07/22/2015 King George VA Journal

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Opinion

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Volume 39, Number 30

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King George

Wednesday, July 22, 2015 50 Cents

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Kovach convicted of child pornography Richard Leggitt A King George man, who served as a foster parent to young boys in Colonial Beach, was convicted on multiple counts of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography last week in Westmoreland County Circuit Court. Circuit Court Judge Harry Taliaferro found Michael Kovach, 36, guilty of seven counts of possession and distribution of child pornography after a trial that lasted four days. Kovach, who had been free on $90,000 bond, was order jailed immediately. Kovach had been charged with 45 child pornography-related counts. He still faces another 13 charges including indecent liberties with a child and sodomy. Those charges are scheduled to be heard at a second trial in Westmoreland County Circuit Court later this year. Kovach has entered pleas of not guilty to the charges. Kovach was arrested on March 5 of last year after Colonial Beach police and Westmoreland County sheriff ’s officers served warrants at a residence he was sharing with his three adopted sons in Colonial Beach. Officers seized several computers and other electronic devices which contained images that the officers said were child pornography. At the Westmoreland trial before Judge Taliaferro, Kovach’s mother, Rita Kovach, said her son was a former Eagle Scout who was “always helpful and always caring” and could not have done what prosecutors alleged. She said as a result for the charges, Kovach had been forced to move home to King George and could not reside with his three adopted children in Colonial Beach.

The prosecutor in the case, Westmoreland County County Commonwealth”s Attorney Julia Sichol, presented documentation of the possession of pornography and the distribution of pornography based on data retrieved from computers seized from Kovach’s Colonial Beach residence. State Police forensics examiner Tom Heflin said he examined the computers law enforcement authorities seized from the Colonial Beach residence and found that someone using the username “Mike” and the password “4mykids” had downloaded or shared pornography. “I was able to find 231 images that may depict child pornography,” Heflin said. Sichol steadily took witnesses though the images, both photos and videos, causing many at the trial including the defense lawyers to visibly wince. During the prosecutor’s presentation, Kovach sat at the defense table with his head bowed. Rita Kovach and the defense team suggested to Judge Taliaferro that the images might have been downloaded by a teenage boy named “Mikey” who frequently visited Kovach and his adopted sons. “He was a needy young man who became friends with the family and frequently stayed at the house,” Rita Kovach testified. But in the end, Judge Taliaferro found Kovach guilty on nine counts. “The judge carefully considered all the evidence in this case and I am pleased with the verdict,” Sichol said. “The prosecution of child pornography cases is extremely technical and emotionally trying. The individuals that participate in the distribution of those images and videos are one of the reasons why children continue to be victimized by those that produce it.”

Photo courtesy of Belle Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast

Particpants in the Belle Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast Amazing Race fo 2015 ham it up during last weekend’s festivities. Patterend after the CBS show, the event raised money to help save three of Belle Grove’s outbuildings, which date from America’s colonial era, and were likely standing when President James Madison was born on the property.

“Amazing Race” raises funds for Belle Grove Staff Report Belle Grove Plantation, historic site and the birthplace of James Madison, fourth president of the United States, author of the Bill of Rights and the acknowledged “Father of the Constitution,” hosted its first annual “Amazing Race 2015” at Belle Grove Plantation on July 18. The event was a fundraiser to restore and preserve the 1720 Summer Kitchen, Ice House and Smokehouse.

The Amazing Race 2015 was designed after the television show with a few alterations. The competitors, grouped in teams of two-to-four members apiece, gathered at the plantation to kick off the day with a relay race in front of the outbuildings. After that, they traveled to 10 Sponsor Location Challenge Stops to complete challenges and earn points for their team. Using their Amazing Race Passports, they were given “extra point” challenges that they could

complete for additional points. These “extra point challenges” had them looking for a person named “Lucy”, taking a picture with a bald man, playing patty cake with a stranger and other wild and wacky challenges. While the teams traveled around King George, Caroline and Westmoreland Counties, they would not only complete challenges, but would also collect donations for Belle Grove Plantation’s “Save Our History at Belle Grove” campaign. At the end

of the day, the teams collected $468. Three of the sponsors, Community Bank of the Chesapeake of King George, Cindy’s Corner Craft and Collectibles of Bowling Green, and Unique Antiques Mall of King George donated funds bring the total funds collected during this event to $768. After the race, teams returned to Belle Grove Plantation for a muchneeded rest and meal. During the meal, contestants shared See RACE, page 8

