BREAKING NEWS
The debate opened voters' eyes in suburban Philadelphia and Harris is getting a closer look
In suburban Philadelphia's Bucks County, a critical area in a vital state, the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is producing hard thinking about what to do in November.
Bradley Free Clinic’s Program to combat substance abuse reaches new communities
The Bradley Free Clinic’s Hope Initiative, which helps people with substance abuse, is expanding its services throughout Virginia.
Tennessee family's lawsuit says video long kept from them shows police force, not drugs, killed son
A Tennessee mother whose son was having a seizure in his apartment says in a new lawsuit that police and paramedics subjected him to “inhumane acts of violence.”.
Virginia Task Force 4 to arrive in Danville for support from Tropical Storm Debby
The Bristol, VA Fire Department Swift Water Rescue Team (also known as Virginia Task Force 4) will be arriving in Danville today to offer support due to the damage from Tropical Storm Debby.
Man charged with two counts of murder after body parts found in suitcases on UK bridge
A 34-year-old man has been charged with murdering two men whose remains were found in two suitcases in southwest England.
UK police find 2 suitcases believed to contain human remains
Police in the southwestern England city of Bristol are searching for a man who was behaving suspiciously on a local bridge just moments before the discovery of two suitcases believed to contain human remains.
18.7 million: Early figures from NCAA women's title game make it most-watched hoops game in 5 years
South Carolina’s victory over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in Sunday’s women’s NCAA championship game had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN.
Iowa-UConn women's Final Four semifinal most-watched hoops game in ESPN history; 14.2M avg. viewers
Iowa’s 71-69 victory over UConn at the women’s Final Four on Friday night averaged 14.2 million viewers on ESPN, making it the most-viewed women’s basketball game on record and the largest audience for an ESPN basketball broadcast.
Florida's stricter ban on abortions could put more pressure on clinics elsewhere
A Florida ban on abortions earlier in pregnancy is expected to have an impact on providers in other parts of the country.
6-legged spaniel undergoes surgery to remove extra limbs and adjusts to life on 4 paws
A spaniel with six legs that was found abandoned in a supermarket parking lot is now like other dogs after having her extra limbs surgically removed.
Abortion clinics crossing state borders not always welcome
Residents in southwestern Virginia have battled for months over whether abortion clinics limited by strict laws in other states should be allowed to hop over the border and operate there.
Bodycam shows hurt Connecticut officer shoot ambush suspect
Connecticut's Office of the Inspector General has released body camera footage in connection with last week's shooting of three police officers in the town of Bristol.
Wallace holds off boss, title contenders to win at Kansas
Bubba Wallace won his second career NASCAR Cup Series race and denied the playoff field of an automatic spot in the next round for the second straight week when he held off championship contenders Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell to win at Kansas Speedway.
Kyle Busch steals Bristol win as Reddick and Briscoe crash
Kyle Busch slipped past the spinning cars of Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe to steal his first Cup win of the season Sunday night on slick, wet, dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway.
4 acquitted in toppling of British slave trader statue
Four anti-racism demonstrators have been cleared of criminal damage in the toppling of a statue of a 17th-century slave trader during a Black Lives Matter protest in southwestern England.
Christiansburg’s Matt Hagan set to race in Thunder Valley Nationals playoff race at Bristol this weekend
Christiansburg native Matt Hagan is seeking his fourth NHRA Funny Car title. He enters this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals Playoff race at Bristol with a 33 point lead over Ron Capps, with only three races left.
UK looks abroad to ease trucker shortage amid run on gas
In a U-turn, Britain says it will issue thousands of emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to help fix supply-chain problems that have caused empty supermarket shelves, long lines at gas stations and shuttered petrol pumps.
5 Southwest Virginia residents plead guilty in unemployment fraud case
More southwest Virginia residents who prosecutors say conspired with dozens of others to file fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits have pleaded guilty.
Southwest Virginia man who thought he was ‘invincible’ now urging people to get COVID-19 vaccine
An unvaccinated Bristol man who once felt ‘invincible’ in the face of COVID-19 is now using social media to urge people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, NBC News reports.
Felled UK slave trader statue displayed; city mulls its fate
A statue of a 17th-century slave trader that was toppled during anti-racism protests in the English city of Bristol is being displayed in a museum where a survey will ask visitors to help decide its fate.
FDA expected to OK Pfizer vaccine for teens within week
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for young adults age 12 and older by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year.
