Forgetting Something? Culpeper's 2007 Timeline
By Staff
January1 – The first local baby of 2007 is born at Culpeper Regional Hospital. Kievonne Cardell Malik Tyler, a healthy baby boy, surprises mother Latashia Cottoms, 29, and father Dana Tyler, 28, with his arrival at 6:20 a.m.
3 – Former youth softball coach George Caperton accepts an Alford Plea on five counts of aggravated sexual battery. In March he gets 50 years, with 40 suspended.
3 – The state's Office of Emergency Services suspends the volunteer fire and rescue Company 11, after the Company fails to meet staffing guidelines.
3 – Ricky Javon Gray, the man suspected of killing Sheryl Warner in 2005, visits Culpeper for an arraignment hearing and to be appointed a lawyer to represent him.
8 – Clyde B. Moore, Jr., 51, is sentenced to 32 years in a state penitentiary after being convicted of three counts of forcible sodomy and one count of taking indecent liberties with a minor.
17 – Gov. Tim Kaine visits Culpeper to announce the arrival of Terremark Worldwide, an information technology company, which will provide over 250 new jobs in Culpeper.
18 – School Superintendent David Cox proposes a $76.5 million budget for the 2007-08 school year – a 17 percent increase from the previous year.
25 – Town Police Sergeant Scott Jenkins announces his intentions to run for Culpeper County Sheriff.
30– Councilman Steve Jenkins announces that a private citizen will pay for the town's participation in Immigration and Customs Enforcement training for police.
February
1 – The spray of hot metal from a welding torch causes a fire at the construction site of Eastern View High School. Officials expect no delays for the school's Fall 2008 opening date.
2 – Museum of Culpeper History reopens after a facelift by new director Lee Langston-Harrison.
8 – Darien and Melissa Anderson announce the construction of Mountain Run Bowling Center in the old Grands Furniture building in the Town Square shopping center.
20 – Ricky Javon Gray is indicted on capitol murder charges for the Dec. 18, 2005, death of Sherri Warner. Gray is also charged with arson, possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and abduction.
26 – The state's Office of Emergency Services lifts its suspension of Company 11.
March
2 – The Brandy Station Foundation announces the receipt of $15,000 from the General Assembly towards the restoration of the Graffiti House.
14 – Ricky Jovan Gray is appointed attorneys Ted Bruns and Jeff Everhart to represent him in the capital murder case of Sheryl Warner.
19 – The town police department announces the appointment of new chief Scott Barlow from Newport News to replace Dan Boring, who retired in 2006.
23 – Culpeper Regional Hospital cuts the ribbon to a new cardiovascular and cancer center.
April
2 – Town Council agrees to work with the county and build a water line for the new high school, per a 2003 agreement made by the two bodies.
11 – Convicted rapist Kenneth Maurice Tinsley pleads guilty to the 1982 rape and murder of Rebecca Williams, a crime for which Earl Washington Jr. was originally sentenced to death.
15 – Yolonda Deane announces plans to open Compassion House in Brandy Station, a transitional facility for veterans.
16 – Dominion Virginia Power holds a community meeting to discuss its plans for a power line in the northern tip of the county. Few are impressed.
16 – The nation is horrified as Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho, kills 32 people on campus, the deadliest school shooting in American history.
20 – Sheriff Lee Hart declines to run for sheriff a third time, and endorses Major Jim Branch in the upcoming election.
25 – County supervisors vote 6-1 for the county's $144 million budget. In addition, they narrowly – by a 4-3 vote – pass the 4-cent real estate tax increase to fund it.
May
1 – Dozens of Brandy Station residents protest the Compassion House, a home for disabled and recovering veterans that had been established in their neighborhood.
3 – Businessman Joe Daniel recruits the first volunteers for his initiative to consolidate the town and county into a single entity.
14 – New police chief Scott Barlow's first day on the job.
16 – CCHS lacrosse team wins second consecutive lacrosse title by defeating Osbourn 10-9 in the Cedar Run District championship game.
22 – Channel 21 owner Stan Karas dies after a four-year battle with lung cancer. He won his last Telly Award for excellence in broadcasting a month earlier.
28 – Veteran's Memorial Bridge dedicated at Yowell Meadow Park. The plaques hold the names of 2nd Lt. Leonard M. Cowherd III and Private First Class Edwin "E.J." Andino II.
30 – The state's Office of Emergency Services re-suspends Company 11.
June
3 – Relay for Life takes place at Culpeper County High School's Broman Field, raising awareness and funds for cancer research.
9 – Culpeper County High School graduates 442 seniors.
15 – CCHS physical education teacher and assistant football coach Frank "Chip" Rea is charged with possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute after the Blue Ridge Narcotics Task Force invades his Sumerduck home.
