Tragedy in Brussels
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Sports National NCAA Tournament’s Cruz emboldened, Sweet 16 heats up but needs near miracle on Tursday, Page C to reach Trump, Page D (AP Photo/Richard Shiro) (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Rockbridge Report Weather: High 77, Low 62 Tursday, March 24, 2016 rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu/ Tragedy “We are at war.” ~ French Prime Minister Manuel Valls in Brussels “We are at war,” French Prime BRUSSELS (AP) - Bombs Minister Manuel Valls said afer a exploded Tuesday at the Brussels crisis meeting in Paris. “We have airport and in the city’s subway, been subjected for the last few killing at least 31 people and months in Europe to acts of war.” wounding dozens, as a European Added French President capital was again locked down Francois Hollande: “Terrorists amid heightened security threats. struck Brussels, but it was Europe Te Islamic State group claimed that was targeted, and it is all responsibility for the attacks. the world which is concerned by Te two airport blasts, at least this.” one of them blamed on a suicide European security ofcials bomber, lef behind a chaotic have been bracing for a major scene of splattered blood in the attack for weeks and warned departure lounge as windows that the Islamic State group was were blown out, ceilings collapsed actively preparing to strike. Te and travelers streamed out of the arrest Friday of Salah Abdeslam, smoky building. a key suspect in the Nov. 13 About an hour later, another attacks in Paris, heightened those bomb exploded on a rush-hour fears, as investigators said many subway train near the European more people were involved than Union headquarters. Terrifed originally thought and that some passengers had to evacuate are still on the loose. through darkened tunnels to Te Islamic State group safety. claimed responsibility for the “What we feared has hap- Brussels attacks, saying in a post pened,” Belgian Prime Minister on the group’s Amaq news agency Charles Michel said. “In this time that its extremists opened fre in of tragedy, this black moment for the airport and “several of them” our country, I appeal to everyone detonated suicide belts. It said to remain calm but also to show another suicide attacker struck A man lays a single white rose outside the entrance to Maelbeek metro station on Tursday, where at least 20 people were killed in a bomb solidarity.” in the subway. Te post claimed attack on Tuesday, in central Brussels. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Belgium raised its terror alert the attack was in response to to the highest level, diverting Belgium’s support of the interna- planes and trains and ordering tional coalition arrayed against people to stay where they were the group. for most of the workday. Airports Authorities found and neu What’s the R.E Lee Hotel worth? across Europe — and in the New See BRUSSELS, F2 York area — tightened security. About $3.4 million, judge says By Caroline Boras lection for the city, assessed the condo was worth $220,000. Te million. value of the hotel at a value that other condo, “Suite C,” originally City Manager Noah Simon Owner Ugo Benincasa will was higher than expected. assessed at over $326,000, was explained that properties like the save $25,000 in property taxes a Te 2014 assessment claimed reassessed to $188,000. R.E. Lee Hotel are taxed through year on the Robert E. Lee Hotel as that the R.E. Lee Hotel building In early 2015, Benincasa was separate tax parcels, which means the result of a lawsuit against the – excluding the apartments and trying to sell these condos at over each piece of land or property is City of Lexington that was settled retail space – was worth $6.7 $700,000 per condo. taxed on an separately. Suite A Monday. million. In the lawsuit, Benincasa and Suite C are both separate tax Judge John E. Wetsel ruled Afer the appeal, the property acknowledged that the value parcels. that the city’s contractor who es- was reassessed to be worth over reduction for the condos was With this lower assessment for timates property values assessed $5.7 million in June 2015. not permanent, since the Board the property, Benincasa estimates the R.E. Lee Hotel at a price that Lee Taylor, Benincasa’s attor- of Equalization said it would reas- that he’ll save $25,000 next year. was too high. Wetsel ordered that ney, said Benincasa hoped for sess the condos when they were Not all of the complaints President Barack Obama, right, talks to Cuba’s President Raul Cas- the City of Lexington adjust the more. completed. But, he claimed that in the lawsuit were addressed. tro, lef, before