Roanoke Times & World News

Roanoke Oksnew Budget, Sundowns Tax

With a series of unanimous votes, the Roanoke City Council approved its 2012-13 budget Monday and scheduled the two-year, 2- cent-per-dollar "Eat for Education" meals tax increase for its June 30 expiration. But the discussion has already begun on whether the council should adopt another earmarked meals tax increase next year - this one permanent. At issue is the question of teacher pay. Roanoke teachers will receive a 1 percent increase next year, while city employees will receive a 3...

Judge May Reduce Jury Awards in Tech Case

After weeks of dueling motions, Judge William Alexander is expected next week to reduce multimillion-dollar jury awards brought against the state for Virginia Tech's handling of the April 16, 2007, shootings. At a telephonic hearing held Monday, Alexander asked plaintiffs' attorney Bob Hall to prepare an order reducing the awards assessed by a Montgomery County Circuit Court jury from $4 million per plaintiff to the $100,000 each allowed under state law. Alexander is expected to sign t...

Lawmakers Weigh Judge Appointments

State lawmakers worked late into the night Monday to fill a slate of vacant judgeships in the state, including a vacant circuit court judgeship in the New River Valley and two juvenile and domestic relations court vacancies. The slate included Montgomery County Commonwealth's Attorney Brad Finch, who was up for a juvenile and domestic relations judgeship. The General Assembly was considering Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Marc Long for a circuit court seat that h...

Teachers Give Columnist an a for Effort

It's doubtful the educators in your child's classroom use sarcasm as a teaching tool. But columnists try that every now and then. Such was the case with my April 22 column, about Virginia's teachers getting the shaft over their retirement. It was a faux letter to teachers about how the General Assembly backtracked on a 30-year-old promise to fund their pensions, and devised smaller pensions for future teachers.

Funding for Nonprofits Survives Budget Ax

Bowing to opposition from advocates and legislators in both parties, Gov. Bob McDonnell on Monday asked lawmakers to scrap a proposal to cut funding for nonprofit agencies that provide community-based services to senior citizens. The governor's abrupt decision preserves $2.5 million that state lawmakers had designated for certain Area Agencies on Aging, which administer an array of in-home and community-based services for seniors. McDonnell earlier this month proposed cutting the fundin...

Baja Helps Aspiring Engineers Gear Up

As his team unveiled its off-road buggy in front of a crowd of about 50 outside of Webber Hall late last month, Mike Wilkinson said he had a good feeling about the model. The team leader and three-year veteran of the Virginia Western Community College Mini Baja Team said at this point two years ago they had only a frame with wheels on it; now they say they have a chance at earning one of the top spots at an international collegiate design series competition next month.

Petition Aims to Honor Man Killed in Crash

More than 650 people have signed a petition to honor a Franklin County musician and skateboarder killed in a May 5 car wreck. Jarrett Chancellor Taylor, 26, and his father, Randy C. Taylor, 60, both of Rocky Mount, and Donald D. Conner Jr., 52, of Floyd were killed in a wreck on U.S. 220 on May 5.

Ice Cream, Knife Vendor Asked to Leave Starkey Park

A peddler selling frozen treats - whose ice cream truck also contained a display of knives for sale - was asked to leave Roanoke County's Starkey Park on Saturday. Cave Spring National Little League President Steve Keller on Monday said he was at the baseball park on Saturday when a concerned parent called him about the unauthorized vendor. Keller said the league holds the exclusive license to sell food and drinks at the park's concession stand, located off Crystal Creek Drive in south...

Obit - Baker Ronald Patrick

BAKER Ronald Patrick

Police Seek Suspect in Robbery Try

Roanoke police are looking for a suspect in an attempted robbery that occurred about 7:45p.m. Saturday at the Stop In in the 3600 block of Franklin Road. Police spokeswoman Aisha Johnson wrote in a news release that a white male, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing 220 pounds, approached the store's cash register while the clerk's back was turned. The clerk turned around and prevented the suspect from gaining access to the register, according to Johnson.

Obit - Seiff Donna Greenfield Kretzer

SEIFF Donna Greenfield Kretzer

Obit - Fayne Harless Junior

FAYNE Harless Junior

Man Accepts Plea Agreement After Threatening President

While spending time at the Roanoke Rescue Mission, a homeless man began to talk about being the son of God. Then he complained about President Barack Obama sitting on his throne. And then, in the comment that landed him behind bars, Steven John Gurczynski said he needed to claim his throne by putting a bullet in the president's head.

Obit - Brubaker Curtis Cornelius

BRUBAKER Curtis Cornelius

Reversion Could Benefit Schools

If Bedford "reverts" and becomes a town within Bedford County, school funding could increase annually by millions of dollars because the state provides incentives for local governments to govern more efficiently. Bedford public schools would rely on the city's more favorable composite index score for the state's funding formula and, as envisioned, could increase annual funding by $4 million to $5 million or more for 15 years.

Obit - Burnop Ellen Graube

BURNOP Ellen Graube

Franklin Co. Spares Some Teachers

Forty-eight teachers in Franklin County can breathe a sigh of relief. In March, 85 teachers received letters stating their contracts may not be renewed for the 2012-13 school year because of decreased funding and increased health care costs that must be shouldered by the county.

Obit - Lewis Thomas Henry Jr.

LEWIS Thomas Henry Jr.

Memoriam - Obit - Richardson Stephen D.

In Loving Memory of Stephen D.

Obit - Hutchison Jerry Wayne

HUTCHISON Jerry Wayne