Randle Harris

The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office reports they are still searching for Karen Koogler, of Staunton. Officials say on Nov. 3, the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, sheriff’s offices in Nelson and Buckingham County and the Virginia State Police conducted a waterborne search of the James River near the Route 56 boat ramp in Wingina, Va. The search met negative results. According to a press release from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, on Nov. 4, a search was conducted across a wide area near Wingina. Thirteen members of the sheriff’s office conducted a daylong search for Koogler and her 2012 Subaru Outback, with Virginia tag KNK-6076. Koogler remains missing. If you have any information regarding Koogler or her whereabouts, contact Investigator Reid with the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office at 540-245-5333.

Political parties are gearing up for Election Day, and local representatives are hopeful their candidates will win. Leaders from both sides told WHSV they are confident their candidates will win. They are happy with the large voter turnout already and hope it will continue Tuesday. “We’re going to have the best republican showing that we have seen in a long time,” Rockingham County Republican Committee Chairman Daryl Borgquist said. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the election and a lot of interest in the election.” “It’s going to be a beautiful day tomorrow in Virginia and I hope that we will have a really good turnout of democrats and start turning Rockingham County blue,” Rockingham County Democratic Committee Vice-Chair Tim Jost said. Both Borgquist and Jost believe voters will be safe going to the polls Tuesday.

Spotswood Elementary School closed on Sept. 14 after three teachers notified the school they were experiencing COVID-19 experiences. Of those three Harrisonburg City Public School teachers, only one tested positive for COVID-19. Superintendent Dr. Michael Richards said those teachers did exactly what they were supposed to do; stay home from school and get tested. The local health department and HCPS have collaborated throughout this process to contact trace. Richards said a dedicated epidemiologist was assigned to the school’s case. COVID-19 cases have popped up in other Valley school divisions, but out of an abundance of caution, Richards said they decided to close. Spotswood will be reopening after seven days on Sept. 21, but not everyone will be returning to the classroom just yet. “We’ll have a couple of classes in quarantine, of course that means those phone calls have been made and what that means has been explained and so certain students and certain staff members will be away from the school for a 14 day quarantine,” Richards said. Richard said families and staff affected by this will be notified if this quarantine applies to them. Before Monday’s reopening, Richard said there will be thorough cleaning of the entire elementary school.

Following a racially-insensitive Facebook post allegedly written by the mayor of Luray, Barry Presgraves made a statement on his Facebook page. In the post, Presgraves said “I posted a picture on 8-1-20, I am sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings lesson learned. It was not my intent to hurt anyone. I took it to be humorous. Sorry!” Residents of the town are beginning to ask for the mayor’s resignation. On Saturday, a protest is organized to take place outside of the W Luray Recreation Center at 12:30 p.m. to demand action. Over the weekend, a social media post appeared online by Mayor Barry Presgraves who allegedly wrote: “Joe Biden has just announced Aunt Jemima as his VP pick.” The post appears to have since been deleted, but not before a screenshot was captured and widely shared by users online. Presgraves could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. Councilwoman Leah Pence called for Presgraves to resign. “The comment you posted has a type of humor that not been appropriate or funny in my lifetime or yours,” said Pence, who shared her letter to Presgraves on Facebook. “While a resignation alone will not resolve the systemic subliminal racism that plagues our community, your resignation is imperative as we work towards ending racism in our community. You are accountable for your words and decisions as the leader of The Town of Luray and your recent actions have caused me and many citizens to lose faith and confidence in your capacity to effectively and justly serve as Mayor of The Town of Luray.” Councilman Joey Sours said he spoke with Presgraves since the comments were posted. "I spoke with the Mayor personally to encourage him to publicly apologize for sharing the meme, regardless of his intent due to the resultant impact, and to make every effort to rectify the situation," Sours said in a statement to WHSV. "I care deeply for the Town of Luray and its citizens and I care for the Mayor whom I've worked alongside for many years. Although the comments were not my own, I apologize to all who were hurt by them. " Sours added while condemning harmful words or actions is justified, we must not make the mistake of immediately condemning the individual. "That only cements divisiveness as it prevents a means for dialogue that can bring healing and closure to the situation. This one comment need not define the man nor our community. This is a time for forgiveness and grace - something each of us needs to both give and receive every day. This is something that we will get past," Sours' statement read. “Barry does not speak for the council and does not speak for me,” Councilman Ron Vickers said. According to a public notice, the Town Council will discuss the events leading to this statement at their August 10th meeting

