ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 1997 TAG: 9701070088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: NEWS OBIT
'Vampire' sentenced to 26 years
VIRGINIA BEACH - A man who called himself a vampire was sentenced to 26 years in prison for sexually molesting eight teen-age girls he recruited for his vampire ``family.''
Circuit Judge Alan E. Rosenblatt imposed the sentence Monday on Jon C. Bush, who was found guilty in September of 30 charges, including carnal knowledge, attempted carnal knowledge, crimes against nature, indecent liberties and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Authorities said Bush, 27, targeted young girls from troubled families whom he could easily manipulate.
His eight victims were 13 to 16 years old when they met him in 1995 and 1996. The girls said Bush told them they could become vampires by having oral sex or sexual intercourse with him, or by letting him ``mark'' them by biting them hard, usually just below the breasts.
- Associated Press
Shotgun pellets poison 2 bald eagles
WAYNESBORO - Two bald eagles in Virginia have died of lead poisoning in the past two months, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia is urging hunters to recover downed game.
Both eagles apparently ingested lead shotgun pellets while scavenging animals that had been shot but not recovered, the center said.
One of the birds, found in Westmoreland County on Jan. 1, had nearly a dozen pellets in its digestive tract. Another that had ingested eight pellets was found in November in the yard of an Augusta County home; it died within a week.
State law requires hunters to make a good-faith effort to recover any game animal that has been killed or wounded, said Ed Clark, president of the Wildlife Center.
- Associated Press
Trigon's tax loss may help uninsured
RICHMOND - Money generated by the elimination of a tax break for the state's insurers of last resort should be used to provide health care for the poor and those with no insurance, a legislative commission recommended Monday.
The Joint Commission on Health Care voted unanimously to transfer to an indigent health care trust fund revenues generated by ending the tax break for Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield and Blue Cross Blue Shield of the National Capital Area. The exemption will be dropped July 1, resulting in revenues of about $3.5 million for fiscal 1998 and $7.6 million for 1999, the commission said.
The General Assembly session that begins Wednesday will consider the commission's recommendation.
- Associated Press
B.B. Byrd dies; son, brother of senators
WINCHESTER - Bradshaw Beverley Byrd, son of one senator and brother of another, died Sunday in Winchester Medical Center of heart failure.
Byrd, 76, was the son of the late U.S. Sen. Harry Flood Byrd Sr. and the brother of former U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Jr.
B. Beverley Byrd spent more than 50 years in the apple industry, including 26 years as vice president and production manager of H.F. Byrd Inc., one of the nation's largest apple producers. At the time of his death, he was president of Westwood Farm Inc., another apple producer.
He was a graduate of Virginia Tech and Cornell University.
-Associated Press
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