Evan Jones
The Smith Mountain Lake “Osprey Cam” is on line for a second year, giving you a close-up look at a mating pair’s nest. The ospreys typically lay their eggs by mid-April, and the chicks should hatch sometime around Memorial Day. WFIR’S Evan Jones has the story.
Click here to view the “Osprey Cam”.
A program that provides federally-subsidized cellphone service to millions of Americans is receiving increasing attention in Congress amid allegations it is plagued with abuse. Roanoke Congressman Bob Goodlatte is signing on to a bill calling for an end to federal cellphone subsidies under the “Lifeline” program. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here for Lifeline information from the Federal Communications Commission.
Click here for Congressman Tom Griffin’s Lifeline web site. Griffin is the most active Congressional Lifeline opponent.
A Roanoke City task force is considering a proposal to reduce the number of city voting precincts from 32 to 19, and it is holding the first of two public hearings tonight. Task force members take comments at the Roanoke Municipal Building starting at 7:00 pm. More on the proposal and the reasons behind it from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Click here for proposed realignment information.
Click here for a map of the proposed voting precinct realignment. (This may take some time to fully download.)
The first products from Roanoke’s new urban farm are set to hit the shelves within a week or two. The Roanoke Natural Foods Co-Op started setting the farm up last fall on land in the Blue Hills area of northeast Roanoke purchased from the city. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the latest.
A new statewide poll shows the governor’s race remains a virtual tie, but there are clear differences between men and women. The Quinnipiac University Poll shows Republican Ken Cuccinelli with 40% and Democrat Terry McAuliffe with 38%. Many Virginia voters say they don’t know much yet about either candidate; those who do have an opinion view Cuccinelli as more experienced and McAuliffe as slightly less ideological. There is a big gender difference: Cuccinelli has a 16-point lead among men in the poll while McAuliffe is up ten points among women.
Click here for full poll results and methodology.
A Roanoke company expects to add 15 to 25 jobs in the next year and a half, the result of a private equity firm’s $3.5 million investment. Interactive Achievement creates instructional improvement software for schools based on state standards like Virginia SOLs. The new capital will help it develop technology, software, and its geographic reach. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
(Continue reading for the full Interactive Achievement news release.)
Both sides in the abortion rights debate are setting their sights on Richmond next week after Governor McDonnell added an amendment to health reform legislation passed earlier this year. Under the governor’s amendment, insurers who are part of the federal health care exchange that starts up next year in Virginia cannot offer plans that cover abortion. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider a California case today that may ultimately determine whether Virginia’s ban on gay marriages is constitutional. Gay rights activists say it is a matter of equality and civil rights. Advocates of traditional marriages say there is no equal treatment because only couples consisting of a man and woman can produce children. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.
Same-sex marriage supporters will hold a vigil from 5:30 to 9:00 this evening outside the Poff Federal Building.
Sheriff Octavia Johnson
Roanoke City Sheriff Octavia Johnson will seek a third term in office; the official announcement came this morning. She says under her watch, technology is updated, opportunities for promotions increased to allwithin the department, and operations are run more efficiently. Johnson is running again for Sheriff as a Republican. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.