News
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is urging homeowners to test for radon. Unsafe levels of radon can lead to serious illness. The Surgeon General says radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. with an estimated 21,000 deaths a year. WFIR’s Timothy Martin has details.
Governor McDonnell is now endorsing Mitt Romney for President — and will promptly campaign with him in South Carolina. McDonnell’s backing comes one day before the South Carolina primary at a time when support for Newt Gingrich appears to be surging there. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.
[audio:http://wfirnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/01-20-McDonnel-Romney-Wrap2-WEB.mp3|titles=01-20 McDonnel-Romney Wrap2-WEB]
Joey Self
Roanoke radio host Joey Self is taking on some prestigious part-time work — he’ll be part of the track announcing team during next month’s “Speedweeks” in Daytona Florida. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
[audio:http://wfirnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/01-20-Self-Daytona-Wrap1-WEB.mp3|titles=01-20 Self-Daytona Wrap1-WEB]When Joey is in Daytona, he will present reports from Speedweeks on the Roanoke Valley’s Morning News.
The Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau recently launched a new website. WFIR’s Timothy Martin says now the organization is taking it a step further with the launch of a new mobile site.
Click here for more information.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Bob McDonnell is asking the General Assembly to keep Virginia’s 30-year ban on uranium mining in place while a new multi-agency working group conducts a comprehensive study on the issue. The governor said Thursday the study group will look further into the specific issues surrounding mining, including on-site issues. Many expected the ban to be debated in the 2012 session because of an intense lobbying effort by Virginia Uranium Inc., which is seeking to mine a 119-million pound deposit in Pittsylvania County.
The City of Roanoke is bringing an electronics recycling event to Valley View Mall this weekend in hopes computers and other devices don’t head for landfills. Most of the electronic devices in the home contain hazardous substances like cadmium and mercury, and this weekend’s event permits those elements to be recycle and reused. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
The event runs from 10:00 until 2:00 between Sears and Belk on the I-581 side of Valley View. Click here for a full list of accepted items.
Work is under way for the next phase of the Roanoke River Greenway. When complete, this new stretch will run about one and a half miles from Riverside Park to the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem. This newest greenway section should be open this fall — part of a larger plan that spans the width of Roanoke County. But there is still a big missing link. The latest on the greenway’s progress from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Officials with the Roanoke Valley SPCA couldn’t believe it when they heard the news about so many dogs in such a confined space. WFIR’s Timothy Martin has more on what the RVSPCA is saying about the news out of Tennessee.
Richard Kwiatkowski (VaSeniorAlert.com)
Virginia State Police have issued a senior alert on behalf of the Buckingham County Sheriff’s Office at 4:59 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 18, 2012.
The Buckingham County Sheriff’s Office is looking for Richard Joseph Kwiatkowski, a white male, age 67, 6’1”, 206 lbs, with blue eyes and brown hair. He was last seen on Thurs., Jan. 12, 2012 on Route 15 in the Bremo Bluff area of Fluvanna County.
The missing senior suffers from a cognitive impairment and the disappearance poses a credible threat to his health and safety.
Walmart Surveillance Photo
Roanoke County Police say they’ve arrested a suspect for exposing himself to three young girls at the Clearbrook WalMart. Mahesh Dave, 48, is charged with three felony counts of indecent exposure. Police say he exposed his private parts to the girls Jan. 7 in the store’s seasonal aisle. Police arrested Dave at his Roanoke County home.