41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
A 41-vehicle wreck caused traffic backups on Interstate 81 south in Rockbridge County on Sunday and sent at least 10 people to the hospital. Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Foresman said two tractor-trailers and one camper overturned. The camper was destroyed, he said. Both southbound lanes at mile marker 196 were closed for hours after the wreck, which occurred at 4:54 p.m., Foresman said.
"Understanding Obamacare" is a series of occasional stories examining how the Affordable Care Act — widely called Obamacare first by critics and now also by some supporters — will change how you access and pay for health care. The series will look at the impact the new law has on individuals, businesses and health care providers in Southwest Virginia.
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- Under the Affordable Care Act, individuals are supposed to get health insurance, or face fines of at least $95 per adult and $285 for a family next year. Do you plan to buy coverage? Are you still wondering what you’re going to do? We’d like to know what you’re thinking about the mandate and how you plan to respond to it. Please email david.ress@roanoke.com or call 981-3253.
Roanoke pastor called to community
The Rev. Kenneth Wright can’t remember a time when he wanted to be anything other than a preacher. He said his parents encouraged him to live by Christian standards, and by the time he was 12, he had professed his belief in Jesus Christ. “I received the call to preach in my second year of college,” Wright said.
Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
The FBI made an arrest in the case of missing Nelson County teen Alexis Murphy on Sunday evening. Authorities say they're withholding the suspect's name because of the "sensitive" nature of the investigation. The suspect has been charged with kidnapping the 17-year-old girl. Authorities did not say whether they had located Murphy, although the release asks the public to contact them "with any information that would assist in locating Alexis
Roanoke schools show off summer face-lifts
The mobile units that sat outside Virginia Heights Elementary School for years are gone. In their place is a construction zone. The school’s parking lot is crammed with building materials and pickup trucks. Nearby, a crane towers close to the school and its playground. When students return to classes next week they’ll be greeted by a new art room, multipurpose room, library, courtyard and classrooms. The added space will alleviate
WOYM: Fewer stinkbugs? You may have wasps to thank
Q: What happened to all the stinkbugs? Perhaps the locusts who came out after 17 years ate them? I don't miss them but I'm curious where they all went? Dorothy Henry, Roanoke County A: Dorothy isn't the only one who called or emailed with this question , and it occurs to me that we haven't seen too many of those creepy critters on our ceilings and curtains this year either.
Dam release to raise Jackson, James rivers
An effort to flush the Jackson River of algae and improve water quality will raise the Jackson's level by up to 5 feet and raise the upper James River by up to 3 feet Tuesday morning. The Army Corps of Engineers has announced it will conduct a "pulse release" from Gathright Dam beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday. The release will peak at 3,500 cubic feet per second by 9 a.m.
ON THE RECORD: Roanoke Valley government meetings, week of August 12
Bedford County Board of Supervisors Work session and regular meeting When: 5 p.m. Monday, work session; 7 p.m., regular meeting Where: County Administration Building, 122 East Main Street On the agenda: Public hearing on Moneta Park project. Full agenda at www.co.bedford.va.us Botetourt County Planning Commission Regular meeting When: 6 p.m. Monday Where: Room 102, Old District Courthouse, 5 W. Main St., Fincastle More information: botetourt.org Franklin County School Board Regular
Looking back: The region's history, Aug. 12
1988 (25 years ago) "Budding novelists and experienced writers have been lighting up the Hollins College switchboard this week in response to an article published Sunday in The New York Times Book Review." "It's an error that's paying off. A misspelled word discovered last week on Roanoke County's sesquicentennial coins has increased the popularity - and maybe the value - of the coins." "The non-profit group that runs Mill Mountain
Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
Here are the names of some of the nearly 130 craft beers that were available for guzzling at the 16th annual Microfestivus in Roanoke on Saturday: The Love Golden Monkey Holy Sheet Red Roostarr Hoptimization Hoppocalypse Son of a Peach Turbo Cougar Urban Legend Peg Leg One of the thousands of people who sampled the products from 49 breweries and one winery was Stephen Biscotte, whose first taste of the
Tigers put Roanoke Valley kids on right track
Coach Tra wasn't playing. "Does anybody out here understand what you're about to do?" he demanded. A jumble of vaguely affirmative mumbles came back from the Roanoke Valley Tigers Track and Field Club. Tra Wilson overrode them: "I don't think you do." He stalked back and forth in the high jump area of the track at William Fleming High School. Mostly smiles and hugs, Wilson calls his athletes his "babies."
