Virginia
Virginia high school track star struck in head with baton cleared to run in Nationals — days after opponent rallies supporters
The Virginia high school track star concussed by a baton-wielding opponent will look for redemption when she returns to the starting line to race for a national title as her attacker faces assault charges.
Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker secured her spot at the Adidas Track Nationals in Virginia Beach after she received clearance from her doctors to return to competition, her father told TMZ.
The 16-year-old will race in the preliminary heats of the girls’ 60-meter and the 200-meter dashes at the Virginia Beach Sports Complex, according to race lineups for the meet.
Tucker will also join her schoolmates under the name Brookville TC in the 4×200 meter relay, the same race in which she was attacked.
The sprinter’s season had been in the dark since she suffered the head injury at the VHSL Class 3 State Indoor Championships at Liberty University on March 4.
Tucker, the second leg in the relay race, was battling IC Norcom High School senior Alaila Everett for second place when she was allegedly attacked.
Everett was captured on video bringing her right arm backward before launching it forward and striking Tucker with the metal baton.
Tucker detoured off the track, grabbing her head and falling to the ground.
The ailing runner immediately pulled herself and her team out of the race, while officials disqualified Everett and her school.
Tucker’s initial prognosis was grim when she was told that she suffered a concussion and “possible skull fracture.”
Everett has maintained her innocence, saying she “would never hit someone on purpose.”
She argued that her baton got “stuck” on Tucker’s back and rolled up and hit her opponent’s head.
“I lost my balance when I pumped my arms again,” Everett said, according to TMZ.
The Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Office deemed otherwise, charging the 17-year-old with one count of assault and battery stemming from the incident.
Everett and her family were also the subject of a protective order, filed against them by the Tucker family.
A rally was held at a local park in support of the teen after she was charged.
Tens of people turned out to the event Everett thanked her supporters.
“There’s no one else that wanted to hear my story, except the people that know me and people that know I would never do anything like that, I would never harm anybody. I’m not a fighter, I’m not even confrontational, I wouldn’t even do that on purpose, and I thank y’all for believing in me. I love y’all,” she said according to WAVY.com.
Everett’s speech was met with loud applause and a chant of “We stand with you.”
The president of the Portsmouth, Virginia NAACP said the Everett family had been targets of racial slurs and other threats since the viral attack.
“The Everett family has experienced racial slurs, they’ve experienced death threats, and we think unequivocally that those things are unacceptable,” James Boyd said at the gathering.
RICHMOND, Va. — Friday will be sunny and seasonably warm, with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.
The pattern of cool nights and mild afternoons will continue through the weekend and through much of next week as upper-level flow continues to bring reinforcing mild and dry air out of eastern Canada.
Rain chances will be very limited over the next week, with only a slim chance with a frontal passage on Monday.
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PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Ressie Keen, a 107-year-old Pittsylvania County woman, is safe after escaping a house fire that destroyed her more than 100-year-old home, leaving behind a yard filled with charred debris and scattered belongings.
Keen said she has no special secret to her longevity.
“I ain’t got no secret, just thanking the Lord to let me stay here to see 107,” she said.
Keen said she moved to the home decades ago and built a life there.
“I’ve moved there in 1969, our first crop was made in 1970, and I been living there ever since,” she said.
The fire broke out in Keen’s bedroom on Thursday afternoon. Keen said she and her sitter got out as the fire grew.
“I don’t know what happened, only thing I knew to do was to get out of there. So me and my sitter we got out. She tried to put it out but she couldn’t,” Keen said.
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Pittsylvania County Fire Marshal Scott Hutcherson said investigators believe the fire started with an electrical issue.
“We think we had an electric outlet failure, more or less; an adaptor on the outlet probably failed,” Hutcherson said. He said the fire spread quickly once it ignited nearby items. “It set the bed on fire and the clothes that was on top of it, the material on top of it, what’s pretty much what got the fire going. And then it easily spread to the second story.”
Keen’s son, Ronnie Keen, said the loss has been painful for the family.
“It was devastating real devastating, lot of memories lost. But I know those memories and emotions the things that were sentimental were still right here,” he said.
A family photo album was among the few items recovered. Pointing to one image, Ronnie Keen said, “That’s a picture of the house.”
He added that the album was badly damaged. “It’s so charred it’s kinda hard to open,” he said.
Keen also held onto her favorite cast-iron pan.
“I knew this wasn’t going to get burnt up,” she said.
The home was considered a total loss, but the family said the most important thing is that Ressie Keen survived. She is now living with her son.
“I’m overjoyed that she’s here with us and she’s safe,” Ronnie Keen said.
Hutcherson said to prevent this, make sure that there is a smoke alarm in your home. He says you can reach out to the Pittsylvania County Public Safety office for a free installation of a smoke alarm.
WISE COUNTY, VA (WCYB) — Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has requested the Virginia Attorney General’s Office investigate the 2025 homicide of a Wallens Ridge State Prison inmate.
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed the development to News 5 on Tuesday, May 27.
“The circumstances around the death of Aubrey McKay are of a very serious and troubling nature. Governor Spanberger has requested that the Office of the Attorney General conduct an investigation and initiate any criminal prosecutions that arise. This office will continue its thorough, complete, and timely investigation into these consequential matters,” Attorney General Jay Jones said in an emailed statement.
McKay died on June 4, 2025, while inside the Wise County correctional facility.
The Virginia Department of Corrections confirmed his death is being investigated as a homicide and said at least one officer was either reprimanded or placed on leave.
The Virginia medical examiner’s office listed McKay’s cause of death as multifactorial asphyxia. Virginia State Police also confirmed it is investigating the case.
The Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office also confirmed it will no longer be involved in the case.
A spokesperson for the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office told News 5 on May 25 that Smyth County would oversee the prosecution because of the nature of the investigation.
Smyth County Commonwealth’s Attorney Phillip Blevins later confirmed he has recused himself from the case.
In a court order provided to News 5 dated May 22, Blevins wrote that he has an association with at least one potential witness involved in the investigation. He was excused from the case.
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