News of the weird: Rock star stops by for lunch

Sneaky seemed to be the word when it came to strange stories that surfaced in Culpeper in 2009.
From a rock star slipping into town for lunch, to an upset town employee slipping a nasty little surprise into a co-worker’s coffee pot, this year’s weird Culpeper news seemed to slowly percolate to the surface.
So, from our files, here are a few of the most intriguing, irreverent and just plain weird moments of 2009:

Yes, that was Bono and he smelled ‘nice’
As tens of thousands of fans watched U2 front man Bono take the stage in Charlottesville in October, no one would have guessed that he stopped in downtown Culpeper to grab a bite to eat just hours earlier.
Arriving at the Inn at Hazel River, in a black SUV with a few friends and a bodyguard, Bono’s visit might have gone completely unnoticed or twisted into merely a rumor if it weren’t for a few hastily snapped photos.
The restaurant’s employees report the Grammy award-winning star enjoyed a lunchtime meal of smoked salmon, salads and an apple wood chicken sandwich without bread. The star and his entourage of about a half-dozen had a dry lunch, washing their meal down with water.
After lunch, Bono, known worldwide for his charity work in addition to his music, took time for some photographs with a few restaurant staffers and a few downtown merchants who stopped by after hearing that a star was in our midst for an impromptu visit.
Upon having Bono throw his arm around her for a photo, one server told the Star-Exponent that in addition to being a pretty likeable guy, he “smelled nice.”
The photos and an autographed menu are displayed in the restaurant as proof of serendipitous occasion.

Those pics are definitely 10-4
A Culpeper couple received more exposure than they probably ever wanted in their life, thanks to a cell phone and a few very candid photos.
Nathan Newhard and Jessie Casella sued the Culpeper Police Department in March, accusing former officer Matt Borders of deliberately sharing sexually explicit photos of Casella that officers found on Newhard’s cell phone. The incident came to light this year, but actually began in 2008, when Newhard was arrested in town and charged with DUI.
According to court documents, Borders, who resigned months later, apparently used his police radio to invite other officers to stop by and take a peep at the pics.
Despite calling the actions of the officers involved “irresponsible, unprofessional and reprehensible,” U.S. District Court Judge Norman K. Moon in September dismissed the $350,000 civil case, ruling that the defendants lacked a reasonable expectation of privacy under the circumstances and that the town can’t be held vicariously liable for the actions of its officers.

How dry he was: State takes supervisor’s beer
In November, ready to celebrate his eighth consecutive term on the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors, Bill Chase wanted his election night party to be a memorable occasion. It was, but for the wrong reason.
At Spirits, a newly opened downtown restaurant in the Lord Culpeper Hotel, Agent D. Lincoln of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, cited the restaurant’s manager for allowing alcohol on the premises of an unlicensed establishment, confiscating $300 of beer and wine. Chase and the manager called the incident a misunderstanding. Chase said because he rented the room for a private function, he didn’t think there would be a problem.
The Culpeper Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office apparently agreed. Without offering a public explanation, it chose not to prosecute the misdemeanor charge when it came up in court.

A disgusting brew
In March, after a disagreement between two town workers boiled over, one man decided to retaliate by putting a sinister brew into his coworker’s coffee pot.
Police say James C. Butler urinated into a workplace toilet, then used a soda can to place the contents from the toilet into his coworker’s coffee. Suspecting something wasn’t right, the victim contacted police, who launched a weeklong investigation.
Facing a felony charge, Butler turned himself in and eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge. Ironically, both men worked at the town’s wastewater treatment plant.

A study in biology? CCHS home to 22 twins.
After the Associated Press ran a story about six sets of twins in the senior class at Bridgewater’s Turner Ashby High School, a few Culpeper folks were more than ready to one up our neighbors to the west.
In the 2008-09 school year, 22 of the 1,027 students enrolled at Culpeper County High School were twins. Sixteen of them were in the 10th grade. Of the 276 sophomores enrolled, twins made up nearly 6 percent of the class, about 2.5 times the national average.
No word on what might be in Culpeper’s water or air that helped produce such a bumper crop of twins. Understandably, many of the duos told the Star-Exponent in March that they like to keep their appearances different from their other half in order to maintain a little individual identity.

Other news of the weird:
» Sewage spill: In June, lightning sparked an unfortunate series of events at the town’s wastewater treatment plant, causing 84,000 gallons of raw sewage to overflow into a wooded area after a power failure. Due to a miscommunication between town and power company officials, power repair crews didn’t arrive until 12 hours later. Officials later determined that the sewage plant wasn’t on the power company’s “critical infrastructure” list, meaning the plant received the same priority for repairs as an ordinary business.
» Fire engine crash: In August, deputies cited a member of the Reva Volunteer Fire Department after a car crashed into the rear of a fire engine on Lovers Lane. Authorities say the driver was in the wrong because no emergency existed when he stopped the truck in the roadway to investigate a strange noise. No serious injuries were reported.
» Hammer thrower: No one was injured but two cars were damaged in an October incident at Glory Days. Police say a man threw a hammer in the air in the restaurant’s parking lot. The owners and their vehicles were apparently random targets. No alcohol was involved.
» Cantor’s Blackberry: With their man accused of Tweeting during President Obama’s economic speech in September, supporters of Congressman Eric Cantor — who represents the Culpeper area — say Cantor is vindicated. Apparently, his staff and not the congressman himself posted the online blurbs during the speech. Cantor’s Blackberry usage, however, was a big talking point for days.