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Man who ran over 2 women in Virginia Beach’s Town Center found guilty of manslaughter

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Man who ran over 2 women in Virginia Beach’s Town Center found guilty of manslaughter


VIRGINIA BEACH — A man who prosecutors say was high on marijuana when he ran over two women in a Town Center crosswalk was found guilty Thursday of involuntary manslaughter.

The jury also convicted Nathan Poole, 26, of driving under the influence and maiming someone while driving under the influence for the August 2022 incident that left Rosa Blanco, 76, dead and her cousin, Concepcion Blanco, 79, seriously hurt. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 15.

Cases in which a driver is charged with killing someone while high on marijuana are rare, according to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Among the issues that makes them challenging is that there’s no forensic standard for impairment with marijuana cases like there is with alcohol ones, where a blood alcohol level over .08 percent is considered illegal for driving.

“The facts of this case prove that there are risks and consequences for driving while impaired from marijuana use,” Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney Colin Stolle said in a statement. “While there is no forensic standard for THC impairment, the jury clearly rejected the defense’s assertion that Poole was not impaired and sent the message that he should be held accountable for his actions that day.”

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The incident happened on the afternoon of Aug. 22, 2022, at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and Main Street. The two women had gone to Tupelo Honey Cafe to celebrate Rosa Blanco’s birthday, and were walking in the crosswalk when Poole made a right turn from Main Street onto Constitution Drive and struck them in the crosswalk.

Video surveillance showed Poole didn’t apply the brakes as he drove his Dodge pickup over the women, according to prosecutors. Blanco died at the scene. Her cousin spent five weeks in the hospital.

An officer who arrived at the scene noticed the smell of “burnt marijuana” on Poole, prosecutors said. Poole failed multiple field sobriety tests, and told police he was a heavy marijuana user. He initially said he hadn’t used any since the night before, but later said he’d used some that morning.

Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office

Nathan Poole

A toxicologist testified that the level of marijuana in Poole’s blood indicated recent use, and that it would have had major effects on his judgment, attention, and reaction times.

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“This is a very sad case,” defense attorney Diane Toscano said afterwards. “We mounted a strong defense but the jury disagreed. We respect their decision and will talk about our next legal steps.”

Toscano said the case is a good example of how little is known about “how much is too much marijuana before getting behind the wheel.”

“We have much clearer standards for drunk driving,” the defense lawyer said. And without a standard for impairment when it comes to marijuana — even though it is legal to smoke in Virginia — any amount in your system can spell big trouble in an accident. This policy issue needs to be tackled.”

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com



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#17 Irish Fall at #4 Virginia, 4-1

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#17 Irish Fall at #4 Virginia, 4-1


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#17 Notre Dame (19-5, 8-3) – 1 | #4 Virginia (18-3, 10-1) – 4

DOUBLES – 3, 2
1. Dominko/Gregg (ND) vs. #5 Dahlberg/Dietrich (UVA), 2-4, 4-4, 5-4, 6-5, unfinished
2. Rice/Brockett (UVA) def. #47 Llorens Saracho/Nad (ND), 7-5
3. Santamarta/Kim (UVA) def. Lee/Patrick (ND), 6-0 

SINGLES – 2, 4, 6
1. #2 Dylan Dietrich (UVA) def. #15 Sebastian Dominko (ND), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
2. #14 Keegan Rice (UVA) def. #72 Perry Gregg (ND), 6-3, 6-3
3. #40 Andres Santamarta Roig (UVA) vs. Giuseppe Cerasuolo (ND), 6-3, 6-5, unfinished
4. Peter Nad (ND) def. #102 Jangjun Kim (UVA), 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
5. Kyran Magimay (ND) vs. Stiles Brockett (UVA), 6-1, 5-7, 1-1, unfinished
6. Douglas Yaffa (UVA) def. Luis Llorens Saracho (ND), 6-3, 0-6, 6-1

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Virginia sees 33,000 ACA enrollment drop since subsidies expired, more likely on the way

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Virginia sees 33,000 ACA enrollment drop since subsidies expired, more likely on the way


As Virginians, and Americans nationwide, face premium spikes in the Affordable Care Act marketplace after Congress failed to renew subsidies, many are weighing the cost of coverage against paying rent or mortgages, making car payments or paying for public transit, and buying groceries.



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The Virginia International Tattoo: Where 250 Years of Freedom Takes the Stage  – VisitNorfolk

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The Virginia International Tattoo: Where 250 Years of Freedom Takes the Stage  – VisitNorfolk


If you’re uncertain what the words “Tattoo” and “Hullabaloo” mean in the context of Norfolk, Virginia’s largest annual event, Scott Jackson is happy to explain. 

“About 15 years ago, I took a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, to see the Edinburgh tattoo, which is the biggest tattoo in the world and the most famous,” says Jackson, Producer/Director of the military-themed spectacle known as the Virginia International Tattoo. “My hotel was at the bottom of a road called the Royal Mile… and when you walk up this mile on the night of a tattoo performance, it’s totally vibrant. It’s so exciting. There’s music on every corner. There’s street performers. There’s food, there’s beer. When I got to the castle, I already felt great. I was already in a great mood.” 

The annual Virginia International Tattoo runs April 16–19, 2026, and this year it carries the theme of America’s 250th anniversary. The timing is not lost on Jackson, a student of military history who discovered, in preparing for this year, that George Washington himself called for the first tattoo in American history. 

“At that time, a tattoo was a small military ceremony,” Jackson explains. “It was basically a time each night when soldiers were called back to a base, and there was a roll call, and a military ceremony, sometimes called a beating retreat.”  

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From that origin story, Jackson has built a show that threads 1776 through every act. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, performing in 1776 uniforms, will demonstrate how fifes, drums and bugles once served as battlefield communication, the original radio operators of the Continental Army. The French Navy Band and a Royal Air Force rifle display team called the King’s Color Squadron represent the allies who stood with the colonies.  

“There’s a great line from the musical Hamilton,” Jackson says, “‘I want to be in the room where it happened.’ Well, these were the countries that were in the room where it happened.” 

South Korea’s Army Band provides a “a giant umbrella of Korean culture,” with traditional dance and costumes, a taekwondo display team, and two K-pop stars currently serving their mandatory military service.  

“In the U.S. in the ’50s, Elvis Presley was drafted into the Army, who felt like it was a distraction, so they actually staged him in Germany. He basically had a desk job,” Jackson says. “Well, the South Koreans said, ‘Oh, you’re a K-pop star, we’re drafting you. We’re sending you to Virginia Tattoo to represent.’” 

More than 800 civilian and military performers from six nations will fill Scope’s arena floor. For those making the drive from the Richmond region and beyond, the experience begins well before curtain. According to Jackson, that is precisely what you don’t want to miss.  

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The festivities aren’t just inside the arena, Jackson notes. For several hours before each performance, the exterior Scope Plaza comes alive with brass quintets, traditional Celtic dancers, beer tastings, festival food and a market of makers selling Tattoo-related merchandise. This is the Hullabaloo, a free pre-show open to the public and Jackson’s answer to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.  

“When you can, come early and relax, because then when the show starts, you’re already in a great place,” he says. “If you haven’t gone yet, this is the year to go.”  

Tickets are available at vafest.org or by calling (757) 282-2822. Show times are Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. 



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