CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Good Samaritan was hit on Interstate 95 Tuesday night when he tried to take action after seeing a crash.

Oncoming traffic is a major concern for professionals at the scene, and officials only want you to help if it’s safe to do so.

“It’s our nature to be able to help people and I think most people would probably do the same thing,” Lt. Jason Elmore said.

Lt. Elmore from Chesterfield County Fire and EMS says it’s hard to hear that a Good Samaritan was hit.

“It’s one of those things, you think that could have been me. at any point because I know many of us in fire and EMS, we have done those types of things on our off-duty time, probably hundreds of time,” Elmore said.

How do you make sure you can help but do so safely? Elmore says you have to be seen.

“The biggest danger on operating on the side of the road for anyone is the traffic that is still flowing on the road beside you,” he said.

So, get the right gear and pack it in a safety kit for your car.

“If you have flares or any of the hazard triangles or reflective material, place those out,” he added.

Drivers, take it slow. Virginia has a Move Over Law, asking drivers to merge to the lane away from an emergency vehicle if they’re on the side of the road. If you can’t do move over safely, slow down as you pass by the scene.

“So make sure that you get over and give them enough room on the side of the road so that an accident doesn’t occur,” Elmore added.

Elmore said the first thing you should do is call 911.

“Don’t assume that somebody else has already done it. Make sure you go ahead and call; so we can get emergency personnel there,” Elmore said.

Click here to read Virginia’s “Good Samaritan” law.

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RICHMOND — A bill extending the moratorium on the permanent closure of coal ash ponds has won House approval and awaits the signature of Gov. Ralph Northam to become the only legislation on the issue to survive the 2018 session. 

The House on Tuesday unanimously voted in favor of SB 807, sponsored by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, and co-sponsored by Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield. Surovell said he was happy for the extension and hopes the bill, which has been supported by Dominion Energy and environmental groups, is a “net positive for everyone.”

“We can come up with a coal-ash solution which not only resolves the problem forever but also creates jobs to clean the environment at the same time,” said Surovell, referring to the positions that would be created to recycle the coal ash.

Robert Richardson, a spokesman for Dominion, said the utility will provide the state with information on coal ash recycling costs.

“We are fully committed to closing these ponds in a manner that is protective of the environment,” Richardson said.

Coal ash is a toxic byproduct of coal-burning power plants.

Among its provisions, the bill requires Dominion to file an RFP, or a request for proposal, to assess the costs of recycling ash in the ponds. Though Dominion already recycles a portion of its total coal ash, it remains in favor of “cap-in-place” measures of permanent closure. This method of closing the ponds with a protective seal has been targeted as unsafe by environmental organizations concerned about groundwater contamination.

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters, which has opposed “cap-in-place” policies, supported the bill. Lee Francis, the league’s communications manager, said the organization has worked with Surovell and that the bill gives legislators the tools needed to make a decision.

“I think this bill will help give us clarity on how to start going forward, and hopefully lawmakers will have more information when we address final closure options,” Francis said.

Lawmakers tried addressing the coal ash issue from many angles this session, but ultimately settled on extending the moratorium as a way to get more information before acting.

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Police say a 41-year-old Petersburg man will now be charged with murder following the December death of a 35-year-old man. He was previously charged with malicious wounding.

Rodrigo Martinez-Mendoza, 1600 block of Lincoln Avenue has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Luis G. Gomez-Flores, 35, of the 2100 block of County Drive, Petersburg.

Javier Rodriguez-Zavala, 22, of the 6800 block of Jefferson Davis Highway, North Chesterfield was also previously arrested and charged with malicious wounding.

On Dec. 4, police responded to the 6300 block of Powhite Parkway just before Chippenham Parkway.

There, officers located a vehicle in a parking lot near a toll booth and discovered Gomez-Flores lying outside the vehicle unconscious. He was taken a nearby hospital where he later died.

Investigators determined an altercation broke out inside the vehicle causing the driver to pull over.

Police ask anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call Major Crimes Detective J. Bridges at (804) 646-4494 or contact Crime Stoppers at 780-1000 or at www.7801000.com. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app for smartphones may also be used. All three Crime Stoppers methods of contact are anonymous.