July
2 – Former Rappahannock High School Principal Roger Mello becomes principal of Eastern View High School, set to open in 2008.
15 – The Library of Congress' National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, located off of Route 3 at Mt. Pony is complete and operational.
22 – For the second time in July, two Culpeper residents are arrested after being intoxicated and running from town police on horseback.
26 – The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors files a motion that makes the county a formal respondent against Dominion Virginia Power's plans for a 500Kv power line.
August
9 – Culpeper is one of nine counties declared federal drought disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The designation means Culpeper farmers could be eligible for emergency, low-interest loans from the federal Farm Service Agency.
22 – The Culpeper Town Police capture four illegal immigrants with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
22 – Eight-year old Daniel Garcia receives the first in a series of procedures to implant titanium ribs connected to his spine. The surgery took place in San Antonio, Texas.
26 – Five of Culpeper's eight schools fail benchmarks designed to record progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act for the 2007-8 school year.
28 – A Virginia State Police investigation clears Sheriff Lee Hart of several allegations, most notably that he mishandled money and covered up an affair between a deputy and an underage girl.
30 – Dozens of rescue workers from as far away as Northern Virginia respond to Culpeper to free Wyatt "Butch" Mills, a local contractor trapped25 feet underground when the trench he was working in collapsed.
September
1 – GWC-TV hits the airwaves in the homes of Comcast subscribers on Channel 16. The station is broadcast out of the George Washington Carver Center on Route 15.
10 – Culpeper Public School Superintendent David Cox proposes an $85.5 million budget for the Fiscal 2009 year, up $17 million from last year.
11 – Cole Bros. Circus entertains crowds of all ages at the Agricultural Enterprises off of Rt. 29.
12 – Governor Tim Kaine unveils the Virginia Energy Plan.
20 – The Culpeper Town Police Department cracks its first out-of-country abduction case, when Lt. Chris Settle travels to Mexico City to retrieve an abducted child.
25 – The Virginia Immigration Commission holds its first meeting in Richmond. Culpeper Mayor Pranas Rimeikis is among the members.
28 – Former Mayor Waller P. Jones passes away at the age of 82. Waller served on Town Council for more than 20 years.
30 – The March of Dimes WalkAmerica is held at Yowell Meadow Park, with a goal to raise $23,500 for research of premature birth.
October
2 – Town of Culpeper enacts voluntary water conservation measures as a result of the summer drought which reduced the water level in Lake Pelham to 24 inches below normal elevation.
3 – The Culpeper Cable Commission names John Krawchuk station manager of Channel 21. The move makes Krawchuk, 29, the youngest manager in the television station's 11-year history.
4 – Inmate Joseph Leroy Shifflett dies in the Culpeper County jail. A coroner later assigns his death to natural causes.
19 – Gov. Timothy M. Kaine implements a statewide ban of open fires in response to the state's ongoing drought conditions.
22 – Town Manager Brannon Godfrey announces his resignation and plans to accept a position in the City of Winchester.
22 – Town of Culpeper moves into mandatory water restrictions after Lake Pelham falls to 36 inches below normal elevation.
24 – Both county supervisors and town councilmen propose forming a joint task force charged with creating another reservoir at a town/county interaction meeting.
25 – The county's Coalition on Illegal Immigration holds its first meeting at the Germanna Center for Advanced Technology. Over 20 Virginia localities attend.
30 – The Culpeper Gang Task Force is formed by joining the Town Police Department, Sheriff's Office, and the Commonwealth Attorney's office, along with resources provided by the Virginia State Police.
30 – Blue Devils field hockey team wins third straight Cedar Run District title by defeating Osbourn Park 1-0 on Melissa Register's first half goal.
November
4 – The home of a Mitchell's family burns to the ground in an early-morning blaze. James Dement and wife Wandra lose everything, including two special pets.
6 – Jim Branch defeats Scott Jenkins for Culpeper County Sheriff in a no-holds-barred campaign that might lead to at least one lawsuit.
6 – Local elections result in the re-election of Commonwealth Attorney Gary Close, Commissioner of the Revenue Terry Yowell, State Senator Edd Houck, State Delegate Ed Scott. Three new school board members are elected to fill vacant positions, and Tom Underwood defeats John Coates for a spot on the Board of Supervisors.
8 – Culpeper division of the Salvation Army announces plans to create a Boys and Girls Club for community youth.
15 – Gov. Kaine lifts a statewide burn ban that he put in place a month earlier. His decision did not affect local bans.
29 – Sam's Place, the local community outreach center, closes due to a lack of funds.
December
12 – SAFE, or Services to Abused Families, opens new outreach facility on 501 East Piedmont Street in Culpeper.
28 – Town Manager Brannon Godfrey's last day in Culpeper. He starts work at his new position in Winchester in early January 2008.