Gene Marrano
(AP) A day after tensions between police and community activists nearly boiled over on the University of Virginia’s campus, the city of Charlottesville plans to mark Sunday’s anniversary of a deadly gathering of white supremacists with a rally against racial hatred. But 115 miles away in Washington, the principal organizer of last year’s “Unite the Right” event will hold a “white civil rights rally,” and police are preparing for counterprotesters.Jason Kessler abandoned plans for a similar anniversary event in Charlottesville. His Washington permit application says he expects 100 to 400 people Sunday afternoon in Lafayette Park, near the White House.
But some leading figures in the white nationalist movement have said they won’t attend or encouraged supporters to stay away. And the events likely will be dwarfed by counterprotests, for which permits also have been issued.
Beth Macy’s detailed and often critical look at the opioid crisis that may have started right here in southwest Virginia – “Dopesick” – also includes images from another former Roanoke Times colleague. They team up again for a special event at the Taubman Museum on Sunday as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
The expanded Virginia Western culinary arts program building on Henry Street is getting ready for the new semester starting August 20th. Its tripled the footprint and now features several state of the art working “labs” for culinary students. James Zeisler runs the program and says the expansion has been needed for a decade. “Chef Z” also says a ribbon cutting is planned for September 12th, with several other opening celebrations in the works as well.
A comic farce involving lies, a love triangle – and some bad dancing. “Cactus Flower” opens tomorrow night at the Star City Playhouse in Vinton. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
The Lord Botetourt High School Cavaliers have won 31 games over the past three football seasons. Meanwhile at the college level the VMI Keydets are hoping to do better than the 0-and-11 they were in 2017.
Following recent work stoppages on natural gas pipelines due to construction issues there’s been more public pressure to shut them down. The Governor however says he trusts the oversight agencies, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
He caught pitches from the legendary Satchel Paige and played baseball with an all-star barnstorming team in the waning days of the Negro Leagues. Now Roanoker Larry LeGrande will tell stories tomorrow night during a fundraiser. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
Beth Macy’s book about the opioid crisis was released today – the former Roanoke Times investigative reporter includes many local sources in “Dopesick – Dealers, Doctors and the Dug Company that Addicted America” – including Nancy Hans with the Prevention Council of Roanoke County. (Beth Macy joins us live in studio next Monday morning at 8-45 to discuss “Dopesick.”) Hans was in northern Virginia today to pick up an award for the local Heroin Task Force the Prevention Council is a part of.