Evan Jones
Dave Suetterlein
Republicans hope to keep control of the 19th State Senate seat by electing a candidate who has worked behind the scenes in recent years working for the the man he now wants to succeed. Dave Suetterlein has been Legislative Director for 19th District State Senator Ralph Smith since 2008.WFIR’s Evan Jones has our campaign profile:
Click below to hear more from Dave Suetterlein (speaking with WFIR’s Evan Jones):
A political newcomer hopes to become the next State Senator in the 19th District. Democrat Mike Hamlar is seeking the seat currently held by Republican Ralph Smith, who is not seeking re-election.WFIR’s Evan Jones has our campaign profile.
Click below to hear more from Mike Hamlar (speaking with WFIR’s Evan Jones):
Associated Press photo
Activists are asking federal regulators to review in a single, combined fashion the separate pipeline proposals by energy companies to deliver natural gas from drill fields to Virginia and beyond. Representatives of the groups called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consolidate four pipeline proposals into one to assess environmental impacts of the pipelines. But companies planning to build the pipelines say there are good reasons to consider them one at a time. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
More support for the argument that parents can influence their teenage children’s drug and alcohol decisions more than than anything else, this time from a survey of Botetourt County students. It finds that students whose parents did not set rules prohibiting drinking were far more likely to consume alcohol. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles says speeding and running off the road are the primary reasons for teenage traffic deaths this year — and the number is up 19% from a year ago. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Click here for the full DMV news release.
The Department of Motor Vehicles reports close to 90% of people holding Sons of Confederate Veterans license plates are not returning the recently-replaced ones — those that included the Confederate flag. It’s been illegal to drive with those old plates since October 4th, and the state had asked plate-holders to send them back once they were replaced. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Adam Ward (WDBJ7 photo)
The family of slain photojournalist Adam Ward is thanking the Salem community for contributing more than $40,000 to the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association in Adam’s honor. The money will fund a scholarship in his name.
Statement from the Ward Family: Please know how much we appreciate your support. The last several weeks have been very difficult, but we are so grateful for your help in finding an appropriate way to honor Adam. The prayers, respect and expression of love we have received from people around the world, many of whom we will never meet, have been incredibly humbling. We are overwhelmed by the generosity so many of you have displayed in honoring Adam’s memory through the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association Scholarship that was established in his name. We are incredibly thankful for the kindness the community has shown.
Jim Webb
Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb says he’s fed up with both his own party and the current two-party system, and he will measure how much support there might be for him to run for president as an Independent. Webb had been running as a Democrat, but he never seemed to gain much traction in any of the polls. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke is celebrating this coming Saturday as “Dr. Pepper Day”, and it starts with a free event Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Market Square, one featuring Dr. Pepper and t-shirt handouts while supplies last. Roanokers have consistently ranked among the highest per capita consumer of Dr. Pepper for decades, and of course, there is the iconic downtown rooftop sign.
(Continue reading for the full news release.)
Professional hockey will return to Roanoke next fall. The Southern Professional Hockey League will make Roanoke its 10th team, that announcement this morning at the Berglund Center. Our Greg Roberts says center officials say have turned have down other pro hockey proposals in recent years, but they feel different about this ownership group and this league:
The Berglund Center says the SPHL is a lower-overhead league that will allow for more affordable ticket prices. We will have much more today at 5:00 on Greg Roberts Live.
Click here for the full Southern Professional Hockey League announcement.