We now have a copy of the actual surveillance video of the suspect in this week's bomb threats to James River High School and Eagle Rock Elementary.
This comes courtesy of the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office.
The two calls -- which warned of a bomb in the elementary school and referenced a nonspecific danger at James River -- came about 11 a.m. from a pay phone at the Unimart on Jamison Avenue in Southeast Roanoke, according to Botetourt County Sheriff Ronnie Sprinkle.
Anyone with information about this incident or the person in the security footage is asked to call the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office at 473-8230.
Thistledown Puppets provided lots of laughter and an entertaining performance to the classes at L'il Scholars Preschool on Thursday morning, November 19. Philip Hatter is both the creator and puppeteer of Thistledown puppets. The preschool is located in Fincastle Baptist Church and Jennifer Aylor is the director.
The children filed into the room excitedly noting the puppet stand in the front which contained a lion, a couple of goats, a one eyed frog, a monkey, a scruffy calico cat, a bull, a pig, a rooster, and Ebenezer Scrooge.
Hatter described how his Bull puppet show has now traveled to England and he is making puppets for people all over the world. "We actually went to Europe this year," he said about the travels with his puppets. He is making 11 more puppet Bull shows to be played in Europe. He has a comic style book published called a "Bunch of Bull." Its all about a bull who wants to be an intellectual in a city and leave the farm far behind. Thus the puppet show follows the travails of the Bull in his quest to be an intellectual.
He did a brief story line with each of his puppets even displaying the foam he formed for a new puppet. The favorites seemed to be Ebenezer Scrooge and the "goat" of Jacob Marley. The children were delighted. The Rooster sang a morning song to the tune of "Ode to Joy" and ended with a big "Cock -A-Doodle Do!'
Each child had the chance to try on a puppet. "The monkey puppet was my first puppet-my brother and I each had one growing up and used to play with them," said Hatter. He also showed the children a book about the late Jim Henson maker of the Muppets, who was an inspiration to him.
The Botetourt County Sheriff's Office has released surveillance video of a pay phone at the Unimart on Jamison Avenue in Southeast Roanoke, which is where authorities say the phone calls in Wednesday's bomb threats to James River High School and Eagle Rock Elementary originated.
The pictures were recorded by a motion-activated camera and show a male figure walking across a parking lot, toward the pay phone, at 11:05 a.m. He then heads back in the opposite direction at 11:10 a.m. The camera stops recording before the subject disappears from the frame and it remains unclear how he left the scene.
The person is wearing what appears to be dark overalls and has either a white sweatshirt hood or white stocking cap covering most of his head.
Anyone with information about this incident or the person in the security footage is asked to call the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office at 473-8230.
It's a Christmas tradition! Each year, the students at Read Mountain "adopt" several families in our area in order to provide a happy Christmas for those in temporary need of assistance. Students collect gifts and money to be delivered secretly to families, and each year the students outdo themselves in showing generosity and Christmas spirit. Last year, an anonymous
donor outside the student body asked to be a part of our program, and donated bikes to be given to our adopted families. If you do not have a student at Read Mountain Middle school, but would like to be a "Christmas Elf" and participate with us in this program, please contact our SCA sponsor, Mrs. Heidi Maust at 966-8655, or at hmaust@bcps.k12.va.us.
We'd be happy to have you join us in this wonderful Christmas event.
Submitted by Heather Simmons, Read Mountain Middle School.
6th grade band students at Read Mountain Middle school held their first band concert on Tuesday, November 16. The students, under the direction of Mr. Jamie Lawson, played 11 different songs, closing their show with Jingle Bells. This is the first performance by these middle school students, and they did an outstanding job. (As reported by unbiased parents and family members in attendance.)
Submitted by Heather Simmons, Read Mountain Middle School.
MacKenzie Tyree in her 1st season of collegiate volleyball at Div.II Carson Newman College, as the Eagles were selected Sunday night November 15 as one of the 64 teams to play in the Division 2 Championship.
