Michelle ‘Missy’ Henry continues to wear jailhouse garb pending a third date for her bond hearing this Tuesday, July 23. However, she will remain housed at RSW Jail until that hearing, rather than be returned to the Manassas jail she was transferred to on June 25. Photo RSW website

Former Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Director Michelle “Missy” Henry had a second bond hearing continued Friday, July 19. Henry appeared with co-counsel Ryan Nuzzo and David Hensley near the end of the 9 a.m. morning docket at 12:07 p.m. The hearing was over at 12:10 p.m.

Judge William W. Sharp reaffirmed his recusal from all EDA matters, then continued Henry’s bond hearing to Tuesday, July 23, on the morning docket. Sharp indicated that 26th Judicial District Chief Judge Bruce D. Albertson would be present to hear arguments at that time. As chief presiding district judge Albertson is responsible for naming a substitute judge to hear EDA civil and criminal cases in the wake of Judge Sharp’s recusal and Judge Clifford L. Athey’s move away from circuit court duties as he prepares to take a seat on the Virginia State Appeals Court on September 1.

Sharp submitted a written recusal on July 12, citing what might be called “small-town syndrome” – a personal or professional familiarity with many involved parties either named as defendants or potential witnesses in EDA matters. Albertson is based out of Harrisonburg.

Discussing their client’s situation outside the courtroom Friday afternoon, Henry’s attorneys said it was their understanding that not only would Albertson be present to hear and make a ruling on bond arguments Tuesday, but was poised to name a substitute judge on the criminal and civil matters arising from the EDA fraud investigation. They said it was also their understanding that appointment could be a self-appointment.

“Missy” Henry became the second person indicted criminally by the Special Grand Jury empanelled to investigate potential criminality tied to the EDA financial fraud investigation begun in mid-September 2018. The first criminal indictments handed down were against Henry’s former boss, former EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald. McDonald was arrested by Virginia State Police on special grand jury sealed indictments May 24, Henry on June 24.

It appeared that at least five Henry family members were present to see Tuesday’s developments unfold. In arguing for bond at Henry’s first hearing on June 25, the day after her arrest, Nuzzo pointed to Henry’s long and deep community ties. He also noted that the events named in her two embezzlement indictments surrounding the EDA’s B&G Goods small business loan and asset dispersal on the old Stokes Mart property dated to 2014 to 2016.

For Michelle Henry’s family the wheels of justice must seem to be spinning in neutral. Royal Examiner File Photos/Roger Bianchini

“These are very old actions …If she was a flight risk she would have fled by now,” Nuzzo told substitute Judge Thomas D. Horne. Horne deferred a ruling on bond arguments due to his unfamiliarity with the case, continuing the matter to July 19.

Jail transfer sought
In a related matter, Henrys’ counsel filed a motion Thursday, July 18, to have their client moved out of the Prince William Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center some 44 miles out of this community and away from her family’s home base.

Of that move over an hour’s drive away following her first bond hearing on June 25, Henry’s “Motion To Compel Jail To Cancel Courtesy Hold” observes, “Without agreement of the parties or Order of this Court, the RSW Regional Jail, which is the holding facility for inmates and Defendants held without bond for Warren County, arranged for the transportation of Your Defendant … to the Prince William Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center, located at 9320 Lee Ave., Manassas, VA 20110 … This holding facility has an incredibly limited visitation schedule, including for legal visits, and has no direct phone line from which Counsel may contact their client.”

The defense motion included an attachment with the Manassas jail’s visitation schedule and rules. It showed two, 2-1/2-hour visitation blocks (8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and one 3-hour block (noon to 3 p.m.) per day; and a notation that “general population inmates” are allowed one 20 to 30-minute visit per week.

At the time of the transfer RSW Jail Superintendent Russ Gilkison indicated Henry was moved due to the high-profile nature of the EDA investigation locally and personal safety concerns. McDonald was transferred to the Fairfax Adult Detention Center for similar reasons on June 11.

“While RSW may have had good motives in being concerned for Your Defendant due to Your Defendant’s son being an employee of the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the location they have chosen is unduly unfair to her access to Counsel and her family,” the defense motion for a jail transfer observes.

Contacted Friday afternoon, Gilkison said Henry was being transported directly back to the Manassas jail from the Warren County Courthouse when a notice from the court to keep her housed at RSW pending Tuesday’s bond hearing was received. So that transport will be redirected to RSW, Gilkison indicated.

Henry attorney Nuzzo said that were bond to be denied Tuesday, it is likely the court would hear arguments on the change of jail location motion submitted last Thursday. As an alternative to either the Prince William-Manassas Jail or RSW, the defense motion suggests the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center in Frederick County, a 27 mile, approximate half-hour drive.

6601 Winchester Rd – ‘Missy’ Henry will remain closer to home pending her Tuesday bond hearing. Her family hopes she will return home following that hearing which will come one month after her June 24 arrest.

