News
The Greenvale School in Roanoke is one of five locations to receive a grant designed to upgrade the quality of preschool services. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more:
Bedford County Deputies are calling a situation last week a “Chiller” after they encountered an adult male, threatening suicide, with a gun in his hand. Authorities say the male suddenly turned and advanced toward deputies with the weapon still in his hand, appearing to elevate it at them. Deputies then tased the suspect only to discover the subject’s weapon was a BB gun.
Police say this near tragedy underscored the need to clamp down on the sale of replica and pellet guns that often look nearly indistinguishable from actual weapons.
Bob and Maureen McDonnell
(Associated Press photo)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Federal prosecutors will not pursue another case against former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell or his wife Maureen after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his corruption conviction last month, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia said Thursday. The decision ends a yearlong legal saga for the former governor and once-rising Republican star, who was convicted in 2014 of violating federal bribery law by accepting luxury gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman in exchange for promoting his dietary supplement. The high court unanimously held that McDonnell’s actions were distasteful but didn’t necessarily violate federal bribery laws.
Governor McAuliffe was at the Greenvale preschool in Roanoke this morning to support a new pilot program designed to increase the quality of services for at-risk children. Greenvale School is one of five locations statewide to recieve a 250-thousand dollar pilot program grant. United Way of Roanoke Valley will administer the grant to Greenvale School. Health and safety practices – and improved teacher-student interactions are part of the new pilot program
A protest concerning changes to the voting rights act led to a conviction in Roanoke this morning. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
Good Samaritan Hospice is hosting its 2nd annual Hike for Hospice to raise money to support and enhance its bereavement program, which serves those in the Roanoke Valley coping with loss and grief. WFIR’s Starr Anderson has the details.
Roanoke City Schools have been awarded $1.6 million through Virginia’s Extended School Year Grant Program to pay for new summer programs at Fairview Elementary, Fishburn Park Elementary, and Monterey Elementary. The grants also extends existing programs at Fallon Park Elementary, Garden City Elementary, Hurt Park Elementary, Lincoln Terrace Elementary, Roanoke Academy for Math and Science, and Westside Elementary
Roanoke’s award was one of the largest announced yesterday by the Governor’s office.
Continue reading to see the full announcement.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Terry McAuliffe says Virginia students received 5 million more school breakfasts during the 2015-2016 school year than they did the year before. The Democratic governor says schools that received state funding for school breakfast programs experienced a 13.6 percent increase in participation on average. His administration secured $537,000 during the 2015 legislative session to help 244 schools serve breakfasts. Another $2 million in funding was approved during the 2016 session. McAuliffe’s administration is launching an initiative that will give prizes to schools that see the greatest increases in school breakfast participation. The prizes will support things like nutrition programs and infrastructure improvements.