Evan Jones
If you ever had thoughts of owning a NASCAR race car, Virginia Tech is selling one — or at least the heavily-decaled body of one. It’s a former number 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge that ran until 2007 before it was donated to Virginia Tech. The university is now selling it, and the bid deadline is 6:00 pm Thursday. Click here for full information.
Chief Howard Hall
Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall says officers have had to face more heavily-armed lawbreakers in recent decades, and as a result, police must be prepared to use more military-style equipment to protect themselves and the public. Hall is not passing judgment on how things were handled in Ferguson, Missouri, but he says the widespread negative view does not diminish the need for police elsewhere to be properly prepared. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke’s largest urban farm appears to be doing well in its second full year, with plans to beef up operations. Right now, the fruits, vegetables and eggs produced at “Heritage Point” are taken the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op for washing and processing, but the co-op is now working on plans for a processing center at the farm. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The offices that issue marriage licenses in Virginia are preparing for the possibility of issuing same-sex licenses as soon as next week. This comes after yesterday’s federal appeals court ruling that permits same-sex marriages effective next Wednesday — unless the Supreme Court steps in. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
State education officials are advising all Virginia school systems they cannot deny enrollment to a child who fails to present proof of legal status in this country. The Virginia Department of Education says this guidance is based on federal law and court decisions. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Former Virginia
Gov. Bob McDonnell
The corruption trial of former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen enters its third week today — as Virginia takes new steps in the wake of the gifts scandal. The state hired its first executive director last week to run a new ethics board, one intended to implement and enforce reforms approved earlier this year. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The U.S. Postal Service acknowledges that mail delivery times will often become longer when Roanoke’s mail processing center closes next year and its operations moved to Greensoboro. It’s one of many such consolidations planned nationwide in efforts to save money, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports.
Postal workers at Roanoke’s mail processing center are fighting Postal Service plans to move those operations to Greensboro sometime next year, and a full-court press is on in efforts to keep the Roanoke center going. The workers say such a move will mean slower delivery times that will result in lost business. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Virginia Tech has earned another number one ranking — not in football, but in campus food. For the third time in the last seven years, the Princeton Review has named Tech tops in the dining category. WFIR’s Evan Jones serves up the story.