Authorities investigating officer-involved shooting in Bristol
Authorities are investigating an officer-involved shooting in Bristol on Tuesday morning, according to Virginia State Police. Just before 4:30 a.m., police said they received a 911 call from a person at a motel in the 2200 block of Euclid Avenue about shots fired. When officers arrived, they said they found a man inside of a vehicle who refused to get out after repeated commands by officers. The man then put the vehicle in drive and sped towards one of the officers, who shot at the suspect’s car, according to police. Authorities said the suspect died at the scene and no officers were hurt during the incident.
Logano takes the checkered flag in a haze of Bristol dirt
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Somewhere under the thick red haze floating over Bristol Motor Speedway, Joey Logano took the checkered flag for NASCAR’s first Cup Series race at a dirt track in 50 years. The Logano victory closed a weekend of uncertainty and even some hysteria as NASCAR launched this drive through the dirt. “It’s only my fourth dirt race ever, so I had a lot of fun trying to figure it out," Logano said. It was impossible to handicap this first dirt race because the teams had no idea how to prepare and the drivers had wildly varying experience. "In dirt racing you don’t have a windshield in front of you, so you can pull a tearoff.
Rain swamps Bristol dirt track; NASCAR to try again Monday
NASCAR canceled all Sunday activity because even if Bristol's converted dirt track could eventually be readied for night racing, the entire facility was a swampy mess. The first Cup Series race on dirt since 1970 was rescheduled for 4 p.m. Monday; trucks were set to run at noon. He openly fretted that a bad show at Bristol would damage the future of NASCAR dirt racing — and NASCAR itself seemed to admit it was a valid concern. Stewart, who has insisted Eldora can successfully host the Cup Series, declined to comment Sunday when reached by The Associated Press. “People need to understand this is not how dirt racing is and I think they need to try and appreciate how hard this is to pull off.
UK protesters scuffle with police during rally over new law
Protesters sit in front of police officers during the "Kill The Bill" protest in Bristol, England, Friday, March 26, 2021. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON – Police in the English city of Bristol say they arrested 10 people during a third night of protest against a new policing law. The Avon and Somerset Police force said Saturday that eggs, bottles and bricks were thrown at officers and a police horse was daubed with paint. AdBut some have accused the force of a heavy-handed response and of exaggerating the scale of injuries to officers. Tensions rose when police broke up a vigil in Everard’s memory because it violated coronavirus restrictions barring mass gatherings.
Clashes in English city of Bristol leave 20 police injured
A vandalised police van on fire outside Bridewell Police Station, in Bristol, England, Sunday March 21, 2021, as people took part in a protest demonstrating against the Police and Crime Bill. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)LONDON – A protest in the English city of Bristol against new policing legislation turned into violent clashes that left at least 20 officers injured — two of them seriously — widespread damage to a police station and police vehicles torched, police said Monday. Seven people were arrested during the protest, which started Sunday afternoon and ran through to the early hours of Monday morning. The violence, which also saw several police vehicles damaged, was branded as “unacceptable” by Britain's interior minister, Priti Patel. Under the terms of the legislation, which covers England and Wales, police will be handed new powers to tackle demonstrations.
'The most dangerous time': UK sees toughest virus threat yet
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson watches first responder Caroline Cook receiving an injection of a Covid-19 vaccine at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, England, Monday Jan. 11, 2021. England's chief medical officer, Dr. Chris Whitty, warned people to strictly follow measures to prevent the spread of the virus while they wait their turn for a vaccine shot. “I think everybody accepts that this is the most dangerous time we’ve really had in terms of numbers into the NHS,’’ Whitty told the BBC. English hospitals are now treating 55% more COVID-19 cases than during the first peak of the pandemic in April. '”Nearly 2.3 million people in the U.K. have received a COVID-19 vaccine so far.
UK homeowner delays sale of home after Banksy mural appears
Banksy's latest mural titled Aachoo!! that has appeared on a wall in Bristol, England, Thursday Dec. 10, 2020. Banksy's latest mural has delayed - but not thwarted - a homeowner's plans to sell in Bristol after it recently appeared on the house's exterior wall. (Claire Hayhurst/PA via AP)LONDON – Banksy's latest mural has delayed a homeowner's plans to sell in England after it recently appeared on the house's exterior wall. “It does increase the value, and you have to take a moment to think about it, but it’s not changing anything in terms of the house sale for us,” Makin said.
