Chase Purdy

Fugitive awaits sentencing for alleged molestation

2009-11-04T00:36:00.002-05:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

STAUNTON — Nobody caught Jose Orlando Romero-Feliciano easily. Tracking him meant a chase to the south of the country, down into the twin cities of Louisiana, next to the bank of the Ouachita River.

Romero-Feliciano, 31, spent five months on the run. But a person can’t stay lost forever and the city of West Monroe, La., washed him out like a sieve, right into the arms of the federal authorities assigned to find him.

The Staunton man appeared before a Staunton Circuit Court judge Tuesday, pleading guilt, finally, to a child-sodomy crime.

Staunton authorities first sought Romero-Feliciano in February on charges he violated his probation and forced an 8-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him. But the man fled the state shortly after, sparking a manhunt that eventually included U.S. Marshals in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, and the Fugitive Apprehension Strike Force led by the U.S. Marshals Service of Western Louisiana.

Staunton Police Investigator Chad Nestor worked the case from the front stoop of Romero-Feliciano’s Staunton home all the way to the end, when he spent more than 14 hours in a car with the man, delivering him back to Virginia.

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

A time for giving

2009-11-02T01:07:00.001-05:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

LYNDHURST—All the leaves had changed, but Tanya Gigliotti just pushed them aside with her feet. Her job never changes with the season and there were more boxes to carry.

Gigliotti, 50, started the local chapter of Restoration Ministries Global with her husband in 1995, and it became a way for her to live a full life. Every week she and a team of volunteers load a van full of donated food, transport it to Gigliotti’s pantry in Lyndhurst, separate the items into boxes, reload the van and begin deliveries.

Last year they fed more than 800 people a week. This year the need has almost doubled. More than 1,400 people sign up for the food service, the consequence of recession and area job losses, she said.

The increase in need changed the face of volunteerism and giving, Gigliotti said.

“It’s gone down almost half,” she said. “A lot of the people that were helping us just aren’t giving right now. They’re volunteering, but they’re using us, too.”

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

Trouble brews again at Eastside

2009-11-01T15:19:00.004-05:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

By the time police got to the fallen security guard, he’d forgotten his name.

Standing nearly 7 feet, Troy Price, 48, of Fishersville, was hit in the back of the head while working at Eastside Speedway a week ago, authorities said. He suffered several strokes, leaving him without feeling in, or control of, the right side of his body.

Authorities are investigating but have made no arrests.

After days of medical attention, Price’s condition has improved, his wife, Juli, 47, said Saturday.

It was the second violent incident at the Dooms race track in as many months.

Juli Price, who works next to a police scanner at an Augusta County traffic operation center, heard about the assault at the same time as police Oct. 24, she said.

Moments later her phone started ringing. “I get a phone call, and they want to know what meds Troy is taking, because he doesn’t know who he is or what he is,” Juli Price said.

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

Trucks stop here

2009-10-25T17:04:00.003-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

GREENVILLE — You gotta mix water in the coffee at the Pilot truck stop in Greenville, otherwise you’ll get the jitters. Trucker Doug Smith swears to this.

Smith must find ways to stay awake and keep moving, especially in Virginia, where rest stop closures contribute to bottlenecking at places like the Pilot station. The trucks from Interstate 81 stream off the highway onto Route 11 and at any given time pose traffic problems for locals and create hurdles for development, Augusta County officials said.

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

Reclaiming the Hill

2009-10-25T16:55:00.003-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

STAUNTON — The evolution of a neighborhood starts with its most essential element: the neighbors.

So when a man was mugged on Sears Hill on Sept. 14, his neighbors took their community concerns to Staunton city council. The group asked for advice and help; they asked for attention.

Today, members of city council will walk with residents, cleaning up the neighborhood.

Yet the future of Sears Hill remains uncertain. Outside eyes foresee a seventh historic neighborhood. But residents are focused on keeping the community from slipping back to its unsavory past.

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian

Lost pigeon perishes on long journey home

2009-10-18T00:12:00.003-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

To suggest the jaunty bird preferred Waynesboro to Delaware would be amiss.

