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March 9, 2009 50¢

nvdaily.com
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copyright © 2009 Shenandoah Publishing House, Inc. Weather, B6
Serving Virginia’s Northern Shenandoah Valley

State police: Man killed at Skyline Drive

Law enforcement shot the vehicle drew a weapon and
began to fire, State Police Sgt.
the driver of a vehicle F.L. Tyler said.
Authorities returned fire and
after he opened fire killed the driver, Tyler said.
Tyler would not identify the driv-
By J.R. Williams er or a passenger in the car, who
jrwilliams@nvdaily.com received only minor injuries and
was taken to a nearby hospital.
FRONT ROYAL — A man was It was unclear Sunday afternoon
killed Sunday at the entrance to which law enforcement agency
Shenandoah National Park after fired the shot that killed the
he drew a weapon and fired at man, why the parks service asked
authorities, a Virginia State authorities to stop the car or if
Police official said. anyone else was hurt.
At 11 a.m., the National Parks Eight hours after the shooting,
Dennis Grundman/Daily Service asked the Warren County nearly two dozen police cars
Sheriff’s Office and state police to blocked entrance to the park, and
More than 20 law enforcement vehicles gather at the entrance stop a vehicle. When authorities
authorities were still working the
to Shenandoah National Park at Skyline Drive. State police say pulled the vehicle over at Skyline scene past nightfall. State troop-
a man was killed after opening fire on authorities. Drive and U.S. 340, the driver of ers were directing tourists to
Luray for access to Skyline Drive.
The incident is under investiga-
tion by State Police, the National
Parks Service and the FBI.
FBI spokeswoman Dee Rybiski
refused further comment. Warren
County Sheriff Daniel T.
McEathron referred questions to
State Police. He would not say
how many deputies were
involved.
Susie Starita, 43, said her 14-
year-old son was playing outside
their River Drive home close to
the park when he heard gun-
shots. At first she didn’t believe
him.
But Starita soon watched heli-
copters land in the parking lot of
a nearby football field.
KILLED, A2

NEW MARKET

Lawyer must
repay line of
credit from
firm in N.Y.
Counsel Financial believes
loan was used for gambling
By Sally Voth
svoth@nvdaily.com
NEW MARKET — A town lawyer with a
penchant for poker was dealt a bad hand in
federal court recently.
Michael Melkersen was ordered in U.S.
District Court in the Western District of
New York late last month to pay Counsel
Financial Services LLC in Buffalo, N.Y.,
$275,464, plus associated fees, according to
online court records.
Melkersen, who has been practicing about
four years, signed a revolving promissory
note with Counsel Financial Services LLC
that gave his law firm a $250,000 line of
credit in October 2005, according to court
documents. He made his monthly interest
payments through September 2007, docu-
ments say.
In October 2007, according to court docu-
AP ments, Melkersen was told Counsel Finan-
cial Services was calling the balance due.
Novella Willis talks about the state of her neighborhood in west Detroit on Thursday. Willis, a longtime resident The suit was triggered when Melkersen fell
of Cruse Street, soon will have her mortgage paid off but she is among those caught in the changing market. behind on his interest payments, Philip
Abramowitz, attorney for Counsel Financial
Buyers flock to take advantage

Going for
Services, said Tuesday.
“The main issue was he borrowed money
and wasn’t making his interest payments,
of Detroit’s foreclosed homes and we’re convinced one of the main reasons
he wasn’t able to pay the money back was
By Jeff Karoub “In the past few months, I’ve because he was gambling with our money,”
and Corey Williams picked up 10 new clients from Abramowitz said.
The Associated Press out of state that are buying Counsel Financial specializes in lending
in bulk,” said Mike Shannon, money to law firms, mainly so they can con-
DETROIT — Welcome to a suburban Detroit real tinue operating while awaiting payouts from
Landlord Nation, where fore- estate agent. His office spe- successful lawsuits, Melkersen said in a
closure notices are plentiful cializes in foreclosures in a telephone interview Wednesday.

pennies
and for-sale signs offer at city that’s among the national Such litigation can take years to pay off, he
least 1,800 homes for under leaders. said.
$10,000 that once were worth “They’re coming to us, say- One of the law firms’ operating expenses is
at least 10 times more. ing ‘Look, I want to buy 50, attorney salaries, Melkersen said.
In extreme cases, homes are 100, 1,000.’ They want to own “I believe there were two times where we
on sale for $1 or less, which every decent and cheap house actually paid the loan off in full,” he said.
has enticed investors to they can find.” The line of credit carried an 18 percent
Detroit from as far away as Despite a stagnant retail interest rate, said Melkersen, who referred
the United Kingdom and Aus- housing market, real estate to the lender as “essentially loan sharks.”
tralia. HOMES, A2 A couple of months before he stopped
LAWYER, A2

To our readers
The Northern Virginia Daily is
introducing a new, smaller format for
our pages in today’s issue.
Each page of the newspaper will be
111⁄2 inches in width, an inch narrow-
er than the previous format, which
had been in use for several years.
The smaller format, which will
reduce the amount of paper used for
each issue of the Daily, has been
implemented along with many other
cost-saving measures in response to
the weak economy. The savings will
help the Daily maintain its commit-
ment to be the most comprehensive
source of news and information in
the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
Some minor changes have been
made in the presentation of our news
to make the best use of space in each
day’s issue. All of our standing news,
sports, business and opinion features
will continue to be provided.
Recession hurting even those still with jobs
Employers continuing to unemployment rate, which hit 8.1 per-
cent in February. They’re not eligible for
slash hours as workers federal benefits that provide a safety
net for the jobless. Yet their pain is real,
put on unpaid leaves and their reduced spending is a drag on
the economy.
By Christopher Leonard Call them the walking wounded of this
The Associated Press deep recession: millions of workers
whose incomes have fallen even as they
In cubicles, factories and stores these manage to hold onto their jobs. Their
days, anxious workers are trying to ease shrunken pay has forced many of them
each other’s economic fears with some- to make hurtful sacrifices.
thing akin to, “Well, at least we still “I won’t be able to buy the groceries I
have a job.” need to buy to make sure my family can
Yet for many, that’s becoming small eat until the end of the month,” said
comfort as more employers cut hours or Rhonda Wagner, a 52-year-old Califor-
hire only part-timers. People paid on nia state employee who has been deal- AP
commission, meanwhile, are suffering ing with less pay due to state-imposed
as sales dry up. And state workers leave. Rhonda Wagner packs some items at her home in
around the country have been put on Before her pay cut, Wagner said her Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday. Wagner, who
unpaid leaves. paycheck from the Department of Motor works for the California DMV, and her family are los-
These workers aren’t counted in the JOBS, A2 ing their home to foreclosure.

REGIONAL NASCAR FAMILY Bridge, C4 Crossword, C4

Front Royal Attorney General Kurt Busch takes Busy building Classifieds, D4 Donohue, D2
United Way petitions county the top spot is expanded Columns, D2
Comics, C4 Obituaries, B3
Organization fielding Office wants man Busch beats Gordan Center offers Comment, A4 TV/Movies, B5
requests for committed for narrowly in Kolbalt something for
6 57789 15269 9 Day of Caring. B1 sexual crime. B1 Tools 500. C1 everyone. D1 20 pages

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