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ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man who admitted to helping run an escort service has pleaded guilty to trying to entice a 15-year-old girl to engage in prostitution.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia said in a Wednesday release 48-year-old Shawn Paul Paisley pleaded guilty this week to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

The release says a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy posing as the teen responded to a Craigslist advertisement seeking a “personal/casual” encounter in August 2016. In a text message exchange, Paisley described the escort service and standard rates, and the two arranged for Paisley to travel from his Salem home to engage in a sex act.

After he was arrested, Paisley said at least two previous recruits were 17.

He’ll be sentenced in May.

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PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Ting-Yi Oei places the grates over the burners on his gas stove. The kitchen in his house is finally coming together.

Oei’s family bought and started renovating the home in Petersburg’s Poplar Lawn Historic District four years ago.

“We’re very pleased with progress we are making,” says Oei. “And hopefully the other things that are coming up around the neighborhood will make it truly a good place to be.”

Coming up across the street from his home is the major overhaul of a property that predates the Civil War.

It is the first of a few projects in the works through a new partnership between Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the City of Petersburg, The Cameron Foundation, project: HOMES, Rebuilding Together Richmond, Preservation Virginia, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church of Petersburg and HistoriCorps.

“It was vacant, dilapidated, no windows, no walls in some places,” describes Candice Streett, the Virginia LISC Executive Director. “Making it a really attractive house that someone would want to buy and live in.”

Brandy Cramer, The Cameron Foundation Program Officer, gestures to the community.

“We’re bringing it back for them,” she says.

The Cameron Foundation is funding the effort on Liberty Street, which is part of the ‘Partners for Neighborhood Renewal – Poplar Lawn’ program.

Cramer references a 2014-2015 Preservation Virginia study that found more than 10 percent of historic homes in Petersburg had been lost within the prior decade.

It also determined that much of what is left is uninhabitable and in poor condition.

“They’re sources for criminal activity on the houses,” says Streett about the blight. “And for the houses around them, folks are less interested in doing the maintenance on their homes.”

It is why the program is taking what could be called the worst house on the block and is investing in its future.

Streett looks to similar efforts in Richmond to prove that it is possible.

“Just as we did in Oregon Hill and just as partners are doing today in Church Hill, it’s preserving this really wonderful housing stock and turning it into a neighborhood.”

Virginia LISC also is behind a push for owners to rehabilitate their own homes and a focus on getting rental properties back online for occupancy.

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RICHMOND – A bill to specify when an animal can be tethered outdoors was killed in the House on Wednesday after passing the Senate with a substitute on Tuesday. The Senate substitute on House Bill 889 was the third attempt to pass the legislation.

When HB 889 passed the House in February, the bill would have allowed localities to pass ordinances restricting how long or in what weather conditions a dog can be tethered outside. The Senate passed a substitute making the bill a statewide ban on tethering in certain weather conditions.

Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline, sponsored the original version of HB 889. He spoke against passing the substitute on the House floor Wednesday. He said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals lobbied for the Senate substitute to be accepted.

“There was a bill that would’ve allowed PETA to achieve all of their objective we saw in their legislation this session,” Orrock said. “But they would’ve had to go through local government ordinances to effect that change.”

Orrock said the PETA lobbyist claimed the substitute was germane, or relevant to the original, but Orrock disagreed. He then asked House Speaker Kirk Cox for his opinion. Cox ruled the substitute was not germane, thus killing the bill.

The substitute made HB 889 the same as SB 872, which made it through the Senate only to be killed in the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources on Feb. 27. SB 872 was a watered-down version of HB 646, which died in the same committee in January.

The bill would have banned tethering animals in temperatures 32 degrees and below and 85 degrees and above, during a heat advisory or when the National Weather Service issued a severe weather warning.

Along with the restrictions on weather conditions, the bill would have restricted the tether itself. The substitute stated tethers had to be at least 15 feet long, or four times the length of the animal and limited the weight to less than one-tenth of the animal’s body weight. In addition, weights could not be attached to the tether.

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HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Authorities say a woman who was seriously injured after she was struck by a car in Hanover County last week has died.

The victim, Suzanne o’Donnell, died from her injuries earlier today.

