEY’RE BRINGING IN FIVE EXPERTS. THE SPEAKERS WILL HAVE DETAILS ON URANIUM MINING OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN U-S, CANADA, AND AFRICA.  THE SYMPOSIUM RUNS FROM TEN TO FOUR THURSDAY AT THE RICHMOND CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

(HENRY COUNTY) --A 78-YEAR OLD HENRY COUNTY WOMAN IS IN THE HOSPITAL, RECOVERING FROM SEVERE DOG BITES.   DEPUTIES SAY IT HAPPENED NEAR THE WOMAN’S HOME ON HOBSON ROAD AT AROUND SIX-THIRTY MONDAY EVENING.  MARY GRAVELY WAS BITTEN ON BOTH OF HER FOREARMS, HER LEFT LEG, AND HER FACE.  SHE’S BEING TREATED AT BAPTIST HOSPITAL IN WINSTON-SALEM.  THE DOG IS UNDER QUARANTINE AS THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES.

(DANVILLE) --A DANVILLE FEDERAL JUDGE HAS SENTENCED A MARTINSVILLE MAN ON MULTIPLE DRUG AND WEAPONS COUNTS.  IT WAS LAST FEBRUARY WHEN A GRAND JURY HANDED DOWN A SEVEN-COUNT INDICTMENT AGAINST 32-YEAR OLD CARLOS MORRIS.  THIS, LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER MORRIS HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM JAIL FOR SERVING TWO YEARS FOR THE SHOOTING DEATH OF HIS COUSIN.  FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SELLING COCAINE.  MORRIS WILL SPEND MORE THAN 19 YEARS IN JAIL.

"THE QUEEN OF ROCKABILLY"

(DANVILLE) -- ANOTHER POSTHUMOUS HONOR FOR A DANVILLE MUSICAL LEGEND, THIS TIME FROM THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA. JANIS MARTIN WILL BE RECOGNIZED THIS MONTH AS PART OF THE LIBRARY'S “WOMEN IN HISTORY” PROGRAM. MARTIN WAS CROWNED “THE FEMALE ELVIS”  AND "THE QUEEN OF ROCKABILLY" WHEN SHE RECORDED HER FIRST HIT, "WILL YOU WILLIAM" FOR RCA IN 1956, AT THE AGE OF 15. THAT WAS ALSO THE YEAR SHE MARRIED HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART. MARTIN WAS VOTED BILLBOARD’S MOST PROMISING FEMALE ARTIST IN 1956. SHE FORMED HER OWN BAND AND PLAYED CLUBS AND FAIRS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA. SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A SON IN 1958, TEMPORARILY RETIRING FROM SHOW BUSINESS. TWO DECADES LATER, MARTIN CAME OUT OF RETIREMENT WHEN A ROCKABILLY REVIVAL LED TO EXTENSIVE TOURS IN GERMANY AND THE NETHERLANDS. MARTIN ALSO MANAGED THE DANVILLE GOLF CLUB FOR YEARS AND REMAINED ACTIVE ON THE CONCERT CIRCUIT UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE HER DEATH OF CANCER IN 2007. THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA WILL HOLD A RECOGNITION FOR THIS YEAR’S TEN “WOMEN IN HISTORY” HONOREES LATER THIS MONTH. HER ENTIRE CATALOG REMAINS IN PRINT IN GERMANY. DESPITE INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM, MARTIN'S SUCCESS REMAINS LARGELY IGNORED IN HER HOMETOWN.    

(DANVILLE) -- A TOSSED CIGARETTE STARTED A FIRE AT A HOME IN THE 300 BLOCK OF ARLINGTON PLACE. FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO 317 ARLINGTON PLACE JUST BEFORE 6:00 MONDAY MORNING. BY HE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THE HOMEOWNER HAD PUT OUT THE FLAMES WITH A GARDEN HOSE. FIRE MARSHALL SHELBY IRVING SAYS THE FIRE STARTED IN A FLOWER POT ON THE FRONT PORCH. DAMAGE WAS LISTED AS MODERATE AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. FIREFIGHTERS WERE ON THE SCENE FOR ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES. SEVENTEEN FIREFIGHTERS, THREE ENGINES AND A LADDER TRUCK RESPONDED. (photo: Leonard Harville)

(DANVILLE) -- POLICE CONFIRM THAT 49-YEAR-OLD BLANCH GLENDALE BENNETT OF DANVILLE HAS BEEN FOUND. BENNETT, WHO HAD BEEN MISSING FOR THE PAST FOUR DAYS, WAS LOCATED MONDAY MORNING. HER FAMILY TOLD POLICE BENNETT SET OUT ON FOOT TO VISIT A FAMILY MEMBER DOWN THE ROAD BUT NEVER ARRIVED. AUTHORITIES SAY BENNETT WAS LOCATED ABOUT 7:30 MONDAY MORNING AND HAS SINCE BEEN RETURNED HOME. SHE WAS UNHARMED. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE WOMAN WAS LAST SEEN WALKING FROM FIRST STREET TO A FAMILY MEMBER’S HOME ON CLEMENT AVENUE ON THURSDAY. SHE DOES NOT HAVE A CAR.

(DANVILLE) --DANVILLE’S MAYOR WANTS DISGRUNTLED UTILITY CUSTOMERS TO KNOW THEIR COMPLAINTS ARE NOT FALLING ON DEAF EARS.   THOSE COMPLAINTS CENTER AROUND THE MOST RECENT BILLS. SOME CUSTOMERS IN THE COUNTY SAY THEIR BI-MONTHLY BILLS DOUBLED OR TRIPLED.    SHERMAN SAUNDERS SAYS THERE ARE WAYS TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF THE BIGGER BILLS.   HE SAYS THERE'S THE "NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS" PROGRAM.  THE CITY ALSO WORKS WITH THOSE WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING THEIR BILLS.  SAUNDERS IS ASKING THE CITY MANAGER TO LOOK INTO POSSIBLE ENERGY-SAVING SOLUTIONS THAT OTHER CITIES ARE IMPLEMENTING.   SAUNDERS SAYS DANVILLE POWER AND LIGHT’S RATES ARE ACTUALLY SOME OF THE LOWEST AROUND, BUT HE ADMITS ITS SMALL CONSOLATION TO THOSE HIT HARD IN THE LATEST BILLING PERIOD.

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