Evan Jones
Bob and Maureen McDonnell
(Associated Press photo)
Former Governor Bob McDonnell will be sentenced today, with prosecutors asking for more than a decade in jail and defense attorneys requesting community service time. WFIR’s Evan Jones looks ahead to today’s sentencing hearing.
Roanoke County’s property assessment notices go into the mail today, and for the first time since 2010, most homeowners will see increases in assessed values, the result of the most new construction since 2009 and an upward tick in most existing property values. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Al Bedrosian
Roanoke County Supervisor Al Bedrosian says he’ll continue to fight for things he campaigned for one year ago, even if he usually finds himself on the losing side of many important votes. Bedrosian says it’s more important to fight for the things you believe in and then let the chips fall where they may. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Depot restoration Facebook photo
Boones Mill officials hope the General Assembly will add their town to Virginia’s Rail Heritage Region in the upcoming session as work continues to restore the former rail depot. Boones Mill officials say including the town would help attract some of the region’s railfan visitors to their depot once it is restored. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here for the Boones Mill Depot Restoration Facebook page
Governor McAuliffe will once again attempt to tie Medicaid expansion to the state budget, setting the stage for another likely bitter and partisan General Assembly session. Last year’s battle nearly shut down state government until Republicans regained control of the Senate. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
A Salem police officer has pleaded guilty to a federal bribery count occurring as a member of the Drug Enforcement Agency regional task force. Kevin Moore admits trading sexual favors to female drug suspects in return for promises of leniency. A criminal justice expert says it’s not unusual for local law enforcement agencies to share officers with state and federal agencies, and the ones selected are usually the best. As a result, such corruption cases, while always possible, are relatively infrequent. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
From the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office: On December 8, 2014 in the evening hours, through the early morning hours of December 9, 2014, a rash of vandalisms made its way around Franklin County. Items vandalized include road and street signs, Dudley Elementary School sign, subdivision signs, vehicles, and a residence. Damage is estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars. The vandalisms stretched from the Penhook area all the way to the Moneta area of the county. Water’s Edge subdivision, Brooks Mill Rd (Rt. 834), Powell’s Store Rd., Timber Ridge Rd., Scruggs Rd., Water Front subdivision, and the Board Walk subdivision, as well as other side roads and streets along the way were affected.
(Continue reading for the rest of the news release.)
Google Maps photo
A Salem gas station appears to be the first in Virginia to break the $2 barrier. Over the weekend, the GB station at 4th and Union in Salem lowered its cash price to $1.99 a gallon. Gas Buddy, which tracks pump prices across the nation, says GB is the first station anywhere in Virginia to go under two dollars. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here to see GasBuddy.com’s lowest-priced stations in Virginia.
Salem Police say one of its detectives has been suspended without pay since October 10th as they await the results of an FBI investigation. The officer has been assigned for the past five years to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. Police are not releasing the officer’s name or any further details. Here is the full Salem Police Statement:
A Salem Police Department Detective has been suspended without pay since October 10, pending the outcome of a federal investigation by the FBI. At the conclusion of this officer’s court proceedings, he or she would be subject to an internal review which could affect that status. The officer in question has been assigned to the Federal DEA Task Force for the past five years, working out of the agency’s Roanoke office. While this is a federal investigation, it is also a personnel matter for Salem PD and at this time the department is not at liberty to release or confirm the employee’s name. Any further information would need to come from the FBI.
Department of Motor Vehicles statistics show the typical wait time at the Roanoke customer service center is about five minutes longer than the statewide average. In Roanoke, the average wait is 26 minutes, 25 seconds, and as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, the numbers can vary greatly from one DMV office to another.
DMV says the longest average wait times typically occur in the first and last weeks of each month, on any Saturday, and during the lunch hour.
Click here to see average wait times at every DMV Customer Service Center