Hanover deputies responded to Kings Charter Drive around 6:30 a.m. on February 27 for a report of a vehicle versus a pedestrian. Once deputies arrived on scene, they found a woman suffering from serious injuries. Police said she was struck by a 2008 Dodge Caliber, driven by a teenager. The victim was immediately transported to a local hospital by Hanover Fire-EMS.

A preliminary investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling southbound on Kings Charter Drive, crossed both lanes of travel and collided with the woman who was walking northbound on Kings Charter Drive near the intersection of Stephens Manor Drive.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office at (804) 365-6140 or the Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. Citizens can also text Crime Stoppers at 274637 (CRIMES), using the keyword “iTip” followed by their tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.

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CHESTER, Va. (WRIC) – March is Women’s History Month, honoring the accomplishments of women around the world.

Here at 8News, we are highlighting the leadership of women across Central Virginia.

A passion for fashion runs in the family for Bridget Schindel.

“Have a great day and I know she’s going to love her gift,” said She Chester manager Bridget Schindel.

Walking into She Chester, you’ll find women’s clothing, jewelry and gift wares.

“She Chester is like a fun boutique experience,” said Schindel.

“Nothing that comes in here isn’t hand-picked,” said Schindel.

Bridget’s mother, Mary opened the boutique over 10 years ago after being diagnosed with leukemia.

At first, Bridget showed no interest in the store.

“I was a big tomboy, said Schindel.  “I wanted nothing to do with dresses and jewelry. I played soccer.”

Her attitude changed by the time she turned 15, and she’s been working at She Chester ever since.

“I love it and then the colors are nice,” said Schindel  “Pastels are really in for spring which I really think is unique.”

On December 27, 2015, Mary lost her battle with her cancer.

A few weeks later, Bridget became She Chester manager and went to Atlanta with her father to shop for the store. She was still a teenager.

“I said I’m 19, dad,” said Schindel  “Who else here is 19 or younger here? And he said no one and that’s why you’re going to be great at it.”

For the past few years, Bridget has run the boutique and managed over a dozen employees.

“Superior,” said Schindel.  “We want to be kind and friendly and always helpful.”

Schindel strives each day to honor her mother.

“Love being in the store because it feels like I am still with her like every day,” said Schindel.  “You know I know that she’s here with me. And everything I do is for her.”

“She took the leap and built her wings on the way down and that’s exactly what she did and I think that’s what so many women do,” said Schindel.

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — It’s National Consumer Protection Week and Attorney General Mark Herring is going after a company he believes is targeting elderly veterans and retired state employees because of their pensions.

“Overall we’ve been able to identify about 950 transactions involving about 650 Virginia consumers,” said Herring.

He filed a lawsuit alleging Future Income Payments, LLC (FIP) and its owner made illegal loans carrying annual interest rates as high as 183 percent. The suit also accuses the company of lending practices that violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act by misrepresenting that it was “buying” portions of Virginia pensioners’ monthly pension payments, when it was actually making high-cost installment loans.

To read the lawsuit, click HERE.

“These companies and their owner took advantage of Virginians who earned their pensions through years of dedication to our nation’s armed forces and as civil servants. These men and women served our Commonwealth and our country, and they deserve better than to have their life savings drained by an illegal, but cleverly disguised, predatory loan,” said Herring. “By disguising their loans as sales, these companies tried to get around important laws that protect seniors and retirees on fixed-incomes from financial exploitation.”

Herring said one veteran who received a $5,500 loan was required to pay more than $40,000 over five years — more than 10 times Virginia’s 12% interest cap on installment loans.

“Can you imagine, if they are already having difficulty getting by, they’re on a fixed income, having to come up with that kind of money month after month?” said Herring.

On its website, FIP writes that it “leads the nation in creative pension financing options.” The site also says pension advances are “not currently available for purchase from sellers” in 17 states, including Virginia.

Herring’s suit seeks restitution and loan forgiveness for the hundreds of Virginia pensioners impacted.

It was filed in the Circuit Court for the City of Hampton by attorneys in the Predatory Lending Unit of Herring’s Consumer Protection Section.

“I hope it sends a message to everyone out there — if they’re going to come in to Virginia and do business, they need to treat people fairly and follow the law,” said Herring. “We have provided the company an opportunity to come in and share with us information they may have that they believe shows they didn’t violate the law but they have chosen not to do that.”

