Web Staff
MGN
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM SUNDAY TO 7 AM ESTMONDAY…
* WHAT…Heavy snow expected, mixed with sleet at times. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with locally higher amounts. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
* WHERE…Portions of south central, southwest and west central Virginia, north central and northwest North Carolina and southeast West Virginia.
* WHEN…From 1 AM Sunday to 7 AM EST Monday.
* IMPACTS…Travel could be very difficult to impossible. The hazardous conditions will likely impact the Monday morning commute.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…The heavy snow and gusty winds, especially Sunday afternoon through Monday, may down tree limbs and cause power outages. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A Winter Storm Warning for heavy snow means severe winter weather conditions are expected. Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous. Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel…have a winter survival kit with you. Please report snow and sleet accumulations via email at rnk.skywarn@noaa.gov or by calling the National Weather Service toll free at…1…866…2 1 5…4 3 2 4. Leave a message with your observation and the specific location where it occurred. You can also post your report to National Weather Service Blacksburg Facebook page and on Twitter. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. &&
Update: January 13, 2022 — Officers with the Roanoke County Police Department, with assistance from the Virginia State Police, have located and apprehended the suspect from Wednesday’s hit and run incident. The suspect, Benjamin Logan Cross, 29, of Roanoke County was taken into custody Thursday afternoon for Aggravated Malicious Wounding. The victim is identified as Frank Albert Campbell, 53, of Roanoke County. Mr. Campbell died at the hospital early Thursday morning as a result of his injuries. The suspect and victim were known to one another. Charges may be upgraded in the future. This incident remains under investigation and no additional information is available at this time.
Previous: Roanoke County Police are investigating a hit and run that occurred in the 1400 Block of Freeborn Cir in Roanoke County. Officers were called to the 1400 block of Freeborn Cir at approximately 1800 hours on 01/12/22 for a man that had been struck by a vehicle. The victim was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. This case is still under investigation.
The Roanoke City Police Department is facing a staffing shortage that impacts its ability for now to respond to animal control calls. For the immediate future, it will focus on helping the animals that are sick, hurt, neglected, abused,or in immediate danger. For now it will no longer provide an in-person response for Stray or loose animals, wildlife on your property, animals detained on a property or safely caught. The Roanoke police department will still respond to all calls involving animals that are hurt or have injured others.
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NEWS RELEASE: The Roanoke Police Department constantly strives to protect and serve all members of our community – whether they be our two-legged or four-legged residents. Unfortunately, our Animal Protection and Services Unit is facing a staffing shortage that impacts our ability to provide the best service possible to the animals of this city. In order to maximize our efforts and serve the animals who need us the most, we are modifying our response to certain animal-related calls for service. For the immediate future, we have to focus current staff and our efforts on helping the animals that are most in need of our services: those that are sick, hurt, neglected, abused, or in immediate danger.
Therefore, these are some of the calls for which we will no longer provide an in-person response:
Stray/loose animals
Wildlife on your property
Animals that you have detained or safely caught
***We will still respond to all calls involving animals that are hurt or have injured others.***
We ask the public to assist us during this time by transporting strays or lost/found pets to the shelter and working with our partners to get them back safely to their homes and owners. If you are able to catch a stray pet, you must immediately contact the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection for tracking purposes. That number is (540) 344-4922. We know that we have an amazing community and many partners who will help supplement our work while we do our best to fully staff the Animal Protection and Services Unit. Thank you for your help and patience with us as we try to do what is best for the animals in our community.
For further assistance with the calls that we are no longer responding in-person to, please reach out to our community partners:
Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection — (540) 344-4922
Angels of Assisi — (540) 344-8707
Friends of RCACP — friendsofrcacp@yahoo.com
WFIR/Evan Jones
Governor Northam’s office says the commonwealth and Norfolk Southern have signed a “definitive agreement” to expand passenger rail service to southwest Virginia, a plan first announced last spring. The first step will bring a second daily Amtrak service to Roanoke later this year — then extending both trains to the New River Valley by 2025.
NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND–Governor Ralph Northam today announced the Commonwealth has finalized the definitive agreement with Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) to expand passenger rail service to the New River Valley for the first time since 1979.
From Roanoke City Public School District: The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reports we are currently at record-high community transmission rates in the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD). As a result, please know we expect transportation delays in the coming days due to an increased number of bus driver absences.
Our partners at Durham School Services communicate transportation delays to the best of their ability. If you receive a robocall about your student’s bus, please listen carefully and know this is an estimate. We understand this is frustrating to hear, and please know we are working with Durham, and they are doing everything they can to keep bus routes on schedule while also keeping our students and staff safe.
If you have the ability over the next couple of weeks to provide alternative transportation for your student(s), please consider doing so. If you do drive, please be sure to double-check your school’s procedures for car riders.
Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and support of Roanoke City Public Schools. If you have questions, please contact Durham School Services at (540) 970.3000.
Nancy Agee-Carilion
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin yesterday announced his Medical Advisory Team led by Dr. Marty Makary, Nancy Agee, Kathy Gorman, Alan Levine, Dr. Bogdan Neughebaeur, and Anand Shah.
“I am proud to announce a group of experts from the medical and public health community that will be providing updates on the pandemic and advice on how to address its ongoing challenges. I have been receiving briefings about the coronavirus and Omicron variant regularly and we are going to stay on top of this. I recognize the severity of the virus and the significant loss that it has caused. Virginians should rest assured that we are monitoring this variant and doing everything we can to be smart about this. I will enter office ready to reopen Virginia, support our healthcare heroes, and protect the lives and livelihoods of Virginians,” said Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin.
Ready on Day One with Counsel from Renowned Medical Leaders
Governor-elect Youngkin has been fully briefed by experts from Health and Human Resources led by John Littel, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to stay current on the data, science, and emergency response underway to address the Coronavirus pandemic. He will continue to receive frequent updates from his independent, objective Medical Advisory Team, who are experts from the medical and public health community. Governor-elect Youngkin’s Medical Advisory Team includes:
Chair: Dr. Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., Johns Hopkins Medicine
Nancy Howell Agee, President and CEO, Carilion Clinic
Kathy Gorman, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N, Executive Vice President and COO, Children’s National
Alan Levine, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ballad Health
Bogdan Neughebauer, M.D., PhD, MBA, CPE, FACP, FIDSA, Sentara Healthcare
Anand Shah, M.D., M.P.H., former Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs at FDA
Ex-Officio:
Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel
Senator Siobhan Dunnavant
Senator Todd Pillion
Chair, Dr. Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H
Dr. Marty Makary is a surgical oncologist and chief of the Johns Hopkins Islet Transplant Center. He is a clinical lead for the Johns Hopkins Sibley Innovation Hub and serves as Executive Director of Improving Wisely, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project to lower health care costs in the U.S. by creating measures of appropriateness in health care.
Dr. Makary’s research focuses on the creation and evaluation of new health care innovations. He is the creator of the Surgery Checklist, publishing its first description and later served on the W.H.O. Safe Surgery Saves Lives committee.
He serves jointly as a professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a professor of health policy & management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dr. Makary is a graduate of Bucknell, Thomas Jefferson and Harvard University. He completed his surgical training at Georgetown University and his fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Makary has published over 250 scientific articles on the re-design of health care, medical innovation, and vulnerable populations. Dr. Makary has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and is Editor-in-Chief of Medpage Today.
He is a Fox News Contributor who shares his expertise on NPR and has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today and is a frequent medical commentator.
Nancy Agee, President and CEO Carilion Clinic
Nancy Agree is President and CEO of Carilion Clinic, a $2.4 billion not-for-profit health care system headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia; serving over 1 million people in Virginia and West Virginia. Carilion Clinic is organized as a large physician group with more than 1,000 employed physicians, an academic medical center and 7 hospitals ranging from a large, tertiary/quaternary medical center, Level 1 Trauma Center and teaching hospital to a Children’s Hospital to midsized community hospitals to small rural or critical access hospitals as well as multiple business lines such as Home Health, Imaging Services, Pharmacies and Urgent Care.
