Regional Briefing

Saturday, February 14, 2009

VIRGINIA

No Va. Tech Classes on Anniversary

This year and the next two, Virginia Tech will not hold classes April 16, the anniversary of the day in 2007 when the campus became the site of the nation's deadliest shooting by a single gunman.

On April 16, 2007, Seung Hui Cho killed 32 students and faculty members and himself.

"We want to honor the lives that were lost in meaningful ways and continue to help and support members of the community who remain deeply affected by this tragedy," said Mark McNamee, senior vice president and provost.

-- Theresa Vargas

New Indictment in Heroin Case

A Centreville man who allegedly gave a fatal dose of heroin to his girlfriend last year has tried in recent months to persuade a friend to lie to a federal grand jury and injected himself with heroin upon learning in November that he faced federal charges, a new federal indictment alleged yesterday.

Skylar M. Schnippel, 20, is charged with distributing heroin resulting in the death of Alicia Lannes, 19, last March and a new count of obstruction of justice. After his arrest in November, Schnippel allegedly contacted a witness repeatedly to request that he lie on Schnippel's behalf. The contact allegedly included a series of text messages last month.

Eleven Fairfax County residents, almost all 19 or 20 years old, have pleaded guilty to buying, selling and using heroin in recent years, and four of their friends have died.

Schnippel, alleged heroin source Antonio L. Harper, 33, and Andrew W. Kacvinsky, 21, did not plead guilty, so all three were indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin. The new indictment also charges Harper with distributing heroin resulting in death, a charge he did not previously face.

-- Tom Jackman

GOP Heavyweight Joins McDonnell

Ed Gillespie, former counselor to George W. Bush and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, will serve as general chairman of Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell's campaign for governor this year.

Gillespie, a former lobbyist and a fixture in national Republican politics for two decades, will be involved in every aspect of strategy, policy development, communications and fundraising, according to senior campaign officials.

His involvement is further proof that Republicans are investing heavily in McDonnell's campaign as they try to win back the governor's mansion in a state that recently has been leaning Democratic.

-- Anita Kumar

Charges Filed in Wrong-Way Crash

Arlington County prosecutors filed charges yesterday against a 17-year-old Fairfax youth who police said collided with another vehicle, killing two women, as he drove the wrong way on Interstate 66 last year.

The teenager, whose name was not released because of his age, was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated DWI manslaughter. Prosecutors said they wanted him tried as an adult.

Police said the teenager was driving west in the eastbound lanes Nov. 17 when the head-on crash occurred.

The two passengers in the eastbound car, D.C. residents Jennifer Thi Nguyen, 35, and Tu Nhi Thi Nguyen, 38, were killed. They were not related.

-- Christian Davenport

Stabbing Victim, Suspect Identified

The woman found fatally stabbed in Arlington on Thursday in the 1800 block of North Edison Street was identified by police yesterday as Mona McAllister, 51. Police said Milton E. Shepheard, 53, of the District, was arrested and charged with murder. They said he and the victim apparently knew each other.

-- Christian Davenport and Martin Weil

THE DISTRICT

Fenty Withdraws Friend as Nominee

D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) has withdrawn family friend Lori M. Lee from consideration to head the Public Service Commission after residents and some D.C. Council members said she is not qualified for the nearly $150,000 position.

Fenty's office said he would nominate Betty Ann Kane, former council member and longtime commissioner, to chair the utility watchdog board and would nominate Lee to be a member of the panel.

Lee is a close friend of Michelle Fenty's, the mayor's wife, and a cousin of the wife of the mayor's brother.

Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), a Fenty political ally and the new chair of the Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs, said Lee's legal skills countered any lack of utilities experience.

-- Nikita Stewart

Man Convicted in Six Bank Robberies

A 51-year-old District man was convicted yesterday of committing six downtown bank robberies in a three-month period last year, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Mark Stubblefield was found guilty of six counts of bank robbery in U.S. District Court. They said he got more than $15,000 from Jan. 29 to April 21.

-- Del Quentin Wilber

Teen Pleads Guilty to Shootings

A Southeast Washington teenager pleaded guilty yesterday in D.C. Superior Court in separate shootings in Southeast in January, 2008.

Diedrick R. Johnson, 17, who was charged as an adult, admitted firing at groups of teenagers on Jan. 11 on Douglas Road and then Jan. 22 near Ballou Senior High School. Eight youths were hit.

-- Keith L. Alexander