We called FIP to get its take on the lawsuit. We were told someone would get back to us. We have not received a response at this time.

Click HERE to reach out to Virginia’s Consumer Protection office. 

“It’s really important for consumers to let us know if they feel they’ve been taken advantage of. The sooner we find out about it, the more likelihood we have of being able to get their money back, and the greater the likelihood we’ll be ale to stop fraudulent or misleading conduct so that other consumers aren’t taken advantage of,” said Herring.

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ORANGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A longtime softball coach in Orange County was on trial Wednesday for allegedly molesting two of her former players.

It happened more than two decades ago, but for witnesses taking the stand, the memories are vivid.

There are two alleged victims in this case. On Wednesday, one of them took the stand and testified that her softball coach, Cathy Rothgeb, started molesting her when she was 9-years-old and that the abuse continued until she was 15.

Rothgeb faces 34 felony charges for allegedly sexually assaulting two of her softball players back in the 1990s.

• RELATED: Former longtime youth softball coach charged with dozens of sex crimes involving children

The alleged victim who took the stand today told the jury that the abuse happened at Rothgeb’s home where she took softball lessons. She explained she never told anyone about what happened because Rothgeb put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her if she did.

The defense countered by pointing out inconsistencies in the alleged victim’s testimony. In October, she told a grand jury that Rothgeb had never called her lesbian. But on Wednesday she claimed her coach did. The young woman admitted she had made that mistake.

Key testimony begins first thing in the morning Thursday when the second alleged victim takes the stand. This trial is expected to last until Monday.

Cathy Rothgeb faces similar charges in Spotsylvania County. That trial is set for later this year.

This is a developing story. Stay with 8News online and on air for the latest updates.

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox is putting together a special committee to come up with recommendations to make schools safer in the wake of a deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school.

Cox, a Republican, announced Thursday the formation of a select committee to study emergency preparedness, security infrastructure, behavioral health resources and other areas related to school safety. The committee will recommend legislation for the General Assembly to consider during next year’s session.

Democrats quickly panned the proposal as insufficient because it does not focus on guns. Democratic Minority Leader Del. Toscano said school safety needs to be part of a broader discussion on how to reduce gun violence.

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers on Thursday passed what would be the nation’s most restrictive abortion law, making the procedure illegal in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The state’s only abortion provider pledged to sue, and the attorney general said he expected a tough legal battle ahead.

Lawmakers in the Republican-controlled Legislature appeared to not only expect, but to encourage, such challenges in hopes the issue will eventually make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The House voted 75-34 in favor of the bill , and Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said again Thursday that he would sign it. Because of necessary paperwork, it won’t reach his desk until next week. The Senate passed the measure Tuesday.

“We are protecting more women, we are protecting more children,” said House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson, a Braxton Republican. “By 15 weeks, you have a child in the womb who has a heartbeat, who for all practical purposes has taken on the form of a person.”

Under the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling establishing a nationwide right to abortion, states were permitted to restrict abortions after viability — the point when the fetus has a reasonable chance of surviving under normal conditions outside the uterus. The ruling offered no legal definition of viability, saying it could range between 24 and 28 weeks into a pregnancy.

The Mississippi measure “seems like a pretty simple bill designed to test the viability line that the Supreme Court has drawn,” said David Forte, a law professor at Ohio’s Cleveland State University.

Abortion-rights-groups immediately spoke out against the bill, saying it is not legally or medically sound.

“We certainly think this bill is unconstitutional,” said Katherine Klein, equality advocacy coordinator for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. “The 15-week marker has no bearing in science. It’s just completely unfounded and a court has never upheld anything under the 20-week viability marker. … We expect that this bill will be challenged in court and it will lose and, in the process, Mississippi will lose thousands upon thousands of taxpayer dollars.”

Anti-abortion groups applauded the measure.

“We’re thrilled that Mississippi lawmakers are taking a step to protect the basic right to life, as well as protecting maternal health,” said Jameson Taylor, acting president of the conservative-leaning Mississippi Center for Public Policy. The center helped craft the bill.

