by Alicia Constant
Post Date:
April 1, 2011

Week in review

Name: WORLD
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School shooter misses, washed-up whale, unemployment falls, and duck vs.

School shooter

A former Manassas college student upset about his failing math grade pleaded guilty Monday to attempted murder. Jason M. Hamilton, 21, fired two shots at his Northern Virginia Community College professor, Tatyana Kravchuk.

The first shot hit a blackboard behind Kravchuk, who ducked under her desk. The second shot hit the wall behind her, Prince William Police Dept. Brian Cavanaugh said. No one was hurt.

Hamilton gave himself up peacefully and told police the shootings were "a way to release pent-up anger." Prosecutor Paul Ebert said that a court-ordered psychiatric investigation determined Hamilton has mental health problems but is not criminally insane. Hamilton could face two to 20 years in prison.

Washed-up whale

The Virginia Aquarium plans to perform a necropsy to determine what killed a whale that washed up on Virginia Beach. Media outlets report that the nearly 40-foot-long Sei whale's body was found Sunday morning in Sandbridge. The incident drew several interested observers with cameras. Aquarium officials say the necropsy will be performed Monday onsite. Sei whales are an endangered species, and officials are still trying to figure out how the whale ended up on Virginia Beach.

No radiation risk

State health officials say monitoring systems haven't detected levels of radioactive material in Virginia that would pose public-health concerns.

EPA air monitors found very slightly elevated radioactive material in rainwater in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts as a result of airborne particles from the nuclear plant incident in Japan. Virginia Department of Health Commissioner Karen Remley says the agency started its routine quarterly radiological health monitoring Monday, a week earlier than scheduled. The monitoring checks radiation levels in air, drinking water, vegetation and milk at multiple sites statewide. Remley said short-term elevations such as the ones in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania don't pose health risks.

February unemployment falls

Virginia's unemployment rate fell slightly in February and remains below the national average. However, more people were receiving regular unemployment benefits.

The Virginia Employment Commission said Friday that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February was 6.4 percent. That's slightly lower than January and lower than the rate of 7.2 percent last February. The state's unemployment rate has been trending down since the rate of 7.3 percent last March. The agency said 65,135 Virginians were receiving regular unemployment benefits in February, up about 12,120 from January and down more than 23,700 from February 2010.

Autism coverage in limbo

Gov. Bob McDonnell is seeking to limit a bill that mandates coverage by some group health plans for children with autism. McDonnell proposed subjecting some autism treatment providers to Board of Medicine licensure, said legislators knowledgeable about discussions with the administration. He also proposed delaying the measure's effective date by six months, to July 2012.

The lawmakers said McDonnell wants to tighten eligibility for some small employer groups and make the treatment less available by requiring that it be provided directly by a certified provider, not someone supervised by a certified provider as bill prescribes.

Off-shore drilling

U.S. House Republicans introduced bills Tuesday that would lift a moratorium on off-shore drilling near the Virginia coast. The bills are sponsored by Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, and Scott Rigell, R-Virginia Beach. If passed, one bill would allow companies to drill in a 2.9-million acre tract located around 50 miles off the coast. It would be the first time that companies have been allowed to drill in that area since President Obama banned drilling in the aftermath of last year's Gulf oil spill.

Friendly wager

Virginia Gov. Bob Mcdonnell and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels have placed a friendly wager on Virginia Commonwealth University's game against Butler University on Saturday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Daniels wagered "a variety of duck products" from Indiana, and McDonnell staked a Virginia hand-cured country ham on a VCU victory.

VCU and Butler play the first NCAA Tournament Final Four game at 6:09 p.m. Saturday in Houston. If he wins the bet, McDonnell said he might save the duck for the Rams' victory dinner at the governor's mansion.

Legislative Wrap-Up

Signed:

Requiring abortion clinics to meet outpatient surgical center regulations. Extending time limit for victims of sexual abuse to sue their attackers from two years to 20. Moving the state's presidential primary elections from February to the first Tuesday in March. Designating the striped bass as Virginia's official saltwater fish. Prohibiting vendors seeking to do business with the state from making political contributions during the procurement process. Allowing notarizations to take place via webcam. Requiring restitution to victims of child pornography. Allowing out-of-state residents to acquire car-title loans from small, storefront lenders in Virginia.

Vetoed:

Adding 150 minutes of physical education to public schools. Increasing the $2 million cap on medical malpractice lawsuit awards to $3 million. Imposing a fine for failure to report water-withdrawal information. Changing civil penalties issued by the Department of Environmental Quality.