What's News Today for Wednesday, June 8, 2016

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Happening today a preliminary hearing for George Chasson in Bedford County. He's charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer. Investigators say Chasson shot at a state trooper during a chase in January after a woman called 9-1-1 saying her husband was armed and threatening to go on a rampage. No one was hurt. A Bedford County judge previously granted a motion for a competency evaluation.

On average every nine days a child dies due to heatstroke in a vehicle. Today is National Child Vehicular Heatstroke Prevention and Awareness Day.  This year nine children have died from heatstroke inside vehicles.  That's a 225% increase compared to last year at the same time.  Parents who have had this happen sent a letter to the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calling for immediate action.  The families insist on technology to help prevent leaving children alone in vehicles.   Since 1990, more than 750 children have died in these preventable tragedies. An average of 37 children die needlessly every year from vehicular heatstroke.

Kroger union employees will decide today if they want accept the union contract offered by the grocery chain. As you may remember, Following two days of negotiations, Kroger reached a tentative agreement with the union. 1,100 employees that make up the union will now vote at today's meeting at the Roanoke Civic Center, at which point the details of the company's latest offer will be presented. While the details of the contract are not public, the cashiers, meat cutters and stockers work at 41 Kroger stores in the region. The union says the company's previous proposal, which Kroger described as its "last best offer," would have provided only slight wage increases and no paid sick days for store associates. It also fell short of renewing Kroger's commitment to providing health insurance for its retirees. The tentative agreement includes improvements from Kroger's previous "last best" offer in all of these areas.

Repairs begin today in downtown Roanoke after electrical equipment was damaged by a contractor that didn't work for Appalachian Power.  The repairs are for the company's underground equipment that delivers electricity in downtown Roanoke.  Work will be done overnight from 6 p.m. To 6 a.m.   Heavy equipment including a jackhammer must be used to remove asphalt and concrete.  The repairs will affect traffic and signs will be in place.  While crews are working, the eastbound lane of Campbell Ave., SE, will be closed from Wall St. to Williamson Rd. During the day, the construction area will be covered with steel plates.   Repair work could take several days.

Botetourt County Fire Chief Jeff Beckner will be remembered today at a visitation from 2PM to 4PM and 6PM to 8PM at Oakey's East Chapel on Cloverdale Road. A final tribute and memorial ceremony with full fire fighter honors will take place at First Baptist Church downtown Roanoke on Thursday at 11AM.

It's graduation day for Roanoke County seniors!   Every school but Glenvar High School has ceremonies at the Salem Civic Center.   Glenvar graduates from Highlander Stadium at 9 a.m.  If you can't attend, you can watch online with Graduation Live. There's a link on our website wsls dot com. Graduation ceremonies being held at the Salem Civic Center this year will be streamed live via the Roanoke County Public Schools Web site at: http://bit.ly/RCPSgradslive

A new restaurant will be talked about today at the Roanoke Board of Zoning Appeals.  The lot at 3326 Williamson Road NW needs to be re-zoned for a restaurant.... To serve Mexican, Honduran, and Salvadorian style foods.

Sweet Donkey Coffee in south Roanoke is looking to expand adding an area outside to sell beer, wine and lemonade at night. The coffee house has been open for more than two years and holds Friday Food Trucks and Tunes. The added space would mean draft beer would be available.

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors will be attending an economic development announcement this morning in Chatham at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex. It starts at 10:30 a.m.

The Special Olympics Torch Run continues today.  Over the last year, law enforcement officers have raised a record $1.3 million for Special Olympics, pushing their overall fundraising total to more than $18 million since the Torch Run's inception in Virginia in 1986.  Today's run starts at the Wilco Hess Station at 8:30 am. Torches across Virginia will meet in Richmond Friday ahead of the event this weekend.


About the Author:

You can see Jenna weekday mornings at the anchor desk on WSLS 10 Today from 5-7 a.m. She also leads our monthly Solutionaries Series, where we highlight the creative thinkers and doers working to make the world a better place.