There are two exceptions to House Bill 1510: if the fetus has a health problem that would prevent it from surviving outside the womb at full term, or if the pregnant woman’s life or a “major bodily function” is threatened by the pregnancy. Pregnancies as a result of rape and incest are not exempt.

It’s unclear if a 15-week ban will move forward elsewhere. A bill has been filed for Louisiana’s upcoming legislative session. Gipson said lawmakers in Texas, Georgia, and “some Midwestern states” are exploring the idea. An appeals court in 2015 struck down efforts in North Dakota to ban most abortions after six weeks, when a fetus develops a detectable heartbeat, and in Arkansas after 12 weeks.

Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood said Thursday that he expected legal challenges and he noted that less-restrictive measures banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy have been struck down in other states. The U.S. Senate earlier this year rejected such a ban nationwide when supporters couldn’t reach a 60-vote supermajority to act.

Mississippi’s 20-week ban has never been legally challenged, in part because the state’s only abortion clinic, the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, doesn’t perform abortions that late in pregnancy. According to state Department of Health statistics, 85 percent of abortions in Mississippi took place before 12 weeks in 2016.

Diane Derzis, who owns the clinic, has said it provides abortions as late as 18 weeks after pregnancy. Most of Mississippi’s 2,500 abortions in 2015 took place at the clinic. Before the bill was passed, Derzis said she would sue. She did not respond to text or telephone messages seeking comment Thursday.

Abortion opponents have been encouraged by a 2007 Supreme Court case, Gonzalez v. Carhart, that allowed bans on what some call partial-birth abortions, an abortion performed relatively late in pregnancy, in which the living fetus is extracted in stages through the birth canal. The opponents believe the decision opened a window for states to restrict abortion before a fetus is viable.

“We would welcome the court to clarify the extent to which states can regulate abortions, particularly with regard to maternal health,” Taylor said.

He said the Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian conservative legal advocacy group, was among those who vetted the bill’s language. The Arizona-based alliance didn’t respond to questions, with senior counsel Kevin Theriot saying only that the alliance “supports states’ important and legitimate efforts to protect the health and safety of women and children.”

Forte and University of Chicago Law Professor Geoffrey Stone both said they believe the chances the Supreme Court will consider a major abortion case are slim as long as the current justices remain, though a case could ascend quickly on an emergency appeal of a lower court ruling.

The likely hope of Mississippi lawmakers is that one of the justices more favorable to abortion rights, such as Anthony Kennedy or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will have stepped down by the time the state’s case reaches the Supreme Court.

Kennedy, for example, has twice in the past 26 years been part of a 5-4 majority upholding abortion rights.

“If Anthony Kennedy has already stepped down, this would make perfect sense,” Stone said.

RICHMOND – Dozens of local activists and community members gathered Thursday for the 109th International Women’s Day rally and march to celebrate solidarity with women across the U.S. and worldwide. This year’s theme was “Press for Progress.”

The International Women’s Strike was organized by the Richmond chapter of Democratic Socialists of America and supported by numerous social justice groups such as Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Fight for 15.

The rally began at Abner Clay Park in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood. Event leaders ignited the crowd, inviting everyone to sing the “Battle Hymn of the Women,” a feminist rendition of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” which dates to the 1860s. Its message resounded: “Women’s time has come.”

Rally speakers highlighted the importance of women of all backgrounds and experiences.

“If all women and femmes went on strike, the world would fall apart,” said Vanessa Bolin, a Native American activist who served as a medic at North and South Dakota’s Standing Rock Indian Reservation. “The world needs us. My hope is that each of you will find your voice and use it to change the world.”

Rebecca Keel, a community organizer and 2016 Richmond City Council candidate, called rally attendees to action.

“It is a core tenet of feminism that the personal is political,” Keel said. “Let’s examine not only our movements but ourselves. Let’s vote with our dollars in supporting candidates we believe in that will make our path to liberation easier.”

Some speakers focused on specific political issues such as the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines. Jamshid Bakhtiari, Virginia’s field organizer for Chesapeake Climate Action Network, invited community members to send letters to Gov. Ralph Northam to urge him to take action against the pipelines.

