Evan Jones
Tod Burke
The FBI isn’t saying what it may have learned from the discovery of Alexis Murphy’s cellphone, but Radford University Criminal Justice professor Tod Burke says what can be learned often goes well beyond information about calls or texts. That may include things like fingerprints and whether there is any attempt to tamper with the phone. Murphy is the 17-year-old Nelson County girl who disappeared August 3rd. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Gas prices may be up a bit in the last couple of weeks in our region, but even with recent concerns surrounding possible military action in Syria, pump prices are about 38 cents a gallon lower than a year ago. Experts say greater U.S. oil production is a big reason why — and the calendar is another, because gasoline demand drops significantly once the summer travel season ends. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The South Peak development atop the hill across from Tanglewood Mall takes another step forward soon, but this time, it’s for something that’s coming down, not going up. Crews will soon dismantle the big green water tower there. South Peak developers are paying for new water lines along US 220 that eliminates any further need for the tower. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Schools everywhere get into full swing this week, and in Roanoke, students in several elementary schools are getting used to major renovations. They include a new gym at Round Hill, renovated classrooms at Garden City, and at Virginia Heights, new classrooms and a new-look library. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The union representing thousands of Kroger workers in the region says members have ratified a three-year contract. They are about 4,800 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400 at Kroger stores from Charlottesville to eastern Tennessee. The union says the three-year agreement includes wage increases and maintains health and retirement benefits. The contract replaces one which expired last March. Workers had remained on the job since then under a contract extension. We have no official word from Kroger, but the Lynchburg News and Advance cites a company release confirming the union announcement.
(Continue reading for the full UFCW news release.)
It may not seem that way if you’re on the highways this holiday weekend, but a new study finds Virginians are driving their cars less — about 6% less over a six-year period. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group says likely reasons range from a weaker economy to an increase in on-line shopping. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here to see full study results.
As Virginia Tech prepares to open another football season, a national on-line realty firm is ranking Blacksburg as one of the worst ACC towns for sports fans — 11th of 12 and ahead only of Winston-Salem. WFIR afternoon sports host Greg Roberts say larger ACC cities might benefit from the presence of pro sports teams, but for the college sports experience, this ranking has it all wrong. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here to see the the rankings
VDOT says Interstate 81 is open once again between Dixie Caverns and Christiansburg. The closure created lengthy backups Thursday both on southbound 81 and on the 14-mile detour along US 11/460. The southbound lanes reopened about 48 hours after concerns surrounding unstable ground on a slope above the roadway led to the closure.
(Continue reading for the full VDOT news release.)
Southbound traffic on Interstate 81 is crawling through parts of Roanoke and Montgomery Counties, and it isn’t any better in Salem. As of 3:00 pm Thursday, VDOT reported a ten-mile backup as traffic waited to exit at 132 for the detour onto US 11/460. Those long backups on 81 — and on the detour up to Christiansburg — are also bringing traffic to a near-standstill on main streets in Salem. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.