UK prosecutors charge 4 over toppling of slave trader statue
LONDON – Four people were charged with criminal damage on Wednesday over the toppling of a statue of a 17th-century slave trader and public benefactor in the city of Bristol. The statue of Edward Colston was pulled from its plinth in the southwest England city during an anti-racism demonstration in June and dumped in Bristol harbor. Colston made a fortune transporting enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas on Bristol-based ships. He was a major benefactor to Bristol, with streets and institutions named for him, and the statue-felling sparked a debate about racism and historical commemoration. City authorities fished the Colston statue out of the harbor and say it will be placed in a museum, along with placards from the Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Police: 4 die after explosion at UK wastewater plant
Emergency services attend to a large explosion at a warehouse in Bristol, England, Thursday Dec. 3, 2020. A local British emergency services department says there have been multiple casualties following a large explosion at a warehouse near the southwest England city of Bristol. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON – Four people died following an explosion in a silo that holds treated biosolids at a wastewater treatment plant near the southwest England city of Bristol, police said Thursday. A fifth person was injured during the explosion at the plant in the industrial area of Avonmouth, but the injuries are not considered life-threatening, Runacres said. “Deeply saddened to learn that four people have lost their lives in the water works explosion in Avonmouth,” Johnson said on Twitter.
Virginia General Election results for Casino Referendums on Nov. 3, 2020
While many eyes will be on the presidential race four different items to pay close attention to are casino votes across Virginia. Voters in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth all have the chance to either approve or reject a casino being built in their city. Interested in the results of other races? Use the picker below:Find Race ResultsGet the latest Virginia Election news here
The Latest: UMass-Marshall football game set for Nov. 7
22 Marshall has scheduled a Nov. 7 home football game against Massachusetts, athletic director Mike Hamrick said Monday. ___The Carolina Panthers have closed their facility for the next two days after receiving an “unconfirmed” positive coronavirus test Monday. ___Toledo basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk has tested positive for the coronavirus, the school’s athletic department said Monday. Kowalczyk tested positive on Sunday and will self-isolate for 10 days, he said in a statement. Four players and three staff tested positive last week, and Wasps hasn't trained since last Wednesday for its first appearance in the final since 2017.
Kevin Harvick nabs 9th win of season to roll into 2nd round
Busch furiously tried to catch him as the two weaved their way through lapped traffic, but Harvick held firm in the No. Only six cars finished on the lead lap in a tepid event at the 0.533-mile bullring revered for bumping and banging. Track officials sold all 30,000 tickets allowed — making Bristol one of the largest sporting events since the pandemic — and the spectators crowded the fence as Harvick celebrated his second win of the playoffs. Erik Jones, who is not eligible for the playoffs, finished third for Joe Gibbs Racing and was followed by rookie Tyler Reddick and playoff contenders Aric Almirola and Clint Bowyer. Denny Hamlin, considered the closest challenger to Harvick this year, closed out a sub-par opening round of the playoffs with a 21st-place finish.
Two weeks after NASCAR All-Star Race, 0 coronavirus cases linked to event
BRISTOL, Tenn. – It’s now been two weeks since thousands of fans were allowed into Bristol Motor Speedway to watch NASCAR’s All-Star Race. So far, there haven’t been any cases of the coronavirus directly linked to the event, according to WCYB. Then you have to do the case interview where you ask, ‘Have you been to any large venue events. We still have a little ways to go to figure out if there were any cases related to the event,” said Sullivan County Regional Health Director Dr. Stephen May. An estimated 22,000 fans attended the race.
Lot of room for NASCAR fans at Texas due to virus and heat
(AP Photo/Larry Papke, File)FORT WORTH, Texas The massive grandstands at Texas Motor Speedway are 2/3 of a mile long and were empty for the last race there. On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series race becomes the first major sporting event in Texas in more than four months to allow spectators. Speedway Motorsports, which owns Bristol and Texas, is a private company like NASCAR, and does not release official attendance numbers. Texas hosted the IndyCar season opener June 6 without any spectators, then submitted and received approval by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office to have fans at the NASCAR race.
NASCAR welcomes fans back to Bristol Motor Speedway with masks, social distancing required
BRISTOL, TENN. – On Wednesday night Bristol Motor Speedway hosted the largest gathering of fans at a sporting event in America since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The cars roared under the lights of the track and if you kept your eyes on the cars you might not have noticed a difference. NASCAR and the track required fans to wear masks, stay distant and limited the race to a quarter capacity. “I guess they have to do it because of a lot of pressures from a lot of other people. But Inge Werts brought her family from Atlanta to their first race and she had no worries about coming.
