Gene Marrano

Botetourt County has announced that Matt Britt will be its new Fire-EMS Chief. Britt is an ex-marine and longtime volunteer who most recently worked at a community college in North Carolina. He takes on the position May 22 after a search that took almost a year. Britt replaces the late Jeff Beckner, who was found dead in a creek behind his home last June. Britt says he also knows the value of Fire-EMS volunteers in a largely rural county:

The Hope Center on 11th Street Northwest established by Grover Price to provide afterschool mentoring and other community services was broken into last night. Price tells WFIR the burglars also took a cashbox. Price says the “Hope Festival” scheduled for May 27th will go on as planned. He urges local residents to contact Roanoke police with any information. Price posted a message about the robbery this morning on Facebook:

US Senator Mark Warner was in Roanoke yesterday, and he took time to reflect on the events at Virginia Tech ten years ago this Sunday. Warner noted shootings that have occurred elsewhere since that day in Blacksburg. Virginia’s senior senior also said he believes in the second amendment – but he supports background checks that would keep guns away from those with mental health issues or criminal backgrounds. Warner said everyone remembers where they were that day – when they heard about the mass shooting and multiple victims: