Local Leads: 5/20/10

News you need to know

The following stories have been hand-selected by the Assignment Desk at News4:

UVA CASE HAS POTENTIAL FOR DEATH PENALTY
Prosecutors are refusing to say whether they will seek the death penalty for University of Virginia lacrosse playerGeorge Huguely V, charged in the brutal slaying of former girlfriend Yeardley Love, but the case has the potential to land him on death row. "There is no doubt [prosecutors] will want to pursue the death penalty if they have the evidence to prove it," said Joe diGenova, former U.S. attorney for the District. Virginia prosecutors are historically aggressive when it comes to seeking the death penalty. The Old Dominion is second only to Texas in number of executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. (Washington Examiner)

MARYLAND FORECLOSURES
Maryland borrowers in imminent danger of losing their homes hit 4 percent in March for the first time on record as lenders stepped up the pace of new foreclosure proceedings. Lenders filed to start foreclosure on about 13,000 borrowers from January through March, compared with 10,500 the previous three months, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association survey released Wednesday. (Baltimore Sun)

SPEED UP
You could be able to go 70 mph -- legally -- on some highways by mid-summer. The Virginia Department of Transportation is studying which stretches of highway are able to safely accommodate the higher speed. The studies come after the legislature passed bills allowing the raising of the speed limit on stretches of interstate where the limit is already 65 miles per hour. That doesn't count Interstate 85, where some portions already have a 70-mph speed limit. Raising the speed limit was a campaign promise of Gov. Bob McDonnell. (Fredericksburg.com)

HOLD UP ON BANNING CELL PHONES
Prince George's County school board members have delayed implementing a cell phone policy in schools, saying the proposed rules are too strict. Student board member Edward Burroughs III said the policy draft limits cell phone usage in instances when it should be up to the teacher or administrator. (Gazette)  

Contact Us