Names, changes in Roanoke, New River valleys business
ARTS Dorsey Taylor, owner of LinDor Arts, has been elected as an advisory board member for the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University. Regina Rodwell-Bell has been named deputy director of development and marketing for the Taubman Museum of Art. EDUCATION John Gladchuk has been hired as director of corporate and foundation relations at Virginia Tech. Sarah Stein has been named assistant professor of accounting and information systems at
The Next 14 Days: Upcoming Roanoke Valley business events
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13 FIVE KEYS TO LOCAL SEO Dan Ingersoll speaks about search engine optimization. Hosted by the Roanoke StartUp MeetUp Group. Where: Business Lounge, 131 Kirk Ave. S.W., Roanoke When: 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Cost: Free Contact: Taylor Ricotta, 556- 6254, taylorricotta@gmail.com PLUG INTO POWERFUL NETWORKING Connect SML Networking Group provides a structured networking environment to refer clients and increase presence. Limited to 25 attendees. Where:
Know how to handle yourself at work
WASHINGTON - A television reporter who was fired for some things she posted on her personal blog could have used advice from Robert Deitz. So could a law school graduate who sent an email to prospective employers to which he attached a picture of himself wearing a T-shirt showing off his beefy biceps. He thought the photo would help him get a job. It hasn't yet. It did, however, generate
Roanoke Valley realty transfers
ROANOKE Over $300,000 Epperson Family LLC to Nathaniel A. Jones and Kathryn S. Jones, 3102 Evergreen Lane S.W. Roanoke VA 24015, $315,000 07/17/2013. Helms, Ralph J. and Mary G. Adkins to Kenneth O. Robison II, 3439 Peakwood Drive S.W. Roanoke VA 24014, $410,000 07/18/2013. Toevs, Brian E. to Daniel T. Sarrell and Kimberly Y. Sarrell, 3835 Bosworth Drive Roanoke VA 24014, $400,000 07/19/2013. $200,000 to $300,000 Devinney, Erick W. and
Volunteers spruce up farm at Peaks of Otter
A team of volunteers, including descendents of the Johnson and Bryant families who previously owned the land, scraped old paint from the fence at the Johnson Farm at Peaks of Otter in Bedford County on Saturday. Fernando Gracia, who works with Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway and helped organize the effort, said the repairs have been on the organization's to-do list for quite some time but only recently were
Roanoke Good Will hosts job, resource fair
Learn about the Beyond Jobs program for women at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys' upcoming job and resource fair. The free event will be held 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Goodwill's headquarters, 2502 Melrose Ave. N.W., Roanoke. Participants in the Beyond Jobs program get help identifying their current skills and defining their career goals. The program offers connections to employment opportunities, financial education and access to training programs. For
Norfolk Southern wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
NORFOLK — Norfolk Southern is outlining key initiatives for the railroad operator to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and its environmental footprint. The Norfolk-based company described its strategy in a filing with the international not-for-profit CDP. The initiatives include: purchasing new, more fuel-efficient locomotives; increasing capacity and fluidity of the company’s major rail corridors; continuing research and development of alternative power; and recycling older locomotives by equipping them with more fuel-efficient,
Several Roanoke Valley Big Lots stores apply for ABC licenses
Several Big Lots stores in the area might soon begin to sell alcohol. Big Lots has applied with the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for licenses to sell wine and beer at several stores in the area. The move is part of a corporate initiative that started several years ago, said Andy Regrut, director of investor relations at the Columbus, Ohio, company. The alcohol initiative is "geographic specific" and
App lets Rocky Mount residents communicate with police officers
Rocky Mount Police Lt. Danny Brabham was browsing online one night when he stumbled across a website advertising the smartphone application MyPD. He was not looking for it specifically, but as soon as he saw it he knew he he’d found something useful. Months later, a sprinkling of people in Rocky Mount are using the application to communicate with police officers. “If someone wants to email one of our sergeants
In summer heat, customers want to keep cool over utility bills
Summer in southwest Virginia brings sunshine and heat. And for many, it brings high utility bills. The summer heat has left many people at the mercy of their air conditioners, as temperatures have climbed past 90 degrees. But turning thermostats down sends electricity bills up. Energy used to power air conditioning units makes up 8 percent of all electricity produced in the U.S., according to data from the American Council
St. Andrew's seeks to energize Catholics with Festival of Faith
Even the most dedicated faithful can find themselves entrenched in an almost mechanical Sunday routine: Go to a worship service, go home, repeat next week. It's common in churches across the spectrum, but not ideal, according to Chuck Frost, a St. Andrew's Catholic Church pastoral associate. Over the past two years, the St. Andrew's staff kicked around an idea that could break people out of the mundane cycle. A festival
Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
The state attorney general’s office has grown dramatically under Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is campaigning for governor with a call to get government off the backs of the public. Much of the gain has come from federal dollars to combat Medicaid fraud. The office plans to spend $42.7 million this year, up nearly 25 percent from $34.3 million the year Cuccinelli took office, state budget documents show. That outpaces the
VIRGINIA NEWS
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
7. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
8. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
9. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
10. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
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