After speeches concluded at the park, rally attendees marched as a group to Richmond City Hall and then to the Bell Tower on the grounds of the state Capitol, where Democratic Dels. Elizabeth Guzmán of Prince William and Debra Rodman of Henrico spoke, echoing the messages of unity.

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — It’s a busy morning at CARITAS, as several old FARTS (we’ll explain … ) hammer away at some tables they are assembling for the Furniture Bank.

FARTS stands for Furniture and Restoration Team Specialists, and the good-natured retirees give their time each week to help families in need.

Now, though, the greatest need is for CARITAS, itself.

The warehouse on Commerce Road that its Furniture Bank, Works job skills development program and offices have called home since 2009 will soon be a thing of the past. Plans for a housing development are pushing CARITAS out of the space, and the clock is ticking.

“We were planning on moving next year, but the tax reform that happened in December has kind of escalated the time-table for the folks who are going to turn this into affordable housing,” explains Karen O’Brien, the CARITAS Chief Operating Officer.

O’Brien says the programs helping people break the cycle of homelessness and addiction have to be out of the 60,000 square foot building by the end of June.

CARITAS currently has a new headquarters under construction, but it will not be ready until next year.

Recently learning they have to vacate the warehouse means it is crunch time for staff members, along with the men, women and children served every week.

“We really provide a resource that’s become essential in the community,” says O’Brien. “We don’t want to pause our operations. We want to be able to have it seamless, and we want to be able to continue to serve the community and collect donations that people are so generously giving to us.”

O’Brien adds that the developer’s first plan of action is to jack hammer the floor and gut the plumbing, so there is no way CARITAS can even use part of the warehouse once work on the housing complex begins. She says the developer is trying to help CARITAS find another location where it can temporarily run its programs.

However, she expects extras will have to go for the time being. That includes auctions to raise money and the furniture building that the FARTS do for outreach.

Services will also likely be streamlined until CARITAS can move into its permanent home during the summer of 2019.

O’Brien says not knowing where CARITAS will operate is a major stress.

“I was really worried about telling them that we were going to move this year, and then we were going to move again next year,” she recalls her interaction with the staff after learning the news. “And after one deep breath, they all went, ‘Okay, what do we have to do?’ And that’s just the spirit of the people that work here. It’s just amazing.”

CARITAS is looking for a 40,000 to 50,000 square foot warehouse with office space nearby to move into for the next year until the new headquarters is finished. It hopes to relocate to another space on the South Side so volunteers who walk there currently can continue to help.

8News reached out to Spy Rock Real Estate, which is developing the property. No one accommodated  our request for an interview.

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By MIKE FITZPATRICK
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) – Kyle Guy and No. 1 Virginia looked like healthy favorites in their postseason debut, beating Louisville 75-58 on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

Guy scored 19 points in his speedy return from a sprained left knee and the top-seeded Cavaliers (29-2) weathered a second-half charge. They’ll play 19th-ranked and fourth-seeded Clemson or No. 12 seed Boston College in the first semifinal Friday night in Brooklyn.

Devon Hall had 14 points as Virginia methodically dismantled a Louisville team desperate for a big upset to augment its NCAA Tournament credentials. Instead, the ninth-seeded Cardinals (20-13) will sweat out Selection Sunday hoping for an at-large bid.

Guy sprained his left knee last Saturday in the regular-season finale against Notre Dame and went scoreless in 18 minutes. But the sophomore guard, Virginia’s leading scorer and a first-team All-ACC selection, started against the Cardinals as expected, wearing a large, black brace on his knee.

Coming off curls and firing from long range, he shot 7 of 14 from the field – including 4 for 6 on 3-pointers – in 36 minutes. Guy also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, and his three-point play with 2:35 left made it 69-54 soon after Louisville had sliced the margin to four.

Virginia opened a 17-point lead late in the first half and was still up 13 before the Cardinals went on an 11-2 spurt to trim the deficit to 56-52 with 8:55 remaining. But reserve forward Mamadi Diakite scored six straight Cavaliers points inside, putting in his own airball after it slipped out of Louisville’s grasp, and Virginia regained control.

A week earlier, the Cardinals nearly took down Virginia at home before losing 67-66 in gut-wrenching fashion. They led by 13 with 11 minutes to play and by four with 0.9 seconds on the clock, but redshirt freshman De’Andre Hunter, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year, banked in a 3-point heave at the buzzer to win it for the Cavaliers.

