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92.7 KISS FM Wednesday News (9/17)
LOCAL / REGIONAL NEWS
Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, will appear at UVA this afternoon with Jill Biden, wife of vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden. They will be speaking at the Virginia Women for Obama voter registration rally. The event will start at 4:50 p.m. at the Newcomb Hall Plaza, and will be open to the public. Doors will open at 3:00 p.m.
Hurricane Ike sent gas prices in the Charlottesville area as high as five dollars per gallon. One Albemarle County service station posted a price of $5.09 for regular gas Monday morning, though the shop's owner called it a short-lived mistake and soon reduced it to $4.39 a gallon. The area's average price of $3.90 per gallon of regular gas exceeded both the state average of $3.78 and the national average of $3.80, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. Monday's prices at Charlottesville-area filling stations reflected a 33-cent jump from Friday when Hurricane Ike was approaching the Texas coast. At the same time, Virginia saw an average 24-cent increase and the United States saw a 17-cent increase.
Former Gov. Mark R. Warner says America's economy is on a "rocky road" but he supports the government's decision to bail out Bear Stearns and take control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Warner, in an interview with the Daily Progress, said that he also backs the government's choice to sit on the sidelines as Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy Monday. He also suggested giving federal assistance to US auto manufacturers provided they do things such as invest in the development of highly fuel-efficient vehicles. Warner, a Democrat who is running for Senate this fall, added that any future economic stimulus proposal ought to focus less on consumer spending and more on investing in the nation's roads, railways and broadband in rural areas, and that the government should have more effective regulation of the financial industry.
Virginia authorities are promoting the state's move over'' law after another state trooper was struck while on the side of an interstate over the weekend in Hampton Roads. State law requires motorists to move over or slow down when passing emergency vehicles and personnel on the side of a road. The law allows fines up to $2,500 fine, as long as 12 months in jail or both. This year eight Virginia State Police troopers have been struck while working on the side of a Virginia interstate. Sunday a sport utility vehicle struck the patrol car of Trooper M.S. Walden following a traffic stop on Interstate 264 in Virginia Beach.
Floyd County school officials are investigating a display of pornographic images during a student club meeting. The incident occurred Friday during a Students Against Destructive Decisions club meeting at Floyd County High School. A laptop computer used during the meeting displayed several seconds of pornographic images before school officials intervened. Principal Barry Hollandsworth sent a letter to parents notifying them of the incident, which Hollandsworth said he regretted. The principal declined to comment Monday, saying the incident was under investigation. Schools Superintendent Terry Arbogast says the investigation should be completed by the end of the week.
The natural springs where Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee and tens of thousands of ordinary Virginians have soaked away their aches and pains are being restored. The Homestead resort plans to renovate the bathhouses built around the natural pools of warm mineral water known as the Jefferson Pools. The first structure was built in 1761, the second in 1836. Officials at The Homestead say they are trying to be very careful about how they handle the restorations and will bring in experts to help.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson is helping to honor the completion of Danville's King Memorial Bridge. Jackson is scheduled to attend a Thursday evening ceremony for the $14.5 million bridge that serves as the main link over the Dan River to downtown Danville. The bridge was named by the state in memory of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. Thursday's ceremony will include the addition of a historic marker and tourist walkway.
Early yesterday morning Judge Paul M. Peatross declared a mistrial in the trial of Jemel Walon Ross for manslaughter. A jury of seven women and five men couldn't agree on a verdict. The killing happened March 14, 2006, when Ross shot Gerald Everett Washington II in front of a home on Sixth Street Southwest. Washington suffered seven bullet wounds and later died at the University of Virginia Medical Center. The trial, which started last week, involved conflicting testimony from both defense and prosecution witnesses, some of whom appeared to be less than trustworthy. |
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