Racing pigeons, known for their loyalty, don’t just fly 300 miles out of their way on a whim. And they definitely don’t travel 300 miles out of their way to fly smack into the window of a city finance department.

When the call broke over police scanners in the late morning on a tough and dreary Thursday, Waynesboro Animal Control Officer Dee Price didn’t waste a minute.

Price drove to the second-story balcony of Waynesboro City Hall, observed the situation, then made the call.

“I’ve got a 10-45,” Price announced into her radio.

An animal carcass.

“It had already died when I got there,” Price said. “From what they described to me, and from what I can tell, it looks like it might have just flown into the window.”

The small racing pigeon, or homing pigeon, didn’t come without identification. Its owner tagged the bird’s name around one of its its legs: NEW547.

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

Schools see H1N1 spike

2009-10-17T20:24:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

More than 300 Stuarts Draft High School students missed classes this week in what district health officials called an upswing of suspected H1N1 virus cases.

In recent weeks, students across the county missed school, complaining about flu-like symptoms, Augusta County Schools Superintendent Gary McQuain said Thursday.

Stuarts Draft High School counted about 100 absent students Tuesday, and 60 more absences Thursday, according to school officials. More specific numbers were not available.

“This is an earlier flu than normal,” McQuain said. “The numbers have gone down in the past couple of days and my guess is that it will pop up elsewhere.”

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

Wilkins murder charge certified

2009-10-05T22:24:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

STAUNTON — Thirty-three seconds and a missing key landed Timothy Aaron Wilkins in the hands of Augusta County deputies.

Just before authorities arrested him for the murder of his girlfriend, Wilkins rifled through the front seat of his Toyota 4 Runner, looking for his car keys as the body of his girlfriend lay stashed in the trunk, investigators said in court Wednesday.

Wilkins wasn’t going anywhere.

Read the full story at The News Virginian

Judge softens accused man's jail sentence

2009-09-25T08:43:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

Sitting in court Thursday, Brian Eugene Brubaker listened as attorneys authored the second-half of his life.

Judge Victor V. Ludwig softened sentencing of the 42-year-old Crimora man, adding only three years in prison to Brubaker’s existing 22-year sentence from other jurisdictions.

Officials in Rockingham, Augusta and Greene counties first sought Brubaker in June 2008, after he abandoned a decades-long non-violent record for a 15-day robbery spree.

After a failed robbery attempt at Ladd Convenience in Waynesboro, Brubaker went on a string of stickups, later telling an officer he suffered from an addiction, according to court testimony. He robbed at knifepoint seven store clerks in four counties before his arrest in the bathroom of a Harrisonburg car dealership.

Brubaker, suffering from clinical depression, targeted stores with guns, hoping a clerk might end his life, defense attorney Charles E. Garner said.

Read the full story at The News Virginian

Wrestlers launch free ‘stimulus’ show

2009-09-19T09:28:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

For nine years Mark Fitzgerald lived two lives. Tonight, in a free-to-the-public wrestling event, he’ll reconcile the two.

He used to balance work as a Papa John’s employee and a professional wrestler, developing a loyal Shenandoah Valley fan base in the ring. Fitzgerald and several other organizers, many of whom also wrestle, dreamed up the free event to give back to their fans, he said.

“This year’s show’s cause is an economic relief show. Our stimulus plan,” he said. “You’ll have kids, babies, grandmas and grandpas there. Everybody knows who we are around here — it’s a thing — everyone expects us to be there.”

Read the full story at The News Virginian

Abductor to serve 15-year sentence

2009-09-19T09:25:00.002-04:00

Alcoholism defense gives no sway
BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

A Waynesboro judge quashed alcoholism as a defense for Roy Scott Thompson in court Friday before sentencing him to 15 years in prison for abducting and soliciting sex from a teenage babysitter.

Thompson, 25, of Waynesboro, pleaded guilty in May to abduction and child pornography charges, just before a trial that would have put the 14-year-old girl on the stand.

During sentencing Friday, Thompson watched as his aunt, mother and best friend took the stand in his defense.

“He’s a great father.”
“My son’s a good kid.”
“He ran into some bad luck.”

The three described Thompson’s struggles with alcohol, a problem that began at age 14, they said.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Charles Ajemian discarded alcohol as an excuse for Thompson’s crime.

