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"[The town's attorney] argued [the] lawsuit should be dismissed because whatever the notice situation was, it had not prevented Waltz from attending the meeting."
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A man spurred to become a local government watchdog by his daughter’s run-in with a former town manager took the mayor to court again this week in a dispute about meeting notification requirements, and for a second time the civil lawsuit was dismissed. Chris Waltz’s lawsuit was filed under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and accused the town of not giving legally required public notice before an April 18 town council meeting. The meeting was a work session for council members to discuss what has been a hot-button topic this year in Christiansburg: revisions to a noise ordinance that could impact a longtime drive-in theater and a new outdoor music venue. Waltz acknowledged the he was suing over a relatively minor point, but said regardless of the outcome, it was a worthwhile effort. Waltz had filed a lawsuit against Barber, without referring to Barber as mayor or otherwise explicitly stating that the lawsuit’s target was Barber as a town official. Lacking that reference, the lawsuit was directed at Barber as an individual and that was not appropriate, Judge Marc Long said. Town spokeswoman Melissa Demmitt confirmed that Town Attorney Jim Guynn was paid by the town for Barber’s defense and was acting in his role as town attorney. Guynn argued that Waltz’s lawsuit should be dismissed because whatever the notice situation was, it had not prevented Waltz from attending the meeting.
The Roanoke Times
The Daily Press is urging a federal judge to toss a defamation lawsuit by the former head of the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, contending the paper’s news coverage was fair and accurate. The newspaper is asking Senior U.S. District Judge Henry Coke Morgan Jr. to dismiss the federal lawsuit by former airport executive director Ken Spirito, saying its reporting about Spirito’s shredding of documents at the airport early last year was based heavily on a Virginia Department of Transportation audit. In his lawsuit, Spirito said text messages between airport employees — and ensuing news coverage in the Daily Press about the messages — gave the false impression that he was destroying evidence related to the then-pending state audit.
Daily Press
Natasha Harper's son died nearly three years ago in the Roanoke City Jail from killing himself. She's been raising awareness about issues related to mental illness and jails since then, but now she wants to see some changes through legislation. Sitting with a three other people at a table at Pilgrim Baptist Church in Roanoke Tuesday night, Harper presented issues she thinks need to be addressed. Together, they brainstormed how they could be formulated into a bill that could be introduced in the General Assembly. Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, organized the event to encourage people to gather and come up with ideas that could be translated to bills. While Rasoul often gets bill ideas from his constituents, he said this sort of organized effort is unusual. He's optimistic a few proposals will turn into bills that will be introduced in the General Assembly. At Tuesday's event, Rasoul explained the legislative process and how bills become laws. The event was nonpartisan, and Rasoul encouraged anyone to attend and craft pitches that are of interest to them.
The Roanoke Times
Elkton Town Council spent about 15 minutes arguing Monday over whether to reimburse Mayor Wayne Printz $1,350 for a bouncy house that he purchased through Facebook. Council eventually voted 4-2 to repay the mayor for the purchase, which he said he made for a town-sponsored cruise-in later this month.
Daily News-Record
The Supreme Court of Virginia is being asked to appoint a judge to hear the complaint filed by Bristol Virginia City Councilman Doug Fleenor against the city of Bristol, Virginia, over the effort to oust him from the council. The day after the complaint was filed Sept. 6, all three judges of the 28th Circuit recused themselves from hearing the case because Fleenor is an attorney who practices in their courts, according to an order issued by the circuit’s Chief Judge Sage B. Johnson. Circuit Court Clerk Kelly Duffy said the process could take some time. Tuesday marked three weeks since Fleenor was served, but — thus far — neither side has produced the document that presumably outlines the accusations against Fleenor.
Bristol Herald Courier
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