INSIDER
Say goodbye to Burnt Chimney and Henry Elementary Schools before they close
Read full article: Say goodbye to Burnt Chimney and Henry Elementary Schools before they closeFranklin County Public Schools is hosting an open house at Burnt Chimney and Henry Elementary Schools tonight at 6 pm for the community and alumni to say goodbye before they both close for good.
LIST: St. Patrick’s Day events happening in Central, Southwest Virginia
Read full article: LIST: St. Patrick’s Day events happening in Central, Southwest VirginiaSt. Patrick’s Day is this weekend, and if you’re feelin’ lucky, there are plenty of events happening across our region that’ll help you get your green on.
Franklin from 'Peanuts' gets to shine in the spotlight of a new animated Apple TV+ special
Read full article: Franklin from 'Peanuts' gets to shine in the spotlight of a new animated Apple TV+ specialThe mild-mannered Franklin — the first Black character in the “Peanuts” comic strip — gets to shine in his own animated Apple TV+ special this month in a story about friendship.
WATCH: Honoring the lives and legacies of hometown heroes for Black History Month
Read full article: WATCH: Honoring the lives and legacies of hometown heroes for Black History MonthFebruary is Black History Month, and all month long, 10 News will be telling the stories and honoring the legacies of notable figures from our region.
WATCH: Honoring the lives and legacies of hometown heroes for Black History Month
Read full article: WATCH: Honoring the lives and legacies of hometown heroes for Black History MonthFebruary is Black History Month, and all month long, 10 News will be telling the stories and honoring the legacies of notable figures from our region.
Pete Davidson admits he was high on ketamine during Aretha Franklin’s 2018 funeral in Detroit
Read full article: Pete Davidson admits he was high on ketamine during Aretha Franklin’s 2018 funeral in DetroitPete Davidson made some pretty wild admissions during his new Netflix comedy special that was recently released.
Young black bear wanders Washington D.C. neighborhood, sparking a frenzy before being captured
Read full article: Young black bear wanders Washington D.C. neighborhood, sparking a frenzy before being capturedA young black bear gave residents of a quiet northeast Washington neighborhood a start Friday morning when they woke to find a furry interloper wandering backyards and sniffing around garbage cans.
🌧️Share your weather pics with us through Pin It for a chance to be featured on TV
Read full article: 🌧️Share your weather pics with us through Pin It for a chance to be featured on TVThe unofficial start of the summer is looking pretty dreary, with widespread showers rolling across much of our region this Memorial Day.
Clinton initiative's NYC return includes Andres, Queen Rania
Read full article: Clinton initiative's NYC return includes Andres, Queen RaniaWorld Central Kitchen founder Jose Andres, Jordan’s Queen Rania, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will help relaunch the Clinton Global Initiative in September.
Virginia State Police reports nine fatal crashes over holiday weekend
Read full article: Virginia State Police reports nine fatal crashes over holiday weekendOn Tuesday, the Virginia State Police reported that nine people died in vehicle crashes over the 2022 Independence Day weekend, and four of those nine people were motorcyclists.
Virginia House of Delegates District 22 general election results on Nov. 2, 2021
Read full article: Virginia House of Delegates District 22 general election results on Nov. 2, 2021Greg Eaton (D), Kathy Byron (R), and Sarah Jerose (Libertarian) are vying for the seat in the Virginia House of Delegates District 22 race.
Virginia’s November election includes three candidate vying for House District 22
Read full article: Virginia’s November election includes three candidate vying for House District 22One local race is House District 22, which includes sections of Bedford, Campbell and Franklin Counties, as well as parts of Lynchburg.
Virginia teen accepted to 40 colleges, receives $1.6 million in scholarships
Read full article: Virginia teen accepted to 40 colleges, receives $1.6 million in scholarshipsA high school senior in Franklin is rolling in college admissions and scholarship funds as he prepares to graduate, according to WVEC.
