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Senate passes crackdown on texting while driving

The Virginia Senate Tuesday passed a bill that would allow police officers to pull over motorists observed to be texting while driving.

The vote on Senate Bill 219, sponsored by Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, was 28-12. The bill had passed by the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and Senate Transportation Committee.

Under current law, violations for texting while driving can only be issued after a motorist has been pulled over for another violation. The bill would make texting a primary offense.

It now heads to the House of Delegates.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Huguely jury pool set as attorneys brace for longerthan-expected trial

The most anticipated murder trial to come to Central Virginia in recent history is already behind schedule after just two days in Charlottesville Circuit Court.

Counsel on both sides of the case against George Huguely of Chevy Chase, Md., had anticipated selecting a jury, and possibly even delivering opening statements, by the end of the day Tuesday. Lawyers agreed on the 28-person jury pool, but did not select the 12 jurors and three alternates who will determine Huguely’s fate.

In light of the trial’s already slow pace, lawyers discussed the possibility of having to extend the trial an additional day. They decided that potential jurors should be available to serve on Feb. 18, a Saturday, if the case is still undecided at the conclusion of the allotted two weeks.

Court will resume this morning after 9 a.m.. After a jury is selected, both sides will give opening statements. Yeardley Love’s mother, Sharon Love, will be the first witness to testify. Lexie Love, Yeardley’s sister, will be the second person to take the stand.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Richmond store robbery investigated for links to other crimes

Police are investigating the armed robbery of a South Richmond women’s clothing store to see if it may be linked to other robberies in the city and neighboring Chesterfield County.

There were no shots fired and no one was injured in Monday’s 8:30 p.m. robbery of the Cato store in the 2500 block of Sheila Lane, in a small strip mall across from a Lowe’s home improvement warehouse.

Richmond police Capt. Yvonne Crowder said the robbery was similar to others in the city and Chesterfield because the suspect ordered the employees to the rear of the store and told them to wait for five minutes before calling police.

The description of Monday night’s suspect also was similar to earlier robberies: a black male, about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, dressed in all black clothing, including a black hooded sweatshirt that he uses to partially cover his face.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (804) 780-1000.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

U.S. job openings jump to nearly 3-year high

The number of available jobs in the United States jumped in December to near a three-year high, supporting other data that show a brighter outlook for hiring.

The Labor Department says companies and governments posted 3.38 million jobs in December. That’s up from the 3.12 million advertised in the previous month and nearly matches the three-year high reached in September.

The report on job openings follows Friday’s optimistic employment figures. Those showed employers added 243,000 net jobs in January, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent.

Even with the gains, 13.1 million people were unemployed in December. That means an average of 3.9 people competed for each open job that month, the first time in four years that ratio was below 4 to 1.

Brief by the Associated Press

Jamaica government destroys 2,000 guns in furnace

Roughly 2,000 firearms were melted down in a blazing furnace Tuesday as part of an effort designed to combat gun trafficking and corruption in Jamaica while reducing violent crime.

Police, government and U.N. officials destroyed pistols and revolvers by pitching them into a kiln glowing bright orange at a cement factory in the capital of Kingston. Most of the guns were decommissioned or seized in police operations over the years.

National Security Minister Peter Bunting, who has been in office for just over a month, said the destruction of the weapons is an important first step toward managing the sizable stockpiles of guns in Jamaica and reducing the risk of theft.

“The removal will help to reduce the risks of these weapons being possibly diverted back into the illicit trade,” Bunting said at the Jamaica Constabulary Force armory.

William Godnick, a coordinator with the U.N. Regional Center for Peace Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, said the destruction of the guns “is the beginning of a long process in which we hope to destroy a much larger quantity.”

The primary goal is “to prevent theft and loss,” Godnick said.

Brief by the Associated Press

Drug gang banners in Mexico ahead of Pope visit

A drug gang unfurled banners in a Mexican city that Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit next month, telling rival traffickers to keep out and keep the peace during the papal visit.

One of the banners was signed by The Knights Templar, a violent, pseudo-religious cartel from the neighboring state of Michoacan. The cloth banners with hand-painted messages were found and quickly removed on Tuesday, a few weeks after the local Roman Catholic archdiocese had issued a public plea to drug gangs not to mar the Pope’s visit with violence.

“We just want to warn that we do not want more groups in the state of Guanajuato. Confrontations will be inevitable. You have been warned, New Generation, we want Guanajuato in Peace, so don’t think about moving in and much less causing violence, precisely at this time when His Holiness Benedict XVI is coming,” according to the sign.

Brief by the Associated Press

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In this section:

Student employees receive two TelegRAMs • 4 MCV concert to benefit sickle cell research • 4 Crime log • 5