Local news from the New River Valley

Students begin moving back into Virginia Tech residence halls Wednesday.

| Tonia Moxley

tonia.moxley@roanoke.com, 381-1675

It's that time of year.

Students are raiding Wal-Marts and Targets for those can't-do-without clip-on lamps, futon sofas and mini-fridges.

BLACKSBURG -- Intersection improvements along Prices Fork Road have been completed this month and should help with traffic flow, town officials said.

At the University City Boulevard and Prices Fork Road intersection, the work included adding a right turn lane onto University City, upgrading the traffic signals and adding pedestrian crossings at the intersection, said Brandon Steele, the town's urban transportation manager.

Black and economically disadvantaged students still aren't doing as well as their classmates in reading and math.

| Anna L. Mallory

anna.mallory@roanoke.com, 381-8627

More than half of the New River Valley's 42 schools have met the federal standard for student achievement, called adequate yearly progress, according to data the Virginia Department of Education released Thursday.

There is no evidence that the driver of the truck that collided with a cyclist was at fault, police say.

Investigators have determined that the driver of a dump truck that collided with a bicyclist on Virginia Tech's campus last month was not at fault.

The bicyclist, 61-year-old Bonnie Tinker of Portland, Ore., died at the scene of the crash that happened about 4:30 p.m. July 2.

Several Montgomery County secondary schools will host open houses on Monday prior to the first day of school on Wednesday.

They are:

Auburn High School, 5 to 7 p.m.

Auburn Middle School, 4 to 6 p.m.

A Blacksburg man was taken into custody Wednesday after Montgomery County deputies and Christiansburg police spent two and a half hours searching for him in the woods off Den Hill Road.

The search for Matthew Stephen Woods, 22, began just before noon when it was reported that he was intoxicated and possibly suicidal and had run into the woods carrying a rifle, Lt. Brian Wright with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. A gunshot was heard, Wright said.

Subscribers to Virginia Tech's electronic campus alerts system have a new option: desktop alerts.

The new system allows subscribers to download free software to desktop and laptop computers. The software constantly scans Tech's emergency notification system. When an alert item is detected, a notification pops up on the screen. An active Internet connection is required to receive timely alerts, according to a news release.

The Blacksburg Police Department is accepting applications for the fall session of its Citizen's Police Academy.

The purpose of the class is to allow participants to become familiar with and participate in the operations of the department.

A woman walking in a crosswalk was struck by a car at the entrance to a Virginia Tech parking lot Monday but wasn't seriously hurt, police said.

The incident happened about 9:30 a.m. but wasn't reported until more than two hours later, Tech police Chief Wendell Flinchum said.

School leaders say they expect a larger crowd for forums with the top candidates for the post.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Montgomery County's new superintendent must understand that the county's 20 schools are in four distinct areas and nurture the strengths of each while finding a way to unite them.

The forums are designed to help Blacksburg residents learn more about those running for town council.

BLACKSBURG -- Town residents can grab a cup of coffee and get to know candidates for town council through a series of forums that start tonight.

The "Coffee with the Candidates" forums will take place at the Easy Chair Coffee Shop in Blacksburg.

The city agrees to Montgomery County's request to increase sewer capacity along Tyler Road.

RADFORD -- A vote by city council Monday night could help lead development along Tyler Road in Montgomery County.

The council voted to approve a request from the county to increase the county's sewer capacity in Radford's facilities from 250,000 gallons to 400,000 gallons per day.

The deal that could clear the way for a new Price's Fork Elementary School still requires Gov. Kaine's approval.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Montgomery County supervisors approved a land-exchange deal Monday that moves along plans to build a new Price's Fork Elementary School.

County officials approved purchasing 16 acres from the Virginia Tech Foundation and will exchange the land for 20 acres of Virginia Tech property on Prices Fork Road.

Ground-breaking for the two-year project, which is expected to cost $30 million, is planned for mid-September.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- A Michigan company has been awarded the construction contract for the new Montgomery County courthouse.

The county's supervisors approved the $19 million contract Monday with DeVere Construction Co. of Alpena, Mich. The company also has offices in North Carolina, Arizona, Michigan and Mississippi, according to county information.

The new building will house municipal employees from various departments.

Tests of the air quality inside Blacksburg's new town hall annex have determined it safe for municipal employees, who will begin moving in today.

A nearly $2 million federal grant will help pay for an addition to the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.

BLACKSBURG -- A $1.98 million Economic Development Administration grant announced Monday will help expand the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center to nearly double its size.

The grant will be matched with another $1.98 million from the university foundation, and together the money will pay for construction of infrastructure for phase two of the research park, said U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon.

Judge William Alexander will oversee the suits by the families of two victims of the shooting.

The Virginia Supreme Court has appointed a Franklin County judge to handle the two civil suits filed by victims' families unhappy with the response to the April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech shootings.

Poor attendance and financial troubles force the owners of the nightclub to close its doors for good.

BLACKSBURG -- The owners of the Lantern, a live music venue and bar on Draper Road in Blacksburg, have closed its doors for good, citing financial trouble and a pending $750,000 lawsuit.

The "open" sign hasn't been lit since May 14. Owners Dan Chastain and Brian Turner at that time said the closure was temporary and that the venue, for sale since March, would either reopen in early August or be sold. "We had not yet had a profitable month and our money was running out," Chastain wrote in an e-mail on Wednesday. "Poor attendance and not having a mixed-drink permit were big factors."

A boat that caught fire on Claytor Lake on Sunday afternoon burned until it sank.

The fire happened about 3:30 p.m. close to a state launch ramp in the Hidden Valley area of the lake, said Tom Rundell with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Rundell, the coxswain on an auxiliary patrol, and crew member Madeline Brainard tossed an anchor into the boat's stern to keep it from floating toward other crafts and docks.

Three Radford men have been charged in connection with the vandalism of the city's new elementary school.

Marshall David Williams, Andrew Preston Black and William Russell Price, all 20, are charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony, grand larceny, felony property damage and underage possession of alcohol, according to a news release from city spokeswoman Becky Hawke.