The Washington Post
By Marissa J. Lang and Dana Munro

Virginia animal protection officials say the furry bandit is suspected in break-ins at a nearby martial arts studio and Department of Motor Vehicles office.

So, it seems the raccoon might have a problem.
​
Not just the drinking — though its recent bender through a Virginia state-run liquor store did capture international headlines and the imagination of sketch comedy writers at Saturday Night Live. It may also have a bit of a break-in habit.

The raccoon, who has remained unnamed because it is, well, a wild animal, is suspected of sneaking into multiple businesses in the same Ashland shopping center before its Nov. 29 spree that landed it in the liquor store bathroom, passed out and wasted, according to county officials.

In a recent episode of local podcast “Hear in Hanover,” Animal Protection Officer Samantha Martin told county spokeswoman Kristin Smith Dunlop that the now-famous mammal is probably the same raccoon that had previously sneaked into a martial arts studio and a Department of Motor Vehicles office in the same building as the liquor store.

The striped-tail creature, which has been affectionately dubbed Hanover County’s “trashed panda,” left a trail of evidence, Martin said, including broken liquor bottles and ransacked snacks.

“Each time we get him out, we don’t relocate him because that’s a death sentence for raccoons,” Martin said. “But somehow he knows how to get back into that building. He’s a smart little critter.”

Neither the DMV nor the martial arts studio responded to requests for comment.

The raccoon may have previously been on animal control’s radar, but it wasn’t until the masked mammal went on an after-hours spree in the liquor store last month that the rest of the world came to know its story.

Sometime between when the store closed on a Friday evening and reopened Saturday morning, authorities said, the raccoon wiggled in through the ceiling of the Ashland store, triggering a motion sensor. The animal then began digging through the merchandise in storage and destroying 14 bottles of liquor: rum, scotch, whiskey, vodka, moonshine and even spiked eggnog.

Security video taken around 3:30 a.m. Saturday shows the raccoon scampering throughout the closed store and “generally having a ball,” said Virginia ABC spokeswoman Carol Mawyer.

When the store manager returned to open up shop in the morning, the storeroom aisles were slick with drink and the creature was splayed out in the employee bathroom next to the toilet.

“He locked himself in the bathroom, so he knew what he was doing,” Martin said on the podcast Thursday. “People can see the human side of it. I mean, everybody’s been there, everybody’s had a few extra and passed out by the toilet and hoped someone can come and help you the next morning.”

After a social media post from the animal welfare agency exploded, the raccoon became part international celebrity, part mascot for the county’s Animal Protection department, which has capitalized on the attention to fundraise: Merch bearing the raccoon’s likeness — passed out, face down with a drained liquor bottle knocked over beside it — has helped raise more than $200,000 for Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter as of Saturday, said Jeffrey Parker, the department’s chief.

It’s the most money the department has seen from outside donations in at least two decades, said Parker, who has been at the agency for 19 years.

“It’s been phenomenal,” he said. “We can’t be thankful enough for what has happened.”

The agency has not decided what to do with its groundswell of new funds, though Martin said in the podcast interview that Animal Protection needs more resources to keep up with a ballooning county population and increased calls for animal welfare support.

The department is considering improvements to its water pressure system, increasing vet services or renovating its animal wash room, Parker said.

Other local organizations have also tried to get in on the raccoon action by launching themed events, slogans and ad campaigns. The Downtown Ashland Association is hosting an ongoing raccoon-based scavenger hunt to lure visitors into local businesses.

Meanwhile, Virginia Distillery Company posted a message on social media seemingly aimed at the animal: “Virginia Distillery Company: Irresistibly smooth. Even if you eat mostly trash, please drink responsibly.”
Martin, on the other hand, has used her time on the airwaves to caution humans about the dangers of handling wildlife — inebriated or not. She noted during her podcast appearance that any raccoon that bites and breaks the skin of a human must be considered a potential rabies exposure and would then be euthanized and tested for the disease

Parker, the chief of animal protection, said he hopes the raccoon is off somewhere “doing raccoon things” and, most importantly, “staying out of trouble.”