Read the full story at The News Virginian

Trolley seriously injures elderly man

2009-09-17T00:23:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The News Virginian

STAUNTON — A Churchville man was in serious condition after a Staunton city trolley hit him Tuesday morning.

Leo South, 88, was hit in the driveway of Baldwin Park apartments off Woodlee Road near North Augusta Street, police said.

South was flown to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, where he was listed in serious condition, according to a hospital representative.

It was the first serious injury in a trolley accident since the rides began in 2000, Deputy City Manager James Halasz said.

Read the rest of the story at The News Virginian.

Point A

2009-09-05T22:08:00.001-04:00

Starting this week, I'm a journalist.

I start a job at The News Virginian wedged between two authors: my favorite journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, and Edna Buchanan.

I set out Tuesday.

Artist, 2 sons paint biblical icons in Scottsdale church

2009-08-13T18:01:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Tom Clark paints in an invisible language.

Commissioned by Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Scottsdale, the 53-year-old artist and his two sons flew from Athens, Greece, and began painting icons on the ceiling and walls of the church June 25. Their work will be unveiled at a dedication on Saturday.

High atop a forest of iron scaffolding, Demetrios Clark, 19, and his brother Basil, 17, paint biblical figures alongside their father.

Representing a tradition that spans hundreds of years, the colorful images are a way for the faithful to surround themselves with reminders of a world beyond the one they know, Tom said.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Scottsdale man wants resolution over 71-year-old law

2009-08-12T14:36:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

At 86, Leon Spiro wants a resolution.

He is faced with a problem shrouded in legal ambiguity, rooted in arcane federal land laws and roundly dismissed by Scottsdale and some of its policymakers. Yet at least one local lawyer
says the uncertainty might come back to haunt other local landowners.

The dispute between Spiro and Scottsdale has developed over a 71-year-old law created to allow the federal government to sell surplus land in the Wild West. In the old days, parcels sold for cheap, so long as buyers committed to improve the land.

These days, the problem isn't about the land, but about the space in between.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Students upset after center's art instructor not asked to return

2009-08-10T19:56:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Scottsdale refused to renew the contract of longtime Via Linda Senior Center artist Ernie Shapiro despite a groundswell of student support.

Shapiro, who helped start the senior-center art program in 1996, taught his last class Thursday and left without a thank you from city management, but it is his students who will suffer most from the decision, he said.

Paul Ludwick, Scottsdale's human services director, discontinued the city's 13-year relationship with Shapiro with little discussion of his reasoning.

"There was no cause for why it was not renewed," Ludwick said. "I don't have any reason at all to say he was not a good artist, or not a good person. It's not a matter for debate or discussion."

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Businesses rush to aid cancer-stricken man fighting for life again

2009-08-07T16:03:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

For Matt Youmans, the words "thank you" can't express his gratitude, no matter how many times he repeats them.

"I quickly realized that the words 'thank you' just weren't big enough," Youmans said, referring to the fundraising efforts over the past two weeks on his behalf. "I cry. I pray. And I want to say 'thank you,' and they all say 'Stop.' "

Youmans, a Scottsdale bartender, is battling mucinous adenocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the appendix.

He thought he beat it once nearly five years ago, but it returned in mid-July.

More than 65 hotels, bars and restaurants have joined to raise money for Youmans, who has no medical insurance.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

72 arrested in MCSO's 3-day crime sweep

2009-07-26T13:43:00.002-04:00

10 immigrants were later freed

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced Saturday afternoon that his office has arrested 72 people during a three-day crime suppression sweep that began Thursday.

The crime-suppression operation started as an attempt to control crime and illegal immigration in Chandler and Queen Creek, Arpaio said.

But new federal guidelines are preventing deputies from arresting undocumented immigrants solely for being in the country illegally. MCSO released three undocumented immigrants from custody Thursday and seven Friday per instruction from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Girl hopes lemonade stand will raise $5K for cancer research

2009-07-24T17:27:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Cori Bachler never took her cues from an adult. When she learned about her friend's mother's brain cancer, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

The 11-year-old Scottsdale resident spends every Tuesday and Thursday working her roadside lemonade stand at 60th Street and Wethersfield Road. She started the stand in June, after learning about her friend's mother.

