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Volume 39, Number 24
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King George
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
KGHS says farewell to Class of 2015
Supervisors to review fracking amendments Phyllis Cook
Photos by Phyllis Cook
Members of King George High School’s Class of 2015 enjoy their last few moments together as high school students before filing into the gymnasium on June 6 at the start of commencement exercises. The school boasted 309 graduates for 2015. Class President Johannes Gulick provided welcoming remarks. Valedictorian Anna Michele Rinko and Salutatorian Nathanial Edison Lydick also addressed the assemblage, punctuated by musical selections by student groups. Donald Saunders who teaches math at KGHS and the Commonwealth Governor’s School, delivered the commencement address.
The King George Board of Supervisors is scheduled to take another look at proposed ordinance amendments regulating natural gas drilling along with new language for the county’s Comprehensive Plan pertaining to fracking. Fracking is a method of drilling for natural gas that involves highpressure injection of chemicals and water into rock formations thousands of feet underground, creating cracks in the ancient shale beds and allowing the extraction of natural gas. Fracking opponents cite the potential for pollution of the aquifers, along with disruption to the character of rural areas by large scale industrialization, as the basis of their objections. No applications have yet been received for fracking in this area, but county officials want to be prepared. Jack Green, director of county’s office of Community Development will bring the proposals back and ask for authorization to advertise public hearings on July 21. Last month, the Planning Commission held its own public hearings on the proposals and voted 5-1 to recommend not adopting proposed changes to the county’s oil and gas regulations, or new language on the topic for the county’s Comprehensive Plan, without first reviewing the attorney general’s advisory opinion. County Attorney Eric Gregory provided that review to the board of
supervisors on May 19, when he gave his analysis of the May 5 opinion by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. Herring’s advisory opinion addresses localities and their use of their zoning authority in regard to fracking. Herring said localities may prohibit fracking, “but only to the extent such regulations are reasonable in scope and are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Virginia Gas and Oil Act, or regulations properly enacted pursuant to that Act.” Gregory gave his advice. “Based upon the attorney general opinion and our prior analysis, and given the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy’s ongoing regulatory process, I would recommend staying the course and proceeding with the draft ordinance amendments presently under consideration,” Gregory said. “Generally speaking, the opinion holds that Virginia localities in the exercise of their land use and zoning authority may restrict fracking, even to the point of prohibiting it altogether, within their jurisdictions.” He also said the new opinion overruled much of a 2013 Virginia Attorney General opinion issued, except for the part that recognized local zoning authority to regulate those activities. He described Herring’s opinion as “helpful” saying it affirms prior legal advice given to the board and the county’s approach to the issue of fracking.
New trial date set for Davis in King George attack case Richard Leggitt
KG youths convicted for arson, larceny, break-ins Richard Leggitt A trio of King George youths appeared in King George Circuit Court last week to answer charges of arson, larceny and destruction of property in connection with a November 2014 series of break-ins. The incidents, which took place Nov. 25-27, involved break-ins at a number of unoccupied dwellings, including a wooden shed and two trailers. According to officers, fires were set, property was stolen and property was destroyed. Anthony Adams, 19, of King
George entered pleas of guilty to arson, breaking and entering, larceny and unlawful entry. Judge Patricia Kelly sentenced him to a total of 14 years in prison, but suspended all but one year and four months of the sentence provided Adams remains on good behavior. “Adams was sentenced to an active term of one year and six months and given credit for time served,” said King George Commonwealth’s Attorney Keri Gusmann. “But he is also serving time for a felony conviction out of Norfolk, so the long and the short is that he will serve one year and
six months incarceration based on his illegal behaviors in King George.” Two co-defendants in the case, Brandon Bragg, 19, and John Rose, 20, both of King George, also entered guilty pleas to lesser charges. “While involved in some of the same illegal behavior, the three defendants had different levels of culpability and prior criminal records,” Gusmann said. “Therefore, they were treated differently. Mr. Adams had a prior felony conviction that included an active jail sentence. The other two defendants had no prior criminal history. In addition,
Mr. Bragg was actively trying to put the fires out.” Rose will be sentenced on July 9 after he is evaluated for the electronic incarceration program. There is no agreement as to his sentence, according to Gusmann. Bragg plead guilty to two counts of unlawful entry and one count of petty larceny. He received a jail sentence of 36 months with 33 months suspended, and he may serve that sentence on electronic incarceration if he is eligible pursuant to the Rappahannock Regional Jail's guidelines.
The trial date of Lance Davis, also know as Lance Pleasants, who is facing 20 charges stemming from a break-in last year and the attempted rape and murder of a King George woman, has been moved to Sept. 9. Davis, 28, of King George, had been scheduled to go to trial in August, but Circuit Court Judge Patricia Kelly agreed Thursday to move the date for the jury trial because necessary witnesses from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science were not available on the August date. Davis is being held without bond in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. He has been undergoing psychological evaluation, since his arrest last year in connection with a break-in at a home in the Princess Anne Trailer Park and an assault on an elderly woman. According to law enforcement sources, Davis was arrested after he broke into the home on Dec. 29, 2014 and began attacking the woman who lived there. The victim, who was in bed at the time of the break-in, said she saw light from a flashlight inside her home and went to investigate when she was confronted by a man, later identified as Davis, who was wearing
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dark clothing and rubber gloves. According to authorities, Davis was armed with a knife and assaulted the woman after he was discovered. The victim was stabbed in the abdomen but fought back during the attack, grabbing a decorative knife off a wall and stabbing the intruder in the chest. Officers said Davis fled the home bleeding and staggered to another nearby residence. The injured victim called 911, and sheriff ’s officers and rescue personnel responded. While they were assisting the victim, they were contacted by the owners of the nearby home who reported finding a badly injured man. Davis was then arrested by officers on the scene. Davis spent time in Mary Washington Hospital recovering from his injuries while the victim was in the same hospital recovering from her wounds. Davis was subsequently charged with numerous felony counts including abduction, attempted rape, assault, attempted murder and committing a burglary while armed.