Sen. Warner sponsors legislation to address bank failure
Following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank U.S. Senator Mark Warner announced that he has co-sponsored legislation to ensure executives of failed banks be held accountable for mismanagement.
Warner a member of the Senate Banking Committee, and the FDIC will act to ensure workers and small businesses will not have to pay the price for banking mismanagement.
In the Silicon Valley banking incident the bank’s CEO Greg Becker sold a reported $3.6 million in Bank stock.
Becker potentially profited off the impending demise of the bank he managed.
At the same time bank employees received bonuses just hours before the government stepped in to close the operation.
The bill that Warner is co-sponsoring will allow the Treasury Department to claw back bonuses and stock profits.
This will ensure that they are held financially responsible and their actions will not burden the consumer or taxpayer.
The Deposit Act will recoup bonuses and profits from stock sales within 60 days of a bank failure.
The bill will impose a 90 percent tax on bonuses of bank executives who make an annual income over $250,000 during the year the bank goes under FDIC acquisition.
This bill will require bank executives forfeit 100 percent of profits they make from recent bank stock trades.
Finally, the bill will direct recouped funds to the FDIC insurance fund so that it can return funds to depositors, workers and small businesses impacted by the failure.
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News Makers Delores and Lizi on the Mar. 23 Rail Trail meeting
The Front Royal Shenandoah Rail Trail meeting at 7 p.m. in Front Royal Mar. 23 has been moved to the Front Royal Fire Hall on Commerce Avenue.
The move is to accommodate the expected overflow crowd that have attended previous meetings.
We spoke with Rail Trail Front Royal Warren County Liaisons Delores Oates and Lizi Lewis about the meeting and trail in our latest news maker.
News makers are sponsored by Warren County Together We are Community.
Delores tells us what the projected numbers are to help boost the economy for the communities the trail runs through.
Lizi tells us some of the things that we can expect at the Thurs. Mar. 23 meeting.
Both ladies tell us who will be represented at the meeting at the Front Royal Fire Hall as well.
Click here for the ladies’ news maker.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Gov. Justice orders an investigation of W.VA. State Police
West Virginia’s Governor Jim Justice announced that he is ordering a sweeping investigation of West Virginia’s State Police (WVASP).
After accepting the resignation of superintendent Jan Cahill on Mar. 20 the Governor ordered the investigation.
The director of Capitol Police Jack Chambers has been appointed to replace Cahill.
Chambers will investigate allegations of wrongdoing that includes a video camera placed inside the women’s locker room at one of the agency’s facilities.
Justice called that incident intolerable and sighted other incidents that Chambers will be investigating.
Those incidents includes one that implicates a Trooper in the robbery of a man at a casino.
The Governor also included the incident last month in which a State Trooper was involved with an arrest of a Maryland man on Interstate 81 near Martinsburg.
As we reported last month the arrestee passed away shortly after he was taken into custody.
The bodycam footage of that incident was not released by WVAS but Governor Justice viewed it and called it concerning.
Chambers has been charged with the investigation of any and all-alleged improprieties of which there have been many that have been levied against the WVASP.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Man is arrested after attempting to assault a VSP Trooper
A Harrisonburg man was arrested after he attempted to assault a Virginia State Police (VSP) Trooper on Mar. 19.
An email from VSP Public Information Officer Sergeant Brent Coffey confirms the incident.
Alberto Bravo Jr. faces a felony charge of attempted capital murder of a law enforcement officer among other charges.
When a vehicle pulled up to the Trooper’s vehicle the female driver got out to report that her passenger was assaulting her while driving on Interstate 81.
Bravo followed her out of the vehicle brandishing a firearm and attempted to assault her.
As the Trooper intervened the 31-year-old Bravo attacked him and a struggle ensued.
The Trooper managed to control Bravo and took him into custody.
Along with assault charges Bravo is facing a charge of brandishing a firearm in commission of a felony.
Bravo also faces a misdemeanor count of assault on a family member.
A felony count of child endangerment has also been placed against Bravo as there were three young children in the vehicle.
Bravo is currently being held without bond at the Rockingham County Jail.
The Trooper was transported to Harrisonburg Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.
There were no other injuries reported in the incident.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
News Maker Kristen Laise on the new Belle Grove season
Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown opened for the season Mar. 18.
Thanks to volunteers and contributors there are new amenities at the Plantation.
We talk with Belle Grove Executive Director Kristen Laise about the new season in our latest news maker.
News makers are sponsored by Warren County Together We are Community.
Kristen tells us of a new trail that opened this season that takes visitors through some Civil War protection walls.
She also tells us of the some of the best views in the valley at Belle Grove Plantation.
Kristen also has information on the upcoming annual Park Day Apr. 15 and a great way to help the plantation.
Click here for Kristen’s news maker.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
FCSO seek victims of recent robberies to return property
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) announced that they have recovered stolen property that they are trying to get back to victims.
