Web Staff
Jeffrey Easley
A grand jury has indicted Jeffrey Easley for kidnapping Brittany Smith. News/Talk 960’s Evan Jones says this charge is stronger than the one he faced before.
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Surveillance Photo
Roanoke County police have arrested a Vinton man and charged him with grand larceny for the theft of a $2,500 pair of binoculars from the Gander Mountain store off Plantation Road. Police say Brandon Nicholas Flowers turned himself in Friday and is being held without bond pending arraignment, probably on Monday.
Dr. Karen Remley, VA Health Commissioner
Virginia health officials are taking precautions due to Japan’s nuclear crisis, even though the state has not detected radiation levels that pose a threat to public safety. News/Talk 960’s Velvet Hall has more…
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Wearing a VCU sweatshirt, Gov. Bob McDonnell calls to congratulate team on the win
SAN ANTONIO (AP) Jamie Skeen scored 26 points and 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth is crashing the Final Four after the upset of the NCAA tournament, shocking No. 1 seed Kansas 71-61 on Sunday.
So doubtful were the Rams of even making the tournament that they didn’t watch the selection show. Two weeks later, they’re Houston-bound after an incredible takedown of the last No. 1 seed.
It’s George Mason all over again, and VCU had an even tougher Final Four path than their tiny conference brethren in 2006.
The Rams needed five wins to go from First Four to Final Four. Along the way, they toppled teams from the Pac-10, Big East, Big 10, ACC and now the Big 12.
They’ll pick on someone their own size next: Butler.
A non-partisan group is urging Virginia lawmakers to consider some alternative redistricting plans devised by college students. The Virginia Redistricting Coalition points to the winners of a college map-drawing competition. The Virginia General Assembly will return to Richmond to redraw state and Congressional district boundaries next month.
Roanoke Police have made an arrest in a series of purse snatches at the Valley View Wal-Mart. Police have charged 62-year-old Dickie Joe Anderson of Roanoke with two counts of petit larceny. Police say Anderson confessed to stealing shoppers’ purses. Police recovered three purses and say more charges are pending. The victims told police their purses were stolen when they stepped away from their shopping carts.
Roanoke police say a lockdown, evacuation and extensive search of Valley View Mall turned up nothing unusual. SWAT teams stormed the shopping center Monday evening, after two people called 911 to report seeing a man with a gun in Macy’s department store. Authorities received the first call around 5:00 p.m. Officers watched surveillance video of a man wearing a tan jacket and carrying a long, black object. They saw him enter the mall, but did not see him leave. Police wrapped up their search around 3:00 a.m. and say they found nothing out of the ordinary. Normal hours resume today at Valley View.
More than 1.1 million Virginians have signed up to take part in a statewide tornado drill Tuesday. The National Weather service will trigger the alerts at about 9:45 a.m. Laura Southard with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management says those participating in the exercise will then go to the safest area of their homes, schools and offices. Southard says spring is the season when tornados are most likely to strike Virginia, but she warns they can happen any time.
A Roanoke Valley woman whose daughter teaches English in Japan and lives on the northeast coast says she has heard from her daughter and is relieved to know that she is okay. Della Gilliam says her daughter has an apartment right on the water, but was fortunate not to be home when today’s earthquake struck. She says Mary Margaret Gilliam was traveling on a bus when she felt the quake. She texted her mom: “There’s been a tsunami–I’m okay.” Gilliam says her 25-year-old daughter is in her second year living in Japan.