Evan Jones
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford is planning a special tribute to Bob Slaughter one week from today when it next marks the D-Day anniversary. Slaughter died yesterday at age 87, and as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, he will be remembered as the guiding force behind the memorial’s very existence.
Bob Slaughter with President Bush at the D-Day Memorial dedication
The man viewed as most instrumental in creating the National D-Day Memorial has died. Bob Slaughter passed away this morning at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. His family says Slaughter did not speak about his wartime experiences for decades, but as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, that changed in a big way starting in the 1980’s.
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The summer travel season is just getting started, and VDOT believes a recently-introduced app can be very useful in planning and keeping tabs on any road trip you might take. It includes real-time maps and traffic cams showing trouble spots — along with travel times for interstates and other major roadways. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
The National D-Day Memorial honors some frequently-overlooked participants in the Normandy invasion today — flight nurses who helped evacuate and care for the wounded. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, they are paying tribute in particular to one of those nurses who lives in Huddleston.
Click here for more information on today’s Memorial Day observance
The Botetourt County Sheriff’s office has released one of the calls that came into 911 shortly after a school bus overturned Wednesday morning with 39 students on board. The call is from a student, and it provides some sense of both the disorientation and calmness that witnesses described at the scene. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Here is the entire call as provided to us (the student’s name and telephone number have been deleted):
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World War II veterans are older and fewer in number every day, and that is one big reason for a Memorial Day weekend event in Vinton. It’s a gathering of “Greatest Generation” veterans tomorrow at William Byrd High School, vets who will share many of their wartime experiences. Organizers hope younger people who attend might gain a fuller appreciation of the sacrifices made at a time when the liberty of many nations was threatened.
The event runs tomorrow from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. It also includes displays and models of World War Two vehicles and aircraft. Click here for more program information.
A new statewide poll shows Virginia remains a key state in this year’s presidential election, and at this point, the race remains a tight one. A Marist Poll for NBC News shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney at this point in Virginia 48% to 44%, with 7% undecided at this point. Looking at those with a good or excellent chance of actually voting this fall, the poll shows a 48% to 45% lead for the president.
Click here to view full poll results.
The driver involved in yesterday’s Botetourt County school bus accident is on administrative leave pending further investigation. School officials say Mary Elizabeth Esque of Eagle Rock has no prior citations or incidents in her five years on the job, but she is charged with reckless driving, and a parent along the route says she could see this coming. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Photo courtesy Lynda McNutt Foster
Roanoke area Delegate Chris Head is joining three other first-term lawmakers in efforts to foster more job development in Virginia. They have formed the “Business Development Caucus”, and for starters, they are hearing what business leaders have to say. WFIR’s Evan Jones reports on their first stop yesterday in Roanoke.
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Tim Kaine
Democrat Senate candidate Tim Kaine says even as a Catholic, he disagrees with a legal challenge filed yesterday by dozens of Catholic entities, one seeking their total exclusion from a federal contraception health care mandate. In a campaign visit to Roanoke today, Kaine said changes in the law exempt religious employers from making direct payments for such health care coverage and still provides women contraceptive choices they should be able to make. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
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