A second-round victory Wednesday over Florida State gave the Cardinals another shot at Virginia, but this time they came up way short.

Hunter had 12 points for the Cavaliers and Ty Jerome, from nearby New Rochelle in the suburbs, added 11. Diakite scored 10, helping UVA to a 42-16 advantage in the paint.

Ray Spalding led Louisville with 16 points, and Deng Adel had 13. The Cardinals stayed in it for a while by making nine 3s, but shot just 36.7 percent overall against the nation’s stingiest scoring defense.

BIG PICTURE

Louisville: As this scandal-plagued season nears an end, the Cardinals dropped to 1-3 in ACC Tournament games. If they don’t get invited to the NCAAs, they’ll certainly wonder what might have been if they had held off Virginia last week.

Virginia: Of course, the Cavaliers would love to add to their accomplishments this season by winning the school’s third ACC Tournament title. But after running away with the regular-season crown by four games, they probably have little else on the line in Brooklyn. The unanimous No. 1 team in the nation after beginning the season unranked, Virginia figures to have a top seed in the NCAA Tournament – perhaps even the No. 1 overall seed – already locked up. The Cavaliers are looking for their first national championship. They’ve been to the Final Four twice, in 1981 and 1984 under coach Terry Holland.

UP NEXT

Louisville: Will hold its breath on Sunday.

Virginia: The school’s fourth ACC semifinal appearance in five years.

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(CNN) — Five-figure signing bonuses, free housing, college tuition for employees and their children.

Hospitals and other medical facilities are getting so desperate to recruit and retain nurses they’re offering all sorts of pricey perks and incentives.

“These are some of the grandiose examples we’ve heard from our members,” said Seun Ross, director of nursing practice and work environment at the American Nurses Association. “Who knows what employers will come up with next?”

America is undergoing a massive nursing shortage. Not only are experienced nurses retiring at a rapid clip, but there aren’t enough new nursing graduates to replenish the workforce, said Ross.

The nation’s aging population is exacerbating the problem. The American Nurses Association estimates the U.S. will need to produce more than one million new registered nurses by 2022 to fulfill the country’s health care needs.

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UCHealth, which operates nine acute-care hospitals and more than 100 clinics across Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, currently has 330 openings for registered nurses. Since the nonprofit health system can’t find all the nurses it needs locally, it has been seeking out candidates from other states — and sometimes other countries.

To entice these new recruits, it has offered relocation allowances and signing bonuses of up to $10,000, said Kathy Howell, chief nursing executive for UCHealth.

UCHealth is trying to sweeten the pot in other ways, as well. It provides nurses with up to $4,000 a year to invest in continuing education. And it offers the Traveler RN program, which allows nurses to do a 13-week rotation at different UCHealth facilities.

Meanwhile, across the country, Inova Health System is offering candidates who have at least two years of critical care experience and live more than 50 miles from one of its six Washington, D.C.-area hospitals a $20,000 sign-on bonus and up to $20,000 in reimbursable relocation costs, said chief nursing officer Maureen E. Sintich. Candidates who live within 50 miles of one of Inova’s hiring hospitals are offered a $10,000 signing bonus.

This fall, West Virginia’s WVU Medicine, which operates eight hospitals in the state, will start offering tuition reimbursement for employees and their children.

“It’s for nurses and for all of our staff who’ve been here for five or more years. We’re also extending it for their children to fully cover their college tuition if they go to West Virginia University or partially cover tuition if they go elsewhere,” said Mary Fanning, director of WVU Medicine Nursing Administration.

WVU, which is currently looking to hire 200 nurses, also offers free housing to some of its nurses as part of its commuter program. The perks, it said, are aimed at both attracting new recruits and retaining existing staff.

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Lacy Russell, 24, applied for a job as an intensive care unit nurse with WVU after she learned about the commuter program from a friend.

Under the program, nurses who live 60 to 90 miles away from WVU’s hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, are offered a free place to stay. Russell, who was hired in 2016, lives an hour and 20 minutes away from the hospital. She stays at the hospital-owned lodging during her shifts Friday through Sunday.