Turner tapped for administrative duties with King George schools Phyllis Cook The King George School Board has appointed Dashan Turner as the school division’s first director of administrative services. The board took the action at its July 13 meeting. The duties of the new position are to supervise Turner and oversee the division’s two human resources positions, as well as the heads of

transportation, maintenance and operations, technology, food service and custodial services. The position has a salary of $106,000. “I am very pleased that Mr. Turner is joining our administrative team,” School Superintendent Rob Benson said. “His thoughtful approach to planning and problem solving and caring demeanor will serve our division and community well.” Turner takes the position Aug. 3. “I am very excited to join the excellent team Dr. Benson has established within the King George County Public Schools” he said. “Over the course of my career, I have

had many wonderful opportunities to work in leadership capacities within central office. It is my hope that my past and most recent leadership experiences would offer value to this already dynamic team.” Turner is currently finishing a year’s stint as principal at Washington and Lee High School in Montross, where he began his teaching career back in 2002. At that time, he was there for three years, teaching physical education health and drivers education, along with coaching basketball. Turner gained educational experience in several divisions. In 2005, he went to Philadelphia, MS,

teaching for two years at Philadelphia Elementary School prior to a return to Washington and Lee in 2007 for another year of high school teaching. In 2008, he was assistant principal of Montross Middle School for Westmoreland schools and also served as summer school principal. Starting in 2009 he was principal of Westmoreland’s Washington District Elementary for three years, prior to a one-year stint in Tappahannock for Essex County Schools as Director of Student Services and Testing. In 2013, he went to Petersburg, and spent a year as division director of schools, prior to his present position

as principal at Washington and Lee. Turner earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2007 from American Intercontinental University (online), and a Bachelor’s from Lynchburg-based Liberty University in 2002. He also holds an Associate’s degree earned in 1999 from Holmes Community College in Goodman, MS. In addition, he holds a postgraduate degree educational specialist from Liberty University conferred in March of this year, and a post-graduate certificate signifying him as a Virginia Tech Aspiring Superintendent from earlier this year.

Background: • Principal at Washington & Lee High School in Montross • Assistant Principal at Montross Middle School • Principal at Washington District Elementary in Westmoreland • Division Director of School for Petersburg • Taught at elementary school in Philadelphia, MS. • Graduate of Liberty University.

Planning commission to review school, EMS capital projects Phyllis Cook Four King George School Board’s capital project requests and three from Emergency Services are all ranked as “urgent” by the Planning Commission, along with one from the county administration. The King George Board of Supervisors set an Aug. 6 meeting to review the county’s proposed five-year Capital Improvements Program to span fiscal years 2016-20. Particular attention will focus on eight projects proposed for funding in the current fiscal year, which began July 1, adding up to $2.57 million. The commission finalized its rankings on June 9 for 22 proposed projects estimated at $60 million over the five-year timeframe.

That action followed a public hearing on the proposed projects the previous month on May 12. The Planning Commission’s rankings were distributed to the board in its meeting packet at the June 30 meeting. A letter accompanying the list provided narrative explanation of rankings by commission chairman Josh Colwell, recommending funding for the eight within the new fiscal year. Three of the urgent projects were categorized as Life Safety Requests: Emergency Services: Ambulance replacement program, with $185,000 in 2015-16 toward the ambulance replacement program and similar amounts in each of the following four years.

Emergency Services: Electrocardiograms and defibrillators, with $55,000 in 2015-16 for replacement of electrocardiograms and defibrillators for some older units and to provide additional monitors for advance life support capability. Sheriff: Microwave radio replacement, with $155,646 in 2015-16 to replace microwave radios which can no longer be repaired due to unavailability of replacement parts. The other five urgent projects were categorized as government: School Board: School bus replacement, with $537,441 in 2015-16 and similar amounts in each of the following four years. School Board: Phase two of a project for a new roof on the existing middle school, with $574,700 in 2015-16.

School Board: Expansion of the middle school to provide space for sixth grade students to be shifted from the county’s three elementary schools to provide increased capacity at the elementary level, with $500,000 in 2015-16 and $7.75 million in 2016-17. School Board: Security camera systems for all schools and the school board office, except the high school, which has one, with $474,550 in 2015-16. Administration: New heating-air conditioning-ventilation system for the second floor of the Revercomb Administration Building, with $90,000 in 2015-16. County Administrator Travis Quesenberry is expected to make his recommendations known at the planned August work session and also propose funding sources for board

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members’ input. Supervisors will likely adopt this year’s capital program during a future regular business meeting. A five-year Capital Improvements Program is reviewed and approved annually. It is used as a guide for planning purposes in future years. The complete package of CIP requests can be viewed in the office of Community Development, located in the Revercomb Administration Building behind the Courthouse on Route 3.


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