Police have responded to numerous reports of sounds identified as gunshots and suspicious activity on campus. All reports subsequent to the initial event have been investigated and have been determined to be unfounded.

The suspect’s status remains unknown. Several law enforcement agencies are currently on the scene to assist in the ongoing investigation.

Officials are advising visitors to stay away from the campus at this time.

Update: 2:00 pm: Shortly after noon today, a Virginia Tech police officer stopped a vehicle on campus during a routine traffic stop in the Coliseum parking lot near McComas Hall. During the traffic stop, the officer was shot and killed. There were witnesses to this shooting.

Witnesses reported to police the shooter fled on foot heading toward the Cage, a parking lot near Duck Pond Drive. At that parking lot, a second person was found. That person is also deceased.

Several law enforcement agencies have responded to assist. Virginia State Police has been requested to take lead in the investigation

The status of the shooter is unknown.

via Two People Killed in Shootings at Va-Tech | Richmond Daily-Monitor.

Belal Amin Alsaidi, 30, of Buffalo, N.Y., pleaded guilty today to trafficking in counterfeit goods, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Alsaidi pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Hannah Lauck in Richmond, Va., to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods. In his guilty plea, Alsaidi admitted that he sold shoes and apparel that he knew were counterfeit at his two stores in Petersburg, Va., from May 2007 until March 2009. Alsaidi also admitted that he purchased these counterfeit goods from an individual in New York.

According to court documents, Alsaidi received more than 1,400 packages of counterfeit merchandise at his stores from New York over a 23-month period. The merchandise bore fake trademarks for companies such as Nike, NFL, Lacoste, True Religion and Coogi.

Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2012, at 9:30 a.m., before U.S. Chief Judge James R. Spencer in Richmond. At sentencing, Alsaidi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $2 million fine.

This case is an example of the type of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work. The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders.

via FBI — Virginia Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Goods.

RICHMOND—The Virginia Department of Forestry has received reports of a man who, posing as a representative of that agency, has approached older landowners about buying the timber on their property.
“We have an individual who has been contacting landowners in Goochland and Fluvanna counties, telling them that ‘Forestry’ has asked him to contact them regarding selling their timber,” said VDOF Assistant Regional Forester Robbie Talbert.

While some landowners have contacted the forestry department about the individual, “it’s quite possible that other landowners are being scammed—an action that can cost them thousands of dollars,” Talbert said. “We want citizens to know that this individual does not work for the Virginia Department of Forestry, and that the VDOF does not purchase timber. … We urge landowners who may be contacted by someone claiming that ‘Forestry’ sent him to purchase their timber to contact their local sheriff’s office and report the incident immediately.”

Chuck Wright, VDOF area forester for Goochland and Fluvanna, said most forest landowners harvest timber only once or twice during their lifetimes. “It’s extremely important to have a good plan for overall management of their timber resources, as well as a specific timetable when that timber is going to be harvested.”

Landowners also should keep in mind that timber markets tend to fluctuate, he said, and it is often best to solicit the services of a private consulting forester to handle a potential harvest. Upon request, the forestry department can provide landowners with a list of private forestry consultants who work in their areas.

RICHMOND, VA—Veronica Sharon Cunningham, 48, of Richmond, Va., was arrested today on an indictment charging her with health care fraud in connection with her operation of Community Neurological Services (CNS), a Richmond business that administered Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) to patients suffering from immune deficiency disorders.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement, along with Michael F.A. Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Richmond Division; Jeannine A. Hammett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Nick DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations; and Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General.

A federal grand jury in Richmond indicted Cunningham on October 4, 2011 for 30 counts of health care fraud, eight counts of making false statements in health care matters, a single count of failing to file a tax return for the year 2006, a single count of filing a false tax return for the year 2005, and a single count using a fraudulently obtained Social Security number in interviews with federal agents regarding this matter. Cunningham faces a maximum penalty of 10 years on each of the health care fraud counts, a maximum penalty of five years on each of the health care false statement counts, a maximum penalty of 12 months on the failure to file tax return count, a maximum penalty of three years on the false tax return count, and a maximum of five years on the Social Security number count.

The indictment alleges that Cunningham regularly and systematically billed insurance companies and the Medicare and Medicaid programs for IVIG not actually administered. She also allegedly failed to a file tax return for the year 2006, falsely reported the gross income of CNS in her 2005 tax return, and used a fraudulently obtained Social Security number in an interview with agents during the investigation.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, and Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Moore is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

Indictments are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Today the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced the expansion of the current Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) temporary quarantine, effective October 14, 2011.  In addition to Chesterfield and Henrico counties and the City of Richmond, which were previously quarantined by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr, the quarantine area now also includes the counties of Goochland, Hanover and Powhatan and the City of Colonial Heights.

TCD is a disease complex that attacks walnut trees, Juglans spp. The fungus Geosmithia morbida is vectored by the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, causing small cankers under the bark of the tree. The beetle introduces the fungus while it tunnels beneath the bark. As more beetles attack the tree, the number of cankers increases until they coalesce to girdle twigs and branches, restricting movement of nutrients and eventually killing the tree. Neither the beetle nor the fungus is native to the eastern U.S.  Thinning or dead branches will initially occur at the top of the tree, which will die from the top down. Trees may be infested for many years before showing symptoms. There is currently no preventive or curative treatment for the disease.

