Virginia
State group says Virginia should budget more for invasive species management – The Henrico Citizen
An area in Pony Pasture Park of the James River Park System showing native plant vegetation, including Virginia Creeper, Common Moonseed, Mockernut Hickory seedlings and Virginia Wild Rye. (Meghan McIntyre/Virginia Mercury)
A state group dedicated to dealing with invasive species in Virginia is recommending that the General Assembly include an extra $2.45 million in its next budget to limit the spread of invasive plant and animal species in the commonwealth.
The proposal backed by the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group Wednesday would pay for seven additional state positions to help eradicate and slow the spread of invasive species and development of a statewide coordinated response to problems related to invasives.
The recommendations will now head to the chairs of the House and Senate money and natural resources committees for their consideration.
Invasive species, said Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles, “are costly to control, reduce productivity within forest and grow faster than native species and spread quickly. So addressing this issue of this magnitude is a long-term effort that must be implemented, in our view, over a period of time.”
The $2.45 million in funding is meant to support the full rollout of Virginia’s Invasive Species Management Plan, a document crafted in 2018 that outlines how state agencies can minimize the economic, environmental and human harms of invasive species.
The working group calls for the funds to be split among the four Virginia agencies primarily impacted by invasive species: the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Forestry, Department of Conservation and Recreation and Department of Wildlife Resources.
Species of special concern include wavy leaf grass, which invades forest floors; spotted lanternflies and two-horned trapa plants, the latter of which are invading ponds in Northern Virginia; black fountain grass, which leaves pastureland unusable by cattle; and zebra and quagga mussels, which attack native mussel species and damage infrastructure.
While DCR biologist Kevin Heffernan said the proposed funding is only a “drop in the bucket” when it comes to dealing with the destruction caused by invasive species, he called it a much-needed start.
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matt Lohr similarly called the proposal a “first step” but said “there’s really never going to be enough money to do it all.”
“We wanted to be realistic, because you can spend $20 million a year and probably still not eradicate all these things,” Lohr said.
Heffernan noted the public has become increasingly interested in invasive species in recent years.
“People got to start knowing their parks and their backyards and started asking questions and they’ve been interested in native plants and native pollinators,” he said. “They’re starting to ask questions about those, and what comes up often is invasive species are a threat to all of those.”
Rod Walker and Jim Hurley of the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) said a record 70 to 80 people attended one of their workshops on invasive species this year.
“These are people who wanted to be there to make a difference … people from all over the state representing a lot of constituencies,” Walker said.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a statement about a PRISM invasive species workshop’s attendance to Tom Smith instead of Jim Hurley.
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This article first appeared on Virginia Mercury and is republished here with permission. Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence.
Virginia
Man shot, killed by Virginia trooper ID’d after crash ends in deadly stabbing attack
FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — Virginia State Police have identified the man who was shot and killed by a trooper after a crash ended in a stabbing attack on Interstate 495 Sunday afternoon.
Jared Llamado, 32, of McLean, died at the hospital on Sunday after he was shot.
RELATED | 2 dead, dog killed after stabbing spree, trooper shooting on I-495 in Fairfax County
Investigators said Llamado was confronted by the trooper who opened fire around 1:17 p.m. The trooper was responding to a report of a road rage incident and found Llamado with a knife, according to a news release.
Four stabbing victims, all women, were also found at the scene, along with a dog that was also stabbed.
Michelle Adams, 39, died from her injuries. The dog also did not survive. The three other women were all taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to VSP. 7News is not identifying the surviving victims.
Investigators said the stabbings stemmed from a crash in the southbound lanes of I-495.
The trooper who opened fire was not hurt and is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the use of force.
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Investigators said they do not believe the attack is connected to terrorism.
Virginia
Two dead after I-495 road rage incident leads to stabbing, Virginia State Police shooting – WTOP News
A road rage incident led to a shooting involving the Virginia State Police on Sunday on Interstate 495. Four individuals were also stabbed.
