The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia (2024)

and INSIDE McGraw recreation proposes commission regional B9 parks METRO DEATHS BUSINESS THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 19, 1985 Roanoke Times World- -News SECTION Fatal shooting won't affect deputizing Drug dealing always violent, says assistant U.S. attorney TEE NAN Trying to make the cut New and veteran their auditions at the end of the week. The corps has room for members of the Virginia Tech flag corps learn some new rou- only 36 of the 52 students trying out, and all of them will learn tines on the campus Wednesday afternoon as they prepare for this weekend who makes the cut. Ex-cadet's term suspended in MI fire See for the Pacerd 1 By MARY BISHOP Shenandoah bureau LEXINGTON A former Virginia Military Institute cadet who says he set fire to a VMI building last year to express anger over the handling of an honor charge was given a suspended sentence Wednesday and ordered to repay the school for fire damage. No VMI officials were in Rockbridge County Circuit Court as Matthew Brian Walrod, 24, described how months after leaving the school and moving to Tennessee he took a detour on a middle-of-the-night trip to Philadelphia to stop in Lexington and set fire to Scott Shipp Hall.

The fire caused about $6,000 worth of damage to the academic building. A student was inside but 81, 985 was not injured. "I wanted to bring some attention to me because of what VMI had done to me," he said on the witness stand Wednesday. "I wanted some way of relieving the pressure that they had brought on me. It was stupid." His lawyer, Eric Lee Sisler, said that Walrod had been accused of "rinky-dink" honor charges.

"They should have been contested and they weren't." While there's "no excuse" for setting a fire, Sisler said, the judge should bear in mind that Walrod had worked hard for four years at VMI and was set to fulfill a lifelong dream of being commissioned in the military before his troubles right before graduation. A few weeks before he was to graduate in the spring of 1983, Walrod was accused of getting unauthorized help on some homework. He hired VMI alumnus Beverly C. "John" Read, a Lexington lawyer and public prosecutor, to defend him. Walrod said in a Roanoke Times World-News story published in May that Read had him hypnotized to jog his memory about the homework assignment.

Under hypnosis, Walrod said, he was questioned at Read's direction about drug use at VMI. Doris Guerrant, a licensed professional counselor and psychologist in Roanoke, testified Wednesday that Walrod was brought to her for hypnosis in April 1983 because he was "amnesiac" about the alleged Literacy challenge Community colleges urged to aid thousands unable to read, write RICHMOND The inability of thousands of Virginians to read a newspaper, fill out an employment application or comprehend simple written instructions was a major concern of the state Board for Community Colleges Wednesday. "This is an economic problem (for Virginia) as well as a people problem," said Jeff Hockaday, chancellor of the 23-college system. The board was discussing a report on the mission of the 20-yearold system of two-year commuter schools, which recommended that literacy training be added to the programs of vocational-technical training, liberal arts and sciences, By JACK CHAMBERLAIN Higher education writer remedial instruction and general continuing education. The report was compiled by a committee of community college presidents, local and state board members and business people.

"It will take a lot of thought before this board gets into the business of literacy training," Hockaday said. Board members also discussed a report of the state Council of Higher Education that recommended that 71 courses and programs about 12 percent of the total be seriously considered for abandonment as unproductive. Adult basic education is now the responsibility of the state Department of Education, but Hockaday said the department spends only $2 million a year on literacy programs that reach only 3 percent of those who need help. James T. Edmunds, board member from Kenbridge, said adults who need literacy training are more likely to attend a community college than return high school.

He said literacy training "fits the mission" of the community colleges, which is to provide educational opportunities to all adults in the state. Earle C. Williams, board member from Fairfax County, said he doesn't care who does the job, but somebody has to do it. He said the major problem would be getting the people who need it into the classrooms. According to information from the state Department of Education quoted in the mission report, more than 1.6 million adults in Virginia "can barely read and write Godwin preaches the fiscal gospel, says Democrat Baliles is non-believer state government that would cost rette's running mates, FredericksBy MARGIE FISHER more than $2 billion in the next two burg Sen.

