4 Roanoke polling places will be relocated for Tuesday's primaryPosted Feb11, 2008 at 06:46 PMFour Roanoke polling places will be moved Tuesday due to continuing power outages at some schools, registrar Beryl Brooks announced. • Voting at Highland Park Elementary School will be moved to Jefferson Center. Since the Jefferson Center and Patrick Henry High School are existing precincts, voters at these locations are asked to be patient as the number of citizens who come to vote will be greater. Signs will be posted at the four relocated voting precincts to refer citizens to the new locations. For more information, call the Registrar's Office at 853-2281. Some traffic signals still dark due to power outagesPosted Feb11, 2008 at 06:25 PMSome traffic signals in Roanoke are still out of service tonight: • Peters Creek Road intersections from Hershberger Road to Steel Drive In addition, two school flashers on Williamson Road for the Breckinridge/Preston Park area schools have been damaged. They should be restored within the week. City trash routes will continue normally through the weekPosted Feb11, 2008 at 06:17 PMTrash collection in a few parts of Roanoke was delayed today because a few streets and about 15 alleys were blocked by downed trees and wires. The city is asking residents who have Monday collection to leave their Big Blue containers, recycling and bulk and brush at the curb; solid waste collection crews will recheck those streets on Tuesday. Routes for the rest of the week will be collected on schedule. Wednesday and Thursday routes include many alleys that are believed to be blocked. Solid waste crews will check Tuesday and report alley locations in need of tree clearing so that alley trash service can occur. Solid waste management crews will continue to collect brush from the storm a pickup-truck load at a time to provide service to as many as neighborhoods possible. Power outages reduced to 40,000Posted Feb11, 2008 at 05:56 PMAppalachian Power says some Roanoke-area customers could be without power until Friday, but the company reported that the number of outages continues to be reduced. Outages peaked at 10 p.m. Sunday with 80,000 Virginia households affected. As the sun set Monday, that had dropped to about 40,000. In a mid-day update Monday, the power company said, “Most customers should have power restored by late Thursday night, but some outages will likely extend into Friday.” Accompanying information indicated that the Roanoke area was the only one expected to have customers without power until Friday. Craig County blaze burns 1,700 acresPosted Feb11, 2008 at 05:25 PMCrews in Craig County who have been assessing a forest fire near New Castle are awaiting help from more than 100 out-of-state firefighters expected to arrive tonight, the U.S. Forest Service said. The blaze is burning 1,700 acres -- mostly national forest land -- about two miles southeast of New Castle, said public information officer Barbara Walker. No homes are threatened by the fire, which was reported about noon Sunday. The fire was sparked when a tree fell on a power line, Walker said. Crews used a helicopter today to assess the fire, and they plan to begin building fire lines Tuesday with the help of the additional firefighters, Walker said. She did not know where the firefighters are coming from. 6 polling places still without powerPosted Feb11, 2008 at 05:02 PMSunday’s wind storms knocked power out to polling places throughout the area, sending election officials scrambling to find alternate voting locations for Tuesday's presidential primary. Officials said today that as many as six polling places in the region could be affected. In Roanoke, the outages affected two voting locations: -- Raleigh Court Elementary will not be open. -- Fairview Elementary will not be open. It's not yet clear where residents who normally vote at those sites will go. Roanoke County also had to move two polling places: --Voters who vote at Masons Cove Elementary School will vote at the Masons Cove Fire and Rescue. -- Voters who vote at Mountain Pass Baptist Church in Catawba will also vote at the Masons Cove Fire and Rescue. In Botetourt County, Registrar Phyllis Dierschow said this afternoon that two polling place were without power. She said she would wait until early Tuesday morning to see whether the electricity was back. If there is no power, Diershow said the two polling places would be moved: -- Voters who vote at the Glen Wilton Volunteer Fire Department in Oriskany would vote at Eagle Rock Elementary School. -- Voters who vote at Rainbow Forest Baptist Church in Blue Ridge would vote at the Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. Roanoke County blaze reaches 2,000 acresPosted Feb11, 2008 at 04:41 PMA brush fire in Roanoke County had spread to more than 2,000 acres by this afternoon, coming within a few feet of several homes but causing more scares than damage. Although firefighters were no longer battling the fierce winds that fanned the fire when it started on Sunday, they had yet to bring it under control by mid-afternoon. "It’s so large, we have what I would call pockets of containment," said Chief Rick Burch of the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department. Continue reading "Roanoke County blaze reaches 2,000 acres" » Evening classes to be held at Virginia WesternPosted Feb11, 2008 at 03:55 PMClasses will be held at Virginia Western Community College this evening. Day classes had been canceled because of a power outage on the campus. City closes 3 recreation facilities due to power outagesPosted Feb11, 2008 at 03:45 PMThree sites operated by Roanoke Parks and Recreation are closed until further notice due to power outages: Addison Fitness Center, Mountain View Center and Mill Mountain Discovery Center. There is no estimate yet as to when the centers will reopen. For more information, contact Recreation Superintendent Michael Clark at 853-1198. Power restored to some city polling placesPosted Feb11, 2008 at 02:21 PMFive polling places in Roanoke have had their power restored. Highland Park Elementary School, William Ruffner Middle School, Windsor Hills United Methodist Church, Preston Park Recreation Center and Fishburn Park Elementary School have electricity again, according to the city registrar's office. That means that only three city polling places are still in the dark: Fairview Elementary School, Westside Elementary School and Raleigh Court Elementary School. Other polling places across the region remain without electricity on the