Evan Jones
Fire investigators have determined the cause of Monday night’s apartment fire blaze: improperly discarded smoking materials. Roanoke County Fire Chief Rick Burch says the fire that destroyed 12 units at Cedar Point started when a cigarette was tossed into a planter on a second floor balcony. It left 18 people homeless, but some of them feel very fortunate — especially those whose pets were saved. WFIR’s Evan Jones has one grateful dog owner’s story.
Residents in another apartment thought they had lost both their cats in the fire, only to learn the next morning they had been rescued overnight. WFIR’s Evan Jones has their story.
[audio:http://wfirnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/04-05-Cedar-Pointe-Wrap2-WEB.mp3|titles=04-05 Cedar Pointe Wrap2-WEB]Continue reading for a larger photo showing firefighters rescuing “Baylee”.
Roanoke Co. Fire/EMS Photo
Fire investigators have determined the cause of Monday night’s apartment fire blaze: improperly discarded smoking materials. Roanoke County Fire Chief Rick Burch says the fire that destroyed 12 units at Cedar Pointe started when a cigarette was tossed into a planter on a second floor balcony. 18 people were left without homes, but there are no reports of injuries. Fire officials say two cats died in the fire, but firefighters were able to rescue several other pets. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.
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(Continue reading for the full Roanoke County Fire/EMS news release.)
There is now an end in sight to the regular rock-blasting on Interstate 81 that’s the cause of frequent detours and backups between Ironto and Christiansburg. VDOT days if all goes according to plan, the blasting will be complete by Memorial Day. It is part of a $90 million project to add five miles of climbing lanes. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
N&W 611
For the first time in its 50-year history, the Virginia Museum of Transportation owns all its exhibits — including its two greatest attractions. The Norfolk and Western 611 and 1218 steam locomotives are considered examples of some of the finest ever built and a testament to the Roanoke shops that built them. Until Monday, the City of Roanoke was the engines’ official owner, and as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, the transfer is a welcome birthday present for the museum.
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There is no end in sight to the warmer-than-normal weather pattern that was with us all winter. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, the outlook for April is more of the same.
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A warmer-than-normal April might also deliver more summer-like storms than usual. There were some fierece ones around here in March, and meteorologists say April is typically a stormier month.
Google Maps street view
This is the month that work begins on a busy Roanoke intersection that is sometimes slow — and frequently accident-prone. The intersection of Riverland Road, Bennington Street and Mt. Pleasant Boulevard looks something like a “Y” right now, but when the work is done, it becomes a roundabout. The story from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
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Click here for the VDOT web page for this project.
Investigators in the murders of two Virginia Tech students in 2009 say they have DNA evidence, and for the first time, they publicly identified the murder weapon.
Montgomery County Sheriff Tommy Whitt says Heidi Childs and David Metzler were killed by shots from a .30 caliber rifle at the Caldwell Fields area of the Jefferson National Forest near Blacksburg. They also announced Heidi Childs’ purse was taken, along with a cellphone, camera, ID and credit card, none of which have been recovered. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.
[audio:http://wfirnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/03-30-Childs-Metzler-Wrap1-WEB.mp3|titles=03-30 Childs-Metzler Wrap1-WEB]Here is Whitt’s entire announcement:
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Twist & Turns is closing its retail store at Valley View Mall, but they will still make the metal furniture for which they are best-known — and open a sales gallery at their Campbell Avenue manufacturing site near the Jefferson Center. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Twist & Turns President Cynthia Willis has nothing but praise for Valley View, but she says the overall retail environment remains difficult, and she is retiring from that side of the business. Twist & Turns moved its retail store to Valley View in October 2010 after almost 20 years in downtown Roanoke. She plans to close the Valley View at the end of April and open the on-site retail gallery in early May.
The final shape of Virginia’s next budget is now in the hands of a dozen senior delegates and state senators. Area legislators from both parties say once the Conference Committee comes up with a final plan, swift approval seems likely — and they hope that is the case. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the latest.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is is an upbeat mood after listening to this week’s Supreme Court’s arguments, especially the ones centering on the key provision in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.