Evan Jones
The NASCAR nation descends upon Martinsville this weekend, and as always, the pre-race program includes an invocation. The man who will deliver the prayer promises you won’t hear anything like the one that drew national attention at another race this summer. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
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Salem schools will move quickly to put to use a portion of the $800,000 Federal Grant they have received for Physical Education programs. School officials say the grant will enhance the students’ nutrition and physical education. It is good for three years and will cover everything from equipment to supplies to personnel. More on the plans from WFIR’s Bob Clark.
Move-in month is nearing at Roanoke County’s new library along Merriman Road near Penn Forest Elementary School. After almost two full two years of construction, the building is just about complete, equipment and fixtures are already moving in, and as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, the books are coming soon.
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Governor Bob McDonnell says Virginia would welcome thousands of defense contractor jobs from Maryland — after a local government there prepared a resolution calling for less spending on wars. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
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Virginia Tech’s award-winning solar home is returning the Blacksburg. The groundbreaking home provides all amenities of a modern home without using any outside electricity. More on this story from WFIR’s Bob Clark.
About 620,000 seasonal jobs are expected to be available during the holiday season nationwide, and the Better Business Bureau says if you are interested in any of them, begin applying now. Details from WFIR’s Bob Clark.
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Roanoke’s Department of Economic Development will present two workshops Wednesday on how businesses can utilize the iPad. Sandy Ratliff with the Virginia Department of Business Assistance will teach the workshops. She says when it comes to apps, there’s pretty much something for everyone, and she plans to talk about them all. Ratliff says the iPad has about 97% of the tablet market. Continue reading
Some Roanoke Valley residents are about to receive $50 prizes for recycling bottles and cans, either at curbside or at drop-off centers. It’s called “Recycle and Win”, a joint project of Coca Cola and Kroger. The sponsors say similar incentives in other cities have increased recycling rates up to 30% or more. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more on the local program.
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Roanoke County Police report 70 residential burglaries since late August, about double the number reported over the same period one year ago. Police say the burglaries have occurred throughout the county but are concentrated along the Electric Road corridor, especially in neighborhoods near Tanglewood Mall and Brambleton Road. Police say most have occurred during the daytime, and in many cases, the burglars knock out glass in a back door to break in.
Officer Gayle Combs
Roanoke Police have quadrupled the number of motorcycle traffic enforcement units this month — from one to four. In recent months, Officer Gayle Combs had served in that role by himself, making more Roanoke city traffic stops this year than anyone else. WFIR’s Evan Jones hit the roadways with Officer Combs, who shared how he patrols and what he looks for. (Continue reading for a list of the locations he patrols most frequently.)
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