Ms. Agee was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer before becoming CEO. She co-led Carilion’s transformation from a collection of hospitals to a patient-centered, physician-led organization. The reorganization included a public/private partnership with Virginia Tech to create an allopathic medical school and a research institute.
Ms. Agee is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare, immediate past chair of the American Hospital Association (a membership organization representing the nation’s 5000 hospitals). She has been perennially named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare as well as to the Top 25 Woman in Healthcare. Ms. Agee is a former member of The Board of Commissioners for the Joint Commission (international hospital accreditation organization) and past chair of the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association and the Virginia Center for Health Innovation.
Ms. Agee was named Virginia Business Person of the year in 2017 by Virginia Business and has been on the list of most influential persons in Virginia for the past nine years. She was also named Virginia Business Magazine’s Virginia 500 – the 2020 Power List.
She is a member of The Wall Street Journal Council of CEOs, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Virginia Business Council, Virginia Business Higher Education Council and on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates. She is a Fellow in the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Ms. Agee received her undergraduate degree from University of Virginia and her graduate degree from Emory University; and continued postgraduate studies at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University. She received honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, from both Roanoke College and Jefferson College of Health Sciences in 2015.
Kathy Gorman, MSN, RN, FAAN, Executive Vice President and COO
Kathleen Chavanu is Executive Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer since 2012. Kathy is a nurse leader who has advanced strategic priorities to transform patient safety, quality, clinical care and operations to improve outcomes for children and families.
Previously Kathy served as the Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Assistant Dean of Clinical Practice at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Prior to her tenure at CHOP, Kathy was at Children’s National as Vice President of Quality and Clinical Support Services for over a decade.
Kathy has presented and published extensively on quality, safety, outcomes and leadership in healthcare. In advancing the national agenda on improving child health through pediatric quality, she has led and participated in committees under the American Hospital Association (AHA), National Quality Forum, The Leapfrog Group, Children’s Hospital Association (CHA), American Board of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine and others. She currently serves as the Treasurer for the American Academy of Nursing, Chair of the Healthcare Council of National Capital Area, is on the Board of Directors for The DAISY Foundation and the Education Council for CHA, and other advisory boards.
Kathy was the recipient of the distinguished Alumni Award for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She received the AHA’s Grassroots Champion Award for Washington, DC, in recognition of her advocacy on behalf of patients, hospitals and communities. She has been recognized as a top woman leader by Becker’s Hospital Review and as a Washington, D.C. “Women Who Mean Business” top leader. Kathy is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and a Leadership Greater Washington alumni.
Alan Levine, Executive Chairman, President, and CEO Ballad Healthcare
Alan Levine, Chairman, President, and CEO of Ballad Healthcare (SWVA), previously served as Governor Jeb Bush’s Secretary of Healthcare Administration and worked for Gov. Jindal as Secretary of Department of Health and Hospitals. He also served as Gov. Jeb Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff.
With more than 25 years of hospital operations experience, Mr. Levine has served as chief executive officer of hospitals and health systems ranging from a small rural hospital to one of the largest public systems in America. Prior to his role at Ballad Health, He was the president and chief executive officer of Mountain States Health Alliance. Mr. Levine served on Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal’s cabinet as secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals and as Governor Jindal’s senior health policy advisor.
Mr. Levine also served as deputy chief of staff and senior health policy advisor to Florida governor Jeb Bush prior to his appointment by Governor Bush to serve as secretary of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, an agency responsible for administering a $17 billion budget. In these roles, he oversaw the health care response to 12 major hurricanes making landfall in Florida and Louisiana, managed Louisiana’s response to the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic, led Louisiana’s effort to improve child immunization rates from ranking 48th in the nation to 2nd, successfully advocated the passage of major and historic health care reforms in both states and was recognized for his efforts in combating fraud and abuse in public health care programs.
