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Local Newspapers Get New Owner

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:59:59 +0000

Media General announced today that it is selling 63 newspapers in Virginia including the daily News & Advance and weekly Amherst New Era-Progress and Nelson County Times. Many of the Virginia papers are assembled and printed at the Lynchburg newspaper plant by separate divisions of the company. A subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. will purchase all of the newspapers owned by Media General, with the exception of the Tampa Tribune group for an estimated $142 million. The Media General newspapers will now become part of BH Media Group. In addition, the company owns television stations across the South; the company and its subsidiaries have an estimated 260,000 employees.

Copper Thieves Target GLAD’s Manufacturing Plant

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:58:58 +0000

Like many communities across the region, Amherst has experienced a rash of copper thefts. Authorities are still investigation a costly copper theft at the Glad Manufacturing last month. Investigators say sometime before 5 p.m. April 17, someone cut through a fence at the plant and entered an electrical substation and removed copper wire, leaving more than 1,000 people without power and sending an entire shift of workers home with lost pay. The Glad break-in was the first such disruptive theft on the record in Amherst County that has seen at least a dozen since March. Scores of other thefts have been reported in counties through Central Virginia in recent months. Appalachian Power says the company spends about a $1 million a year on copper theft; The Company offers a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of copper thieves.

Man Sentenced For Selling Property That Wasn’t His

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:57:01 +0000

An Appomattox man was sentenced to seven months in jail for selling property that he did not own. Edward Hamilton, Jr. was sentenced to 12 years in prison with all but the seven months were suspended on the condition of 15 years good behavior and two years supervised probation upon release. Hamilton was convicted of four charges of obtaining money through false pretenses between June and August of last year. According to the Times Virginian, Hamilton received money along with other items for property and never received permission from the owner to sell the property.

Check Point Scheduled on Friday For Monacan Bridge

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:56:07 +0000

The Central Virginia Highway Traffic Safety Board will be holding a traffic checkpoint on Route 29 at the Monacan Bridge on Friday May 18th to kick off the Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign. The multi jurisdictional enforcement event will be held from noon until 2pm at the Monacan Bridge where Amherst and Campbell Counties and the City of Lynchburg join.

UPDATE: Rt. 460 Accident Kills D.C Man NAMES RELEASED

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:57:59 +0000

UPDATE:Virginia State Police this morning released the name of the man killed in a wreck along 460 in Thaxton yesterday. Authorities say 72 year old, John Willis Gravely of D.C., lost control of his car, crossed a median and hit a bucket truck head-on. His passenger, a 67-year-old female was transported to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. The truck’s driver, 47 year old David Ray Burnette, of Roanoke, was airlifted to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, while his passenger, 33 year old, Colby S. Powell of Troutville, was taken by ambulance. Wednesday’s accident marks the ninth fatal crash and the tenth death since April 21 in Central Virginia

One person is dead and three are injured after a Wednesday afternoon crash in Bedford County. It happened along Route 460 when the driver of a westbound Cadillac lost control of his car and went into the eastbound lanes, hitting a bucket truck head-on. The driver of the Cadillac, who was from Washington, D.C., was killed in the accident. His passenger and the two occupants of the truck were taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Train Derailment Closes Road

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:59:15 +0000

Several cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed en route to Lynchburg, leading to the closure of Route 628 in Appomattox County. Virginia State Police and Norfolk Southern officials say no one was injured and there were no hazardous materials on the train which went off the main track just before 4 p.m. It’s believed that seven empty cars derailed and although police have finished their investigation at the scene, Route 628 is expected to remain closed until at least 6:00 this morning.

Accused Drug Dealing Pair Will Not Face State Charges

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:56:58 +0000

A Lynchburg man and woman charged in the city’s largest-ever drug bust will NOT face state charges. Christopher Lee Wood and Julian “Jamaica” James are accused of dealing 4.5 million dollars worth of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, cash and firearms. The two still face federal charges.

Historic Library Remains Unsold

tina — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:55:06 +0000

The former Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg is still for sale. At an auction yesterday, bidding started at 500-thousand dollars but the only offer was 100-thousand, which the owner rejected. The 1908 building on Rivermont Avenue housed the city’s first library and is assessed at 638-thousand dollars. Owner Kevin Clauson says he’ll leave it on the market for sale.

Skin Cancer Screening Is Being Offered On Saturday

tina — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:34:08 +0000

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and local dermatologists are offing a free skin cancer screening this weekend. According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common of all cancers but if detected early and treated properly can be curable. Health officials say it is important to catch skin cancer early, an important part of catching it early is skin cancer screenings. If you haven’t had your skin checked by your physician in the past year, you’re encouraged to sign up. The screening is sponsored by the Centra Foundation and will be held on Saturday at the Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Space is limited, call 1.877.MDLINK1 to register in advance.

Bike Week Wraps Up On Friday

tina — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:32:07 +0000

The Lynchburg area Bike Week concludes on Friday with the region’s annual bike to work day. Coordinators say 58 Bike to Work Day pit stops will be open throughout the participating district and will be found in locations between D.C Maryland and Virginia. The stops offer food, entertainment and prizes for cyclists. Organizers say commuters who bike to work help reduce traffic and pollution while also getting exercise. Last year’s event attracted nearly 11,000 bicyclists and organizers say this year looks to be even bigger. For more information visit lynchburgbikeweek.com