Evan Jones
South Peak representation of completed building
The developers of South Peak say construction of the first condominium building is a signal that other buildings will go up on the hillside across from Tanglewood Mall without more years of delays. The first units should be ready by November. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the latest.
Click here for the South Peak web site
Wesley Clark
The Obama presidential campaign brought Retired General Wesley Clark to the Roanoke Valley this week, paying particular attention to veterans and rebutting recent military policy criticism from Mitt Romney. Clark says the timed troop pullouts from Afghanistan are “sensible” and offer “due notice” to Afghans of our intentions. He spoke with WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Sixteen college students from across the country are at Camp Easter Seals in Craig County this week, part of a summer-long volunteer effort to improve lives of children with disabilities. The students are all members of Pi Kappa Phi service fraternity, building facilities like ramps to improve accessibility. WFIR’s Evan Jones has their story.
Roanoke County officials were quick to apologize yesterday after a test alert message was mistakenly sent to 30,000 homes and businesses warning of an escaped inmate. It was supposed to go to just a few hundred phones as part of the testing process for a new county-wide emergency alert system. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, when implemented, the system should alert county residents to emergencies that might affect them.
The debris cleanup is far from done, but Roanoke City and County both report they have returned to normal pickup schedules for the first time since the big June 29th windstorm. The city and county each report collecting about two thousand tons of storm debris — a total of eight million pounds. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke County Police say they will begin three weeks of “targeted enforcement” today on Electric Road near Tanglewood Mall in hopes of reducing the number accidents on that half-mile stretch of road. Police say almost one in five Roanoke County accidents they investigate occur on Electric Road — and more than anywhere else, between Starkey and Franklin Roads. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
State education officials are getting the word out early — there will be a big drop in math SOL pass rates when they release the numbers next month. But they say it’s the result of more rigorous tests, not a drop in teacher performance or student comprehension.WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
A lot of people will drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway in coming months, and for the first time in six years, they can drive all 469 miles of it. Various maintenance, repair or construction projects forced the closure of some parkway stretches every year since 2006. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.