Montgomery County bringing students back four days a week starting next month
Read full article: Montgomery County bringing students back four days a week starting next monthCHRISTIANSBURG, VA. – Students in Montgomery County schools will be back in the classroom four days a week starting in March. Tuesday’s vote came after about three hours of discussion and some outright bickering amongst school board members. AdThe board delayed the vote earlier this month to allow time for a community survey for parents, students and staff. The dissenting board members argued that the majority of teachers voted against moving to the next phase of in-person teaching. “I’m really sick and tired of living in an environment where we have to be pitted against each other, whether it was board members to board members, teachers to parents,” Gunin Kiran said.
Quite frankly, ‘Peanuts’ character Franklin had a major cultural impact
Read full article: Quite frankly, ‘Peanuts’ character Franklin had a major cultural impactIf there were ever a list of fictional beach meetings that made significant cultural impacts, then this would likely be on it. On July 31, 1968 in the famous “Peanuts” comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown and Franklin met on a beach.
Thousands without power as winter weather hits Southwest, Central Virginia
Read full article: Thousands without power as winter weather hits Southwest, Central VirginiaAEP outages as of 5 p.m.Thousands are without power as Southwest and Central Virginia are experiencing wintry weather. Below are the worst outage areas among the 2,724 Appalachian Power customers in Virginia without power:County/City Customer Outages Pulaski County 1,347 Montgomery County 500 Wythe County 162 Roanoke County 148 Giles County 144 Pittsylvania County 94 Carroll County 28 Smyth County 20 Franklin County 41 Grayson County Fewer than 5Here’s a breakdown of the Dominion Energy customers in our region without power:Charlotte County: 44Halifax County: 169Alleghany County: 36Danville officials say that 1,200 customers on Memorial Drive, Lanier Avenue, Park Avenue, Bishop Road and across the river on Piedmont Drive are without power. Here’s a breakdown of the Mecklenburg Electric customers in our region without power:Halifax County: 608Pittsylvania County: 459Here’s a breakdown of the BARC Electric Cooperative customers in our region without power:AdHighland County: 109Here’s a breakdown of the Southside Electric Cooperative customers in our region without power:
Thousands without power across southwest, central Virginia
Read full article: Thousands without power across southwest, central VirginiaAppalachian Power customers out of power on Feb. 16Thousands are still without power across southwest and central Virginia as the region braces for more winter weather Thursday. Below is a breakdown of local counties covered by Appalachian Power and the number of outages they’re experiencing:Bedford: 93Campbell: 437Floyd: 2,163Franklin: 2,887Henry: 1,114Patrick: 208Pittsylvania: 658Roanoke: 626Below is a breakdown of local counties covered by Mecklenburg Electric:Halifax: 2,602Pittsylvania: 2,070Danville Utilities is reporting 4,699 outages.
Consumer financial-hardship agreements slow but remain high
Read full article: Consumer financial-hardship agreements slow but remain highFILE - In this Oct. 1, 2020 file photo, a woman walks past a personal finance loan office in Franklin, Tenn. Overall, the hardship agreements — which can put a pause on payments or provide consumers other relief — hit their peak in May at 4.77%. TransUnion looked at auto, credit card, mortgage and unsecured personal loan products. Furthermore, TransUnion found that consumers had varying preferences of how they'd like to resume payments. Typically the length of a hardship agreement and plans to resume payments are established by the lender based on a consumer's needs.
Did you vote against removing a confederate statue? Here’s why your vote isn’t binding
Read full article: Did you vote against removing a confederate statue? Here’s why your vote isn’t bindingIn Franklin County, voters overwhelmingly said “no” to relocating a Confederate statue from the courthouse grounds. Bridgette Craighead is the founder of the Franklin County chapter of Black Lives Matter, and she said she wasn’t surprised by the result. “I also know that a lot of the white people don’t know what’s going on or why we feel so strongly about the Confederate statue," Craighead said. Leland Mitchell is the chairman in Franklin County and said he was surprised more people didn’t vote to remove it. “If they have a heart, I would hope that they would vote to remove it," Craighead said.
