[Scan-DC] Warren County and Front Royal Are Next to Encrypt!

[Alan Henney]

News Bites - Private Companies

August 13, 2018 Monday

August 12, 2018: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Police cite officer
safety as reason for encryption

SECTION: ANNOUNCEMENTS

LENGTH: 2761 words

FRONT ROYAL - Communications on the Warren County Sheriff's Office's and
the Front Royal Police Department's new radios will be fully encrypted,
with Sheriff Daniel McEathron and Chief Kahle Magalis citing officer safety
as the primary reason for the decision.

When communications become encrypted - with the sheriff's system expected
to be installed this month and the police department's by year's end - the
public will not be able to hear communications on devices such as scanners.

Gerry Boyd, a Motorolla technician, said encryption is a service offered
but it is up to the customer whether to enable it.

McEathron and Magalis said their concerns do not lie with the general
public but with criminals who listen to officers communicate. Magalis said
this "100 percent, absolutely" occurs and poses a threat to officer safety.

"We've had people we picked up saying 'we knew you were coming, we heard it
on the scanner,'" he said.

Daniel T. McEathron

He added that non-encrypted communications also provide criminals the
chance to ambush police.

Magalis painted a possible scenario in which drug dealers hear of an
impending raid and have time to set up "booby traps," get weapons or
prepare a barricade.

The encryption, he said, "makes it that much harder for bad guys to pull
those kinds of maneuvers on the police."

Brian Myers, Winchester Police Department radio communications manager,
said the department encrypts anything beyond basic traffic calls. He also
cited safety concerns as the reason for this decision.

Megan Rhyne, Virginia Coalition for Open Government executive director,
said neither officer safety nor open communications are more important than
the other and both are legitimate concerns.

She said the main question is: "what has changed in the past few decades
that makes this necessary now?"

In Shenandoah County, Director of Emergency Communications Jason Malloy
said that none of the county's or town's police radios are encrypted. He
said, however, the communications center has proposed a new system. If the
county approves the purchase, certain law enforcement channels would be
encrypted.

Malloy did not say what type of communications would be encrypted because
those are "operational details I'm not at liberty to release." He also did
not offer a reason why encryption would be beneficial because that is
"operational information for security purpose that I'm not comfortable
releasing."

Frederick County Sheriff Lenny Millholland said none of the county's
communications are encrypted, but in an ideal world, they would be for
officer safety.

"In the way of the world right now, you don't want other people hearing
what you're doing or where you're responding," he said.

McEathron said encryption also prevents "life-changing" information from
being transmitted on public airwaves. Sheriff's Office Maj. Mike Arnold
noted such situations would include suicide or rape, which can include
descriptive communications.

"It isn't that you try to hide anything. Does the public have the right to
know that you're responding to somebody's house where there's a terrible
situation?" McEathron said.

Magalis agreed and said, "victims of crimes don't need to have their
identities broadcast to everybody on the planet."

Arnold said encryption is "one of those things that you love and hate." He
said that the media is the main party that frames encryption in a negative
light.

"I mean, you guys like to know what we're doing. But unfortunately, you
just can't hear it," he said.

McEathron noted that people do not have the right to hear police
communications and the only reason they do now is because it is public.

"I mean, they have the right to know certain things, but all of the stuff
we put over the radio, they don't have the right to know. It just happens
to get out because we have to talk," he said.

Magalis agreed, adding that it is not a matter of trying "to hide the ball"
and the department is "all about transparency."

"But at the same time, some of these things have got to be kept under wraps
in order to keep the officers safe so that they can keep the public safe,"
he said.

Magalis noted that the Freedom of Information Act "exists for a reason."

"People are certainly welcome to F.O.I.A. anything they want, and there are
certain exemptions for that. That's the law of the land. We have to be as
transparent as we can while still maintaining public safety," he said.

INDEX

SECTION 1 SHENANDOAH PUBLISHING HOUSE, INC. PROFILE

SECTION 2 OTHER NEWS: 2018

SECTION 1 SHENANDOAH PUBLISHING HOUSE, INC. PROFILE

1.1 ACTIVITIES

Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc. publishes daily newspapers in the United
States. It offers news on city/county, courts and legal, crime/public
safety/fire/rescue, environment, history, multimedia, politics, traffic,
road conditions, gas prices, weather, entertainment, and sports covering
the United States and internationally. The company was incorporated in 1928
and is based in Strasburg, Virginia. As of March 1, 2012, Shenandoah
Publishing House, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of The Ogden Newspapers,
Inc.

1.2 SUMMARY

Website: http://www.nvdaily.com

Industry: Media

SECTION 2 OTHER NEWS: 2018

August 12: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Defense attorney, prosecutor
spar over expert's qualifications

A Shenandoah County man serving a life sentence argues that the trial judge
erred by allowing a jury to consider testimony by an unqualified expert
witness.

