High schools across southwest Virginia prepare for in person graduation
ROANOKE, Va โ High school graduation is a day most seniors never forget. Ralph Northam announced plans are being made to make sure they can go on in-person, school divisions are optimistic about in-person ceremonies at the end of this school year. โTo me, itโs the culmination of 12 years of school itโs the ultimate day for our high school students,โ Franklin County High School Principal Jon Crutchfield said. Some school divisions like Roanoke City and Martinsville are still reviewing the new guidance issued by Northam. โFranklin County is such a tight-knit community it is probably one of the top four or five attended events in our county,โ Crutchfield said.
Grayson County man sentenced for rape, animal abuse and drug charges
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ A Grayson County man will spend the next 16 years behind bars after raping a woman he lived with, abusing and killing his puppy and having both cocaine and meth. On Thursday, a judge sentenced Anthony Tyrone Thompson in connection with those 2019 crimes. The investigation into Thompson began when a woman he lived with reported to the Grayson County Sheriffโs Department that she had been sexually assaulted and attacked by Thompson, according to Grayson County Commonwealthโs Attorney Brandon Boyles. While at Thompsonโs a Grayson County deputy saw multiple smoking devices and a small bag of white powder. Test results showed that power was cocaine and Boyles said the smoking devices tested positive for meth.
Thousands without power as winter weather hits Southwest, Central Virginia
AEP outages as of 5 p.m.Thousands are without power as Southwest and Central Virginia are experiencing wintry weather. Below are the worst outage areas among the 2,724 Appalachian Power customers in Virginia without power:County/City Customer Outages Pulaski County 1,347 Montgomery County 500 Wythe County 162 Roanoke County 148 Giles County 144 Pittsylvania County 94 Carroll County 28 Smyth County 20 Franklin County 41 Grayson County Fewer than 5Hereโs a breakdown of the Dominion Energy customers in our region without power:Charlotte County: 44Halifax County: 169Alleghany County: 36Danville officials say that 1,200 customers on Memorial Drive, Lanier Avenue, Park Avenue, Bishop Road and across the river on Piedmont Drive are without power. Hereโs a breakdown of the Mecklenburg Electric customers in our region without power:Halifax County: 608Pittsylvania County: 459Hereโs a breakdown of the BARC Electric Cooperative customers in our region without power:AdHighland County: 109Hereโs a breakdown of the Southside Electric Cooperative customers in our region without power:
Two dead, one hospitalized after Grayson County tractor-trailer crash
Two people are dead after a crash involving two tractor-trailers in Grayson County, according to the Rugby Volunteer Fire Department. Authorities said the crash happened on Troutdale Highway at around 11:30 a.m. Monday. Two people died in the crash and another person was taken to Twin County Regional Hospital with minor injuries and was later released, according to the Rugby Volunteer Fire Department. Troutdale Highway was closed for nine hours while crews cleaned up the crash as well as a hazmat spill of diesel fuel that got into Little Wilson Creek.
Mixed reactions to virtual learning requirement for Virginia schools reopening
ROANOKE, Va. โ Though a school reopening bill passed the Virginia Senate, the virtual component is getting mixed reactions from school superintendents and teachers. If Grayson County uses Virtual Virginia, it could cost the district about $1,200 a year per student. โIf you want a virtual component then you need to put some money in the SOQ [Standard of Quality] to cover that virtual component and not leave us shorthanded,โ he said. โThis is going right back to no child left behind unfunded mandates from years ago.โAdWilmore said this piece of legislation is micromanaging and Henry County Schools agrees. As a parent and a teacher, Franklin County High School Teacher Kim Ellis said virtual learning needs to be on the table because of safety.
Power outages still impacting thousands across southwest Virginia
Around 11,000 without power due to winter weather moving through the area overnightAround 8,700 people are in the dark after winter weather made its way into Southwest Virginia overnight. Hereโs a breakdown of the top areas with outages across our region as of 4:14 p.m.:Carroll County: 2,497Wythe County: 1,986Grayson County: 1.323Bland County: 761Giles County: 557Floyd County: 410Smyth County: 231Montgomery County: 161Galax: 146Patrick County: 119Henry County: 28Franklin County: 18Pulaski County: 12Click here for the latest information from Appalachian Power.
