Roanoke Times & World News back issues from February 2006:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY NOTEBOOK
Feb 01, 2006; ... boat safety House passes bill aimed at boating violators The House of Delegates passed legislation Tuesday that wouldrequire boaters to take a safety education course if convicted ofcertain misdemeanor violations such as reckless operation of awatercraft. By a vote ...
FORMER EMPLOYEE SUES TECH OVER FIRING
Feb 01, 2006; ... A former Virginia Tech employee has sued the university for$200,000, claiming she lost her job because of her participation in afraud investigation. In lawsuits filed Monday in Roanoke Circuit Court, Angela S.Mathias also demands that she be restored to her job. Her attorney, ...
OBIT-LATE NOTICE
Feb 01, 2006 ... Late notice JOHNSON, Mildred Davis Pugh, 76, of Glade Hill, died Tuesday, ...
BIG EAST LAYS CLAIM AS BEST
Feb 01, 2006; ... The ACC doesn't own the bragging rights as the best men'sbasketball conference in the nation so far this season. The 16-team Big East is not only the biggest conference in thecountry but has also made a case that it is the best as well. TheBig East has five teams in The ...
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP
Feb 01, 2006; ... BOYS WESTERN VALLEY DISTRICT Patrick Henry 63, E.C. Glass 51 Mark Grogan's 23 points led all scorers as the Patriots cruised tothe win at home. Dan Deck added 10 points for Patrick Henry. Carlos Beasley scored 12 points to lead the Hilltoppers, whileJames ...
CALLING ALL DALE EARNHARDT FANS
Feb 01, 2006 ... Five years later, Dale Earnhardt's death on the last lap of theDaytona 500 in 2001 still resonates with his fans and fans of NASCARin general. How did his death affect you and what you think of theworld of stock car racing? We want your comments, poems, favoritepictures you might ...
VIEWFINDER-PHOTO
Feb 01, 2006; ... Caption ...
BILLS WOULD LET PHONE COMPANIES COMPETE WITH CABLE TV PROVIDERS
Feb 01, 2006; ... RICHMOND -- Legislation that would allow Verizon and othertelephone companies to compete in the cable television business hascleared key committees in both houses of the General Assembly,setting the stage for passage of a hard-fought compromise between thetelephone giant and cable ...
SURVIVOR'S 1ST TASK: GET YOURSELF NOTICED
Feb 01, 2006; ... BLACKSBURG -- Tuesday's "Survivor" audition at Kent Square may bethe last chance Jerry Johnson has for winning the million dollars heneeds to run for president. "I'm putting all my marbles in this basket," the 67-year-old said. The building contractor from Buchanan has ...
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ROBBERY, BURGLARY CHARGES
Feb 01, 2006; ... A Roanoke man pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in a Sept. 3 homeinvasion robbery in which an 87-year-old Bedford County woman wastied up and sexually assaulted. Edward Charles Hatchel, 42, responded "Guilty" to charges ofrobbery, burglary, abduction, possession of a firearm as a ...
SURVEY OF OFFICE OCCUPANCY RATES SHOWS LITTLE CHANGE FROM 2004
Feb 01, 2006; ... The Roanoke Valley's office occupancy rates were relatively flatlast year, based on an annual survey by Hall Associates, a localcommercial real estate firm. Rates in the south suburban district remained higher than in anyother parts of the Roanoke Valley in 2005, according to the ...
COUNCIL REQUEST REJECTED IN SENATE
Feb 01, 2006; ... RICHMOND -- The state Senate voted Tuesday to kill a bill thatwould have allowed Roanoke to hold special elections on issues suchas what to do with Victory Stadium, for example. Senate Bill 464, which was requested by the Roanoke City Council,would have changed the city's charter ...
CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK
Feb 01, 2006; ... DEMOCRATS Leftwich picks up key endorsements Randy Leftwich's second bid for a Roanoke City Council seat isproving much more formidable than his first. Leftwich, an engineer at Roanoke's Fox television outlet, pickedup the endorsements of three key Democratic women on ...