But only time will tell if the now-infamous critter can resist the temptation to return to its favorite shopping center and slip into yet another business for a midnight snack or a nightcap.Ask The Post AIDive deeper

He’s not that far away, after all.

Martin said after the raccoon slept off his alcohol-soaked spree in a dog-kennel-turned-drunk-tank at the county’s animal shelter, officers released it back into the woods about a mile from the liquor store.

But raccoons are roamers and can travel up to eight miles a day in search of a mate — or, maybe, something else.

The Hampton Roads Messenger
Staff

Norfolk, VA – Today, Attorney General-Elect Jay Jones announced the senior leadership team that will guide the Office of the Attorney General when he takes office in January: Tillman Breckenridge will serve as Solicitor General, Travis Hill as Chief Deputy Attorney General, and Nicky Zamostny as Chief of Staff. These leaders are experienced, respected legal experts and public servants who will work with the Attorney General-Elect to keep communities safe, protect Virginia jobs, and defend Virginians’ fundamental rights.
“This is an exceptional group of public servants who bring integrity, experience, and a deep commitment to delivering results for Virginians,” said Attorney General-Elect Jones. “They reflect the strength and diversity of the Commonwealth, and together, we will build an Attorney General’s office that stands up for every Virginian. I look forward to getting to work to ensure this office keeps communities safe, defends fundamental rights, and puts Virginia first.” 
Tillman Breckenridge, Solicitor General
Breckenridge will be the first African-American Solicitor General in Virginia’s history
Tillman Breckenridge is an experienced appellate lawyer and partner at Stris & Maher. In 2018, he became the youngest fellow ever—and the first under 40—elected to the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Tillman has represented companies, organizations, individuals, and foreign, state, and local governments before the United States Supreme Court, every federal court of appeals, and several state courts, such as the Supreme Court of Virginia, the California Courts of Appeal, and the Illinois Courts of Appeal. His work has led to numerous honors. He has been named to Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Lawyers in America; an honorary member of the Order of the Barristers; a Washington, D.C. SuperLawyer; and a member of Virginia’s Legal Elite. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Outside of his private practice, Tillman has served as an adjunct professor of law at William and Mary Law School, where he founded the Appellate & Supreme Court Clinic. And he regularly speaks on appellate and related topics. He is a member of the Virginia Advisory Committee on Rules of Court. He is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. And he is a member of the Boyd-Graves Conference. Tillman earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he argued (successfully) his first appeal as a third-year student in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a case that presented an issue of first impression. 
Travis Hill, Chief Deputy Attorney General 
Since February 2024, Travis Hill has served as counsel in the Global Economic Development, Commerce and Government Relations Group of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Richmond. Hill’s prior public service includes almost a decade as head of Virginia ABC. He was appointed COO of the agency in 2014 by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and led the multiyear effort to transform ABC from a state agency to an authority. He was appointed as CEO by Gov. Ralph Northam in 2018 and reappointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2022. Hill’s roles had him at the helm of the complex retail and regulatory organization that generated billions of dollars of revenue with 399 retail locations, 8 regional offices and over 4,600 teammates, including more than 100 sworn law enforcement officers who regulated over 20,000 licensed businesses. During his time at ABC, Hill worked with the ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement to align priorities on public safety and enhance the professional standing of the Bureau, resulting in ABC achieving and maintaining accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission since 2015 and earning Alcohol Law Enforcement Agency of the Year from the National Liquor Law Enforcement Association in 2018 and 2021. Prior to his time at ABC, Hill served as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry under Gov. Bob McDonnell and Gov. McAuliffe where he conceptualized and implemented new strategies and programs focused on economic development and served as the primary point of contact on management and regulatory issues involving assigned agencies. Prior to entering public service, he worked as an attorney in the Richmond office of the law firm Williams Mullen. He has held leadership positions with industry and professional organizations including service as president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators, as a member of the Virginia Bar Association Board of Governors, and chair of the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He was named to the Virginia Business Virginia 500 Power List each year from 2020-2023.  Travis earned his J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Nicky Zamostny, Chief of Staff
Nicky Zamostny has served as the President of Riverside Strategies, a Richmond-based government affairs firm since November 2021. Prior to launching her consulting firm, Nicky served two Virginia governors, including as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Ralph Northam and as Assistant Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Terry McAuliffe. During her tenure in both administrations, Nicky led and supported numerous high-profile initiatives. Notably, she served as the director of the task force established following the deadly Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, VA, which developed nationwide best practices for incidents of civil unrest. She also helped to pass a bipartisan gun violence prevention compromise, supported the implementation of a statewide school safety study and subsequent reforms, and worked to pass bipartisan criminal justice reforms. Nicky grew up in Northern Virginia and now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her family. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

