The defense has rested in the trial of Jeffery Martin Young, the Flody County man charged with killing a jogger inRoanoke County in a hit-and-run last year.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations this afternoon.
Reporter Laurence Hammack has details on what the jury heard in this morning's testimony.
Mack Trucks announced this morning that it would follow through on plans to move its production line out of the Pulaski County facility, which will cost an uncertain number of jobs at the facility. Read more here.
Author Brian Walters will sign copies of his book, "The Retreat From Moscow and Other Poems" at Books-A-Million in Blacksburg on Saturday.
For details, see our Back Cover book blog.
Virginia Tech opens its football season against Alabama. Should the Hokies be favored over the Crimson Tide?
You can cast your vote in our online poll. See the June 25 episode of the Sports TimesCast, our weekly college sports webcast.
Got something to say? Feel free to leave a comment below.
On our weekly college sports webcast, sportswriters Doug Doughty and Randy King size up Virginia Tech football and talk about that tough nonconference schedule the Hokies have for once. Randy says everything is in place for Tech to make a run at the BCS title this year -- provided the Hokies beat Alabama in the opener. If so, "that sets 'em up for a long run," he says. He thinks the toughest game after that won't be Nebraska or Miami but Georgia Tech. Given who Tech has back, "this is the year," Randy says. "This is their chance to pull it off."
See what Doug and Randy have say on the June 25 episode of the Sports TimesCast.
Want to weigh in? You can leave your comments below.
A first-degree murder charge has been reduced to involuntary manslaughter in case of a Floyd County man charged with killing a jogger in Roanoke County.
Defense attorney Neil Horn made a motion to dismiss the charges against Jeffery Martin Young, saying that Roanoke County prosecutors had not proven that Thomas Farrell was struck by Young’s Jeep. Circuit Judge William Alexander allowed the felony hit and run charge to stand, but said no evidence had been provided that showed malice or premeditation. He reduced the first-degree murder charge to involuntary manslaughter. The judge also dismissed the felony murder charge.
The trial will continue this afternoon and the defense will begin presenting evidence. The defense evidence is expected to conclude Thursday morning.
Reporter Mike Allen has more on this story.
Roanoke County prosecutors have finished presenting their evidence in the case against Jeffery Martin Young, the Floyd County man charged with first-degree murder, felony murder and felony hit-and-run in the Jan. 28, 2008, death of attorney Thomas Farrell in Roanoke County.
Defense attorney Neil Horn will begin presenting evidence once the trial resumes this afternoon. The defense evidence is expected to conclude Thursday morning.
Reporter Mike Allen has more on this story.
The Montgomery County school board voted tonight to hire Iowa-based search firm Ray and Associates to help hunt for a new superintendent.
The decision was 4-2, with Wat Hopkins and Joe Ivers dissenting. Board member David Dunkenberger was absent from the vote.
Board members said they were pleased with the firm's depth, background and diversity.
This is the same firm the board used to hire Superintendent Tiffany Anderson. They have quoted a base rate of $19,500, but associates told board members tonight that they'd be willing to negotiate a fee.
Board chairman Wendell Jones said he plans to talk with the company as soon as tomorrow.
Montgomery County's school board expects to have its new superintendent in place by early next year, and that's it.
The board has 180 days after June 30 to find a superintendent. That takes them through December.
"Rest assured, we don't plan to ask for an extension. We don't even plan to head down that road," board Chairman Wendell Jones told a representative from exeutive search firm B.W.P. Associates.
Bill Symons, that firm's senior associate, said that, ideally, the board should look to hire someone with a start date of July 1, 2010. But he said his firm could find someone by mid year, if the board desired.
The board spoke with Symons and Gary Ray and Steve Triplett, with Ray and Associates at a public meeting tonight. The two firms were among four that responded to a request for proposals to find a new superintendent.
The board's conversation with Ray and Triplett is ongoing.
On Monday night, the Radford City Council approved an increase in rates for Radford Emergency Medical Services.
Rates for Advanced Life Support 1 services increased from $400 to $520; Advanced Life Support Services 2 increased from $450 to $620 and Basic Life Support services from $200 to $360. The cost per mile of transport will stay the same at $10.
Some insurers cover the costs, but for Medicare users, the increase puts rates at 50 percent above Medicare allowable charges for advanced life support services and 100 percent of the Medicare allowable charge for basic life support services. That's up from the city's former rate of 20 percent over Medicare allowable charges.
According to documents presented at the meeting, the rate increases put Radford in line with other regional EMS services. According to report prepared by Carilion Clinic Patient Transport:
-Floyd County charges $550 for ALS 1, $650 for ALS 2, $460 for BLS and $10 for mileage.
-Pulaski County charges $561 for ALS 1, $460 for BLS and $13 for mileage. ALS 2 was listed as N/A.
-Roanoke County charges $365 for ALS 1, $580 for ALS 2, $325 for BLS and $11 for mileage.
Carilion Clinic Patient Transport is contracted by Radford Emergency Medical Services to provide emergency medical services for citizens of Radford.