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Warren County Administrator Doug Stanley, left, watches as Interim Front Royal Mayor Matt Tederick gears up for some EDA liaison discussion.

Town-County Liaison meetings have tended toward briefly informative, not to mention municipally dry in recent years – enter Interim Front Royal Mayor Matt Tederick and soon-to-be-retiring County Board Chairman Dan Murray.

While it may have been the LAST agenda item to be discussed Thursday, July 18, the Tederick-propelled discussion of dissolution of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority was FIRST on the list of NOT brief, nor dryly peripheral in recent memory.

One can only wonder what might happen when the full County and Town elected boards and staff gather in one room to continue the discussion. That meeting is being plotted for sooner, rather than later.

But we should work together to straighten this all out, or not: Warren County Board Chairman Dan Murray, County Administrator Doug Stanley and Interim Front Royal Mayor Matt Tederick search for common EDA ground.

Watch a surprisingly direct discussion of the future of the EDA in this exclusive Royal Examiner video – right after the dryer part of the meeting that led up to that municipal conversation:

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A recent letter in the Royal Examiner laments that some folks don’t care for facts much these days and especially disagrees with those who hold their views without resorting to facts. He particularly calls out the “global warming band-wagoneers”, that according to his logic, disregard the teachings of Geology 101.

Geology has much to teach us. One of the hardest concepts to grasp is the concept of deep time; visualizing the age of the earth is not an easy lift. Billions of years of solar energy bathing our planet generated extensive life in the form of plants and animals. It is difficult to imagine the billions of years of converting that solar energy through photosynthesis, and the billions of years of the remains of that process being incorporated into the earth. The use of fossil fuels means the release of solar energy gathered from an almost unimaginable past. Fossil fuel energy consists of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

A previous article claimed that since ice sheets once covered New York, then the climate is always changing and since the climate is always changing, there is no urgency to address climate change. The author is content to acknowledge the scientific evidence proving that the climate varies while ignoring the scientific observations regarding the unprecedented pace of change that corresponds with the beginning of Industrial Revolution. A cursory search, for instance to the NASA site, reveals that global temperatures are increasing at an unnatural pace. We can measure the inexorable increase of CO2 and global temperatures, and we are living with the effects on rainfall, drought and increasingly intense storms.

The indiscriminate release of carbon into the atmosphere serves to trap the heat radiating and reflecting from the earth, upsetting the delicate stasis developed over millennia. In the oceans, some is reabsorbed, but not all, turning the oceans acidic, and creating problems for life in the seas. It remains to be seen what this uptick will do to plankton, a large source of oxygen production.
This rapid rise is tracked by examining rocks and ice deposited in the past. An overwhelming majority of scientists throughout the world agree about this. They also document the feedback loops caused by these changes. Sea and land ice are diminished, and ice that once reflected sunlight and heat now is gone. The oceans absorb more heat and sea levels rise, threatening major population centers. Thawing permafrost in northern areas releases greenhouse gases. The changes compound and intensify the effects.

The arrogance of a dwindling political party that professes to know best because their gut feeling tells them they are right, is blocking American leadership on this problem. They imagine that climate scientists warning against climate change form an international conspiracy. They take counsel from a handful of scientists denying human impacts whose research is supported by fossil fuel companies and claim they own the purest of intentions. The global risk is too great to have faith in magical thinking.

Steve Foreman

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RICHMOND (July 19, 2019)—As Virginia continues to deal with extreme heat, Attorney General Mark R. Herring and his first-in-the-nation Animal Law Unit are reminding Virginians that heat can be deadly to children and animals, and that there can be serious legal consequences for leaving children or animals in hot cars or outside without adequate shelter and water.

“The extreme temperatures in Virginia continue to pose a real threat to health and safety, especially for young children or animals left in vehicles or outside without adequate precautions and shelter,” said Attorney General Herring. “The law requires owners to protect their pets from the elements and gives law enforcement tools to ensure the safety and health of an animal, including the ability to break into cars or seize an animal to ensure its safety. As we all try to deal with this oppressive heat, I encourage all Virginians to check on and take care of yourself, your friends, neighborhoods, and family members, and don’t forget about your animals.”

A parent or caretaker who leaves a child in a hot vehicle could face criminal charges, especially if the child is injured or killed. Leaving an animal trapped in a car or exposed to the elements with no shelter or inadequate shelter can be considered animal cruelty, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail.

Attorney General Herring and his Animal Law Unit advise animal control officers to ask owners to bring animals inside or into shelter, ask the owner to surrender the animal if they are unable to provide adequate shelter, or in certain circumstances take temporary custody of an animal to ensure its safety.

In 2015, Attorney General Herring created the nation’s first OAG Animal Law Unit to serve as a training and prosecution resource for state agencies, investigators, and Commonwealth’s Attorneys around the state dealing with matters involving animal fighting, cruelty, and welfare. Illegal animal fighting is closely tied to illegal gambling, drug and alcohol crimes, and violence against animals has been shown to be linked to violence towards other people. To date the unit has handled hundreds of matters, including trainings, prosecutions, and consultations.