Statue of Black UK protester removed from plinth in Bristol
The sculpture of protester Jen Reid was installed without the knowledge or consent of Bristol City Council and was removed by the council 24 hours later. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON Officials in the English city of Bristol on Thursday removed a statue of a Black Lives Matter activist that was installed on a plinth once occupied by a monument to a 17th-century slave trader. City authorities fished the Colston statue out of the harbor and say it will be placed in a museum, along with placards from the Black Lives Matter demonstration. Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said the decision about what replaces it must be made by the people of Bristol. This is not about taking down a statue of Jen, who is a very impressive woman, Rees told the BBC.
Statue of Black protester replaces toppled UK slave trader
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON An artist has erected a statue of a Black Lives Matter protester atop the plinth in the English city of Bristol once occupied by the toppled statue of a slave trader. Marc Quinn created the likeness of Jen Reid, a protester photographed standing on the plinth after demonstrators pulled down the statue of Edward Colston and dumped it in Bristols harbor on June 7. The statue, titled A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) was erected before dawn on Wednesday without approval from city officials. Colston was a 17th-century trader who made a fortune transporting enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas. Now were crystallizing it.Reid told The Guardian newspaper that the new statue was incredible and would help continue the conversation.City authorities fished the Colston statue out of the harbor and say it will be placed in a museum, along with placards from the Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Slave's grave vandalized in UK city in apparent retaliation
The Grade II-listed, brightly painted memorial to Scipio Africanus have been smashed and a message was scrawled in chalk on flagstones nearby. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON British officials said Thursday the grave of an enslaved African man has been vandalised in an apparent retaliation attack after protesters in the city of Bristol toppled the statue of a prominent slave trader. Two headstones in memory of Scipio Africanus, who lived in Bristol in the 18th century, were smashed. This looks like a retaliation attack for the recent events involving the Colston statue, local official Mark Weston said. During his life, Scipio Africanus was a servant to Charles Howard, the 7th Earl of Suffolk.
London mayor says statues of imperialists could be removed
(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON More statues of imperialist figures could be removed from Britains streets, following the unauthorized felling of a monument to slave trader Edward Colston in the city of Bristol, the mayor of London said Tuesday. Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was setting up a commission to ensure the citys monuments reflected its diversity. Debate over who should be publicly commemorated has been reignited in Britain by the felling of a monument to Colston, a 17th-century slave trader and philanthropist. Many Bristolians welcomed the statues removal, but the British government called it an act of vandalism and urged police to prosecute the perpetrators. At weekend protests in London, demonstrators scrawled was a racist on a statue of Winston Churchill.
Watery end for statue of slave trader in UK city of Bristol
(Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON For someone who died nearly three centuries years ago, Edward Colston has become a symbol for the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain. Footage of the moments after the statue crashed to the ground saw hundreds, if not thousands, of local Bristolians, in ecstasy. The statue was then rolled into the nearby Bristol Harbour again to rapturous scenes. The watery end of the Colston statue wasn't the only historic sculpture to have been targeted by protesters. Ralph Northam has pledged to remove the Gen. Robert E. Lee Lee statue, and city leaders have committed to taking down the other four Confederate memorials along Richmonds prestigious Monument Avenue.
Coronavirus case confirmed in Bristol
BRISTOL, Va. – The Virginia Department Health says there is a confirmed case of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Bristol. The VDH’s Mount Roger Health District says the person got COVID-19 during out-of-state travel. The person is self-isolating at home and there is no concern over community contact, according to the VDH.
Museum drapes wildlife exhibits in shrouds to highlight extinction crisis
The World Wildlife Gallery at Bristol Museum in Bristol, England, is home to a whole host of animal exhibits, including a rhino, tiger, giraffe, chimpanzee and macaw, among many more. The World Wildlife Gallery is home to a whole host of animal exhibits, including a rhino, tiger, giraffe, chimpanzee and macaw, among many more. All 32 exhibits will be cloaked in veils to highlight the seriousness of the wildlife extinction crisis. Now his home is Bristol Museum, people continue to visit him." The wildlife collection at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery has a unique role to play by highlighting the crisis through the 'Extinction Voices' intervention.
Darth Vader hot air balloon floats over English city
A Darth Vader balloon is flying over Bristol, where it was made, for the first time. (CNN) - A huge hot air balloon in the shape of Star Wars villain Darth Vader's head has been floated over a city in England. The Darth Vader balloon is part of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, which is taking place this weekend. Actor David Prowse, who played Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, was born in Bristol in 1935 and attended Bristol Grammar School. Bristol International Balloon Fiesta started the fundraising campaign in order to bring the balloon home for a four-day festival to celebrate the icons of the city.