Following a racially-insensitive Facebook post allegedly written by the mayor of Luray, the town issued a statement saying Luray rejects racism and is committed to working together with the community through understanding, compassion, and opportunity. Over the weekend, a social media post appeared online by Mayor Barry Presgraves who allegedly wrote: “Joe Biden has just announced Aunt Jemima as his VP pick.” The post appears to have since been deleted, but not before a screenshot was captured and widely shared by users online. Former vice president Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and has suggested he would be choosing a woman for his vice-presidential running mate. Presgraves could not be reached for comment on Monday. Councilwoman Leah Pence called for Presgraves to resign. "The comment you posted has a type of humor that not been appropriate or funny in my lifetime or yours," said Pence, who shared her letter to Presgraves on Facebook. "While a resignation alone will not resolve the systemic subliminal racism that plagues our community, your resignation is imperative as we work towards ending racism in our community. You are accountable for your words and decisions as the leader of The Town of Luray and your recent actions have caused me and many citizens to lose faith and confidence in your capacity to effectively and justly serve as Mayor of The Town of Luray."

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James Madison University sent an email to their students and members of the JMU family to discuss their back-to-campus plan Friday. In the email, Vice President for Student Affairs Tim Miller outlined the university’s Stop the Spread plan, which was certified and approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia on July 23. JMU said that it is essential their students and faculty members wear a mask, social distance, complete daily health screenings and contact the University Health Center if they begin to show symptoms of COVID-19. Other expectations include isolating for eight full days prior to students’ return to campus, and for all students to complete an online eLearning course concerning the coronavirus. Students must also agree to the COVID-19 Stop the Spread Agreement, which will be a part of the check-in process for the fall semester. Students must sign the agreement, which can be found on MyMadison, by August 14. Additionally, health screening questions should be completed each day. These questions will be related to body temperature and COVID-19 symptoms and can be answered on the LiveSafe mobile app. When it comes to being on campus, students are expected to wear a mask, which must be brought from home. There may not be gatherings of more than 10 people. If you are part of a student organization, meetings should be held virtually if possible. If not, social distancing must be taken into account when meeting.

Thirteen residents at the Cedars Healthcare Center (CHC) in Charlottesville have so far died in connection with the coronavirus. Additionally, 16 others have been hospitalized. A CommuniCare spokesperson confirmed to NBC29 Friday, July 24, that are dozens COVID-19 cases among staff and residents at CDC, but did not provide an exact number of fatalities from the virus. The facility had a total of 67 cases Friday, 26 of which were staff members. “We treat these fatalities as very tragic events. Our residents are not statistics to us: They are names, faces, habits, they’re people we interact with on a daily basis, and we grieve their loss,” spokesperson Fred Stratmann said. Strattman says all of the fatalities and hospitalizations are residents of the Cedars Healthcare Center. According to the Virginia Long-Term Care Task Force, CHC reported a total of 85 cases Tuesday, July 28. The task force labels this as an outbreak in progress at Cedars Healthcare Center.

The number of people filing for unemployment in Virginia continues to rise. According to officials, 37,946 people filed new claims last week, a jump of about 5,600 compared to the week prior. Since March 1,008,797 initial claims have been filed in the state. The Virginia Employment Commission held a virtual meeting Thursday where officials addressed another issue. Officials must figure out how to replenish the trust fund as it’s set to be depleted soon. “At the start of 2020 it was projected to be at $1.5 billion,” official Joyce Fogg said. The trust fund was depleted in 2010 after the recession but in years following the state worked to build it back up. “We anticipate the trust fund will be depleted in less than two months and Virginia will have to borrow from the federal government in order to continue making benefit payments,” Fogg said. The state will have to take steps to get the fund back but it will cost employers. “Employers are facing significant tax hikes in order to replenish the trust fund. Businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic and have laid off or furloughed the most employees could face the highest tax increases,” Fogg explained.

A former nursing assistant in West Virginia has pleaded guilty to the murder of 7 patients at a veterans hospital. Documents showed that Reta Mays is charged with second-degree murder after giving insulin to non-diabetic patients while working at the Louis A Johnson at VA medical center.

Northam then said the state should increase the enforcement of face coverings and social distancing. One idea is for the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia ABC teams to conduct unannounced visits to establishments as needed. Northam said that this would happen across the state, but be more focused on Hampton Roads. If a restaurant or a business is not following guidelines, their license could be on the line. Northam also reminded business owners that they have the right to deny service to someone who is not following the mask mandate or social distancing guidelines. “No shirt, no shoes, no mask... no service,” Northam said. A plan to impose an earlier cutoff for alcohol sales at restaurants is also being considered. Northam said there would be more to come on this soon.