Between December 2022 and February 2023, the FCSO responded to several calls of home burglaries and outbuildings being stolen from.
A large number of these cases occurred in the Route 50 and 522 North areas of the county.
Investigators received a tip from photos taken by home surveillance during one of the burglaries that was given to them by a citizen.
That footage led to locating a possible suspect and further investigation.
While at the location of the suspect numerous items were observed in plain sight that had been reported stolen.
The homeowner, who is not a suspect consented to a search of the entire property which resulted in the recovery of a large number of what is believed to be stolen property.
Those stolen pieces are currently being stored at the FCSO.
All known victims of thefts have been contacted and have responded to either claim recovered property or identified items belonging to them.
The FCSO still has several recovered items and are asking victims of thefts that fall in that time frame and area to contact the Sheriff’s Office to see if their property has been recovered.
You will want to call either Investigator J.M. Bowman at 540-504-6527 or Investigator B.C. Edwards at 540-504-6562 for additional information.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
Shenandoah Rail Trail meetings move locations
The Shenandoah Rail Trail announced that the Front Royal meeting has been moved to the Front Royal Fire Hall on Commerce Avenue.
The series of meetings are to inform the public of the progress of turning the abandon railroad tracks into a 48 mile long walking, hiking and biking trail from Broadway to Front Royal.
The Strasburg meeting Mar. 16 was moved from the Town Council Chambers to Strasburg High School’s cafeteria.
The meeting locations have been moved due to the number of people that have shown up at previous meetings.
Citizens both for and against the project have come out in overwhelming numbers with crowds getting larger at each meeting.
A virtual meeting is scheduled for Apr. 4 with links and registration information found here.
The meetings are to not only inform the public of the progress of the project but to show maps and ideas on the plan.
The Mar. 23 meeting is the latest to be moved to a larger location from Samuel’s Public Library to the Front Royal Fire Hall to accommodate the anticipated crowd at 7 p.m.
Woodstock’s Apr. 6 meeting is now going to be held at Central High School’s cafeteria at 6 p.m.
Toms Brook will hold a meeting at the Fire Hall Apr. 10 at 7 p.m.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
MPD investigate incidents of illegal sales to minors
The Martinsburg Police Department (MPD) with the Eastern Panhandle Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force (EPDVCTF) announced the execution of a search warrant at the Vape and Tobacco Outlet on North Queen Street Martinsburg.
The investigation was in response to complaints of the business selling THC and Nicotine products to minors.
Several illicit and contraband items that were listed as or containing a schedule one controlled substance, namely marijuana were seized during the search.
There were almost 800 Vape products 20 pre-roll products almost 250 edible products and over 30 leaf products confiscated.
Monetary recovery of suspected illicit sales of the items is almost $39,000 in vape sales alone.
Over $31,000 in illicit sales was also seized.
One adult and one juvenile were arrested in the investigation.
The owner of the building is being made aware of the investigation to take corrective measures if needed.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
News Maker Celeste Brooks on Warren Coalition’s Scavenger Hunt
The Warren Coalition just completed a rather successful event on Mar. 18 as a part of the Edward Jones Run for Education.
That event benefits students with duel enrollment through the Warren Coalition.
To help support other great programs the Warren Coalition has put together a Scavenger Hunt as part of the No Foolin’ Warren County Rocks campaign.
We spoke with Warren Coalition’s Community Outreach Coordinator Celeste Brooks about the Scavenger Hunt in our latest news maker.
News makers are sponsored by Warren County Together We are Community.
Celeste tells us about the event and the prizes that can be won.
She also tells us that registration for the event needs to be done by Fri. Mar. 24 here to take advantage of all there is to offer.
Celeste also tells us of some of the other great things the Warren Coalition has to offer Warren County.
Click here for Celeste’s news maker.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.
FCSO arrest a Maryland man after a high speed chase
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) reports the arrest of a Baltimore Maryland man after a high speed chase.
Michael Patrick Stewart was reported to be assaulting his child’s mother at the Sheetz store on North Frederick Pike and fled.
A Deputy spotted Stewart on Fox Drive and attempted to pull him over only to have him refuse to stop and accelerate towards the Winchester City limits.
Stewart u-turned and started back north toward Route 37 driving erratically through several yards in an attempt to evade.
More Deputies began to converge on Stewart who continued to drive erratically and at times in the wrong direction.
Stewart eventually exited at the Winchester Medical Center exit and collided with another vehicle which stopped the pursuit.
The suspect exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot when a good Samaritan with Deputies stopped him.
After being taken into custody Stewart initially gave false information it was discovered that he was driving suspended and on probation in Maryland.
Stewart was at the time of this report at Winchester Medical Center recovering from injuries sustained in the crash.
The citizen in the accident refused medical attention after being checked by Emergency Medical Personnel.
The mother who reported the assault appears unwilling to divulge additional information.
Stewart currently faces several charges including eluding, felony hit and run, providing false information and more.
For more news from across the Shenandoah Valley, click here.