RGC RESOURCES SEES REVENUES JUMP, BUT EARNINGS DECLINE
Feb 01, 2006; ... Revenues jumped more than 50 percent for RGC Resources, parent ofRoanoke Gas, during its first quarter but the company's costs alsoincreased. Earnings declined during the period -- from $1.6 million to $1.5million -- when compared with the first quarter of 2004. John ...
WINTER TO RETURN, BUT MAYBE NOT SO BAD
Feb 01, 2006; ... At the halfway point of the four-month period I declared as"winter" for the sake of a seasonal forecast, it's time to reassess. Simply put, we're not going to make it to my projected 35-40inches of snow. Well, it's not impossible ... 1960 is always theexample to haul out for that ....
STANLEY FURNITURE SAYS SALES UP FOR YEAR, SLUMP FOR QUARTER
Feb 01, 2006; ... Stanley Furniture Co. nailed a good year in 2005. According to an earnings report released this week by the company,Stanley Furniture enjoyed record sales and earnings in 2005, eventhough fourth-quarter sales slipped slightly from the same periodlast year. Net sales of $333.6 ...
JEERS TO CHEERS
Feb 01, 2006; ... BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech's Jamon Gordon saw the ball go up andthought the Hokies had lost another buzzer-beater. Wynton Witherspoon, sitting on the bench, saw the ball go in thebasket and buried his face in his shorts. Deron Washington, who had fallen to the floor, didn't ...
AUDITORS REPORT TO SCHOOL OFFICIALS
Feb 01, 2006; ... The Roanoke school system could improve student achievement andsave $11.3 million over five years if it implements an auditor'srecommendations. There are 116 of those recommendations, 23 that would either saveor cost the school division money, the Roanoke School Board,executive ...
BULLDOGS CRASH BENGALS' PARTY PLANS
Feb 01, 2006; ... BASSETT -- The Bassett Bengals were on the verge of clinchingtheir first Piedmont District regular-season boys' basketball titlein many, many years Tuesday night. Perennial Piedmont champion Martinsville wasn't going to be theguest of honor at any postgame party. Martinsville ...
GOINS GETS TITANS A WIN
Feb 01, 2006; ... Hidden Valley's Josiah Goins grabbed two steals to set up basketsby T.C. Bane and the carbon-copy plays allowed the Titans to pull offa 55-52 win in overtime over the visiting Knights on Tuesday. With 42 seconds left in the extra quarter, Goins snatched the ballat half court and ...
REGION'S CONGRESSMEN HAVE MIXED REACTIONS TO SPEECH
Feb 01, 2006; ... Members of Southwest Virginia's congressional delegation said theyheard familiar themes and a determined tone from President Bush inTuesday's State of the Union address. "I thought the president exhibited good, strong conviction andleadership in his speech," said U.S. Sen. John ...
YMCA GIVES $595,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS
Feb 01, 2006; ... The YMCA of Roanoke Valley gave members $595,154 last year forscholarships and program subsidies. "A major part of our mission as a charitable, nonprofitorganization is to make the YMCA available to everyone in thecommunity," Cal Johnson, executive director of the Roanoke Valley ...
GOV. TIM KAINE'S REBUTTAL CITES BUSH'S 'POOR CHOICES'
Feb 01, 2006; ... RICHMOND -- Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine took President Bush to taskTuesday night for "poor choices and bad management" in handling theeconomy and running the war in Iraq, and said Democrats offer "abetter way." Kaine delivered the Democratic Party's formal response to thepresident's ...
KING NEVER CAME TO ROANOKE, BUT HER INFLUENCE DID
Feb 01, 2006; ... Sharon Gentry had never met Coretta Scott King, but like manyAmericans, she knew her. Gentry, purchasing manager for the city of Roanoke, knew that Kingperpetuated the ideals of racial justice espoused by her slainhusband, Martin Luther King Jr. She also knew that the woman ...
PARAGUAY WINS HEART OF ROANOKE COLLEGE GRAD
Feb 01, 2006; ... Two years ago Taylor Beauregard sat in a Salem coffee shop andtalked about her immediate future. She was bound for Miami and thenfor her assignment as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay. Beauregard was 26, small and brown-haired and eager to pursue thedream she'd had since ...