John Chichester for Richmond bureau years and inevitably would require lieutenant governor and Virginia tax increases. Beach Del. William O'Brien for atSOUTH HILL Former Gov. He said Baliles is misleading torney general. "We have a ticket Mills Godwin unsheathed the dagger the public when he suggests his that will keep Virginia on the high of fiscal conservatism Wednesday spending proposals can be met with road, that will keep us on a sound and stuck it to the campaign spend- revenue from an expanding econo- fiscal track." ing promises of the Democrats' can- my.

All of the state's economic ad- Pressed by reporters to comdidate for governor, Gerald Baliles. visers know "you cannot get that ment on the entire Democratic tickOn a swing through Southside kind of revenue even with good eco- et, Godwin was restrained in his Virginia with the GOP gubernatori- nomic growth." Godwin said the response, saying it "certainly does al candidate, Wyatt Durrette, God- Democrat should "tell us just where not represent mainstream Virginwin depicted Baliles as one who he expects to get that kind of money ia." could not be trusted to carry on the and not play around" with unrealis- Referring specifically to Richstate's longstanding tradition of fis- tic revenue projections. mond Sen. Douglas Wilder, the Demcal responsibility and limited gov- In contrast, Godwin said that ocrats' candidate for lieutenant ernment. Durrette would carry forth the phi- governor and the first black to make Godwin, viewed by many as the losophy of limited government, "of a major bid for statewide office, state's consummate conservative government only doing those things Godwin said, "I don't think the color politician, said Baliles is proposing that are reasonably new activities and programs for He extended his praise to Dur- Please see Godwin, Page B8 4 By DOUGLAS PARDUE Staff writer Federal authorities in Western Virginia say they will continue deputizing local police as U.S.

marshals to help in federal drug cases despite the killing of a suspected drug dealer who was shot Tuesday by a deputized Lynchburg policeman. "The drug business has always been violent," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bondurant, who coordinates the government's Organized Crime Drug Task Force in Western Virginia. "We will continue to deputize them" if state and local police are needed in task force investigations, Bondurant said. The killing, which federal authorities said was in self-defense, was the first in a federal drug investigation in Western Virginia since the government set up the drug task force in 1982.

The task force is designed to finance and coordinate federal, state and local drug investigations. Local and state police working on task force investigations can be deputized as U.S. marshals so they can easily follow drug investigations across local and state boundaries with federal agents. The dead drug suspect, Stanley Wayne Morris, 39, an employee of the Charlottesville City Finance Department, was shot once in the front of his neck while either sitting in, or beginning to get out of, the passenger's seat of a car parked at a Charlottesville motel. Morris was killed by Jack Lewis, a senior officer with the Lynchburg Police Department who was working as a deputized U.S.

marshal on an organized crime drug task force investigation. Lewis is one of about 10 state and local police working as deputy marshals on the Western Virginia drug task force, which has nicknamed itself the First Virginia Cavalry. Although federal authorities said the shooting occurred in self defense when Lewis thought he saw Morris going for a weapon, Charlottesville Police Chief John Dek. Bowen said no ruling on self defense has been made. The case is being investigated as a homicide, Bowen said.

"We want to look at this carefully." He said his investigators must review a stack of written statements from police and other witnesses. Lewis was working at the time on continuing investigations stemming from what has been codenamed the "White Christmas" case. The case involves a cocaine distribution ring that used Lynchburg as a storage and distribution point. More than seven people have been charged by federal authorities in connection with the drug operation. The ring brought in as much as $4 million in nearly pure cocaine to the Lynchburg area every few months over a two-year period, officials said.