day before the presidential primaries, however. Continue reading "Power restored to some city polling places" » Salvation Army opens shelterPosted Feb11, 2008 at 02:19 PMThe Salvation Army has opened the doors of its community center to people affected by the power outages. The center at 724 Dale Ave. S.E. offers shelter, warmth and a variety of activities for children, adults and seniors. Staff members and volunteers will also be available for counseling. Water, sewer lines expected to be repaired by this eveningPosted Feb11, 2008 at 01:38 PMWater and sewer repairs on Cove Road are now expected to be finished late this afternoon or sometime this evening, according to Sarah Baumgardner, spokeswoman for the Western Virginia Water Authority. Water and sewer mains both broke Sunday night. There is no water or sewer service between the 3000 and 3200 blocks of Cove Road and along some nearby streets, Baumgardner said. It's not known what caused the mains to break, she said. A leak from one may have caused dirt to shift and break the lines. Workers plan to first repair the deeper sewer line, then the 12-inch water main. ATV caused Bedford County fire, official saysPosted Feb11, 2008 at 12:28 PMAn all-terrain vehicle on a National Forest trail is believed to have sparked the fire that began in Bedford County Saturday and caused mandatory evacuations, according to a county emergency services spokeswoman. --Courtney Cutright Power out until Friday for somePosted Feb11, 2008 at 12:21 PMAppalachian Power says some Roanoke-area customers could be without power until Friday after Sunday’s windstorms knocked out electricity to more than 80,000 Virginia customers. Outages peaked at 10 p.m. Sunday with 80,000 households affected. As of noon Monday, that stood at 58,000. In a mid-day update today, the power company said, “Most customers should have power restored by late Thursday night, but some outages will likely extend into Friday.” Accompanying information indicated that the Roanoke area was the only one expected to have customers without power until Friday. Water main break hits Cove Road areaPosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:56 AMUtility crews are dealing with a sort of perfect storm on Cove Road. Water and sewer mains both broke Sunday night, and a power line is down, too. And the ongoing fire near Carvins Cove is not far away. Bedford County blaze up to 1,000 acresPosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:48 AMEmergency services officials estimate a forest fire in Bedford County has burned nearly 1,000 acres as of this morning. The fire began Saturday night in the Goose Creek Valley area of Montvale, in the eastern part of the county. Extremely windy conditions Sunday spread the fire and forced the evacuation of more than 500 residences. Residents seek shelter at Roanoke Civic CenterPosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:47 AMResidents displaced by power outages and fire are filling a shelter at the Roanoke Civic Center run by the American Red Cross. There are currently 25 people at the shelter, and 15 people spent the night there, according to Amy Whittaker, public relations director for the Roanoke Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. “Our biggest problem right now is to let people know that there is a shelter,” Whittaker said. The Red Cross started announcements about the shelter on local radio and television last night at 7:30 p.m. when the shelter opened. Whittaker said that the Red Cross and local emergency managers will continue to assess the shelter situation on a daily basis to determine how long to keep it open. A shelter also has opened in New Castle in Craig County. The shelter is at the fire house on Second Street. -- Jessica Marcy Roanoke County brush fire surpasses 1,000 acresPosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:39 AMFire crews from across Southwest Virginia are rushing to Roanoke County to help battle a brush fire that has now consumed more than 1,000 acres in the Loch Haven area. The fire has yet to be contained, according to an 11 a.m. update from fire and rescue officials. No homes have been lost, nor have any injuries been reported. Continue reading "Roanoke County brush fire surpasses 1,000 acres" » Polling places report power outagesPosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:18 AMAt least 18 polling places in the area are without power today, one day before the presidential primary. High winds knocked out power to eight polling places in Roanoke, four in Roanoke County, two in Franklin County and four in Botetourt County. Election officials said they are waiting for instructions from the State Board of Elections. Moving a polling place requires approval from both state officials and the U.S. Department of Justice, said Lavern Grigsby, Roanoke's deputy registrar. Power may not be completely restored until Thursday or FridayPosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:07 AMMany local residents especially in Roanoke City and Roanoke County are without power after high winds knocked down trees and sent debris into power lines Sunday, according to Appalachian Power Co. As of 11 a.m., 19,269 customers or 38 percent of the total 50,311 customers in Roanoke City are without power. In Roanoke County, 10,724 customers or 25 percent of the total 43,755 customers are without power. Continue reading "Power may not be completely restored until Thursday or Friday" » City closes Carvins CovePosted Feb11, 2008 at 11:02 AMRoanoke has temporarily closed Carvins Cove Park due to fire suppression efforts taking place near that location. Residents are asked not to come to Carvins Cove until the park reopens. For more information, please contact Roanoke Parks and Recreation at 853-2236. Firefighters extinguish small brush fire on Mill MountainPosted Feb11, 2008 at 09:58 AMA downed tree, remarkably dry conditions and an idling pickup truck combined this morning to spark a small brush fire on Mill Mountain. Workers for Construction Services, a contractor building a quarantine barn for the Mill Mountain Zoo, were driving up a gravel road about 7:20 a.m. when they slowed and stopped because of a downed tree in their path. Foreman Doug Kemp said he then noticed leaves burning behind the truck. He believes sparks from the truck probably started the fire. Wind-blown leaves had piled up in deep drifts on the road. Continue reading "Firefighters extinguish small brush fire on Mill Mountain" » |
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