FOR THE RECORD
Feb 01, 2006 ... CORRECTION A Jan. 31 story on a possible transloader facility in Rocky Mountincorrectly reported the facility's cost. The figure mentioned in thestory would ...
GONE TO THE OTHER SIDE
Feb 01, 2006; ... The "freshmen 15," Red Bull-fueled study sessions and week-longdiets of pizza serve as the quintessential and essential componentsof college in the minds of many high school seniors. Yet, are these grizzled veterans of high school correct to assumetheir first semester of college ...
RECORD EXCHANGE CLOSES
Feb 01, 2006; ... In its more than 20 years in Blacksburg, the Record Exchange hassurvived each transition of the music industry, selling firstrecords, then cassettes and finally CDs. But the ease and frequency with which CDs are now copied or"burned" means Record Exchange owner Don Rosenberg has ...
FINALLY DRIVEN 'ROUND THE BEND BY THE OLD HOOVER
Feb 01, 2006; ... Soon after I get caught looking up answers to the Sunday crosswordpuzzle, I start looking at the ads. That is, right after I finish reading the obits. And "SallyForth." I wish we still had "Andy Capp" and "Beetle Bailey"; butwhat are you going to do? And I don't know how ...
RU STUDENT TEACHES SECOND-GRADERS ABOUT CHINA
Feb 01, 2006; ... College students these days know that it often takes more thanjust grades to get a good job in their field, and often summerinternships add that extra world experience to their resume. Nikki Holloman, a graduate student in the corporate andprofessional communication department at ...
SUNSET SILHOUETTES-PHOTO
Feb 01, 2006 ... Caption ...
ANTI-TAX ADS LACK REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Feb 01, 2006 ... Radio ads by an anti-tax group in Virginia hype the state's"billion-dollar surplus" as an excuse for not raising taxes to fundcritical transportation improvements. A little perspective is in order. If the entire billion-dollar surplus went to solve Virginia'stransportation ...
LOWE'S STORE OPENS ITS DOORS IN FAIRLAWN
Feb 01, 2006; ... FAIRLAWN -- Pulaski County isn't known for its plethora of shopsand places to go. But county officials hope that will soon change. With the addition of a new Lowe's home improvement store onPeppers Ferry Road (U.S. 460), Pulaski County is sure to bring insome more ...
HIGHLANDERS TAKE AIM AT INEXPERIENCE
Feb 01, 2006; ... "Players who commit errors need reassurance from the pitcher, whomust harbor no grudges," said Major League Baseball manager RogerCraig, who led the San Francisco Giants to the World Series in 1989. That might be easier said than done for the Radford Universitybaseball ...
BTW BY THE WAY
Feb 01, 2006 ... According to the National Retail Federation, February's retailhighlight is Valentine's Day ....
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Feb 01, 2006 ... Keep guns beyond the reach of the uneducated In reference to your Jan. 27 news article, "Misfire leavesdelegate gun-shy": Could it be a coincidence that this drama occurred at a time thatlawmakers were debating the right to carry firearms on universitycampuses and other ...
JUST FACING THE CLIMB
Feb 01, 2006 ... It's that time of year, when high school seniors with academic aspirations of amounting to something send their applications tocollege. Recorded below, to be preserved in the annals of history, are the accounts of four brave Edge staff members who applied to college,myself ...
DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN
Feb 01, 2006 ... They come, descending from the mountain known as "the freshmanyear of college," to impart their whispered words of wisdom. No, it's not the Beatles, it's the Edgers who have moved on, andthey have a few things to say about their first year out of highschool. It seemed like ...
FOR THE RECORD
Feb 01, 2006 ... Kurt Krause, a member of the Virginia Tech/Montgomery ExecutiveAirport Authority, said plans for clearing the runway protection zonehave for at least the past year included one owner-occupied homealong ...
CORNER SHOT
Feb 01, 2006; ... A random press release that slid in via e-mail began ... "In celebration of Valentine's Day, America's favorite poppingcandy, Pop Rocks, is happy to announce the release of its new PopRocks Valentine Candy & Card Combo Collection ..." This combo includes 20 packs of strawberry ...
