Evan Jones
Last week’s floods have temporarily closed one of the newest portions of the Roanoke River Greenway. Surging waters tore away some of the asphalt near the greenway’s bridge at Wasena Park, and as a result, it is closed between Wasena and Vic Thomas Park until the damage can be repaired. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Joshua Treece
A Roanoke attorney who specializes in employment law says companies should not delay preparing for the Affordable Care Act, even if a key provision in it is now postponed for a year. Many companies will be required to provide health insurance coverage — but now, not until January 2015. Joshua Treece at Woods Rogers says many companies need the time to determine if they fall under that requirement, and if they do, to consider the costs of their various options. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Some Roanoke Valley families face a long holiday weekend dealing with the damage left behind by high waters that entered their homes late Wednesday night, often with little notice. People who live along Peters Creek Road in northwest Roanoke says firefighters brought in a boat to bring them to safety. They spent July 4th pumping water from their basements and face a long weekend taking everything that’s ruined out to the street. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Left: Rob Hoven says Peters Creek flowed through his back yard Wednesday night. Right: Hoven helps a neighbor remove clothes from a home still flooded Thursday afternoon.
Brandon Dillon, Joshua Hayes (Franklin Co. Sheriff’s photos)
Franklin County investigators say they caught two men inside the former Cooper Wood facility, a Rocky Mount area business that’s been a frequent victim of copper and scrap metal thefts. Officials say the two were captured late Monday night in possession of cutting tools and scrap copper wiring, and investigators seized more evidence in a resulting home search. 31-year-old Joshua Hayes and 27-year-old Brandon Dillon, both of Rocky Mount, face multiple charges.
(Continue reading for the full Franklin County Sheriff’s office news release.)
If you are a Western Virginia Water Authority customer, a major billing change is in the works, and the new system going in this weekend. New water meters installed in recent months provide constant information on your water use, and now, you’ll be able to track that use on-line. Electronic billing will also be available for those customers who want it. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Western Virginia Water Authority offices will be closed from Thursday through Sunday as the authority converts all accounts to the new billing and customer information.
The Salem Fair opens today for the 26th year, and while organizers will have no shortage of concerns over the 12-day run, weather and security are two that are always among the most important. The fair contracts with a company for timely weather and radar information, and it has uniformed and plainclothes officers on duty. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Felons’ rights advocates are scrambling to register as many former offenders as possible to vote this year. It comes after Governor McDonnell announced he will restore rights to almost all non-violent offenders who have completed their sentences. Organizers say there may be 100,000 of them, and finding many is a challenge. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Parking meters may return to parts of downtown Roanoke, but not the old kind where you push in dimes and quarters. City officials are looking at high-tech possibilities for use where on-street parking is hardest to find. The first meters could be in place by late next year. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Local U.S. Forest Service officials hope a forest fire tragedy in Arizona might offer lessons that can save firefighters’ lives in the future. 19 highly trained and experienced firefighters died in Arizona, members of an elite “Hotshots” unit called to battle forest fires anywhere in the country — including the Roanoke-based George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke City Council is getting down to specifics on a long-planned storm water fee on homes and business to take effect July 1st, 2014. The federal government is mandating new standards that would direct more rainfall runoff into the earth instead of having it pick up pollutants before running into storm drains and ultimately the Roanoke River. First notices are expected to go out late this year, and the new fee is likely to be effective next July. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.