A big decision out of the Rockingham County school board is set to be made Monday night. School board members will be voting on a “reopening plan” for county schools. The proposal will have students ages Pre-K through first grade coming in four days a week, with Wednesdays off, and grades second through 12th grade coming in two days a week, alternating between A and B groups on certain days to allow for social distancing. Superintendent Dr. Oskar Scheikl said the plan is based on what experts in the field are saying. “We need to look at expert advice. We need to ask ‘Can we provide in-school education?’ and do it in a way that is safe for students and for staff,” Scheikl said. School buses are also a challenge when it comes to social distancing.

The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) says two residents have escaped from Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center and are at large. The agency says Jabar A. Taylor, 20, and Rashad E. Williams, 18, escaped in the early morning hours of Monday through a hole that had been cut in a security fence. An investigation says the residents used a cord of undetermined origin to choke the security staff member, who briefly lost consciousness. They took the staff member’s keys which they used to exit the unit and then escaped through a hole that had been cut in the facility’s perimeter security fence. They then boarded and left in a vehicle that appears to have been waiting for them.

The state of Virginia plans to remove the large statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Richmond’s Monument Avenue by cutting it into three sections and then reassembling it elsewhere. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that statue’s removal still depends on a court’s approval. A judge recently halted removal plans after a lawsuit was filed against taking down the monument. Meanwhile, the state has been figuring out how it could deconstruct the 13-ton sculpture, which depicts Lee riding a horse. A state review board recently approved a plan that calls for a crane to remove the 21-foot statue from its 40-foot pedestal. The bronze statue would then be taken apart because it’s too tall to go under bridges. Conservator B.R. Howard Conservation said the removal would require cutting the metal “along original casting joints or along the edges of cast elements or sculpted folds.” The firm said the entire process will leave “little evidence of cutting and reassembly.”

Virginia State Police are looking for the driver of a gold vehicle after a hit and run crash left a motorcyclist seriously hurt in Augusta County. Investigators described the vehicle as a gold Acura. On Friday afternoon, police said a motorcycle traveling north on Stuarts Draft Highway/Route 340 was sideswiped by the vehicle near a crossover. The car stopped but kept going toward the city of Waynesboro and took a right on Lyndhurst Road. The 39-year-old Staunton motorcyclist was taken to UVA Medical Center for treatment.

Staunton city council is holding a public hearing this evening dealing with Mary Baldwin university student housing for the upcoming year.

On Thursday night, the Shenandoah County School Board voted to remove the names of Confederate leaders from two of its schools. The resolution on the school board’s agenda moved that the names of Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School be retired, in as well as the Rebel mascot at North Fork Middle School. This is a continuation of a resolution passed last month by the board condemning racism and affirming the division’s commitment to an inclusive school environment. A postponement was asked by school board member, Marty Helsley to bring the topic back up at the next school board meeting, but the board voted to reject it. After the board went into a discussion the resolution was approved 5-1 Community members showed their support and opposition for the possibility of the name change for the schools and the mascot. Dozens sat in on the virtual meeting to speak their opinion during the public commenting period.

Follow the money. That's what a new york city prosecutor and the democratically-controlled "house of representatives" wanted to do. Both went to court to gain access to president trump's financial records. Today the supreme court issued decisions in two cases. It blocked Congress from seeing the documents but cleared the way for the "New York district attorney" to get access.

A mail carrier has admitted to federal charges in the alleged manipulation of absentee voter requests according to West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell and Secretary of State Mac Warner. Thomas Cooper, 47, of Dry Fork pleaded guilty Thursday to single counts of injury to the mail and attempt to defraud the residents of West Virginia of a fair election, according to a news release. Cooper will be sentenced at a later date. An affidavit filed in late May states that Cooper altered eight absentee ballot requests in Pendleton County, changing party affiliation on the ballots from Democrat to Republican. Cooper delivered the tampered requests to the cities of Onego, Riverton and Franklin before the ballots were discovered by an election official in the Pendleton County Courthouse.

The president has threatened that he may be cutting off funding to schools that do not re-open. 90 percent however comes from state and local governments.

Health and educational leaders gathered at the white house to talk about why *they* feel its important to get students back to class "in-person" this fall.