A jury found Patrick Wakeman guilty on one count of rape at the end of a
three-day trial in Shenandoah County Circuit Court on May 3, 2017. The jury
found Wakeman not guilty on a second count of rape. The jury recommended
that Wakeman serve life in prison for the crime. Judge Dennis L. Hupp
upheld the jury's verdict and sentenced Wakeman to life in prison.

Charlottesville attorney J. Lloyd Snook III filed a petition for appeal to
the Virginia Court of Appeals on March 19 on Wakeman's behalf. Katherine
Quinlan Adelfio, an attorney for the commonwealth, filed a brief in
opposition to the petition. An appellate court judge reviewed the petition
June 15 and granted the request for an appeal. Snook filed his opening
brief on Wednesday, according to the appellate court records.

The opening brief states that Hupp erred in allowing Raymer Balciunas to
testify as an expert sexual assault nurse examiner when she had not
received licensure in that field.

Balciunas examined the victim looking for biological evidence. Balciunas
took a cervical vaginal swab later found to contain Y-chromosome DNA
consistent with the Y-chromosome DNA of Wakeman, the brief notes.

"It would also have been consistent with the Y-chromosome DNA of any other
male relative of Patrick Wakeman," the brief states.

August 12: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Cat in Front Royal tested
positive for rabies

A news release from the Warren County Sheriff's Office said someone
complained on July 26 about "a cat was chasing people and acting
aggressively." On Thursday, test results from the cat came back positive
for rabies.

Colin Greene, the director of the Lord Fairfax Health District, said that
there were no signs that anyone had been bitten, saying that was likely the
reason why it took two weeks for test results to come in for the cat.

"Had there been an exposure, there would have been a much greater, more
urgent need for testing," Greene said.

That contrasted from a recent set of incidents in Maurertown, where a rabid
cat reportedly bit four people. The string of reported attacks all occurred
on a Friday; test results there came back the following Monday.

"In fact, the only reason it took us three or four days to get those
(results in Maurertown back) was because there was a weekend in the way,"
Greene said. "If there had been an actual attack (in the case of Front
Royal), we'd have turned it around quickly."

Following the complaint, the Warren County Sheriff's Office Animal Control
unit confined the cat and sent it to the Humane Society of Warren County,
which quarantined it. Two days later, the cat showed obvious signs of
rabies and was euthanized, according to the news release from the Sheriff's
Office.

The Sheriff's Office declined to comment, forwarding any questions to the
Warren County Health Department, which is part of the Lord Fairfax Health
District.

After receiving a report, Greene said, the health district's environmental
health specialist investigates it.

"The people who had picked up the cat specifically said that no one had
been scratched or bitten that we're aware of," Greene said.

Greene said that the cat was a stray brown tabby.

August 12: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Scanner owners react to switch
to encrypted police radios

FRONT ROYAL - Citizens tuning into the communications of the Warren County
Sherriff's Office and Front Royal Police Department via scanners will soon
have quieter houses.

Both departments plan to move to fully encrypted radio systems, which will
make those scanners unable to capture that communication.

Wayne Sealock, a retired Strasburg police officer and Front Royal resident,
has had a household scanner all his life. He said encryption is a
double-edged sword and while it enhances officer safety, citizens with
scanners would like to help if possible.

For example, he recalled spotting a fleeing suspect behind his house after
hearing chatter on the scanner. He notified them of the suspect's location.
While he was an officer, he recalled a couple of times when he "got in a
bind" and off-duty firefighters came to help after hearing of the trouble
via a scanner.

Suzanne Silek, a lifelong Warren County resident, said she has had a
scanner in her house for nearly four decades. While encryption may make
officers safer, she said citizens with scanners can provide assistance to
both police and residents.

Silek noted that sometimes new officers could get lost on their way to a
scene and she has called the dispatch officers to help point them in the
right direction.

As far as helping fellow citizens, Silek recalled hearing that her sister's
house was on fire.

August 12: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Jaywalking ordinance public
hearing set for Monday

FRONT ROYAL ' The town plans to start enforcing jaywalking rules in
response to pedestrians being struck by vehicles.

At 7 p.m. today, the Town Council will hold a public hearing regarding the
adoption of the state's jaywalking ordinance into the town's code.

The proposed jaywalking ordinance states that 'pedestrians lawfully shall
cross public streets, wherever possible, only at intersections, marked
crosswalks, or an official pedestrian crossing signals; or as directed by a
law enforcement officer.'

The ordinance further stipulates that it is unlawful 'for pedestrians to
carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles.'