Two people are dead Sunday in Annandale, Virginia, after a road rage incident led to a shooting involving Virginia State Police on Interstate 495.
A release issued by the Virginia State Police said a trooper fatally shot a man after responding to a report of a road rage incident on the southbound lanes of I-495 just before 1:30 p.m. at exit 52, near the Little River Turnpike.
The man, transferred to a hospital with serious injuries, has been pronounced dead. VSP said the trooper shot in self-defense after the man confronted him with a knife.
The trooper did not suffer any injuries during the altercation.
Officials found four stabbing victims at the scene, but only identified a 39-year-old woman and a dog. Both the woman and the dog died.
Early findings suggest the stabbings took place after a crash on the Capital Beltway. The crash remains under investigation.
The VSP’s release comes after the main lanes of the Capital Beltway Outer Loop, before Little River Turnpike, were closed to traffic for several hours, only recently opening the express lanes. Main lanes between Arlington Boulevard and the Little River Turnpike remain closed.
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Virginia
Virginia Huffman Obituary February 27, 2026 – Ott & Lee Funeral Homes
Mary “Virginia” Huffman, 82, of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, passed away on February 27, 2026.
Born on February 28, 1943, in Morton, Mississippi, she was the daughter of Carl and Nannie Mae Bradshaw. She married the love of her life, Jimmy Lavell Huffman, on June 14, 1963, and together they built a life rooted in faith, family, and hard work. Virginia devoted nearly 50 years to teaching high school math, beginning at Morton High School and later serving at East Rankin Academy. Generations of students were shaped by her steady guidance, high expectations, and deep belief in their potential. Many would say they entered college prepared because they had learned from “Mrs. Huffman.” Her students knew the famous “Mrs. Huffman look,” but no one understood it quite like her children and grandchildren. To many, she was more than a teacher—she was a mentor, encourager, and second mother.
A faithful member of Cross Roads Baptist Church, Virginia was a true matriarch and prayer warrior whose life was anchored in her love for the Lord. She woke each morning to study the Word of God and carried that faith into every conversation, classroom, and season of life. She played piano and organ, sang in the choir, and on Sunday mornings could often be found at home practicing the piano before church—something her family dearly loved listening to. She served her church and community with quiet devotion. Whether tutoring students during the summer, helping families in need, or visiting church members, she consistently lived out a servant’s heart.
She loved farm life—raising chickens and cows, cutting hay, tending her flower beds, and cooking for the people she loved. She was especially known for her strawberry pies, egg custard, and caramel cake (see Cheryl Moore for the recipe). She faithfully attended her grandchildren’s sporting events and found her greatest joy in cheering on her family. She loved deeply and wholeheartedly, treating not only her own children and grandchildren as treasures, but embracing many others in her community as if they were her own.
She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Lavell Huffman; her children, Connie Goodman (Mike), Karen Jones, and Jade Huffman; her grandchildren, Christin (Colby) (Candace), Christopher (Victoria), Dillon, Marley, Halle (Elijah), Kyla Kate, and Eli; her great-grandchildren, Autumn, Titus, Sophia, Liam, Scarlett, Luke, and Ava; and her siblings, Paul (Joyce) and Delilah.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Nannie Mae Bradshaw; her in-laws, Clyde Sr. and Zora Huffman; her son, Scot Huffman; and her sisters, May Erving and Maxine Strong.
Virginia will be remembered as a woman of unwavering faith, steadfast strength, and extraordinary love. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the students she prepared, and the countless lives she covered in prayer.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – until on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Cross Roads Baptist Church in Pelahatchie and again on Monday, March 2, 2026 from 12 pm – 1 pm.
Services will be held at 1pm Monday, March 2, 2026 at Cross Roads Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
Bro. John Vaughn, Bro. Gary Morris and Bro. Steven Platt will officate the services.
Pallbearers will be Tim Wolverton, Colby Boyd, Christopher Wilson, Dillon Pettigrew, Eli Huffman and Elijah Moore.
Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Morton is honored to serve the Huffman family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cross Roads Baptist Church Building Fund.
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