Web Staff
From Roanoke County Fire & Rescue: Crews were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 7600 block of Falwell Lane just before 8 p.m. last night. When firefighters first arrived, they reported smoke coming from the roof of a one story house. Fire crews from the Back Creek, Bent Mountain and Cave Spring stations were able to contain the fire damage to the attic space above the garage. The fire did cause some heat and a lot of smoke damage throughout the attic and living area of the home. The house is located in a very rural area with limited access and no fire hydrants. Firefighters used two tanker trucks—each with 750 gallons of water on board—to extinguish the flames. The two occupants of the house were home at the time of the fire but no injuries were reported. They are displaced at this time because of the electrical power being disconnected. Damages are estimated at $30,000 and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
This is Hurricane Preparedness Week in Virginia, one in which many items that would be helpful in coping with a severe storm’s effects are tax-free in the state. State officials urge you to be prepared for hurricane season, which starts next Sunday and runs through November. David Watson with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management says this week’s tax-free holiday is a good time to get ready:
Click here for full information, including the full list of items you can buy this week tax-free in Virginia.
VA Lottery photo
From the Virginia Lottery: When Mujahid Abed of Roanoke realized he’d won the $1 million top prize in the Virginia Lottery’s High Voltage game, he tucked the ticket into a safe place. “I put it close to my heart,” he said as he claimed his prize. “I couldn’t believe it. My heart was beating fast.” He bought the winning ticket at Community Grocery, 124 Elm Avenue in Roanoke. He had the choice of taking the full $1 million prize over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $537,393 before taxes. He chose the cash option. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the winning ticket. High Voltage is one of dozens of Scratcher games available from the Virginia Lottery. It features prizes ranging from $10 up to $1,000,000. This is the first top prize claimed in this game, which means five million-dollar prizes have yet to be claimed. He said he plans to use his winnings to take care of his family.
From Virginia State Police: At approximately 3 p.m. Sunday (May 18), a Pearisburg Police official initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the Town of Pearisburg. During the course of the traffic stop, the suspect driver exited his vehicle and pointed a firearm at the officer. The driver, Thomas N. Saunders, 47, of Ripplemead, Va., was subsequently shot. Rescue was immediately called to the scene and Saunders was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died a short time later. Saunders’ remains were transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Roanoke, Va., for examination and autopsy.
(Continue reading for the rest of the State Police news release.)
Submitted photo
From Governor McAuliffe’s office: Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian J. Moran and Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne will co-chair the interagency Railroad Safety and Security Task Force, and that the panel will conduct its first meeting on June 4th, 2014 at 1:00pm at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center in Chesterfield. “This task force is an important step toward ensuring that Virginia is doing everything it can to keep our railroads and the communities around them safe, and that we are prepared to respond to incidents like the derailment and fire in Lynchburg earlier this month,” said Governor McAuliffe. “I have asked Secretaries Moran and Layne to bring our public safety, transportation and environmental protection agencies together to investigate what happened in Lynchburg and make recommendations of how Virginia can work with the federal government to keep our communities and our natural resources as safe as possible.”
(Continue reading for the rest of the news release.)
Roanoke Police say a man who fired shots from a Roanoke motel rooftop is in custody and undergoing evaluation at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Police were called to the 4400 block of Melrose Avenue late Wednesday afternoon, responding to a report of an armed man on the roof at Starlite Motel. The incident ended peacefully about 90 minutes later, but until it did, traffic in the vicinity was tied up as police blocked off that portion of Melrose and several nearby intersections.
From the Virginia Department of Foresty: Forest wardens from the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) and investigators from the Bedford County Sheriff’s office suspect one or more arsonists ignited a fire that occurred on Taylor Mountain off Murray Hollow Road in Thaxton on April 10, 2014. The VDOF needs citizens to be vigilant in the fight against arson. If you believe you have information relating to the cause of these fires, call the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office at 540.586.7827. Or, call the Virginia Department of Forestry office at 540.586.3109 and report it. Your help may be worth up to $2,000 – the reward offered for information that leads to the conviction of an arsonist. For other emergencies or to report a new fire, call 911.
(Continue reading for the rest of the news release.)