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Tom and Lindsay McKinnon have been discharged from the hospital and are asking for the community to turn their attention to their friend who suffered burns while trying to help save their children Patrick and Logan McKinnon. Here is the statement from the McKinnons:
A week ago today, Tom and I were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our good friends, The Montoyas. We were cleaning the guest room, planning meals, and discussing where our collective children would sleep that night. In the guest room with Zak & Christy? Should they build a nest in the family room made with piles of sleeping bags and pillows? Our children LOVED each other and we knew they would want to be close. The boys counted down the minutes until their arrival and were racing to see who could hug whom, first. It was a big house, and upon their arrival, the kids decided to sleep in the rooms upstairs, girls in Patrick’s room on the bunk beds, boys in Logan’s room on the beds that were passed down for generations. Dinner lead to our traditional play time outside, which lead to our traditional movie on the couch with a huge cuddle puddle. The kids fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms, Patrick holding Gigi, Logan racked out by Bella. We picked them up from the couches, their legs and arms wrapping around our torsos, and brought them to their rooms, kissing their foreheads with prayers of gratitude for yet another beautiful, sacred day with friends who are really more like family.
Photo from Virginia State Police
From Virginia State Police: At 4:38 p.m. Sunday, Virginia State Police received a call about a plane making a crash landing in Pittsylvania County. The small passenger plane was located near Martinsville Highway and Long Circle in the community of Cascade.
The plane was flying from Charleston, S.C., to Baltimore, Md., when the pilot began experiencing problems with the aircraft losing power. The pilot declared an emergency and immediately began seeking a place to land. As the 1970 Piper PA-23-250 Apache made its descent, the wing struck the trees and the plane overturned onto its roof.
The pilot, Stephen C. Lloyd of Lexington, S.C., was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Chad E. Hudson and two juvenile passengers on board were not injured.
The FAA and NTSB have both been notified.
The cause and investigation remain ongoing at this time.
House Fire Update:
From Virginia State Police: Shortly before 3:30 a.m., Saturday (March 26), the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call concerning a suicidal subject at a residence in the 1600 block of Old Home Creek Road in the county. A Sheriff’s Deputy and Town of Grundy Police Officer were dispatched to the residence. Before they could arrive, a second call came in from the same residence reporting the suicidal subject was now armed and outside the residence firing his weapon.
When the Deputy and Officer arrived at the residence, a confrontation ensued and the male subject, Terrance S. Blackburn, 36, of Buchanan Co., was shot by the officer. Blackburn died at the scene.
Blackburn’s remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke for autopsy and examination.
At the request of the Town of Grundy Police Chief and Buchanan County Sheriff, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Wytheville Field Office is investigating the incident. The shooting remains under investigation at this time.
From Virginia State Police: Trooper J. D. Eames is investigating a fatal crash which happened overnight in Franklin County. State Police received an emergency call from a citizen which had found an overturned vehicle on Gap Gate Road in Callaway. Trooper Eames was dispatched to the crash scene at 4:33 am and located a 2001 Ford Mustang convertible approximately 20 feet off the roadway. The vehicle had been traveling east on Route 739, a tenth of a mile west of Route 742, when it ran off the left side of the roadway and overturned. The time has of the crash has not been determined, but the investigation has found that the driver was last seen at approximately 10:00 pm Wednesday evening. The 2001 Ford was driven by Chad Goodwin Nichols, 39, of Callaway. Mr. Nichols was wearing his seat belt and died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. If you have any information regarding Mr. Nichols between the hours of 10:00 pm Wednesday and 4:00 am Thursday, please call the Virginia State Police.
From Roanoke County Fire and Rescue: It is now estimated that 150 acres have been burned and the charred area now includes about some acreage within Roanoke County. Personnel will be out today walking the perimeter of the fire with GPS to calculate a more accurate number of acreage involved. Once the humidity dies down, crews will begin with more back burning operations, and residents around the Valley will likely see a smoky haze. Yesterday, Roanoke County crews protected a house from the moving flames. Firefighters remained on scene throughout the night to continue structure protection while back burning took place. At this time the Virginia Department of Forestry is on scene and has assumed command.
