A Roanoke man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the robbery, shooting, and murder of his drug supplier. Joseph Richard Walker, 30, pled guilty in February to charges of Hobbs Act robbery and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence.

A Roanoke man has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison for the robbery, shooting, and murder of his drug supplier. Joseph Richard Walker, 30, pled guilty in February to charges of Hobbs Act robbery and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence.

The Blacksburg Police Department has made an arrest in an ongoing sexual battery investigation.

Former Virginia Tech research professor Brett Tyler was sentenced to 10 years in prison on child sexual abuse charges, Montgomery County Circuit Court confirmed.

An investigation is underway after an inmate at the Western Virginia Regional Jail was found unresponsive in her cell, and pronounced dead soon after.

ROANOKE, Va. – Family members of inmates at the Roanoke City Jail are frustrated over the latest coronavirus outbreak. The Roanoke Sheriff’s Office released recent COVID-19 numbers and nearly 70 staff members and inmates have tested positive for the virus. Jackie Barbour’s son who has been an inmate at the city jail since October tested positive for COVID-19 this week. [230 inmates test positive for coronavirus at Western Virginia Regional Jail]There are currently 417 inmates at the Roanoke City Jail. There is no source for the Roanoke City Jail outbreak.

SALEM, Va. – The law enforcement community has been a longtime supporter of Special Olympics. Fadorick said she and her colleagues get to see firsthand how important Special Olympics is to its athletes. Ad“I can’t say it enough, it’s just so rewarding to interact with the athletes and see the appreciation and what they get out of the Special Olympics,” Fadorick said. “The Polar Plunge is one of the biggest fundraisers for Special Olympics and obviously with the pandemic, donations and fundraising are down significantly so it’s really important that people participate and support Special Olympics,” Fadorick said. AdPolar Plunge teams are encouraged to take the plunge between February 1-6.

SALEM, Va – Prisons and jails have been targets for COVID-19 outbreaks since the pandemic started, but priorities for vaccination in Virginia could soon change that. Western Virginia Regional Jail Superintendent Bobby Russell and his staff were the next in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. The health department’s interactive map]“It allows us to be able to protect both the staff and the inmate population,” explained Russell. Russell said the vaccine is the best way to protect the population as a whole. “We are fortunate enough to be able to vaccinate the inmate population utilizing our medical staff,” said Russell.

She has a whole life ahead of her, but she’s been given less than five years to live it. “Hearing that you are incurable and that there’s really nothing that they can do is heartbreaking,” said Hodges. It’s a type of thyroid cancer that is considered treatable; however, since then, she’s been through three surgeries to remove the tumors, which spread to her lymph nodes and now her lungs. Lauren Hodges, 29, is battling Stage 4 thyroid cancer. The money will cover medical bills and travel expenses to Duke Cancer Center for scans every three months.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – On Monday, health department inspectors toured the Western Virginia Regional Jail and gave it a positive review for its operation and protocols. About 230 inmates out of 814 inmates have now tested positive for COVID-19 at the Western Virginia Regional Jail. Dr. Molly O’Dell with the Roanoke Health District inspected the jail and said compared to other jails, Western Virginia Regional Jail is clean and operates well. Several inmates said the quarantine period for the inmates who test positive ranges from three to nine days. Along with attaining more PPE supplies, Russell said they added more medical staff members to handle the hundreds of inmates.

SALEM, Va. – Western Virginia Regional Jail initiated mass testing for the coronavirus Friday, and inmates' families are worried about losing their loved ones. His wife is one of 120 infected inmates at the Western Virginia Regional Jail. “I mean they’re doing their job but they’re not doing the job they should be doing," he said. Russell said staff is sanitizing the facility daily with electrostatic sprayers and are washing masks twice a week. A month ago, the Salem jail took in several inmates from the Franklin County Jail because of an outbreak there.

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Three more men have been arrested after authorities say two brothers were shot in Franklin County and one was killed in July. On July 14, authorities received a 911 call for shots fired around 4:20 a.m. and officers responded to a home in the 100 block of Salthouse Branch Road in the Henry community of Franklin County. 21-year-old Sean Gabriel Schwallenberg of Hot Springs was arrested on Sept. 29 in Bath County and has been charged with one count of robbery in residence. Qu'Shawn Manns, Te'SEan Brooks and Treavon Taylor are in custody after police say they shot two brothers and killed one (Franklin County Sheriff's Office)This comes after Te’Sean Brooks, 19, of Henry was charged with three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling. Brooks and Taylor are being held without bond at the Franklin County Jail.

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – An inmate death at the Western Virginia Regional Jail is under investigation, according to jail officials. The jail’s medical staff performed CPR and other life-saving measures until Roanoke County Fire-EMS responded and took over, according to a release from the jail. Osbourn was pronounced dead at 7:25 a.m.Police say the Roanoke County Police Department has started an investigation and the Roanoke medical examiner’s office will perform an autopsy. According to the jail’s statement, there is no reason to believe Osbourne’s death was related to coronavirus and jail officers interacted with Osbourne before he died. Osbourne was committed to Western Virginia Regional Jail on March 8, 2020 and was awaiting trial for a fraud charge in Salem as well as a probation violation and a narcotics charge in Danville and an additional narcotics charge in Martinsville.

RADFORD, Va. – The countdown is on and we’re just one day away from the New River Polar Plunge. Many members of the 10 News team are diving into the freezing water to help raise money for Special Olympics Virginia. 10 News isn’t the only team -- several groups are raising money, including the Western Virginia Regional Jail. This is the jail’s first year taking part in the plunge, but it’s not their first time fundraising and being involved with the Special Olympics. To donate to the New River Polar Plunge, click here.