Evan Jones
Photo: FCS Facebook
Faith Christian School says in-person instruction is particularly important to the learning process, and it intends to fully re-open classrooms when school resumes next month. The school expects about 215 students, pre-K through 12, when the next school year begins, and Head of School Peter Baur says they checked every classroom for social distancing and determined there is room for all to attend in person. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
Virginia Tech expects state approval any day now to begin a new School of Communication and Digital Media. It will replace and expand upon what is now a department, and leaders say the difference is much more than a new title. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
Gov. Ralph Northam
Governor Northam says weeks of nighttime violence and vandalism in Richmond should not continue. Northam says there have been close to 500 demonstrations across Virginia since George Floyd died, and they have focused attention on racial justice — and injustice — but he says what has happened since in Richmond is a different matter. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Governor Northam has set Wednesday, July 1 as the day Virginia will move to Phase 3 of his reopening executive orders. Among other things, social gatherings will be permitted up 250 people. Retail stores and restaurants will be permitted to resume operations at 100% permitted capacity, but physical distancing guidelines will still have to be followed. Gyms and fitness centers will be permitted to operate at 75% capacity. Entertainment venues like museums, zoos and other outdoor venues will be able to open at 50% of capacity with a maximum of 1,000 people. Child care facilities will be permitted to open, but overnight summer camps will remain closed.
Northam says Virginia is now well-positioned to handle any potential resurgence in cases, and he doesn’t expect to order any reversal should that happen, but he is not ruling it out either, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
Virginia Lottery sales took a hit when the coronavirus first arrived, but lottery officials say it did not take long for the numbers to rebound — May sales were 9% higher than the year before — and the lottery expects to meet its budgeted goal of providing more than $600 million to Virginia K-12 education in the fiscal year that ends next week. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
This is primary day in Virginia for U.S. Senate and Congressional Democratic and Republican party nominations. The one statewide race is the for the Republican party’s U.S. Senate nomination. The candidates are Alissa Baldwin, Daniel Gade, and Thomas Speciale, and as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports,our political analyst Bob Denton says their campaigns have been virtually invisible:
The primary winner faces Democratic incumbent Mark Warner in November.
Click here for Alissa Baldwin’s campaign website.
Click here for Daniel Gade’s campaign website.
Click here for Thomas Speciale’s campaign website.
Tomorrow is primary election day in Virginia, and in Roanoke County, in-person voting will be much different than usual, with far fewer locations than normal. Instead of the usual 30+ polling sites, there are just five super precincts as they are being called, one in each magisterial district. WFIR’s Evan has the story.
06-22 Super Precincts Wrap-WEB
FROM ROANOKE COUNTY:
Due to COVID-19, Roanoke County is unable to open or adequately and safely staff all of our 33 regular polling locations for the upcoming June 23rd Republican Primary Election. As a result, the June 23rd Election will take place in five SUPER-PRECINCTS located in each of the County’s five magisterial districts. This change is TEMPORARY, has been approved by the Virginia Department of Elections, and is only anticipated to be in effect
for the June 23rd Election. Registered voters who want to participate in the June 23rd Republican Primary Election must either vote absentee OR in person at their magisterial district’s TEMPORARY SUPER-PRECINCT, which are as follows:
Catawba Magisterial District: GLENVAR MIDDLE SCHOOL 4555 Malus Drive
Hollins Magisterial District: MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 5901 Plantation Circle
Windsor Hills Magisterial District: HIDDEN VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL 4902 Hidden Valley School Road
Vinton Magisterial District: WILIAM BYRD HIGH SCHOOL 2902 Washington Avenue
Cave Spring Magisterial District: HIDDEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL 5000 Titan Trail
All registered voters in Roanoke County will receive a postcard informing them of their regular precinct/magisterial district assignment and their TEMPORARY SUPER-PRECINCT assignment. The Roanoke County Electoral Board urges voters to bring these cards with them to their TEMPORARY SUPER-PRECINCT on Election Day to ensure that they go to the correct polling location and simplify the check-in process. All five SUPERPRECINCTS will be open from 6 AM to 7 PM on June 23rd.
TEMPORARY SUPER-PRECINCT POLLING PLACES FOR THE JUNE 23RD REPBULICAN PRIMRAY
CATAWBA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT voters who regularly vote at:
Grace Assembly of God
Masons Cove Elementary School
Glenvar Middle School
Northside High School
Glen Cove Elementary School
Fort Lewis Baptist Church
Mountain Pass Baptist Church
Fort Lewis Elementary School
. . . will vote in the GLENVAR MIDDLE SCHOOL GYMNASIUM @ 4555 Malus Drive on June 23rd. Voters will enter through Door 16 and should park at the High School.
HOLLINS MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT voters who regularly vote at:
Summerdean Church of the Brethren
Burlington Elementary School
Mountain View Elementary School
Life Church
Bonsack Baptist Church
Hollins Library
. . . will vote in the MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GYMNASIUM @ 5901 Plantation Circle on June 23rd. Voters will enter through Door 13 and can use any available parking spots.
WINDSOR HILLS MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT voters who regularly vote at:
Bent Mountain Fire Station
Back Creek Elementary School
Our Lady of Nazareth Church
Oak Grove Elementary School
Cave Spring Baptist Church
The Brambleton Center – Room 16/18 (Left Side)
. . . will vote in the HIDDEN VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA @ 4902 Hidden Valley School Road on June 23rd. Voters will enter through Door 1 and can use the front parking lots. Voters with accessibility concerns should drive around to the back of the Middle School for additional parking and use Door 4 to enter the polling place.
VINTON MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT voters who regularly vote at:
William Byrd Middle School
Bonsack Elementary School
Vinton Baptist Church
Charles R. Hill Senior Center
William Byrd High School
Mount Pleasant Elementary School
. . . will vote in the WILIAM BYRD HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA @ 2902 Washington Avenue on June 23rd. Voters will enter through the Cafeteria and can use any available parking spaces.
CAVE SPRING MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT voters who regularly vote at:
Penn Forest Elementary School
Penn Forest Worship Center
Church of the Holy Spirit
Green Valley Elementary School
Clearbrook Elementary School
The Brambleton Center – Room
1/Gym (Right Side)
South County Library
. . . will vote in the HIDDEN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL AUXILIARY GYM @ 5000 Titan Trail on June 23rd . Voters will enter through the Auxiliary Gym and can use any available parking spaces.
If you have any questions, please call Roanoke County’s Director of Elections, Anna Cloeter, at 772-7500 or Ken Srpan, Chairman of the Roanoke County Electoral Board, at 797-7358.
This is the time of year many universities are preparing to welcome incoming students with summer orientation sessions. This year, of course, it will be different, as Virginia Tech’s plans demonstrate. The plan each year at VT is to bring admitted students onto campus in rotating groups over five weeks or so. This summer, the schedule remains the same, but with COVID concerns remaining prevalent, no incoming freshmen are coming to Blacksburg. Instead, it’s all on line, a lot of it live, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
Governor Northam says one of the things he is monitoring before setting a date for “Phase 3” re-opening is the COVID-19 numbers in other states that have already loosened restrictions. Among other things when it occurs, restaurants will be able to increase indoor seating. Northam indicates the soonest he will authorize Phase 3 is one week from today. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
06-19 Northam-Phase 3 Pm Wrap WEB
UPDATE: on Thursday June 18, 2020, a Suzuki motorcycle driven by Ryan Alouf was traveling northbound on Electric Rd. in Roanoke County at a high rate of speed. The motorcycle ran the red light at the intersection of Elm View Rd. and struck a Chevy SUV as it was entering the intersection on a green light. Mr. Alouf was wearing a helmet, and was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the Chevy was wearing a seat belt and was transported to the hospital with minor, non life threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing, and no charges are pending at this time.
PREVIOUS: Police report all lanes of Electric Road are once again open.
PREVIOUS: There are major traffic issues this afternoon on Electric Road in the Tanglewood Mall area. At last word, Roanoke County Police say an earlier accident involving a motorcycle continues to block the roadway in the area around Grand Furniture and Panera. VDOT traffic cams show the off ramp from southbound US 220 to Electric road is also blocked. Be prepared for significant delays in that area.