Record early vote leads to tranquil Election Day at polls
Read full article: Record early vote leads to tranquil Election Day at pollsAbout 103 million votes were cast before Election Day, an early voting push prompted by the pandemic. Every Election Day comes with problems as millions of people try to cast ballots simultaneously in 50 states. Those who did vote on Election Day included some who wanted to vote by mail but waited too long to request a ballot or didn’t receive their ballots in time. Anthony Medina, of Phoenix, who turned 18 four months ago, accompanied his cousin, who turned 18 on Election Day, to the polls Tuesday. “Given the difficulty election officials faced with Congress not giving them enough money, with all the disinformation and political fights — yes, I think today was an astounding success on all fronts,” McReynolds said.
Tornado warning expired for parts of Franklin, Henry, Patrick counties
Read full article: Tornado warning expired for parts of Franklin, Henry, Patrick countiesRONAOKE, Va. – The National Weather Service has expired a tornado warning for parts of Henry, Franklin and Patrick counties. The warning was originally set to expire at 3:45 p.m. This warning effected north-central Henry County, Southwestern Franklin County and Northeastern Patrick County. At 3:17 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Endicott, 7 miles southwest of Ferrum, moving east at 10 mph.
Flash flood warnings issued for Roanoke, surrounding areas
Read full article: Flash flood warnings issued for Roanoke, surrounding areasROANOKE, Va. – 4:00 p.m. update:Multiple flash flood warnings have been issued throughout the region. The warning for Roanoke and surrounding areas remains in effect until 8:15 p.m. Flash Flood WarningsThe National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for Roanoke, Salem and the surrounding areas. The warning covers all of Roanoke County and the cities of Salem and Roanoke. Within the warning areas, be aware of flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other drainage and low-lying areas.
The Memorial Day weather outlook allows many of us to finally dry out some
Read full article: The Memorial Day weather outlook allows many of us to finally dry out someThe bulk of the rain fell in Franklin and Henry Counties, where we saw the Smith River rise, flash flooding concerns, mudslides, trees down and more weather impacts. Franklin and Henry Cos. rainfall estimates (WSLS)An areal flood warning for the city of Martinsville and Henry County continues until 11 a.m. The Smith River at Martinsville is starting to drop after reaching minor flood stage last night, the highest levels we’ve seen there since 2010. We’ll start the day with clouds, but the sun should peek through during the afternoon. Memorial Day planner (WSLS)Tuesday looks pretty quiet too, but eventually, rain chances will start to creep back up.
Attempted armed robbery investigation in Franklin County
Read full article: Attempted armed robbery investigation in Franklin CountyFRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an attempted arm robbery from Saturday night. They say a man entered Hardy’s Mart on Booker T Washington Highway around 8 p.m. demanding money and had a firearm. The suspect then fled the scene; there was no vehicle present. Deputies are searching for the suspect. If you know anything call the sheriff’s office.
Giles County declared Second Amendment sanctuary after 5-0 vote
Read full article: Giles County declared Second Amendment sanctuary after 5-0 voteGILES COUNTY, Va. – Another local area has been declared a Second Amendment sanctuary. The Giles County Board of Supervisors approved it with a 5-0 vote Thursday night. Giles County joins Appomattox, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties in the designation. Franklin and Pulaski counties are considering the measure.
Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries warns of viral disease killing deer
Read full article: Virginia Department of Inland Game and Fisheries warns of viral disease killing deerLYNCHBURG, Va. - UPDATEThis time of year, the summer heat is typically gone, which means the sand flies that transmit hemorrhagic disease from deer to deer are starting to die off. "We didn't want hemorrhagic disease, but in the long term this could help us reach that deer heard reduction that we've been looking for," he explained. In fact, meat from a deer that has hemorrhagic disease is safe to eat but experts caution you shouldn't eat them if they look or act sick. According to the Department of Inland Game and Fisheries, hemorrhagic disease has been reported in 28 counties. Hunters are not at risk of getting the disease, and the disease poses no threat to humans or domestic animals.
