Gene Marrano
A long fourth quarter drive and a last minute touchdown by the Kentucky Wildcats led the team to a 37-30 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Belk Bowl in Charlotte today. Both teams finish at 8-5. The Wildcats rushing game led the attack; ‘Cats quarterback Lynn Bowden had 233 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns to win the game MVP trophy. It was also the last game for Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who is retiring. Head coach Justin Fuente afterwards on what could have been:
The Washington Redskins will hire two time NFL coach of the Year and former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera as their head coach. Reports are he may bring in Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator. Rivera played on the Super Bowl-winning ’85 bears and brought his Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2016. The Redskins are heard here on WFIR. NFL network’s Kyle Brandt on the Rivera hire:
MGN
The Council of Community Services will open a drop-in center at 2328 Williamson Road on January 13. In addition to the services now available at its Campbell Avenue location the new location will also launch the Council’s “syringe exchange” program, with testing and intake done on Williamson Road – but the actual syringe or needle exchange taking place at a mobile health unit at predetermined times and locations. Its an effort to reduce diseases like hepatitis and HIV from those sharing needles.
Anne Marie Green is the Council’s president:
(from Council news release) On August 5, 2019, the Council of Community Services was approved to perform Comprehensive Harm Reduction Services in the City of Roanoke. Employing a hybrid model, the Drop In Center North will provide intakes, testing and service navigation onsite, while the actual “syringe exchange” will be conducted off site, on predetermined days/times and locations utilizing a mobile health unit. The Drop -In Center has successfully provided HIV and Hepatitis prevention, testing and coordination of care since 2004. Under Virginia Department of Health funding, the Drop-In Center launched a Comprehensive Harm Reduction Pilot program in 2014 focusing on harm reduction skills building, HIV/HCV testing, linkage to care/support services, and supply harm reduction supplies (i.e. wound care/safer injection kits, overdose prevention education, condoms, field guides) to those at highest risk for contracting or transmitting HIV and/or Hepatitis C. This is another component of a multi-disciplinary, best practices model grounded in expertise and collaborative efforts.
Zachary Jennings-City of Salem photo
Salem police have made an arrest in a December 26 shooting on Cliff View Drive that sent two men to local hospitals with non-life threatening inujries. 19 year old Zachary Jennings of Roanoke, who was not injured during the early morning incident, has been charged with shooting into an occupied residence. Jennings is being held in the Roanoke County-Salem Jail.
The start of the General Assembly session in Richmond is less than two weeks away and the battle lines have already been drawn around the issue of gun legislation. A grass-roots organization demanding “reasonable solutions” has weighed in as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