The Daily News Leader
Bill Atkinson, [email protected]

Beginning Nov. 12, you no longer have to fumble with your wallet to pull out identification to board a plane, to buy booze or even if you get pulled over by a Virginia state trooper.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles has launched Virginia Mobile ID, a free app that securely stores all of your personal information just like a physical driver's license does. The app produces a QR code that can be scanned at airports, DMV offices, Alcoholic Beverage Control stores, and by state troopers or local law enforcement.

It's still in its early stages in acceptance, however, as only certain airports, ABC stores and local police departments have signed on to accept it.

"DMV is actively working to expand Virginia Mobile ID acceptance across the commonwealth, including more retailers, restaurants and law enforcement agencies," the department said in a statement announcing the program.

And it will not mean that you can leave your driver's license at home because Virginia law still dictates it be with you at all times while driving.

It also has not reached the stage where you will be able to put your driver's license in your Apple or Android wallets, but DMV said that will happen "In the coming months."

How does the Virginia

Mobile ID work?

While other states have created similar programs DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey told The Progress-Index that about 19 others have launched one Virginia will be the first state where Mobile ID will be accepted at DMV CSCs, by law enforcement, and at nine pilot Virginia ABC stores.

Virginia DMV is a founding member of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators' Digital Trust Service, a nationwide security protocol and intrastate database that acts as a central clearinghouse for storage and distribution of personal information. Started in 2024, the DTS also serves Maryland and Utah.

Each user will be given QR codes that can be scanned by participating agencies and businesses. Data is grouped into four sections Travel, Age, Standard ID and Driver's License depending upon how the ID will be used.

For example, if you are at a TSA checkpoint, you would tap the Travel option for scanning. If you are purchasing alcohol at an ABC store or restaurant, you would use the Age option.

The data is encrypted and transmitted directly between the phone and the reader device. Users can control how much data is shared and must authorize each scan.

DMV neither stores nor tracks user activity

"Security is paramount," Lackey said.

Who is accepting the

Virginia Mobile IDs now?

According to DMV, Mobile ID can be used at the following:

TSA airport checkpoints: Richmond International, Norfolk International, Newport News-Williamsburg International, Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional, Reagan National and Dulles International, plus more than 250 airports across the nation.

Police departments: Virginia State Police, the cities of Falls Church, Portsmouth, Staunton and Virginia Beach; the town of Wytheville; and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, New Kent and Washington.

All DMV customer service centers.

As of now, only nine ABC stores in the metro Richmond area are piloting the Mobile ID. "Upon successful completion of the pilot program, Virginia ABC may expand to additional stores," DMV said.

Currently, the only restaurant accepting Mobile ID in Virginia is located in Norfolk.

The Mobile ID app is available through the App Store or Google Play. It takes a few minutes to install, and installation involves scanning the back of your driver's license and taking a selfie.