12 counties issue burn bans due to dangerous, dry conditions
Read full article: 12 counties issue burn bans due to dangerous, dry conditionsSOUTHWEST VIRGINIA - Twelve counties across Southwest Virginia have issued burn bans due to dangerously dry conditions. Chris Thomsen, with the Virginia Department of Forestry's, said the dry conditions go deeper than the ground's surface, so putting out fires is that much harder. "A bush hog will go out and the blade will strike a rock and it will spark a fire and you don't see that if it's not this dry," Thomsen said. As long as the drought doesn't let up, neither will the burn bans. "Sooner or later we'll be out of this, it just doesn't look like it's going to be anytime soon," Thomsen said.
Billboards generate new leads in Christopher Douthat missing person case
Read full article: Billboards generate new leads in Christopher Douthat missing person caseROANOKE COUNTY, Va. - Billboards in Roanoke and Franklin counties are giving new attention to the case of a Franklin County man missing since 2013. The one on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke near the Colonial Avenue Kroger is electronic. The one in Franklin County on Highway 220 near Duncan Ford is a traditional billboard. The billboards ask anyone with information about the disappearance of Christopher Douthat to contact state police. The documents say investigators have interviewed the woman.
Woman arrested after posing as an escort on social media
Read full article: Woman arrested after posing as an escort on social mediaFRANKLIN COUNTY – A Franklin County woman was arrested after posing as an escort, police said. Tabitha D. Amos, 29, was wanted for outstanding warrants for manufacturing, possessing drugs, felony child endangerment and revocation of suspended sentence. According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began on Jan. 3 when police learned Amos had been posing as an escort on social media. She was arrested on the outstanding charges and is currently being held in the Western Virginia Regional Jail without bond. The case is currently under investigation and additional charges may be pending.
Johnny Casa race receives record turnout
Read full article: Johnny Casa race receives record turnoutROCKY MOUNT, Va – More than 250 people registered for the Johnny Casa 5K/5 miler held in Rocky Mount Saturday morning. The race had a record turnout of participants. The 5K benefits the Southern Virginia child advocacy center. More than 900 food items were donated at the race and will benefit local families in need that were identified by Rocky Mount police. 10 News anchor Jenna Zibton was the race emcee again this year.
Two arrested for meth lab at Rocky Mount motel
Read full article: Two arrested for meth lab at Rocky Mount motelROCKY MOUNT –Two people in Franklin County were arrested in connection to a meth lab at a motel in Rocky Mount. The meth lab was found at the Hometown Inn on 18059 Virgil Good Highway, deputies said. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office came to the motel to investigate the odor of marijuana coming from one of the rooms. The room was later secured and a meth lab was found inside. Henry Eric Routon and Brittany Danielle Nichols were both arrested and face charges related to the meth lab.
Man, 40, dies in head-on crash in Franklin County
Read full article: Man, 40, dies in head-on crash in Franklin CountyFRANKLIN CO., Va. – A 40-year-old Callaway man died Friday in a head-on crash on Route 40 in Franklin County, Virginia State Police said. John R. Bates, Jr. died at the scene of the crash, according to a news release from State Police. Just before 7:30 a.m., Bates -- who was behind the wheel of a 1991 Toyota Tacoma, heading west on Route 40 about three quarters of a mile west of Colonial Turnpike -- crossed the center line and hit a 1997 Ford F-250, troopers said. Troopers said Clock and Bates were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
Traffic delay on Route 122 in Franklin Co. after crash
Read full article: Traffic delay on Route 122 in Franklin Co. after crashFRANKLIN CO. – Virginia State Police and area first responders are working on the scene of an accident in Franklin County along Route 122 near Trinity Ecumenical Parish on Lakemount Drive. It happened sometime before 8:45 a.m. Saturday morning. Details about the crash are unclear at this time. Drivers should avoid that area if at all possible. WSLS 10 is working to get more details.