Violations of the ordinance are a class four misdemeanor, punishable by a
maximum $250 fine.

Town Attorney Doug Napier noted that although jaywalking is already
forbidden in the town, the ordinance will provide citizens additional
notice that the rules will be enforced.

The ordinance is part of the town's S.T.O.P.S. ' Smart Town Observe
Pedestrian Safety ' program that was initiated by Councilman William
Sealock after he grew concerned about the number of pedestrians struck by
vehicles.

Police Chief Kahle Magalis previously noted that four pedestrians died in
traffic incidents from 2013 through March 2018.

August 10: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Warren County schools prepare
for new year

FRONT ROYAL - Shortly after school starts in Warren County on Monday, the
district is slated to receive four new buses.

Source: Company Website

August 10: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Bargain hunters, vendors
galore line Route 11 for the Yard Crawl

Rain is probably going to fall on the Yard Crawl today.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jeremy Geiger said there is a 60
percent chance of showers, with thunderstorms possible, for the area. Rain
will most likely occur between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., he added.

It will not keep Kimberly Pittman away.

Pittman, of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, has been coming to shop the
Yard Crawl for five years, the last three years accompanied by her mother
Leona Stotler.

They were out sharing time together on Friday, shopping vendors who had
already set up.

Shannon Campbell, of Strasburg, browses through a line of clothing items
during the Route 11 Yard Crawl on Friday near Fishers Hill. Rich
Cooley/Daily

"It is fun," Pittman said. "I will be back tomorrow."

The only time Stotler takes off work is one day for the Yard Crawl.

"I love yard sales," Stotler said.

Stotler snagged an outdoor storage bench for $2.

She plans to set it outside in her yard by the door and store flower pots
on it.

Pedestrians cross Route 11 near Fishers Hill Friday during the Yard Crawl.
Rich Cooley/Daily

Pittman found a paisley print comforter in blue tones for $5. She also
purchased a large beach cart for $5.

Mother and daughter found the bench on sale by the Kawatsky family who were
set up on Route 11 in Strasburg in the space behind Kountry Korner and next
to the McDonald's.

"This is the second year we have been selling in the Yard-Crawl," said
Adrienne Kawatsky, of Strasburg.

They arrived on Friday to set up about 6 a.m.

"We are doing good," Kawatsky said.

Sabrina Dover, of Toms Brook, strolls through a line of woodworking items
Friday during the Route 11 Yard Crawl.

August 10: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: 4 endangered species foals
born at biology institute

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal has had four
Przewalski horse foals born this year, the largest number of births of the
animals the institute has had in 28 years. Source: Company Website

August 10: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Business News & Events

Global Connections to Employment, headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, has
expanded operations by acquiring Able Forces Inc., creating job
opportunities for people with disabilities.

Started by two veterans to provide employment opportunities to military
veterans with disabilities, GCE is one of the largest non-profit agencies
in the country's AbilityOne Program network, which creates employment
opportunities for people with significant disabilities. GCE is located in
14 states and the District of Columbia.

Able Forces Inc. is located at 115 Chester St., Suite B, Front Royal.
Information: Lori Kain, 850-429-6969, email lori.kain at gce.org or visit
www.GCE.org.

Lynn Care Center

Crystal Larson, administrator at the Lynn Care Center at Warren Memorial
Hospital, has been chosen as a future leader in long-term and post-acute
care by the American Health Care Association and National Center for
Assisted Living.

She was chosen as one of 40 long-term care professionals selected from
across the country to join the association's Future Leaders program, a
year-long program that covers the latest theories and practical
applications in quality management, customer satisfaction and leadership.
The program kicks off with a symposium Sept.

August 10: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: Authorities charge man in
building fire

Authorities have accused a local man of intentionally starting a fire at a
Warren County trucking business Thursday morning.

Source: Company Website

August 09: Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc: For now, Army suspends
discharges of immigrant recruits

The U.S. Army has stopped discharging immigrant recruits who enlisted
seeking a path to citizenship - at least temporarily. A memo shared with
The Associated Press on Wednesday and dated July 20 spells out orders to
high-ranking Army officials to stop processing discharges of men and women
who enlisted in the special immigrant program, effective immediately. It
was not clear how many recruits were impacted by the action, and the
Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the
memo. "Effective immediately, you will suspend processing of all
involuntary separation actions," read the memo signed by Acting Assistant
Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Marshall Williams.
The disclosure comes one month after the AP reported that dozens of
immigrant enlistees were being discharged or had their contracts cancelled.
Some said they were given no reason for their discharge. Others said the
Army informed them they'd been labeled as security risks because they have
relatives abroad or because the Defense Department had not completed
background checks on them. Early last month, the Pentagon said there had
been no specific policy change and that background checks were ongoing.

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