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RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased 0.1 percentage point in June to 2.9 percent, which is 0.1 percentage point lower than a year ago. In June, the labor force expanded for the twelfth consecutive month by 9,099, or 0.2 percent to set a new record high of 4,377,595, as the number of unemployed decreased by 1,036. Household employment increased by 10,135 to set a new high of 4,249,639. Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate continues to be below the national rate, which rose 0.1 percentage point to 3.7 percent.

“This report is a great sign that our efforts to build an inclusive and diverse economy are yielding positive results, whether reflected by the decrease in our unemployment rate, the continued growth of our labor force, or Virginia reclaiming the title of ‘Top State for Business’ in CNBC’s annual ranking announced earlier this month,” said Governor Northam. “My administration will stay focused on attracting new capital investment, supporting existing companies looking to expand in Virginia, creating well-paying jobs, and bolstering our workforce so that we can keep our economic momentum moving forward and ensure that all communities, and all Virginians have an opportunity to share in the Commonwealth’s success.”

Virginia has the lowest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate among the Southeast states. Virginia has the third best rate among the states east of the Mississippi along with Wisconsin. Virginia is ranked sixth in the nation for the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate along with South Dakota and Wisconsin.

“It has been a busy month for the Commonwealth, and we’re pleased to see our unemployment rate drop to 2.9 percent,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “We’re also very proud that Virginia was just named the best state to do business in the nation. While there’s work to be done, this administration remains committed to using every tool we have to ensure that all Virginians can participate in our economic progress.”

Over-the-year employment growth in Virginia has been positive for 63 consecutive months. For June, Virginia’s over-the-year growth of 0.7 percent was less than the national rate. Nationally, over-the-year growth was slightly lower in June at 1.5 percent from 1.6 percent in May and 1.7 percent in April.

“Today’s announcement serves to remind that Virginia’s recent ranking as America’s ‘Top State for Business’ is in large part due to our world-class workforce,” said Chief Workforce Development Advisor Megan Healy. “Thanks to Governor Northam’s thoughtful investments in education and training opportunities, more Virginians than ever are earning skills that prepare them for quality jobs in high demand industries. The Northam administration will continue to prioritize the development of an inclusive, diverse economy that benefits both our workers and businesses.”

In June, the private sector recorded an over-the-year gain of 26,600 jobs, while employment in the public sector increased as well by 1,000 jobs. Compared to a year ago, on a seasonally adjusted basis, seven of the eleven major industry divisions experienced employment gains, while the other four experienced employment losses.

For a greater statistical breakdown visit the Virginia Employment Commission’s website at www.vec.virginia.gov.

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ROANOKE—During an event held at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, Governor Northam today announced the creation of an to lead efforts to promote the outdoor recreation industry in Virginia and recruit new outdoor businesses to the Commonwealth. The outdoor recreation industry contributes nearly $22 billion annually to the Virginia economy, and employs more than 197,000 Virginians. Virginia will be the 15th state in the nation to establish an office or task force dedicated to strengthening the outdoor industry, and the third on the East Coast.

“Every region of our Commonwealth is home to unique outdoor assets and recreation opportunities, which continue to earn national praise and are sought out by millions of travelers each year,” said Governor Northam. “In establishing a statewide Office of Outdoor Recreation, we are taking significant steps to recognize the importance of this industry as a true driver of economic development in the Commonwealth, and demonstrate why Virginia is the natural fit for outdoor business. Outdoor recreation not only improves the growth potential of our communities, but it also aligns with our goals on land conservation, workforce development, and public health.”

The Office will lead an effort to grow the outdoor industry in Virginia through industry promotion, coordination, and recruitment. Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade Cassidy Rasnick will serve as director of the Office, which will be staffed by agencies currently working to promote Virginia’s outdoor assets and top ranked business climate. The Office is spearheading an initiative to recruit manufacturers of outdoor products such as kayaks, bicycles, and gear to locate or expand in the Commonwealth and produce their goods in the state—spurring job creation and private investment, while creating opportunities for outdoor tourism focused partnerships and on-site demo experiences.

“Outdoor recreation not only contributes to a community’s economy, but also to its sense of place,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “Quality of life is often a key decision point for businesses deciding on their next location, and we want to leverage every asset in Virginia’s value proposition. Our diverse outdoor assets, combined with our ranking as the country’s Top State for Business, make Virginia the perfect place for new and expanding outdoor businesses.”

“We have made great progress to improve air and water quality and protect the special places across the Commonwealth that attract so many lovers of the outdoors,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew J. Strickler. “Governor Northam and I are committed to building upon this progress and I look forward to working closely with the new Office of Outdoor Recreation to promote, restore, and protect Virginia’s natural landscapes and environment.”

To learn more about Virginia’s outdoor recreation industry, or the Office of Recreation, please visit governor.virginia.gov/outdoor.

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