Evan Jones
Roanoke County is preparing to take over operation of Explore Park with the long-term goal of developing it into a “regional adventure park”. The county plans to sign a 99-year lease for $1 a year to operate and develop the park. It has sat largely dormant in recent years, in large part from a lack of stable funding. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Environmentalists applaud the switch from coal to natural gas at many power plants, but that raises another question: whether states should permit “fracking” to unlock more natural gas reserves. Environmentalists either oppose it altogether or say the process needs more government regulation. The industry says there are already clean water rules to follow, and any other regulation should come at the state level. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Supporters of President Obama’s environmental policies rallied today in Roanoke, calling for action to support reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Rally speakers say the president’s plan will lower the frequency of extreme weather by reducing global warming. The plan calls for reduced carbon dioxide emissions at coal-fired power plants; critics say that will mean lost jobs and higher electric bills, but supporters say it’s a health issue for all of us. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke County leaders say the Hilton Garden Inn now under construction at South Peak should help generate further economic development in the region, especially in the southwest county. They also hope it will serve as a valued visible gateway to the Roanoke Valley. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
VDOT is closing down southbound Interstate 81 all the way from Dixie Caverns to Christiansburg — a shutdown that could remain in place anywhere from one to ten days. The department says crews have been repairing an unstable slope in the climbing lane construction zone , but after blasting yesterday, an existing crack in the slope got much larger. The resulting decision: close the southbound lanes between exits 132 and 118 until crews can stabilize the slope. Until that’s done, southbound traffic will be detoured onto US 11/460, and lengthy southbound backups in the Salem area are a certainty.
VDOT spokesperson Jason Bond:
Groundbreaking ceremonies today marked the start of construction for a long-planned five-story hotel at South Peak on the hill across from Tanglewood Mall. The $15 million Hilton Garden Inn is scheduled to open next summer. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
A written threat has led to tighter security aboard one Patrick Henry High School Bus until further notice. Police found a threatening note–not on the bus, but in the 2900 block of Garden City Boulevard. They also found a glass jar filled with firecrackers and what police believe to be a flammable liquid. WFIR’s Evan Jones says the threat came to parents’ attention in a phone call from the school:
Here is the full automated call to Patrick Henry parents:
(Continue reading for a written version of the full telephone call.)
As another school year begins across the region, many school systems have increased security measures, but many teachers say they need more. Those improvements are sometimes things you can see — but oftentimes something you cannot see and schools don’t want you to know. Teachers say that’s a good idea, because anyone thinking about doing harm in school should not have clear idea of what to expect. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Virginia made $1.3 million in new funding to hire school resource officers to 24 city and county school systems this school year. These are for schools that did not have such officers before. Click here for the governor’s full news release from June 17. It includes a full list of eligible school systems.
This summer will go down for one of the wettest on record in our region, and that has helped replenish water supplies below ground as well as above. That’s important because in dry periods when groundwater levels recede, wells can run dry. It was just eight months ago that close to two thirds of Virginia was listed as “abnormally dry” and more than a third in moderate drought. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke Police photo
Roanoke Police say a house search near Fallon Park Elementary School led them to about 70 guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. It’s the house on Fallon Avenue that led to a shelter-in-place at Fallon Park Monday when officers went to arrest Dale Thomas following possible threats to family members. Police were concerned he might have access to guns, leading to the extra school precaution, and it turns out he did indeed have access to plenty of firearms and ammunition. Police spokesperson Scott Leamon confirms the ammo alone weighed hundreds of pounds. Police say they also found body armor in the house.