Web Staff
37-year-old William Garret Jackson admitted that from 2007 through 2014, while he was assistant town manager of Abingdon, he used his town-issued credit card for personal use. He admitted to using the card to purchase a subscription to Netflix, buy groceries, pay his personal cell phone bill, buy electronics and purchase other unauthorized goods and services. In all, Jackson spent $76,404 on the town’s credit card for personal expenses. As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Jackson agreed to pay back the full amount by September 1. At his sentencing, he faces a maximum possible penalty of ten years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
Valley Metro and the Roanoke Public Libraries are teaming up to launch the new “Books on Buses” program, to promote reading to young children in the City of Roanoke. Parents with children will be invited to select a reading bag located at the front of the bus. Each reading bag will contain five books, with various reading levels. Parents will be encouraged to take a book home with them or return it to the reading bag as they exit the bus. The routes chosen to pilot this program are Bus 75/76-VA Hospital, Bus 11/16-Valley View and Bus 81/91 Goodwill Salem. These three routes, which serve the Melrose/Rugby, Williamson Road, and Landsdowne neighborhoods, were identified as having the largest number of family ridership.
Someone bought a $1 million winning lottery ticket at the Kroger on Electric Road in Salem. The Mega Millions ticket was drawn on June 12th. Lottery officials will present the winner with the check today at 1:00 p.m. at the Kroger. The store will also receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.
From Roanoke City Police: On June 16, 2015 at approximately 2:33am, Officers with the Roanoke Police Department responded to the 100 block of Church Avenue, SW to a report of an attempted larceny. While on scene, officers spoke with a subject who advised that he was approached by two males while he was walking in that block and told to get against the wall. One of the subjects identified himself as a police officer. The victim initially complied but realized something was wrong when the subject identifying himself as a police officer began reaching for his wallet. The victim demanded identification at this point and began arguing with the suspect. The second subject fled the scene during the argument without participating. After arguing for a brief time, the suspect identifying himself as a police officer fled the scene. No one was injured and no property was taken. The victim provided a detailed description and officers were able to locate and identify both individuals involved. After further investigation, officers arrested Gregory Thomas Daniels, 29, from New York for attempted robbery, impersonation of a police officer, and providing false identification to law enforcement.
Roanoke County Attorney Paul Mahoney announced Monday that he will be retiring, effective December 1. Before working for Roanoke County he served as County Attorney in Montgomery County from 1979 to 1984. Prior to that, he was in private practice in Falls Church, and also served as assistant city attorney in Falls Church after graduation from law school.
TJ Lange will announce his candidacy tomorrow for the Roanoke County School Board, as an Independent candidate for the Cave Spring District. Lange says he wants sustain the instruction programs including art, music and technology in the classroom, he also says the construction needs of the schools in the district, including the need for a new Cave Spring High School, are also important initiatives for him. Lange’s mother is Dr. Lorraine Lange, the outgoing Superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools, and his wife is an assistant principal in the district.
The Vinton Police Department says the robbery happened Monday night in the Hardy Road Kroger parking lot. The victim had unlocked her vehicle and was attempting to unload groceries, when a male walked up to her car and grabbed her purse. The woman tried to pull the purse away from him, but he was able to get away with it. Several witnesses in the area told police they saw the man run into a building. Around 8:30 p.m. the suspect, Robert M. Rinn, was apprehended and charged with robbery.
Jesse Little
From the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office: Late Sunday night, 6/7/’15, and, in the early morning hours of Monday, 6/8/’15, members of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Vice Unit, with the priceless and ‘above and beyond’ assistance from DEA, Virginia State Police, Roanoke Police Department and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”) Task Force arrested:Jesse Ray Little, 5670 Johnson Mountain Road, Huddleston, VA 23104, DOB-01/01/1959. The arrest took place in the western portion of Bedford County and was supported by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office Tact Team.
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