Web Staff
From Roanoke College: Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner holds a comfortable lead over Republican challenger Ed Gillespie, according to the latest Roanoke College Poll. Also, in an early look at possible 2016 presidential match-ups, Hillary Clinton holds significant leads over potential Republican opponents Chris Christie, Rand Paul and Paul Ryan. These results are similar to the July Roanoke College Poll, although Warner’s lead has shrunk slightly. Still, he has the highest favorable ratings of all other statewide elected officials. Clinton has widened her lead over both Paul and Ryan, but Christie’s margin is unchanged.
Click here for full poll results and methodology.
The Roanoke County Police Department says that local, state and federal authorities are in the process of serving search warrants and arrest warrants across the Roanoke Valley. They are connected to a long-term heroin trafficking investigation. There is no further information at this time. The county police department says another news release will be issued at a later date by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
(Continue for news release from Roanoke County PD) Continue reading
Jesse Matthew, Jr.
Charlottesville police now say they have charged Jesse Leroy Matthew, Jr., 32, in the disappearance of Hannah Elizabeth Graham. Matthew is wanted for abduction with the intent to defile, in addition to two reckless driving charges previously announced. Police are currently looking for Matthew and have released a wanted poster for his arrest. Investigators believe Matthew is the last person the 18-year-old Graham was with before she disappeared early on Sept. 13.
(Continue for new wanted poster issued by Charlottesville PD Tuesday night)
From the City of Roanoke:
Starting Tuesday, Sept. 23, several streets will be closed due to Norfolk Southern’s railroad maintenance project. These closures will conclude Friday, Sept. 26. The following streets will be closed:
Norfolk Avenue, between Market Street and Campbell Avenue
Campbell Avenue, between 3rd Street SE and Williamson Road
A detour will be established. Norfolk Southern will furnish all barricades, signs, cones, etc.
Valley Metro buses will run their usual schedules. Trip Planning on Valley Metro buses is available via Google Transit at www.valleymetro.com.
Hannah Graham
Mon., Sept. 22 3:02 p.m.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) _ Authorities are again searching the apartment of a man they believe is the last person seen with a University of Virginia student before she disappeared. A Charlottesville city spokeswoman says police returned Monday with a new search warrant at the apartment of 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. His apartment was first searched Friday morning. Matthew is being sought on arrest warrants charging him with reckless driving, but authorities also say they want to talk to him about 18-year-old Hannah Graham, who has been missing since Sept. 13. He hasn’t been charged in the disappearance. Charlottesville police Chief Timothy Longo says Matthew had stopped by a police station Saturday with several family members and asked for a lawyer. He was given a lawyer but left, driving at a high rate of speed.
Charlottesville Police also on Monday issued a wanted poster for Matthew. He may be driving his sister’s 1997 Nissan Sentra with VA license plate VAC4575.
Steven Collins
From the U.S. Attorney’s office: A Federal grand jury sitting in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke has charged a local doctor with federal drug and child pornography charges. In an indictment returned today, the grand jury has charged Steven Joseph Collins, age 51, of Roanoke County, Virginia, with one count of receipt of child pornography and two counts of distributing oxycodone by authorizing controlled substance prescription orders outside the usual course of professional practice. According to the indictment, between July 2010 and July 2013, Collins received digital video and image files of a minor who had not obtained 12-years-of-age, engaged in sexual activity. In addition, the indictment alleges that on separate occasions, January 7, 2014 and April 2, 2014, Collins, in his role as a medical doctor, authorized controlled substance prescription orders for oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice.
(Continue reading for the rest of the news release.)
The Lynchburg Humane Society is one of three finalists in the running to win the $25,000 Community Engagement Award in the 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced Wednesday the other finalists as Clay County Animal Care & Control in Green Cove Springs, Fla. and Kansas City Pet Project in Kansas City, Mo. All three also are in the running to win the $100,000 grand prize. The winners for the national event will be announced on October 7, 2014. Roanoke’s Angels of Assisi also had been competing for the prize in the contest that ran from June through August of this year.
(Continue reading for news release from the ASPCA)
FBI file pictures
BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. (AP) _ Law enforcement officials say they are getting close to finding out who is responsible for the disappearance of two young sisters from Maryland nearly 40 years ago. Authorities said at a news conference Wednesday that information led them to Taylor Mountain in Bedford County, Virginia, where police are searching for evidence in the disappearance of 10-year-old Katherine Lyon and 12-year-old Sheila Lyon. The sisters vanished from a mall in Wheaton, Maryland, March 25, 1975. Montgomery County, Maryland, police Capt. Darren Francke say authorities have zeroed in on the suspects. In February, Montgomery County Police said they had identified a convicted child sex offender in a Delaware prison as a person of interest in the case.
(Continue reading for Bedford County Sheriff’s Office news releases and FBI photos)
Click HERE for more information on the Federal Bureau of Investigation case.