A Virginia man was killed by a black bear that fell from a tree after being shot by the man’s hunting partner.
Lester C. Harvey, 58, of Phenix, Virginia, was hunting in Lunenburg County, which is between Richmond and Danville when the incident occurred. A group of hunters were following the bear when it ran up the tree. As the group retreated from the tree, one of them shot the bear. The animal fell onto Harvey who was standing about 10 feet from the bottom of the tree.
A member of the group rendered first aid before Harvey was rushed to two different hospitals. He died from his injuries Friday, Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources said in a statement.
Your editor is an avid bear hunter. He’s seen wounded bears do some amazing things. But this is a first.
Virginia Commissioner of Health Dr. Norman Oliver says he plans on forcing people to take a coronavirus vaccine once one becomes available.
Virginia law gives the Commissioner of Health the authority to mandate immunizations during a public health crisis if a vaccine is available.
“It is killing people now, we don’t have a treatment for it and if we develop a vaccine that can prevent it from spreading in the community we will save hundreds and hundreds of lives,” Oliver said on Friday.
There were seven people hospitalized in the state because of coronavirus on Aug. 20, according to the Virginia Department of Health website. The peak hospitalizations in Virginia was 120 on May 1. Since July 15, Virginia has had two days with double-digit daily COVID-19 deaths: 12 fatalities on July 25 and 10 on July 29.
A Yahoo News/YouGov poll conducted between July 28-30 found that only 42% of all Americans said they would get vaccinated “if and when a coronavirus vaccine becomes available.”
In addition to state senator Lucas, felony charges were filed against 13 other individuals including a member of the Portsmouth School Board, three Portsmouth NAACP representatives and three public defenders.
All were charged with either injury to a monument in excess of $1,000 or conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $1,000. Under Virginia legal code, the injury to a monument charge is a class 6 felony which carries up to 5 years in prison anda fine of up to $2,500, though the court can require the perpetrator to pay restitution in the amount of the fair market cost of repair or the fair market replacement value of the monument.
The Conspiracy charge can add up to 5 years and an additional $500 fine to the sentence if convicted.
The Portsmouth PD used images and video of the destruction to identify and charge the perpetrators. Which leaves me questioning why other municipalities haven’t done the same.
Three people were injured in a stabbing incident inside a church in Chantilly VA. Witnesses say a man drove up to the entrance and ran inside where he entered a Bible study class and stabbed the pastor. Two congregants rushed to aid the pastor, with one receiving wounds requiring medical attention.
Fairfax county chief of police, Edwin C. Roessler, who was in attendance, was also injured while taking the suspect into custody. The names of the other two victims have not been released at this time. None of the injuries appear to be life threatening.
A pastor at the church issued the following statement:
Greetings,
Today, in a routine church educational setting, one of our pastors was assaulted by an attendee. Two church members came to the pastor’s aid and valiantly risked their own lives to defend him. In the process, one of our members was injured. The pastor and one of the members are being treated at Reston Hospital for non life-threatening injuries. The other member involved sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. The assailant was taken into captivity at the scene.
We are in prayer for all the injured. We are grateful for the courage exhibited that prevented worse from happening. Lastly, we want to thank the broader community for their outpouring of concern and support in this time.
In Him,
Brett Fuller
Pastor, Grace Covenant Church-gracecov.org
Chaplain, Washington NFL Franchise
The incident is under investigation. No information about the suspect has been released at this point.
On the eve of the Fourth of July, Virginia’s state government ordered a contractor to remove a massive American flag from the side of a new office building the contractor is erecting in Richmond. The state government expressed concerns about the “safety” of workers because “protesters” might view the American flag as a “target.” An actual worker slammed the government for “letting the inmates run the asylum.”
“Over the past month we’ve seen buildings and structures around Capitol Square vandalized and flags, dumpsters, a bus and other items set ablaze during demonstrations around the city,” Dena Potter, spokeswoman for the Department of General Services, told The Washington Post. “When we saw the flag, we were concerned that it could become a target so we told the contractor to remove it.”
“They were very responsive when we asked them to remove it,” Potter added. “Of course the safety of the workers on the job and the public is our No. 1 concern, but we also did not want to see the flag damaged in any way.”
The order to strike Old Glory infuriated a subcontractor, Eric Winston of American Coatings Corp. His fireproofing company used tarps to make a supersized American flag, about as tall as a full story of the building, which is part of a $300 million project.
Winston shared the flag on Facebook.
“This is the flag that our company made out of tarps we use on buildings. We thought it would be a good idea to hang it, which we did this morning at the new General assembly job, downtown Richmond. Early on it got great reviews by all, and thank you to the [General Contractor] for allowing us to do it… BUT the GC got a call and we now have to remove it,” he wrote.
“It seems the ‘State’ deems it a target this weekend for protestors. Since when is this flag, on this weekend, IN THIS COUNTRY, a Target!! Let me guess, if I had a black lives matter flag it would be ‘ok’!?” the subcontractor wrote, sardonically. “‘F’ you & your feelings.”
“Look, Mr. Governor, Mr. Mayor, or whoever made the call, stop letting the inmates run the assylum!” Winson added. “Grow a pair, and stop thinking everything we have or had in this once great state is offensive.”
“The American Flag is a symbol of Freedom! Many men and women died to maintain this freedom, many more fought and still fight to keep this freedom, and you make us remove it??” he added. The subcontractor said he stands for American freedoms like protesting and taking a knee during the National Anthem. “That’s what this flag represents!”
“It’s bulls**t that you made us take it down, but don’t forget, your actions have consequences too! You will now see this flag hanging at the Lake and I promise you it will NOT be removed!” Winston added. “Happy Birthday America!”
It is truly outrageous that Virginia, the state that gave America both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (the author of the Declaration of Independence) would order the removal of the American flag before the Fourth of July because protesters — let’s call them what they are, violent mobs of rioters and vandals — might view it as a target. This is utterly shameful.