Following the detection of TCD in the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico in July of this year, Commissioner Lohr established a temporary quarantine that included those two counties and the City of Richmond.  The quarantine, which became effective on July 21, 2011, is intended to prevent the artificial spread of the disease. Under the terms of the quarantine, all walnut plants and plant parts of walnut, including green lumber, logs, stumps, firewood, roots, branches, mulch and chips, are prohibited from being moved out of the quarantine area. Once established, TCD has the potential to spread to uninfested areas, either through natural means or through the artificial movement of infested articles.

During subsequent surveys conducted by VDACS staff, additional sites infected with TCD were found in areas outside the initial quarantine.  Consequently, Commissioner Lohr expanded the quarantine area to also include the counties of Goochland, Hanover and Powhatan, as well as the City of Colonial Heights.  The expanded quarantine is also temporary and will last no more than 90 days.  Following a public hearing during the upcoming meeting of the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Board) on December 8, 2011, in Richmond, Commissioner Lohr intends to ask that the Board adopt this as a permanent quarantine.

Governor Bob McDonnell joined managers and employees at Henrico-based Snagajob, a leading provider of hourly workforce solutions, to celebrate the company being named the No. 1 small company to work for in America on the Great Place to Work annual ranking released today.

Snagajob has been named a Top-10 Best Small Company to Work for in America for the past three years before earning the top ranking this year.

“Snagajob is a prime example of how an entrepreneur with a vision and a dedication to building a company and supporting employees can live out the American dream,” said Governor McDonnell. “In a little more than a decade, this company has become a leader in its field, and is now a nationally recognized ambassador for the Virginia story of business and job creation success. Snagajob has also become a major area employer, doubling its number of local employees to more than 300 this year, with more growth on the horizon. That kind of expansion not only helps Virginia’s economy but will further the growth of other companies – both within Virginia and nationwide – as Snagajob helps other businesses with their hiring needs for hourly employees.”

Snagajob was selected among hundreds of small companies (50-250 employees) competing for the best place to work honor from the Great Place to Work Institute. The award is based on employee surveys, an in-depth questionnaire and factors such as credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.

“The foundation of what we look for in ‘Snaggers’ – our employees – is great people who love doing great work together as a team,” said Shawn Boyer, co-founder and CEO of Snagajob.  “I’m incredibly proud of this honor especially because it’s based on employee feedback. This award is further validation that our maniacal focus on people and culture is the right approach, particularly as we grow at a rapid pace and have doubled our size in the past year.”

Great Place to Work is a global research, consulting and training firm that produces the annual FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list and Great Place to Work Best Small & Medium Workplaces list published by Entrepreneur.com.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright and state Secretary of Education Laura Fornash visited Powhatan High School this morning to announce the Virginia Department of Education’s eLearning Backpack pilot initiative involving the latest generation of graphing calculators from Texas Instruments.

Powhatan County Superintendent Margaret S. Meara, Powhatan High Principal Kris Gwaltney and local school board members and government representatives joined Wright and Fornash for the kickoff. Representing Texas Instruments at the event were Lisa Brady Gill, executive director, North America marketing; Patrick White, state policy director; and Ellen Hook, technology consultant.

Two classes of Algebra I students at Powhatan High will use Texas Instrument’s TI-Nspire CX full-color graphing calculators, software and TI-Navigator classroom network to explore functions and statistics as well as linear equations and inequalities.

“This is an opportunity for Virginia teachers and students to use some of the latest educational technology and for the department to study the impact of the devices on teaching and the development of higher-order mathematics skills,” Wright said. “At the end of the pilot, VDOE will share what is learned at Powhatan High with schools across the commonwealth.”

“Our students can collect real-world data with these devices by measuring motion, temperature, light, sound, force and much more,” Powhatan County Superintendent Margaret S. Meara said. “This pilot program is a perfect fit with Powhatan High’s focus on project-based learning.”

Texas Instruments is providing hardware, software and training for teachers valued at $35,000 at no charge to the commonwealth or Powhatan County.

MIDLOTHIAN, Va. -Over a dozen big rigs gathered outside Richmond, Va., to raise money for Special Olympics as part of the World’s Largest Truck Convoy. The annual fundraiser draws professional truck drivers from across the United States and Canada — but Virginia had never participated until Getloaded brought the event to Virginia this year, where the company’s headquarters are based.

“Getloaded has actively supported Special Olympics of Virginia for over a decade, at events including the Summer Olympic Games, Polar Plunge and Over the Edge,” says Fergus Caldicott, general manager at Getloaded. “So, we jumped at the opportunity to combine two passions — the trucking industry and philanthropy — by bringing the World’s Largest Truck Convoy to Virginia for the first time.”

This year’s Virginia convoy spanned 55 miles beginning and ending at the Meadow Event Park, home of the State Fair of Virginia. In addition to the fundraising drive, the celebration featured food from local vendors, an awards ceremony, a visit from 25 Special Olympic athletes and a Harley Davidson giveaway. Thanks to generous donations from participants and sponsors, the event raised over $12,000 for the Special Olympics of Virginia.

“We are proud of our role in the trucking — and central Virginia — community and look forward to gathering even more truckers and funds at next year’s convoy,” said Caldicott.

For more information about the World’s Largest Truck Convoy and Special Olympics, visit: Resources.specialolympics.org/convoy_contacts.aspxR