FRANKLIN COUNTY  |  Deputies investigate fatal shooting at home

A man died in a Doe Run area mobile home in Franklin County on Thursday morning after deputies arrived to find him unconscious with a gunshot wound.

As of Thursday evening, the death of Kevin Thomas Nichols, 20, of Franklin County was still being investigated, and authorities had not classified the case as a homicide, according to Lt. Steve McGuire of the county sheriff's office.

Sheriff's deputies were called to the mobile home in Foxwood Village on Jenny Lynn Lane about 6 a.m. Thursday. An autopsy is being conducted on Nichols' body, and a toxicology report won't be available for weeks, McGuire said. When investigators receive the results, they will release the cause of death, he said.

-- Janelle Rucker

ROANOKE COUNTY  |  I-81 crash backs up traffic for five miles

A two-car wreck on Interstate 81 in Roanoke County on Thursday afternoon backed traffic up for five miles and sent a man to the hospital with minor injuries, a Virginia state trooper said.

Trooper Kevin Humphries said the crash occurred about 3:30 p.m. near mile marker 143. Humphries said a man and a woman traveling northbound both swerved to avoid slowing traffic while merging onto Interstate 581 and crashed into each other.

The impact caused the man's car to overturn in the right lane. Both cars were towed from the scene. The right lane was closed, but traffic continued to flow through the left lane.

Humphries said the man whose vehicle overturned was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for "very minor" pain-related injuries. Neither driver has been charged. The crash is under investigation.

-- Lerone Graham

TROUTVILLE  |  Squad's ex-treasurer admits to embezzling

The former treasurer of the Troutville Rescue Squad pleaded guilty Thursday in Botetourt County Circuit Court to two counts of embezzling from the organization.

Elizabeth Falls, 28, of Fincastle is scheduled to be sentenced in June. She has already paid back about $16,500 of the $34,000 she took throughout four years, said Botetourt County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jill Deegan.

Two charges of embezzlement were dropped but could be reinstated, Deegan said.

Falls was indicted in December on four counts of embezzlement after a five-month investigation by Virginia State Police.

The investigation also found that the rescue squad's former captain, Stacy Tanaka had embezzled about $10,000 in two years. Neither Tanaka nor Falls seemed to know what the other was doing, Deegan has said.

Both have resigned their positions.

Falls could not be reached Thursday.

-- Amanda Codispoti