Her goal is to raise $5,000 to donate to the American Cancer Society, to fund research for brain cancer. Cori works the stand with several school friends, she said, but also attributes much of its success to her stepfather, Steve Fuller.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Time to get down and dirty in mud

2009-07-15T18:39:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Terry Erickson said she plans to park her car around midnight. She'll survey her spot at Chaparral Park, an island tucked into the anonymous grid of muted Scottsdale streets.

At 2 a.m. Friday her team of staff and volunteers will slip into the light and begin their work. Her phone will ring and she'll answer. A group of nephews and nieces will wait on the other side of the line, excited about the day ahead of them.

"Hello, this is Terry," she'll say.

"Mighty Mud, Mighty MUD, MIGHTY MUD," they'll chant, small voices in the small hours of the night.

The call marks the beginning of Mighty Mud Mania, a 34-year-old Scottsdale tradition which attracts thousands of Valley residents.

For three weeks, dinosaur-sized construction equipment rumbled across the park, digging ditches to shape the terrain for a massive mud obstacle course.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Iverson's positive attitude makes difference

2009-07-13T14:25:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

The tap on the window startled her, but Dorothy Iverson closed her book and rolled the window down anyway.

Outside the car, a Navajo man sat on his haunches, eye-level. They stared for a moment, and then he spoke with a thoughtful tone.

"Why don't you come in?" he said. "Don't be like a Navajo lady, always following the men. You should come in with your husband."

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Companies feel strain of complying with safety law

2009-07-08T18:28:00.002-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Reading through the paperwork, Karen Brooks thought it was a joke. It was unlike anything she'd seen in 20 years.

"This can't be happening," she told herself in 2007, as she skimmed through pages of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that had been passed by Congress.

Brooks works for Bumkins, a Scottsdale manufacturer of baby products. As production and sourcing manager, she oversees the Scottsdale location's day-to-day operation. It's her job to make sure the company is in compliance with the evolving federal legislation.

But the law, meant to protect children from harmful products in toys and clothes, is increasing costs for some small business owners, and driving others out of business.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

District votes to keep school open

2009-07-08T18:23:00.003-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Desert Arroyo Middle School will remain open, the Cave Creek Unified School District governing board decided Tuesday.

The decision was met with applause from more than 150 people who attended the meeting.

The school district calculated this spring that it would need to cut between $4 million and $6 million from its 2009-2010 budget. The board considered many options, including teacher furloughs, pay reductions and layoffs to handle the cuts. Many feared the reductions wouldn't be enough, which prompted the governing board to consider closing the school for good.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

Couple create special bond with widow

2009-07-04T18:20:00.001-04:00

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Anna Piatkiewicz, a New York City transplant, stepped out of the car. The 77-year-old woman stood tall, her pink corsage ruffling in the breeze.

Around the car, Bill Vieregg, 60, eased the driver-side door shut and joined her. Piatkiewicz, a widow of almost four years, turned toward her church. She wouldn't sit alone at Easter service.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.

PV to reimburse 1,000 cited by traffic camera

2009-06-29T11:08:00.003-04:00

Bad yellow-light timer blamed for $36,000 worth of citations

BY CHASE PURDY
The Arizona Republic

Paradise Valley plans to refund a total of $36,000 to more than 1,000 drivers who received tickets for running a faulty traffic light at Tatum Boulevard and McDonald Drive.

The town sent 1,063 letters June 22 informing drivers ticketed between May 7 and June 17 to expect a full refund of their fines.

The yellow left-turn signal at the intersection lasted only three seconds, but town policy states yellow lights should last 4.5 seconds, Town Manager Jim Bacon said Thursday.

Drivers who paid only a citation will receive a refund of $182. Those who attended defensive-driving school will receive $234.

Public Works Director Andrew Cooper said he planned to investigate whether it was equipment or human error.

"We do not have all the data that we've requested," he said. "We definitely know it was a failure."

Cooper would not reveal the source of the data he had requested.

Read the rest of the story at The Arizona Republic.