Mr. Levine currently serves on the board of governors of the State University System of Florida, the governing body of Florida’s 12 state universities.
Recognized by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the 30 Americans likely to have a powerful impact on health care in the next 30 years, and as an up-and-comer in the health care industry, Mr. Levine is widely recognized in the health care industry. Most recently, he was recognized as a Junior Achievement Laureate and named to the Business Hall of Fame in upper East Tennessee.
He received a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, a master’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in health sciences from the University of Florida, where he is recognized as a member of the University of Florida Hall of Fame. He is married to his wife, Laura, a nurse, and they have two grown children, both with careers in health care.
Dr. Bogdan Neughebauer, M.D., PhD, MBA, CPE, FACP, FIDSA Sentara Healthcare
Dr. Bogdan Neughebauer has served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, since February 2021. He attended medical school in his native country of Romania and graduated as valedictorian of his class.
He was an infectious disease specialist with Sentara Medical Group from 2003 through 2021, where he also served as the Chair of Finance and Chair of Board of Directors. He has significant experience as a physician leader including roles such as Medical Director of the Sentara Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Chair of the Sentara Infection Prevention High Performance Team, Physician Executive Sponsor of the Sentara ICD 10 Project and Lead Infectious Disease Physician on Sentara COVID Task Force.
After receiving the title of Certified Physician Executive, Dr. Neughebauer obtained his Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was elected in the Beta Gamma Sigma society. He has been the recipient of many awards including the Southgate Leigh Physician Excellence Award, Sentara CEO Award, and Top Hampton Roads doctor.
Dr. Anand Shah, M.D., former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs
Anand Shah, M.D. is a nationally recognized physician leader and health policy expert who most recently served as the Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Shah’s efforts have focused on bringing new technologies to market, redesigning health care delivery and economic incentives, and expanding competition and consumer choice. At FDA, Dr. Shah led consensus policy development for fit-for-purpose programs including pandemic recovery and preparedness, Advanced Manufacturing, the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program, COVID-19 vaccine development, digital health, consumer protection, and decentralized clinical trials. He developed a science and technology incubator designed to harness real-world evidence and artificial intelligence to improve health outcomes. Dr. Shah represented FDA with top-level policy makers of the White House and Cabinet, Governors, and local governments. He regularly briefed bipartisan bicameral Congressional leadership on the formulation of public health policies and programs.
He previously served in two senior leadership roles at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As Senior Medical Advisor, he was the primary counselor for agency-wide policy related to medical and scientific innovation. Dr. Shah established consensus on several critical policy initiatives including aligning payment and prevention to increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to novel antimicrobials, expanding patients’ access to cell and gene therapies, and streamlining Medicare access to breakthrough technologies. As the Chief Medical Officer of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), Dr. Shah led the clinical design of novel value-based payment and service delivery models including those for advanced primary care, specialty care, and prescription drugs.
Dr. Shah specializes in the early detection, surveillance, and treatment of prostate cancer. He developed and led a survivorship clinic for the care of patients on cancer clinical trials at the National Institutes of Health. He concurrently earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.P.H. in health care management and policy from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Shah graduated with honors from Duke University with a degree in economics. He also served as a Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholar.
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NEWS RELEASE: RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Phoenix Hardwoods, Inc., an artisan manufacturer of high-quality furniture and home goods made exclusively from Virginia-grown hardwoods, will expand its production facility in the county and open a new retail storefront in the historic Farmer Supply store in the heart of downtown Floyd.
BLACKSBURG – Effective Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, Virginia Tech Athletics will institute a policy requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR proof of vaccine medical exemption OR negative test for indoor events. Virginia Tech Athletics appreciates fans’ understanding and cooperation as coronavirus continues to impact our campus and our community.