Southwest Virginia man pleads guilty to 33 child pornography charges
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ A Grayson County man will spend the next 20 years in jail for having child pornography, as well as meth. On Thursday, William Collier pleaded guilty to 34 counts against him, 33 related to possession of child porn and one for possession of meth. In January 2020, Grayson County authorities learned that Collier was suspected of downloading and uploading of child pornography using the Kik app on his cell phone. Members of both the Grayson County Sheriffโs Office and Independence Police Department executed a search warrant at Collierโs residence, where they seized multiple devices, according to Commonwealth Attorney for Grayson County Brandon Boyles. While searching the devices, they discovered more than 100 files containing child pornography, according to Boyles.
Power outages affecting hundreds across Southwest Virginia on Christmas Eve
Thousands of Appalachian Power customers saw power outages on Thursday evening. Hundreds of Appalachian Power customers saw power outages on Thursday evening. Crews are still assessing many of the outages so itโs not clear when power will be restored. Here is a breakdown of customer outages, from Appalachian Power, as of 10:29 p.m.:Pulaski County - 190Grayson County - 127Franklin County - 110Wythe County - 90Roanoke County - 61Montgomery County - 57Roanoke City - 53Giles County - 33Bland County - 22Buchanan - 19Carroll County - 19Galax - 9Floyd County - 6This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
More than 3,000 customers now without power in Southwest Virginia
Appalachian Power outage map as of 6:10 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2020. With wintry weather conditions affect our region, there are some areas in Southwest Virginia that are experiencing power outages Wednesday. [Snow, ice to cause slippery roads, scattered power outages Wednesday]As of 4:28, more than 5,000 customers were without power. According to Appalachian Power, as of 5:58 p.m. here are the top five localities by outage number. County/City Customer Outages Henry County 1,732 Albemarle County 354 Patrick County 288 Grayson County 178 Floyd County 129The outages started at 12:05 p.m.
As schools go virtual, Grayson County is sticking with in-person education
Grayson County Schools announced it will continue regular classes indefinitely, with social distancing procedures in place. [Carroll County schools will shift to virtual amid surge in coronavirus numbers]Superintendent Kelly Wilmore believes his school district is safe because of the rural make-up of Grayson County. In total, Grayson County has had 587 COVID-19 cases, with 44 hospitalizations and 22 deaths, according to VDH. She said she understands Wilmoreโs decision because children may not be able to learn remotely in Grayson County. โWe know that in Grayson County, going virtual is not really an option.โWilmore said he has plans to adjust if an outbreak occurs in Grayson County, but remains confident his kids can make it to the end of the year without having to go virtual.
Hundreds without power in southwest, central Virginia
Thousands are in the dark as wet weather moves through southwest and central Virginia. According to Appalachian Power, there are 2,657 outages as of 12:30 p.m. Here is a breakdown of the main outages in our area:Grayson County: 304Henry County: 230To see a full map, click here.
Grayson County schools closed due to power outages
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ All Grayson County schools are closed on Monday due to local power outages, according to the school districtโs website. As of 6 a.m., Appalachian Power is reporting 2,942 people without power and more than 17,000 customers in total without power. To see a list of local outages, click here.
Virginia General Election Results for Grayson County on Nov. 3, 2020
The 2020 General Election will be held on November 3. You can find results for Grayson County here. This includes how the county voted in the U.S. Presidential, U.S. Senate and any U.S. House races or locally-contested races. Use the picker below to find them:Find Race ResultsOnly care how other counties and cities in the area voted? Youโll find all those options in this picker:How cities, counties in our region votedGet the latest Virginia election news here
Riding for hope: How a bike ride is giving back to the NRV
WYTHEVILLE, Va. โ HOPE Inc. in Wytheville is asking you to grab your bike out of the garage or hop on an exercise bike to ride the distance and give back along the way. Friday, Oct. 16 is the first day of The Fast and the Fiorini 17th annual charity ride. The ride was created in 2004 and was originally named The Big Walker Ride, but was renamed after Ian Fiorini who was instrumental in starting the first ride. Before the pandemic, HOPE was housing one to two people in motels but since the COVID-19 outbreak, they hit a peak of 44 people a night. So know when you register to ride that fee will help fund hope when people need it the most.
