Evan Jones
The new Vinton library will not open until fall, but the work to put all the books and materials on the shelves has already been going on for more than a year. It’s a process that includes selecting, ordering and cataloging everything that will go in. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Tim Bradshaw
The Director of Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport says bringing service to more cities remains a realistic goal, and he’s working on it. Timothy Bradshaw says he has a special eye on Dallas-Fort Worth, but he cautions that convincing airline executives requires patience. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
AP Photo
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue to new regulations this summer on power plant emissions. Environmentalists say it would be good for Virginia’s air quality and reduce impacts of more severe weather. But opponents say we would all pay more, with little actual impact, and it would cost thousands of Virginians their jobs. More on the debate from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Medical experts predict the 2015 allergy season will be more severe than usual in some parts of the country, but a Carilion Clinic pediatric allergist says it’s unclear whether the impacts will be worse than normal in our area. What is certain is that tree pollen season is just about to begin, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports.
VMT photo
Plans to return a fully-restored Norfolk and Western 611 steam engine back to Roanoke are taking a big step forward this week with the first tests of its rebuilt boiler and firebox. If the structural integrity is confirmed, restoration may be complete later this spring — with the hope that the classic Roanoke-built locomotive can again pull passenger excursions later this year. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the latest.
Roanoke City’s one and only dog park at Highland Park is closed, but only for several weeks. City crews are moving the large dog area down the hillside to flatter land that’s easier to maintain. And as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, a second dog park will open in the city later this spring.
A new national study says distracted driving is a much greater factor in teen crashes than previously believed. There are laws in Virginia aimed at reducing that number, but AAA Mid-Atlantic says they would be much more effective if enforcement was primary. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here for the full research report and video.
It’s down to the final three weeks to file your federal income taxes, and the Internal Revenue Service is warning against scammers who demand immediate tax payment by phone. The IRS says it never does business that way, but thousands of people have already fallen for it this year — losing millions of dollars. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.