ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, August 8, 1996 TAG: 9608080053
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
Police find scattered body parts
MARSHALL - Police searched woods and a farm pond Tuesday near where a human leg was discovered.
A homeowner discovered the leg on his lawn Sunday night, Fauquier County Sheriff Joe Higgs said.
On Monday, search dogs found another limb nearby, and the body parts were sent to the state coroner's office in Fairfax.
``The limbs were apparently dragged by domestic or wild animals,'' Higgs said.
Police could not immediately identify the decomposed remains by sex or age, Higgs said. An autopsy should reveal whether the person died naturally, and how long the body was in the woods, Higgs said.
- Associated Press
Magistrate faces hit-and-run charges
HAMPTON - James C. Phelps, a Newport News magistrate, faces a string of charges involving a weekend pursuit that was taped by a video camera in a police cruiser.
Phelps, 47, was charged with hit and run, drunken driving, evading and eluding police officers, reckless driving, refusing to be tested for alcohol and carrying a concealed weapon, authorities said.
Police said the chase Sunday lasted less than 15 minutes and ended when Phelps parked his truck at a friend's house and ran. He was grabbed by officers, said Cpl. Jeff Walden, a police spokesman.
The chase began when an officer noticed the truck weaving.
Allen L. Pack, Newport News' chief magistrate, suspended Phelps with pay on Monday.
- Associated Press
Danville pupils start longer-year program
DANVILLE - Students at Schoolfield Elementary School have made an early return to classes under a new extended-year program - and some were glad that summer vacation was over.
``It was getting boring at home,'' fourth-grader Shanika Pyles said Tuesday as classes opened for a new school year.
The early opening went smoothly, said Principal Suzanne Jones.
``It was the easiest, smoothest opening. The parents have been really supportive. Lots of classes had close to 100 percent'' attendance, she said.
Other city schools will operate on a regular schedule, opening after Labor Day. The pilot program at Schoolfield is an experiment to determine if the shorter break helps students retain knowledge and cuts down on class review time for previously covered material.
Students who didn't want to start school early were given the option of changing schools.
- Associated Press
Allen vows to veto slot machine bills
RICHMOND - Gov. George Allen has vowed to veto any legislation allowing slot machines in Virginia if the General Assembly passes such a bill.
Allen, in a statement issued Tuesday, shut the door on the possibility of slots at the state's parimutuel race track under construction in New Kent County.
Opponents of gambling have warned that developers of the Colonial Downs track might attempt to win approval of slots to turn the track into a minicasino, augmenting its limited schedule of live racing.
The track's owners said they had no plans for slot machines at the track but wouldn't rule out the idea.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB