Evan Jones
Vinton town officials hope several projects now underway will bring more people — and economic activity — to the downtown area. One is extending sidewalks to connect with the Roanoke Valley’s greenway system. Another is expanding and improving the stage at the Vinton Farmer’s Market. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford will remember every fallen American from that day in a way that has never been before on this 72nd anniversary of the Normandy invasion. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, the name of every American killed there that day will be read aloud.
Cincinnati Zoo photo
Mill Mountain Zoo officials say there are regular emergency preparedness drills and safety training to ensure the overall welfare of their animals and the safety of visitors. The zoo issued a brief statement but declined our interview request to discuss issues raised by the Cincinnati Zoo incident, one in which officials had to kill a gorilla in efforts to save a four-year-old boy who had broken in to its enclosure. We requested an opportunity to discuss what steps Mill Mountain takes to ensure there are no unwanted human/zoo animal interactions — and how the zoo prepares to handle any that might nonetheless occur. Here is the statement in full:
The Board and Staff at Mill Mountain Zoo, sends our support to all involved with this weekend’s tragedy at the Cincinnati Zoo. We support our colleagues and peers at the Cincinnati Zoo who constantly prepare and train for these type of events which we all hope will never happen. Like all facilities accredited by the Association for Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the staff and volunteers at the Mill Mountain Zoo regularly conduct emergency preparedness drills and safety training to ensure the overall welfare of our animal collection and the safety of our patrons. We have no further comment on this incident at this time.
On-line voter registration is rapidly replacing the DMV as the most common site for Virginians to join voter rolls — and the rate of new voters is on pace to surpass that of four years ago. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, state elections officials say the on-line registration is more secure than the traditional paper system.
Click here for the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal
With the Memorial Day holiday weekend now upon us, so is the traditional start of the summer travel season. If gas prices matter to you, this looks like a good summer to hit the road, and as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, experts expect this year’s prices to peak between now and July 4th.
Kionte Spencer
Roanoke County’s top prosecutor says it was only after an exhaustive review — and no evidence that would cast any doubt — that he determined no criminal charges should be placed against the officers who fatally shot Kionte Spencer. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story: