Gene Marrano
Del. Sam Rasoul
Roanoke Democratic delegate Sam Rasoul has long advocated for more bi-partisanship in the General Assembly. Today he and Republican delegate Chris Peace have launched the “Virginia State Future Caucus,” comprised of state delegates 45 and under. Rasoul, the caucus co-chair, says they will tackle “new age” issues like student debt and clean energy. Its part of a national movement he says, with similar groups of lawmakers in 21 other states – and in the U.S. Congress.
Number one Virginia topped Miami last night in a men’s basketball ACC contest on the road – 59 to 50. DeAndre Hunter had 22 points to lead the Cavaliers. Head coach Tony Bennett described the win – where UVA did enough on offense and played its usual defensive game:
The Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition is part of a task force fighting the opioid abuse crisis here in the valley. More on several of RAYSAC’s initiatives from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
Click below to hear a full length conversation with Tracey Coltraine from RAYSAC:
Ian Price photo/WFIR
Those big “LOVE” sculptures that promote tourism have popped up at locations around Virginia – now the Town of Vinton has its own custom built LOVE installation. Chasity Barbour is the facility and event manager for the Vinton War Memorial, where the town’s version was unveiled this morning. Barbour says plans for Vinton’s own LOVE sculpture started coming together about a year ago, over a beer at Twin Creeks Brewing Company – yet another good reason to visit the town.
The Roanoke County Board of Supervisors wants to take another look at the cost of hauling trash by trucks instead of by train to the Catawba landfill as it does now. Projected Norfolk & Western price hikes for the “trash train” prompted a move towards building a road and trucking in trash, but Windsor Hills supervisor Joe McNamara wants to tap the brakes on that conversion. The Board passed a resolution today expressing the desire to reexamine the cost of conversion from train to truck – recognizing that other localities involved with the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority are part of the final decision-making process.
Roanoke Police have charged a 27-year-old city resident with setting fire overnight to the Little Caesar’s Pizza on Brandon Avenue near Towers Shopping Center. Police say once breaking in, Kurt Davis set fire to pizza boxes, causing extensive fire and smoke damage inside. Officials say surveillance video helped them find Davis today inside a public restroom at Towers.
(Roanoke City Police release) On February 13 at 1:16 a.m. Roanoke Fire EMS and Roanoke Police responded to 911 calls for the report of a fire inside the Little Caesars business in the 700 block of Brandon Avenue S.W. Evidence indicates that a suspect gained entry to the business by breaking out a side window and climbing in. Once inside, the suspect set numerous cardboard pizza boxes on fire causing extensive fire and smoke damage to the interior of the business. The Fire Department extinguished the fire. Damage estimates to the building are not finalized at this time. At 2:11 a.m. Roanoke Fire EMS personnel were leaving the Little Caesars scene when they observed a small vehicle fire in the 1000 block of 23rd Street S.W. This is a short distance from Little Caesars. The vehicle, a 2003 Chevrolet van, had a cloth placed into the gas tank and the cloth set on fire. The van sustained minor damage from the fire.
Investigating officers were able to obtain video footage of the suspect from internal video surveillance cameras at Little Caesars. Patrol officers, detectives, and fire personnel worked throughout the morning in an attempt to locate the suspect based on his physical and clothing description. Officers located the suspect inside a public restroom at Towers Mall. The suspect was interviewed by detectives at the Police Department. Kurt James Davis, age 27 of Roanoke, has been charged with Breaking and Entering and Arson for the Little Caesars incident and Arson for the fire associated with the van. He is being held without bond at the Roanoke City Jail.
Shawn Hunter/Gene Marrano photo/WFIR
The Peacemakers group in northwest Roanoke formed to engage citizens in the fight against crime and violence saw its leader cleared of misdemeanor criminal charges yesterday. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more on what’s next for Shawn Hunter: