Outside the Fence

By Heather Brady

Regional
Jermaine Montgomery, 34, was charged with abduction, capital murder, and robbery on Aug. 25 for the abduction and subsequent death by stabbing of 24-year-old Spotsylvania County Chinese deliveryman Yong Hui Zhang. Commonwealth’s Attorney Bill Neely said that similar charges against Montgomery in the City of Fredericksburg will be dropped, but that he will seek
the death penalty for Montgomery. (The Free Lance-Star, Aug. 26)

National
The Democratic National Convention, held Aug. 25-28 in Denver, CO, featured former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner as the keynote speaker, with Sen. Hillary Clinton as the primetime speaker. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois will be the Democratic Presidential Candidate, and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware will be his running mate, after the acceptance speeches the night of Aug. 28. (Washington Post, Aug. 25-27)

Global
Russia has recognized the official independence of Georgian separatist regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, to the chagrin of Georgia and the Western countries backing it. The area has been in recent military turmoil due to the movement of troops by Russia and Georgia in South Ossetia, and tensions have mounted further as Russia supports the regions’ attempts at gaining independence from Georgia. (New York Times, Aug. 27)