A third person is facing charges in connection to an active methamphetamine lab found in Salem Thursday afternoon.

Zach Crizer of The Roanoke Times has more on this story.

The driver of a sport-utility vehicle was taken to a hospital this morning after he ran off a Roanoke County road and struck two homes.

The accident happened on Kings Mill Drive.

Matt Chittum of The Roanoke Times has more on this story.

Here’s a release from Roanoke County police:

Roanoke County Police Officers responded to a single vehicle crash in the area of Kingsmill Drive and Queensmill Drive. The preliminary investigation revealed the operator of the vehicle may have suffered a medical emergency and veered off of Kingsmill Drive. After leaving the roadway, the vehicle crashed into the residence at 1648 Kingsmill Drive. The vehicle continued to travel through an adjacent yard and crashed into the basement of 1901 Queensmill Drive. Occupants of the residences were not injured due to the crashes. The driver of the vehicle was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Case is still under investigation.

National Study: Teen Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Drugs Up 33 Percent Since 2008

New, nationally projectable survey results released by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation confirmed that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime, a 33 percent increase over the past five years. The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study also found troubling data on teen misuse or abuse of prescription stimulants. One in eight teens (13 percent) now reports that they have taken the stimulants Ritalin or Adderall when it was not prescribed for them, at least once in their lifetime. The new PATS data confirm that misuse and abuse of prescription drugs is now a normalized behavior among teens:

• One in four teens (24 percent) reports having misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime (up from 18 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2012), which translates to about 5 million teens. That is a 33 percent increase over a five-year period.
• Almost one in four teens (23 percent) say their parents don’t care as much if they are caught using Rx drugs without a doctor’s prescription, compared to getting caught with illegal drugs. Of those teens who said they abused Rx medications, one in five (20 percent) has done so before age 14.
• More than a quarter of teens (27 percent) mistakenly believe that misusing and abusing prescription drugs is safer than using street drugs.
• One-third of teens (33 percent) say they believe “it’s okay to use prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them to deal with an injury, illness or physical pain.” Teens are more likely to use prescription drugs if they believe that their parents are more lenient toward prescription drug misuse or abuse compared to illegal drug abuse, and if their parents use drugs themselves.
• One in five parents (20 percent) report that they have given their teen a prescription drug that was not prescribed for them.

The PATS survey also found that 17 percent of parents do not throw away expired medications, and 14 percent of parents say that they themselves have misused or abused prescription drugs within the past year.

“Parents need to be very clear in the messages they send their kids about the misuse and abuse of prescription medications,” said Dennis White, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “It is important for parents and caregivers to set a good example in their own families. This includes using their own medicines properly, safeguarding medications in their own homes and properly disposing of unused medicines so teens won’t have easy access to them.”

– Submitted by Kathy Graham Sullivan, RAYSAC Director

A 92-year-old resident of a Salem assisted living center is in jail facing charges of malicious wounding, assault on a police officer and property damage.

Matt Chittum of The Roanoke Times has more on this story.

Submitted by Mike Stevens, City of Salem

Anne Michelle Faville was a fifth-grade teacher at G.W. Carver Elementary when she died unexpectedly in 2000.

Now, her husband has been charged with murder in connection with her death.

Zach Crizer of The Roanoke Times has more on this story.

A small section of the Greenway near Rotary Park at the intersection of Apperson Drive and Route 419 will be blocked with orange cones for the next few weeks.

Crews are replacing the traffic lights at that busy intersection.

If possible, please detour your walk around this spot, or try to begin at a different point on the Greenway until this work is finished.

Thanks for your patience during this process. Schedule is subject to change due to severe weather.

– Submitted by Mike Stevens

Local law enforcement agencies, Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Western Virginia Water Authority are partnering to collect expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at eight area locations. The public is invited to bring unused or unwanted medications to this free and anonymous event that is part of the nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” program that seeks to prevent prescription pill abuse, theft and environmental concerns.

This is the valley’s sixth such take-back event. To date, more than 5,059 pounds of prescription medications have been turned in for proper disposal, making our area one of the largest collection locations in the state. This year there will be eight collection locations: the Roanoke Civic Center parking lot, the Super Shoes parking lot on West Main Street in Salem, the Tanglewood Kroger parking lot in Roanoke County, the Daleville Kroger parking lot in Botetourt County, the Vinton Kroger parking lot on Hardy Road, the Brambleton (at Colonial Avenue) Kroger parking lot, the Bonsack Kroger parking lot and the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Station #1 on Hershberger Road.

This initiative addresses vital public safety and public health issues. Medications that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In fact, seven of the 10 most commonly abused drugs by teenagers are prescription medications.

In addition, flushing medications down the drain can result in trace amounts of pharmaceuticals showing up in our nation’s waterways. This initiative offers a safe and convenient disposal option for the valley residents.

This initiative is sponsored by RAYSAC, the Western Virginia Water Authority, Prevention Council of Roanoke County, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Roanoke County Police Department, Roanoke Police Department, Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department, Salem Police Department, Roanoke County Sheriff’s Department, Vinton Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Virginia.

By working together to provide a free, secure place to dispose of unwanted medications, the local law enforcement agencies, RAYSAC and the Western Virginia Water Authority are helping prevent drug abuse, protecting our valley’s waterways and making our communities safer.

– Submitted by Sarah Baumgardner

A woman lost control of her car on Kessler Mill Road in Salem on Monday afternoon, slamming into a parked pickup truck, forcing it to hit a house before her car own tore into the same house, officials say.

Matt Chittum of The Roanoke Times has more on this story.

Roanoke County’s Emergency Communications Center handles more than 200,000 calls each year. Later this month, the public will have an opportunity to meet the dedicated employees who answer those 9-1-1 calls that can often make the difference between life and death.

In recognition of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Roanoke County is hosting an open house at the ECC on Saturday, April 20 from 1 until 3 p.m.

The 9-1-1 dispatchers in the ECC are first responders who with emergency medical service, fire and law enforcement help to save lives, protect property and combat crime by providing cross-agency communication and public education.

Roanoke County’s ECC is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. It is one of only 63 public safety communications centers nationwide with this distinction. Furthermore, all ECC personnel are certified in CPR and have their Emergency Medical Dispatch certification by the time they finish their extensive initial training program. EMD enables a communications officer to assist citizens over the phone with medical instructions until a first responder arrives on scene. This certification saves lives.

The second week of April each year is dedicated nationally to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. This recognition was formally established by the U.S. Congress in H.J. Res. 284 in October 1991. The first Presidential Proclamation was by George H.W. Bush on March 18, 1992. This year, public safety telecommunicators will be recognized nationally April 14-20.

The ECC is located in the Public Safety Center at 5925 Cove Road in Roanoke. For more information, call 562-3265.

– Submitted by Gray Craig