AUBURN MIDDLE SCHOOL TARGETED BY STATE, PARENTS
Feb 01, 2006; ... School board member Susan Morikawa was out for a movie at theLyric Sunday night when a woman behind the concessions counter askedwhat seems to be a popular question lately: "Hey, what's going on inRiner?" She was referring to the sudden change in administration at AuburnMiddle ...
POLICE SHOW OFF 331 SEIZED MARIJUANA PLANTS
Feb 01, 2006; ... BLACKSBURG -- The conference room at the Blacksburg PoliceDepartment smelled ripe Tuesday afternoon, like the set of a Cheechand Chong movie. Garbage bags and Mason jars packed with green marijuana buds satnext to a bag of magic mushrooms and a jar of moonshine on a row ...
NEWELL-FOUTZ DECLARES FOR COUNCIL
Feb 01, 2006; ... Tacy Newell-Foutz, owner of Coffee Depot in Christiansburg andformer school board member, has declared her intention to run forChristiansburg Town Council. "Significant growth is going to continue in Christiansburg and theNew River Valley and I'd rather be an active participant in ...
HOW I LUCKED INTO SOME TASTY LEFTOVERS
Feb 01, 2006; ... She cooked in some of the finest kitchens in some of the finesthouses. For years, Jackie Bolden served as sous chef for belovedcaterer Harrison Hale, who'd learned the trade during his decades asa Norfolk and Western Railway dining car cook. They catered some of the fanciest ...
OBIT - GRAY, CALVIN J.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Calvin J. Gray, 69, of Roanoke, passed away Monday, January 30,2006. A service celebrating ...
OBIT - KEFFER, KATHERINE B.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Katherine B. Keffer, 84, of New Castle, passed away Sunday,January 29, 2006. She is preceded in death by her parents, Stephen B.and Blanche Carper Keffer; two sisters, Elizabeth Overton andMargaret Lange. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Philand Wanda Keffer; grandchildren, ...
OBIT - BECKETT, CHARLOTTE JEAN CARTER "DIXIE"
Feb 01, 2006 ... Charlotte Jean Carter Beckett, affectionately known as "Dixie",passed away peacefully Sunday morning, January 29, 2006. She was bornMarch 8, 1926, to the late Robert Tasker Carter and Charlotte LeighOverstreet Carter of Bedford, Va. She was the youngest of fourchildren, and was ...
OBIT - HERNDON, WILLIAM GARFIELD
Feb 01, 2006 ... William Garfield Herndon, 86, of Roanoke, passed away January 30,2006. Born March 20, 1919 in Pulaski, Va., a son of the late James E.Herndon and Elizabeth Ratcliff Herndon. He was also preceded in deathby three brothers and three sisters, James, Robert and MuncieHerndon, and Bess ...
OBIT - CUDDY, EDGAR JR. (ARTIE)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Edgar (Artie) Cuddy, Jr., 77, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., formerly ofRoanoke, Va., went to be with the Lord on Saturday, January 28, 2006.He was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar A. Cuddy, Sr. andBertie B. Cuddy; sister, Carrie Leigh Doran. He served in the U.S.Army during the Korean ...
OBIT - BRILLHART, LEONARD CLINE
Feb 01, 2006 ... Leonard Cline Brillhart, 88, of St. Petersburg, Fla. formerly ...
OBIT - CLINGEMPEEL, WENDELL H.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Wendell H. Clingempeel, 81, of Roanoke, passed away Monday January30, 2006. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys S.Clingempeel. He was a veteran of World War II as an Engineer in theMerchant Marines. Mr. Clingempeel was a retired Pharmacist and was amember of Cave Spring United ...
OBIT - COMER, ANNIE LAURA KEYSER
Feb 01, 2006 ... Annie Laura Keyser Comer, 93, of Roanoke, went to be with the LordTuesday, January 31, 2006. She has joined her husband, Marshall LuckComer; and her son, Harold Lenwood Comer, Sr. in Heaven. Left tocherish her memory are her daughter, Betty Ann English; grandson,Harold Lenwood, Jr ....
OBIT - HODGES, JAMES LEON
Feb 01, 2006 ... James Leon Hodges, 56, of Salem, formerly of Vinton, passed ...