“I save so much on gas by not having to drive back and forth,” she said. “I graduated from nursing school with $30,000 in student debt. So this really helps.”

She plans to work at the hospital for at least a few more years and also take advantage of the tuition reimbursement at some point so she can continue to advance her training and skills.

Bonuses and incentives may help, but hospitals have another big force working against them: The booming US economy.

Periods of economic upswing aren’t necessarily good for the nursing industry, said Susan Salka, CEO of AMN Healthcare, one of nation’s largest providers of medical staffing services.

“During economic downturns, nurses stay put in their jobs and attrition dips,” she said. “When the economy is booming, attrition goes up. Nurses feel more comfortable pulling back on their hours or moving ahead with their retirement decision.”

In two-income households, if their partner is doing well financially, some nurses feel comfortable dropping out of the workforce to take a break from a grueling job, said Salka.

The American Nurses Association’s Ross worries that rich bonuses and creative perks may not go far enough to retain nurses in the long run.

“What’s to stop nurses from accepting a job because of the perks and then hop to another hospital after two years because of their perks,” she said.

A better approach would be to invest in improving the work environment for nurses and offering better pay, career development and hours to help make sure they don’t burn out, she said.

“All it takes is for one nurse to tell her friend that where she works is a great place for these reasons and applications will come in,” Ross said.

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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The 100 block of North 5th street in Richmond has been named in honor of Ray Boone.

As founder of the Richmond Free Press, Boone was an advocate for the people of Richmond.

He died in 2014 after a battle with cancer and famously let members of Occupy Richmond camp out on his lawn in 2011.

“Today is a phenomenal day for me and the rest of my family,” said Ray Boone Jr. “We are being acknowledged for the work that my father accomplished.”

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney was at the dedication and is happy the city is recognizing the legacy Ray Boone left behind.

“This is a gentleman who spoke truth to power,” said Mayor Stoney. “He was never afraid to speak up because he understood that by being silent that would render us insignificant. This is a man that loved his community.”

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A 13-year-old girl has been arrested after robbing a 12-year-old boy of his cellphone at gunpoint, according to the Hampton Police Department.

Police say the armed robbery happened around 1:11 p.m. Wednesday at a Sears in the 100 block of Newmarket Fair Mall.

The girl displayed a gun and demanded the boy’s cellphone. When she received the phone, she took off on foot, but was later found when police swarmed the area. Police say she attacked an officer while being taken into custody.

The girl has been charged with two counts of use of a firearm in commission of a felony, one count of abduction, one count of robbery and one count of assault on a police officer.

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WASHINGTON (AP) – Jonathan Williams scored five of his 14 points in the last 58 seconds, breaking a late tie with a tough shot in a crowd and pushing Virginia Commonwealth to a 77-72 victory over Dayton in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament on Thursday.

No. 9 seed VCU (18-14) meets 25th-ranked and top-seeded Rhode Island, the defending A-10 Tournament champion, in the quarterfinal round Friday.

Dayton had grabbed a 70-65 lead with three minutes left before VCU rallied. De’Riante Jenkins hit his third 3-pointer of the game, and Issac Vann knotted the physical contest at 70-70.

After Dayton turned the ball over on a shot-clock violation, Williams backed his way inside through a crowd, made a spin move in the paint and his scoop shot put the Rams ahead for good.

VCU hurried Dayton into two shot-clock violations, made a steal and grabbed a big defensive board in the last two minutes.

Justin Tillman led the Rams with 15 points and 10 rebounds, his 17th double-double, Jenkins and Sean Mobley scored 11 apiece and Vann 10.

Trey Landers led Dayton (14-17) with 19 points, Josh Cunningham 17, Darrell Davis 14. The Flyers trio of Cunningham, Davis and Jalen Crutcher, were all playing with four fouls.

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ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – A Western Albemarle High School teacher is facing a misdemeanor assault and battery charge after a fight with a student.

That’s according to a release issued by the Albemarle County Police Department that says 53-year-old Oluwole Adesina of Crozet is due in court on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Feb. 16.

Adesina was taken into custody Thursday and later released the same day, police said. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case. Albemarle County Public Schools is also conducting a separate investigation.

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