Tyree, a 2009 graduate of LBHS and a Daleville resident, is a defensive specialist. She helped lead Carson Newman (22-8, 12-4 SAC) to a second place regular season finish in the South Atlantic Conference as well as runner-up in the tournament.
The Eagles are a number 4 seed in the Southeast Region and will play at Wingate University Friday Nov. 20th against Catawba College.
Tyree, on the right.
Tyree lead the Carson Newman team in serving percentages at 99% (365/370), 3rd in serving aces/gm, 2nd in serve receive percentage at 95%, and is 4th in digs/gm at 2.23.
No telling yet how much money the bomb threats today will end up costing Botetourt County, citizens, schools and the Sheriff's Office will have a price tag for additional services. The students at James River High School and Eagle Rock Elementary got sent from the respective buildings without backpacks and coats and no lunch for most.
Lunch at JRHS was just ready to serve. So what will happen to the food left in the cafeteria while the threat is searched? No doubt there's a financial loss. Gym students went out into the 45 degree temperatures in gym shorts and t- shirts. Many students had on regular shorts expecting to spend the day in side. Most who had on jeans had on short sleeve shirts and no jackets. The threat of rain hung heavy in the air.
Parents arrived at the school to pick-up students before 12:30. Those cell phones came in handy today as parents verified that a student could ride home with another parent, too. Not to mention the text messages that alerted the Botetourt View about what was transpiring at the school. Students filed off the field when a bus number was read to get on a bus to go home. Oh yes, extra Diesel fuel and additional pay to the drivers should be added to the cost.
Though they spent over an hour outside, hope springs eternal in high school youth.
Hungry from the lack of lunch and standing in the cold, many traveled with parents and each other over to the Burger King in Buchanan. When asked if the students were sad to be out of school, a resounding "No" filled the dining area." No one felt threatened or a least admitted to it. "Take our picture," shouted Taylor Statum a junior and a "Yes,"chorused through the group. The order taker seemed less than thrilled with the additional business, but imagine how the coffers will count out tonight when perhaps a hundred students and parents eventually purchased food from the fast food spot. So not everyone lost money on the bomb threat today.
Several of the seniors recalled three years ago a student wrote a bomb threat in the bathroom and a similar situation happened.
Bomb sniffing dogs and additional personnel were called into Botetourt County. The JRHS staff went back into the school after the all clear around 2:15 p.m.
Ever had a dream come true? The James River band had the time of their young lives last week when a dream came true for the musicians and flag team. The main excitement for the James River High School band students was to be participants in the annual Veteran's Day parade along 5th Avenue in NYC! They rode the subway and saw some sights of New York City. They also traveled about 1,000 miles round trip in a couple of days. Through out the lives of these talented young people, they will carry the awesome memory of marching in a New York parade --an event few can claim as an experience.
Band Director Will Divers applied for the parade position for the band last winter. The school board approved the trip in late spring and the rest so they say is history. The band members worked hard on their competition routine but always in the November 11 and the Veteran's Day parade in NYC lurked just beneath the surface. Plenty of fund raising and band booster activities from parents and well wishers helped make the dream come true for the Knights band.
On Tuesday morning, November 10, the band departed the parking lot at JRHS. Parents and principal Jamie Talbott accompanied the band to New York. On November 11, the Knights donned uniforms and marched down the streets of New York City doing their best to show their musical ability and to make Botetourt County proud. By the looks of it, they were successful. Parents along the way snapped pictures, and smiles abounded. For more pictures of the trip.
Divers remarked, "The big city was a bit intimidating, but certainly broadened the world view of those who went on the trip."
By Friday they were back in Botetourt County and off to the game at Fort Chiswell. When asked how it was the band members replied, "Great!"
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Welcome to The Notebook, the community gathering place for news and tidbits from The Botetourt View, by community journalist Cathy Benson (that's her on the left). You'll be able to find the most up-to-date news, events and stories in Botetourt County here at this blog.
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