Karen Peters, the assistant U.S. attorney handling the prosecutions, said Lewis had just completed a "buy-bust" in which he purchased Please see KiNing, Page B2 cheating incident. Walrod, not disciplined much as a child, couldn't handle the stress of VI's demanding regimen and smoked marijuana almost daily, said Guerrant, who continued to see him as a therapeutic client during the last two years. Walrod said last spring that after paying Read $3,188, the lawyer advised him not to take the honor case to trial, to drop out of school and leave the state. To continue with the case would cost another $2,500, Walrod said he was told by Read.

On Wednesday, Walrod testified that "my counsel recommended because of the evidence that was there, that it wouldn't be worth it to Please see Cadet, Page B2 well enough to handle the minimal demands of daily living." Hockaday and Edmunds called the literacy program the key recommendation of the mission report. Generally, the report said the community college system should continue as it has, including remedial instruction to assure that all high school graduates have a chance at higher education. Hockaday and board members accepted the state council's report on curriculum productivity with good graces. They said they even liked it. Although by state council guidelines 71 programs did not atPlease see Colleges, Page B10 Janet Ewert resigning as arts council director By JEFF DeBELL Staff writer Janet Ewert, executive director of the Roanoke Valley Arts Council, has resigned to take a position as to special projects consultant to the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Ewert's resignation is effective Oct. 18. She said Wednesday she will be working with the bureau on a contract basis and is committed to two events for 1986. It has not been decided what they will be, but youth soccer and gymnastics tournaments are possibilities. The events will be intended to bring tourists into the valley.

Ewert is the wife of Bern Ewert, who himself recently resigned as Roanoke's city manager to become director of the River Foundation, a group that seeks to build a scenic river parkway for the valley. Janet Ewert said the couple's job changes are "coincidental" and are unrelated except that both are tourist oriented. "My association with the arts council has been both a professional and a personal satisfaction to me," Ewert said. "I'm very proud the work the arts council does and of excellent quality of our board. I'm leaving at a time when both the arts council's programs and its budget are on a firm foundation and I know Janet Ewert To become consultant my successor will preside over the continued growth of the arts council." A search committee will begin the process of finding a new executive director later this month, according to Robert H.

Teter, president of the arts council board. Please see Ewert, Page B2 Wilder: 'a brand new day in Virginia' By DWAYNE YANCEY the man was flying "the biggest Confederate flag I've ever seen." Staff writer The man, a gruff old fellow, motioned to two white friends and asked Wilder: "Why don't you go Douglas Wilder told his first all-black audi- with the boys? Well, the 'boys' were about my age. ence Wednesday that it shouldn't believe predic- One had a chaw of tobacco the size of his fist tions that a black can't be elected in Virginia, Red Man, to be exact and the other had a little because he's received warm welcomes even from bit of snuff." tobacco-chewing white men waving Confederate They took Wilder to a nearby country store flags. "you should have seen the look on that lady's face "I can tell you it is a brand new day in Virgin- when she saw us" and then to a quarry up in the ia," said Wilder, the state's most prominent black mountains where they spent the afternoon fishing. politician and the Democratic candidate for lieu- They caught 20 trout, which they took back to tenant governor.

cook for supper. When the evening was over, the Wilder noted that the Washington Post re- man made "a very sizable donation" to Wilder's cently ran a photograph of him when he just hap- campaign. pened to be standing in front of a Confederate flag "So when someone asks me how I feel about and that many people have asked him how he felt seeing a Confederate flag, I say, where's the rest about it. of them?" Wilder said. In response, he told a story about calling on The point, he said, is that his race isn't keepone supporter in Southwest Virginia.

When Wilder ing white voters from supporting him. got to the man's home, he became uneasy because Please see Wilder, Page B8.

The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Terence Hammes MD

Last Updated:

Views: 6148

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (69 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terence Hammes MD

Birthday: 1992-04-11

Address: Suite 408 9446 Mercy Mews, West Roxie, CT 04904

Phone: +50312511349175

Job: Product Consulting Liaison

Hobby: Jogging, Motor sports, Nordic skating, Jigsaw puzzles, Bird watching, Nordic skating, Sculpting

Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.