boarding Air Force One on his way to Argentina, in property taxes for the hotel to When Benincasa bought the these assessments, like the re- Judge Wetsel ruled that the new Havana, Cuba on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) refect the new, lower property hotel in 2014, he planned to reno- duced value of the building, were assessments for Suite A and Suite assessment that is about half its vate the top foor to include three not consistent with other compa- C are correct. original level. high-end condos. Two out of the rable properties in the area. “We came to a conclusion that In Cuba, Obama calls Te lawsuit came as a result of three condos were also reassessed Judge Wetsel ordered that the was fair for me and for the city,” an appeal R.E. Lee Hotel Owner in June 2015. hotel alone be reassessed at $3.4 Benincasa said. Ugo Benincasa made in 2014. At One condo, referred to as for burying ‘last remnant’ the time, he felt the city’s Board of “Suite A” in the lawsuit, was val- Equalization, which is in charge ued at over $390,000 in 2014. Te of Cold War of tax administration and fee col- June 2015 assessment found the lif something up — build some- HAVANA (AP) - President thing new.” Weather for the Week Barack Obama urged Cubans on To Cuban President Raul Tuesday to look toward a hopeful Castro, watching from a balcony, Ahead future with the United States, he added, “I believe my visit here casting his historic visit to the demonstrates you do not need communist nation as a moment to fear a threat from the United Friday: Light rain (70%) to “bury the last remnant of the States.” High - 71 Low - 35 Cold War in the Americas.” Obama’s address was carried In a speech peppered with live on Cuba’s tightly controlled Spanish at the Grand Teater of state television, ofering him a Saturday: Mostly Sunny Havana, Obama said he wanted rare, unfettered opportunity to Cubans to see possibilities to speak directly to the country’s High - 65 Low - 42 move past any “blind optimism” citizens about his vision. On the that the country’s problems will streets of Havana many Cubans disappear and instead plant roots who caught the president’s speech Sunday: Partly Cloudy for a future they shape for them- were jubilant. High - 73 Low - 50 selves. Refecting on a half-centu- “We agree with everything he ry of U.S. eforts to isolate Cuba, said in the speech,” said Barbara Obama said he was pursuing a Ugarte, 45, who owns a gif shop. Monday: Thunderstorms (80%) new approach because “what the Omardy Isaac, a 43-year-old High - 65 Low - 37 United States was doing was not who works in the same shop, working.” added that “Cubans need all of “Many suggested that I come their rights and I am in favor of Tuesday: Partly Cloudy Te front of the Robert E. Lee Hotel from a street view. Te R.E. Lee, here and ask the people of Cuba democracy.” the tallest building in Lexington, was purchased by Ugo Benincasa to tear something down,” Obama High - 64 Low - 34 in 2014. (Photo by Caroline Boras) said. “But I’m appealing to the young people of Cuba who will LOCAL A Weather: High 77 °, Low 62 ° Thursday, March 24, 2016 rockbridgereport.academic.wlu.edu Jury finds Staunton Public must demand good man guilty in man’s 1983 reporting, Carl Bernstein disappearance STAUNTON, Va. (AP) — An tells W&L audience By Barbara Bent Woodward brought the Watergate Post are a fountain of misinfor- 85-year-old Staunton man has It is the job of the press to give scandal to light through their re- mation.” been convicted in the killing of the “best attainable version of the porting for The Washington Post. Bernstein and Woodward another man who disappeared truth,” said Carl Bernstein, a Pu- After discovering the existence turned their experience with Wa- over thirty years ago. litzer Prize-winning investigative of a secret fund, Bernstein and tergate into a book, All the Presi- Media outlets report an Au- reporter who helped unearth the Woodward dug deeper to uncover dent’s Men, which became an ac- gusta County jury found Charles Watergate scandal. the massive cover-up committed claimed movie in 1976. Bernstein Almond guilty of first-degree Bernstein spoke Friday at by President Nixon. also wrote A Woman in Charge: murder Wednesday in the death Washington and Lee University “There was the light of truth at The Life of Hillary Rodham Clin- of 20-year-old Richard “Petey” Friday as part of the annual Insti- night,” said Bernstein about their ton, which showcases his in-depth Miller. tute for Honor Symposium. efforts in the investigation. He reporting skills in a full-length Almond is accused of killing The institute, established by a and Woodward worked mostly at book.