This vaccination policy has been developed in conjunction with Virginia Tech campus officials and Virginia Tech’s COVID-19 task force, as well as guidance from health professionals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This policy has been implemented with the health and well-being of Virginia Tech’s student-athletes, staff, community, and guests being our top priority.
All guests and working personnel ages 12 and older will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, proof of a vaccine medical exemption or a negative COVID-19 PCR or rapid test taken within 72 hours of the event. Face masks continue to be required and must be worn during all home indoor athletic events.
Upon entry to an indoor venue, ONE of the following will be required:
An official, government issued vaccination card listing the guest’s name and dates the last dose was administered
A photo or digital version of an official government issued vaccination card listing the guest’s name and dates the last dose was administered
A printed or digital negative COVID-19 PCR or antigen test taken within 72 hours of the event that includes the guest’s name and date the last test was taken
For guests with vaccine medical exemptions, proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR or rapid test taken within 72 hours of the event that includes the guest’s name and date the last test was taken
For Virginia Tech students, a valid Hokie Passport
Individuals who cannot provide proof of vaccination, proof of medical exemption or a valid negative COVID-19 test according to the conditions outlined above will not be allowed to enter a Tech Athletics indoor event.
These changes will remain in effect until further notice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who needs proof of vaccination, proof of medical exemption or a negative test?
Guests ages 12 and older (and working personnel) will need to show proof of vaccination, proof of medical exemption or negative test within 72 hours of all indoor athletic events. Children ages 11 and under do not need to show proof of vaccination or negative test and only need to follow the mask mandate.
When does this policy go into effect for athletics events?
This policy goes into effect on Saturday, January 15, 2022, and will remain in effect until further notice.
Will event staff be matching my ID to my vaccination card?
Guests ages 18 and older should be prepared to show a valid photo ID to verify ownership of the vaccination card, medical exemption or negative test. If children between the ages of 12-17 do not have a photo ID, a parent, guardian, or adult companion may be required to verify their identity.
What if I lost my vaccination card?
Individuals can download their vaccination record from the Virginia Department of Health at the following site:
https://vase.vdh.virginia.gov/vacapps/f?p=545:1
If you have a photo of your vaccination card, that will also be accepted. If you cannot find your vaccination card, you may also receive a negative COVID-19 test and use that for entry.
I recently tested positive for COVID and am not able to attend. What are my options?
Anyone who receives a positive result on their COVID-19 test should stay home until cleared by their local public health department, and we encourage you to transfer your tickets to someone who meets the proof of vaccination, proof of medical exemption or negative test requirement. If you have been cleared by your local health department and have received a release letter dated within the last 90 days, you will be allowed entry using that documentation.
Will I receive a refund for tickets if I am not vaccinated or choose not to reveal my vaccination status?
No refunds will be granted for Tech Athletics events. All guests are permitted to enter the building by showing a negative COVID test even if unable or unwilling to show vaccination status.
I have tickets to a game but now will not attend because I am not willing or able to present a negative COVID test or proof of vaccination. What are my options?
You are encouraged to transfer your game tickets to others who may attend or offer tickets for sale through Stubhub. However, no refunds will be provided for tickets for games played.
I purchased tickets under the guidance that no negative testing or vaccination status would be needed. Now that that policy has changed, I am not interested in attending. Can I get a refund?
All tickets purchased require compliance with Virginia Tech Athletics policies. These policies are always subject to change. While some ticket holders may not be vaccinated, we are not barring any guests from attending events. Additionally, any ticket holder may transfer tickets to others who wish to attend or resell them through Stubhub.
With a required vaccine or negative test, is it still required to wear a mask inside Virginia Tech athletic events?
Face masks continue to be required and must be worn during all home indoor athletic events. Failure to comply may result in being asked to leave the event.
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SALEM – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is warning drivers to watch out for icy spots on roadways throughout western Virginia as low overnight temperatures may cause re-freezing of any moisture on roadways.