COAL SHIP DETAINED
3 tied to coal ship detained in Virginia indicted
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A federal grand jury has indicted the owner, operator and chief engineer of a Maltese-flagged coal ship that has been detained in Virginia since April over alleged environmental violations.
The Virginian-Pilot reported Friday that the indictment names Malta-based owner Angelex Ltd, Liberian operator Kassian Maritime Navigation Agency Ltd. and the ship's chief engineer, Lamros Katsipis.
The charges include conspiracy, falsification of records and obstruction of justice.
The owner has battled the U.S. Coast Guard in court since the ship and its crew were detained. A federal judge in Norfolk ordered the ship freed for a $1.5 million bond - half of what the Coast Guard originally demanded. The Coast Guard has appealed.
Oral arguments are scheduled for June 25 in Lewisburg, W.Va.
Katsipis' attorney says he denies the charges.
FORT MONROE
Va. likely to take gain 300 acre at Fort Monroe
HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - Virginia is likely to take control of 300 acres of the 565-acre site around Fort Monroe by the end of the month.
Media outlets report that the Fort Monroe Authority voted Thursday to recommend Gov. Bob McDonnell accept the transfer of 312 acres by May 28.
The state had wanted all the land to revert to Virginia, but the Army wants to keep a large portion that includes a marina and other property.
Some land at the site was designated a national monument by President Barack Obama and will be transferred to the National Park Service for that purpose.
Fort Monroe ceased to operate as an Army installation in 2011.
Fort Monroe Authority executive director Glenn Oder says the public won't notice anything different at the site.
STAR SCIENTIFIC-LAWSUIT
Va. judge sets trial date in Star Scientific case
SOUTH HILL, Va. (AP) - A politically connected nutritional supplement maker's lawsuit against the state is moving forward after being stalled for more than a year.
A judge in Mecklenburg County has set a December trial over Star Scientific's dispute of a state tax bill. Media outlets report that a judge will hear the matter on Dec. 13-14.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli recused his office after it became public that he was defending the state even though he owned stock in Star Scientific and had accepted lake house vacations and private plane rides from its chief executive.
Federal authorities also are looking into the relationship between Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie Williams and Gov. Bob McDonnell. Williams paid $15,000 for the catering at McDonnell's daughter's 2011 wedding.
A Star Scientific spokeswoman had no comment.
OFF-DUTY DEPUTY-FATAL SHOOTING
Death after fight with deputy ruled homicide
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - Police say the death of a 22-year-old Alexandria man who was shot in a confrontation with an off-duty sheriff's deputy has been ruled a homicide.
Alexandria police said Thursday that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Julian Dawkins' death early Tuesday a homicide caused by a gunshot wound.
Police say Dawkins was shot following a confrontation with off-duty Arlington County deputy sheriff Craig Patterson. Officials say 44-year-old Patterson, an Alexandria resident who has been on the force for 17 years, was placed on administrative leave after the incident. He has not been charged in the shooting.
Police say investigators are still interviewing witnesses and the Commonwealth's Attorney's office will determine whether criminal charges will be filed.
DOMINION-BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM
Dominion donates $500K to Va. black history museum
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Dominion Resources is making the largest ever private-sector donation to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the $500,000 donation will be announced at a ceremony in Richmond on Friday.
The donation puts the museum above the $3 million mark in its goal of raising $13 million to restore and move into the Leigh Street Armory. The armory was built in 1895 as the state's only armory for an all-black militia. It's also the oldest surviving armory in the state.
The $13 million goal also includes money for maintenance and to create new exhibits.
Construction is expected to begin in 2015 and will take about 18 months.
MOM MOONS BUS
Virginia mom sentenced for mooning school bus
SUFFOLK, Va. (AP) - A Suffolk mother will spend weekends behind bars after mooning her son's school bus following a confrontation with the driver.
Media outlets report that 34-year-old Lisa Grant was convicted this week of disorderly conduct. She was accused of mooning the school bus with roughly 45 students aboard last November.
Grant admits she exchanged heated words with the bus driver but claims she did not flash any skin. Her attorney says she only bared her underwear when mooning the bus.
She confronted the driver after she sent a note home that Grant's middle school-aged son was misbehaving. A school spokeswoman says the note was a warning.
Grant was given a six-month jail sentence with five months suspended. She will serve that time on weekends. She also must pay a $250 fine.
CZECH-US-MURDER SUSPECT
Czech police say US suspect in 4 murders arrested
PRAGUE (AP) - Police say an American man suspected of killing a family of 4 in the Czech Republic has been arrested in the United States.
Brno regional police chief Leos Trzil said Friday that Kevin Dahlgren was arrested at the airport in Washington, D.C.
The suspect fled to the U.S. after the victims - identified by neighbors as a married couple and their two sons- were found by firefighters who came tackle a fire in a house in Brno, the country's second-largest city.
Police said Czech authorities will seek Dahlgren's extradition to stand trial in the Czech Republic.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL
Va. State Police to boost patrols this weekend
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Virginia State Police will boost road patrols over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Increased patrols begin Friday and continue through Monday night. It's part of the annual Operation CARE national traffic-enforcement effort.
The additional patrols are aimed at reducing crashes, fatalities and injuries caused by speeding, impaired driving and failure to use seat belts.
Last year police cited nearly 11,600 speeders and 3,000 reckless drivers and arrested 137 impaired drivers. Eleven people died in traffic accidents in Virginia last year. 10 of them weren't wearing seat belts.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says it expects slightly more than 1 million Virginians to travel during the holiday weekend. That's down 1.6% from 2012.
STORM SURGE-COMMUNICATING THE DANGER
Hurricane center: Beware of the storm surge
MIAMI (AP) - During a hurricane, storm surge is 1 of the greatest threats to life and land, yet many people don't understand the dire warnings from forecasters to get out of its way.
This season, forecasters hope to offer easy-to-understand, color-coded maps and change the way they talk to the public.
Simply put, storm surge is the abnormal rise of sea water. Predicting it is far more complicated, and so is explaining it. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami discovered that again during a review of Superstorm Sandy.
Forecasts during Sandy were exceptionally accurate, but often confusing. Perhaps because so many things contribute to storm surge: intensity, pressure, forward speed, size, where it makes landfall and
BAY STEWARDSHIP COURSE
Chesapeake Bay stewardship course offered in Va.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is accepting applications for its Richmond-area adult education course.
The once-a-week evening classes run from June 6 through Aug. 1. They'll focus on water quality and stewardship. The sessions will be taught by experts from the foundation and other regional institutions and groups.
Classes will meet Thursday evenings at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Henrico County. Two field trips are included in the course, along with a discussion of plans in Virginia aimed at restoring streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay.
After the course ends, participants will be asked to perform a minimum of 40 hours of bay-related volunteer service.
Applications are due by May 31. The courses cost $30 per person and $50 for couples.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
