Frustration is growing for one neighborhood in Roanoke County as trains continue to block neighbors from coming and going to their homes off Layman Road.

The State Corporation Commission is giving the public a chance to weigh in on a proposed Appalachian Power rate increase.

The State Corporation Commission is reminding Virginians that open enrollment for health insurance coverage will end on Jan. 15.

Dominion Energy Virginia told state regulators this week it expects customers’ bills to increase substantially as the result of dramatic increases in fuel prices.

As Virginia-based Dominion Energy seeks to build what it calls the country’s largest offshore wind farm in the Atlantic Ocean, the company and its supporters have touted the economic development opportunities expected to accompany the 176-turbine project.

Parts of Southwest Virginia will soon start to see a new area code.

Starting in July, Appalachian Power customers will see their bill go up by around $11.

You won’t see your rate increase for the next few years. On Tuesday, the State Corporation Commission denied Appalachian Power’s request to increase rates by about $10 a month for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. The company’s authorized rate of return on equity during the three-year review period was 9.42 percent. The Commission also set a new authorized rate of return on equity of 9.2 percent. The Commission also denied a request to increase the residential basic service charge from $7.96 to $14, as well as the implementation of a residential rate design that would have charged higher rates during summer months and lower rates during the winter.

The State Corporation Commission’s moratorium on utility shutoffs ends today. The moratorium has been in place since March to protect people, who are impacted by the pandemic. The Virginia Department of Health holds a free COVID-19 testing clinic today. Congressman Morgan Griffith’s office will hold local office hours today in Southwest Virginia. Angels received $6,500 from the Humane Society of the United States to spay and neuter 100 dogs and 100 cats.

Utilities will not be cut off to Virginians not currently paying their bills for a few more weeks. In granting this extension, the Commission said it will not extend the moratorium beyond Oct. 5. The Commission wrote, “Since we first imposed the moratorium on March 16, 2020, we have warned repeatedly that this moratorium is not sustainable indefinitely. The mounting costs of unpaid bills must eventually be paid, either by the customers in arrears or by other customers who themselves may be struggling to pay their bills. The Commission said, “We hope the General Assembly uses this additional time to act on this recommendation.”

ROANOKE, Va. Current estimates predict that in 2022, there will be 0 number left in the 540 area code, according to the State Corporation Commission. Now, a new area code will be able to take its place. The relief plan approved by the SCC superimposes 826 over the same geographic footprint covered by the existing 540 area code region. In 1995, the 540 area code was created, splitting off from 703. This includes a six-month period during which calls within the 540 area code can be completed using either 7 or 10-digits.

Richard "Rip" Sullivan, D-Arlington, gestures during the House session at the Capitol Thursday, March. 5, 2020, in Richmond, Va. Sullivan is leading the floor debate on the renewable energy bills. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)RICHMOND, Va. – In a story March 5, 2020, about energy legislation, The Associated Press erroneously reported state regulators' estimate of rate increases associated with the newly approved bill. The State Corporation Commission has predicted the bill would result in a monthly minimum increase for the typical residential customer's bill of $27.80 for the years 2027-2030.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines across the country and Southwest Virginia. The woman charged in the death of Amber Ross in Roanoke County is expected to enter a guilty plea in court today. The State Corporation Commission holds a hearing today to consider rate increase requests from Roanoke Gas. The Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office will hold a ceremony today, celebrating its third reaccreditation by the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. The sheriff's office says "this is a much sought and well earned award for law enforcement agencies."