OBIT - BURNS, WILLIAM NATHANIEL
Feb 01, 2006 ... William Nathaniel Burns, 78,of Roanoke, passed away ...
OBIT - KELLY, MILDRED WHITE
Feb 01, 2006 ... Mildred White Kelly, 73, of Roanoke, died Sunday, January 29, 2006in a local hospital. She was preceded in death by her husband, DavidP. Kelly; parents, Oliver and Nola White; brothers, Oliver Jr.,Lawrence, and Darwin White. Mrs. Kelly was a devoted mother;grandmother and ...
OBIT - SINCLAIR, KATHERINE SKIDMORE
Feb 01, 2006 ... Katherine Skidmore Sinclair, 92, of Roanoke, Va., died January 28,2006. She was predeceased by her husband, Richard Bain Sinclair. Shewas also predeceased by her parents, George F. and Ocie HarrisSkidmore; her sister, Marjorie Skidmore Starkey and a nephew, GeorgeB. Starkey. Among ...
OBIT - MORRIS, ISABELLE MCCRAW
Feb 01, 2006 ... Isabelle McCraw Morris, 75, of Roanoke, passed away January 29,2006. Funeral services, 2 p.m., February 1, ...
OBIT - PERDUE, BETTY PRILLAMAN
Feb 01, 2006 ... Betty Prillaman Perdue, 87, of Roanoke, died Sunday, January 29,2006, at her home. Born May 21, 1918, in Franklin County, Va., shewas a daughter of the late Thomas Green and Eula Prillaman. She waspredeceased by her husband, Robert L. Perdue, Jr.; son, Robert L.Perdue III; sisters, ...
OBIT - SPRADLIN, ANN HARRISON
Feb 01, 2006 ... Ann Harrison Spradlin, 52, of Roanoke, died Sunday, January 29,2006 in Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. She was preceded in deathby her mother, Lois Blair Harrison; her aunt and uncle, Lena andFrantz Adams. She is survived by her father and stepmother, George B.and Nancy Harrison; her ...
OBIT - NOBLETT, SHIRLEY LOUISE HODGES
Feb 01, 2006 ... Shirley Louise Hodges Noblett, 71, of Buchanan, passed awayMonday, January 30, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband,Carl Franklin Noblett; daughters, Shelby Louise Petty and Sheila AnnAhmadi; parents, George Leonard, Sr. and Lillian Irene Brooks Hodges;brother, Delbert Hodges ....
OBIT - PARRY, DOROTHY (DOT)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Dorothy (Dot) Parry, 73, of Melbourne, Fla., and formerly ofRoanoke, Va., ...
OBIT - PADGETT, DOUGLAS AUSTIN
Feb 01, 2006 ... Douglas Austin Padgett, 91, of Vinton, went to be with the Lord,Sunday, January 29, 2006. Funeral services will be conducted 11 a.m.Wednesday at Lotz ...
OBIT - MEADOR, GEORGE ELLIOTT
Feb 01, 2006 ... George Elliott Meador, 61, of Roanoke, passed away on Monday,January 30, 2006. He was preceded in death by his father, Harry R.Meador; stepmother, Josephine D. Meador; foster parents, Jack L. andLena B. May; foster brothers, William Lewis Bracken and BuddyMcWhirt. George was born in ...
OBIT - STANLEY, JO ANN BAKER POWELL
Feb 01, 2006 ... Jo Ann Baker Powell Stanley, 40, of Roanoke, passed away FridayJanuary 27, 2006 at home. Her father, Franklin D. Baker, Sr. precededher in death. Survivors include her children, Mitchell W. Powell,Brandi E. Powell and Clara Nicole Palmer, all of Roanoke; brothersand sisters, Frank D ....
OBIT - SHARPE, EUGENE JEFFERSON (GENE)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Eugene Jefferson (Gene) Sharpe, 81, died Monday, January 30, 2006.He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Maggie Smythers Sharpe. Alsosurviving are son, Larry Sharpe (and wife, Cyndy) and daughter,Patricia Eby ( and husband, Dr. John Eby), all of Roanoke. He leavestwo grandchildren, ...