Man arrested after state trooper attacked with a hatchet at Southwest Virginia church
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ Authorities have arrested the man they believe attacked an off-duty state trooper with a hatchet at a church in southwest Virginia on Sunday night. On Tuesday, around 3:15 p.m., state police arrested 31-year-old Gregory Graham, of Marion, Va., without incident at his home on Brushy Mountain Road, according to Virginia State Police. ORIGINAL STORYState police are searching for the man who they say attacked an off-duty state trooper at a church on Sunday night. An off-duty Virginia State Police trooper opened the door to find a man and a dog just outside. Anyone with information about this man is asked to call Virginia State Police by dialing #77, 276-228-3131 or by emailing questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
38-year-old man dies in Grayson County crash
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ A 38-year-old Sparta, North Carolina man died on Friday after a crash in Grayson County, according to Virginia State Police. At 11:50 p.m., police responded to a crash on Route 21 in Grayson County, just north of Hardin Road. A 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier went off the right side of the road, hit a guardrail, overcorrected, then went off the left side of the road and hit a tree, according to police. Police did not say whether or not he was wearing a seat belt. Below is a map of an approximate location of the crash:
Southwest Virginia school cleared to open after being damaged by weekend earthquake
INDEPENDENCE, Va. โ A southwest Virginia school district is delaying its start, but not because of COVID-19. After careful examination, including notes and cell phone pictures, structural engineer Todd Poff gave the cracks at Independence Elementary School his stamp of approval. Grayson County Superintendent Kelly Wilmore points to a crack at Independence Elementary School as structural engineer Todd Poff takes notes. Grayson County Schools Superintendent Kelly Wilmore was at a school on Sunday when the earthquake happened. The other two schools in the county with cracks from the earthquake were still being assessed as of late Monday afternoon.
Health officials confirm first coronavirus case in Grayson County
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ Health officials have confirmed the first case of coronavirus in Grayson County. โEveryone should stay home and only go out for essential needs as rarely as possible,โ said Dr. Karen Shelton, director of Mount Rogers Health District. If you have to go out for critical things like grocery shopping or medical care, wear a cloth face covering and stay at least six feet away from others. These personal precautions apply to all of us โ stay home!โAs of Monday at 9 a.m., there are 13,535 cases of coronavirus in Virginia. The health department has reported 458 deaths, and 80,180 people have reportedly been tested.
Body found in burned truck in Grayson County identified
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ One of three bodies found inside a burnt-out truck in a heavily wooded area in Grayson County in November has been identified. According to Grayson County Sheriff Richard Vaughn, the female body is Maria Calderon-Martinez. Vaughn says DNA comparison samples are available to potentially identify the two male bodies, but attorneys have filed motions to delay the release of the samples to the medical examinerโs office in Roanoke. The bodies were taken to the medical examinerโs office for autopsies when they were found. The three bodies are believed to be connected to a fatal arson in Alexander County, North Carolina in June.
โI get a chance at a new lifeโ: How a simple art project saved a Grayson County man
GRAYSON COUNTY, Va. โ A 22-year-old man in Grayson County now has a second chance at life thanks to an art project that reached people well beyond southwest Virginia. โTwo and a half years, 910 days, I wake up, โIs today going to be the day? "Krystal saved Robert's life," Janet said. I mean, I get a chance at a new life," Robert said. โOrgan donation saved my boyfriendโs, my fiancรฉ's life,โ Sparks said.
Flash flood warning issued for many Virginia counties along NC border
ROANOKE, Va. โ The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for multiple counties along the North Carolina, Virginia border. The warning for southeastern Carroll County, southeastern Grayson County and Patrick County expires at 6 p.m. The warning for Danville, Martinsville, southern Pittsylvania County, southern Halifax County and Henry County expires at 5:45 p.m.At 11:52 a.m. radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Two to three inches of rain have already fallen with an additional inch or so possible over the next few hours. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly, according to the NWS.