Brian McKay
From Salem Police: On Friday, March 18, Brian T. McKay, 35, of Salem was arrested and charged with 23 felony counts of possession of child pornography. The arrest is directly tied to an ongoing child pornography investigation that is being conducted by the Salem Police Department. Salem Police Detectives, with assistance from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, have determined that the digital photographs in question in this investigation were viewed and stored at McKay’s residence in the 2200 block of Bailey Avenue in Salem. The photographs appear to contain images of juveniles under the age of 18. McKay is being held without bond in the Roanoke County/Salem Jail. The investigation is ongoing.
Lindsay McKinnon Facebook
Logan McKinnon
Patrick McKinnon
UPDATED Tuesday 4:40 pm — The Medical Examiner’s Office has officially determined that the two young bodies found in the burned-out house on Mt Chestnut Road last Saturday are that of Patrick McKinnon, who was 10 years old, and Logan McKinnon, who was five years old. Initial reports indicate the cause of death to be due to “inhalation of products of combustion.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
UPDATED Monday morning — Tom and Lindsay McKinnon were hosting close friends Christy and Zack Montoya along with their two daughters when the fire started. 10-year-old Patrick McKinnon and 5-year-old Logan McKinnon died in the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
A press release sent on behalf of the family says all the survivors were taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for evaluation. Zack Montoya and his daughters were released. Christy Montoya and the McKinnons were transferred to Winston-Salem’s burn unit. Christy is being treated for burns on her arms, back and face. She is expected to remain in the hospital for the next few weeks. Tom and Lindsay are being transferred out of the Intensive Care Unit, but are still being monitored for smoke inhalation. There are several fundraising pages available to donate to the families.
A page supporting the McKinnons can be found here
A page supporting the Montoya family can be found here
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From Governor McAuliffe’s office: Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Deschutes Brewery will invest $85 million to establish its Eastern U.S. brewery in the City of Roanoke. The Governor met with company officials at their headquarters in Oregon during his September 2015 West Coast Marketing Mission. Virginia successfully competed against North Carolina and South Carolina on the project, which will create 108 new jobs paying above the average prevailing wage in the region. Speaking at today’s event, Governor McAuliffe said, “Virginia’s competitive bid for Deschutes Brewery’s coveted East Coast location was tireless and aggressive, and we are gratified that the company has chosen the City of Roanoke for this major operation. This is another high-profile win that shines a spotlight on the Commonwealth and reinforces that we are a leading state in the craft beer industry. We are working to diversify and build a new Virginia economy, and I commend the teamwork involved in this great success. We are thrilled to welcome Deschutes Brewery to the Commonwealth.”
Hear the governor’s announcement:
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News release from VSP:FRANKLIN CO, Va. – State Police Trooper M. A. Okes is investigating a fatal crash which occurred on Sunday March 20, 2016 at 3:47 pm. The two vehicle crash was at the intersection of Route 670 and Route 834 in Franklin County.
The crash involved a 2012 Subaru Legacy which was traveling south on Route 834 and failed to yield the right of way at the intersection of Route 670. A 2003 Ford F-150 pick-up was traveling east on Route 670 through the intersection, was struck by the Subaru. The F-150 then ran off the right side of the roadway and overturned.
The 2012 Subaru was driven by Amanda Jean Kellam, 35, of Rocky Mount Va. Ms. Kellam was not wearing her seatbelt and was transported from the scene by EMS. There were also three juvenile passengers in the vehicle which were wearing their seatbelts and also transported to a nearby hospital by EMS.
The 2003 Ford was driven by Paul Anthony Stewart, 43, of Wirtz, Va. Mr. Stewart was not wearing his seatbelt and was transported from the scene by EMS to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries. The passenger, Elizabeth Ellen Braxton, 45 was not wearing her seatbelt and was not injured.
The State Police Crash Reconstruction Team responded to assist with the investigation.
The crash remains under investigation and charges are pending.