News

Powerball Jackpot a record $600 Million
The Powerball jackpot for tomorrow night is now a record $600 million with one day to go.The previous Powerball record was $587.5 million won last November.

VA Unemployment rate drops again
The VEC says the state's jobless rate fell in April for the second consecutive month. Virginia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in April,down from 5.3 per cent in March and 5.9 percent a year ago. The national rate remained at 7.5 percent in April.

Steger Cheered at VATECH graduation today
The nearly 6000 at Virginia Tech's spring commencement ceremony heard from President Charles Steger just days after his retirement announcement.Steger was the commencement speaker today at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. During his remarks,Steger touched on his nearly 14 years as Tech President,saying that the achievements were a collective success-thanksing Tech's faculty,staff and students.
The

Explosive Device in Pastures
Virginia State Police are continuing their investigation into that explosive device that damaged a passing pickup early this morning.
The State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigationn's Appomattox Field Office with the assistance of the Augusta County Sheriff's Office,ATF and FBI,is investigating.
The driver of the vehicle,61 year old Bruce Henry of Staunton, was uninjured but his Toyota

Community College's Raise Tuition
If you attend Blue Ridge or any of the other Community Colleges in the Commonwealth -its going to cost you more.
The State Board of Community Colleges voted today to charge $5.50 more per credit hour next school year,a 4.4 per cent increase. This will cost a typical full time student an additional $165.
The Board voted to set the in state tuition and mandatory fee rate at $130 per

ADOPTION FEES GOING UP
New prices and new offerings at the Shenandoah Valley Animal Service Center in Augusta County. Starting June 1st adoption fees will increase, but that fee will now cover spaying and neutering as well as rabies shots.  If you're adoting a pet

NEW BUSINESS FOR AUGUSTA COUNTY
DASCOM AMERICAS is coming to Augusta County. DASCOM, a business printing company based in Hong Kong, will set up its U-S headquarters in the county.

OFFICER BACK ON JOB
Earlier this week we were talking about a Winchester Police officer who's gun went off on a school bus.Today, he's back on the job.

DRIVING DRUNK WITH YOUR KID
Driving drunk is one thing...driving drunk with your kid in the car is another.

GREENVILLE CRASH
A 50 year old Greenville man is at UVA Medical Center with what State Police are calling life threatening injuries.

DRUGS CAUSE WILD RIDE
It's prescription drugs being blamed for a Waynesboro woman's wild ride through town.

DASCOM Americas coming to Augusta County
DASCOM Americas,a leader in complete business printing solutions announced today that it has acquired 9.4 acres of land as a building site for its American headquarters in Augusta County.
The parent company is a diverse business conglomerate,located in Hong Kong and doing business in 86 countries around the world.
Dennis Burnett,Augusta county's Director of Economic Development says the company

Big day for local United Way
Today was the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County's Day of Caring which saw 33 business groups spread out into our community to help out local organizations.

United Way Executive Director Betsy Hay announced at their annual Day of Caring Breakfast that they collected a record setting $1,168.328 this past campaign. This is an increase of $58k.
United Way agencies in our

GANG ARREST
A high ranking member of a violent street gang wanted for murder has been arrested...in Harrisonburg. A gang task force made up of officers from the HPD and Rockingham County Sheriff's Office joined with ICE agents and the FBI to arrest Jose Leonel R

PARENTS REQUEST MORE SECURITY
Parents of students in Shenandoah County Public Schools had one major request at a series of safety forums...full time resource officers in every school.

SPECIAL PROSECUTER CALLED
A special prosecutor has been brought in to handle the case against a Shenandoah County man who brought a 2X4 into Sandy Hook Elementary School with the words "high powered rifle" written on it.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE NEARS
If you're not already registered to vote in Virginia, you better get on the stick. You;ll need to get it done by this coming Monday, May 20th, if you want to vote in the June 11th primary. Qualified residents may also apply to vote absentee

REVERSE 9-1-1 ACTIVATED
A scary phone call for folks that live in and around the 800-block of Port Republic Road. Harrisonburg Police activated the reverse 9-1-1 yesterday afternoon as they investigated a reported armed robbery. However, as the investigation unfolded, police d

MS13 murder suspect arrested in Harrisonburg
A high ranking member of a violent street gang wanted for murder has been arrested in Harrisonburg.
A gang task force made up of officers from HPD and the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office joined with ICE agents and the FBI to arrest Jose Leonel Ramos Hernandez late last week.
The alleged MS-13 street gang member has an "aggravated murder" warrant for his arrest from his native El Salvador.He

State Finances
Virginia's general revenue increased last month by 2.2 percent over April 2012 in one of the year's most significant tax collection months. This puts the state slightly ahead of its budgeted forecast 10 months through its fiscal year.This means that the Commonwealth needs to collect about $3.6 million in May and June to meet its budgeted revenue target of $16.4 million in order to finish

Steger to retire
Virginia Tech President Dr Charles Steger, who has been criticized by some of the families and others for the way he handled the 2007 campus massacre says he's retiring.
The 65 year old made the announcement today in an email. Steger says he'll remain on the job until his replacement is found. The school says that the search will begin immediately.

HOTEL SMOKING
As you plan your summer vacation a new study says there really is no such thing as a non-smoking room. Hotels that allow smoking in any guest rooms most likely have smoke in all their rooms, even those designated as non-smoking.

SERVICES FOR FOUR YEAR OLD
Funeral arrangements have been set for a four year old Waynesboro girl killed in a weekend car crash.

GUN FIRES ON SCHOOL BUS
A police officer is on administrative leave after his gun goes off on a school bus.

WYTHE MAN ARRESTED
A man who walked away from a prison work release job here in the valley has been arrested in Wythe County.

GROUP WANTS SCHOOL SAVED
Page County is being pressed to save the old high school.

LYNDHURST MAN ARRESTED
Waynesboro police have caught their man!

Suicide Rate rising
Virginia's suicide rate is the highest its been in 13 years and parts of the WSVA listening area are among the spots struggling with the issue the most.

In 2011,there were 1067 suicides in the Commonwealth,more than 12 and a half per 100,000 residents. The numbers have risen steadily since 2003 when there were 804 suicides.The rate is highest in the SW and Western parts of Virginia with

EXPECT DELAYS
At times this week, Interstate 64 will not be a viable option for traveling between the valley and Charlottesville.

FREEZE WATCH TONIGHT
The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for tonight in the Shenandaoh Valley and a Freeze Warning for Highland County Virginia and Grant, Pendleton and Mineral Counties in West Virginia.

ALL TIME HIGH
We're getting teased a bit by the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. The non-profit is telling us that it has raised an all-time record amount during its most recent fundraising campaign, but they're not telling us how much.

GAS UP
The shift in gas prices has been a little more noticeable here in the valley than the rest of the state. Triple-A says the average price of gas in Virginia moved up a penny last week from 3-35 to 3-36.

WITNESSES SOUGHT
Harrisonburg police want to know if you saw a crash yesterday. The wreck at the intersection of South Main Street

MARKET BACK
The market is back!  So says Kline May Realty in their latest report.

Karl Waizecker says April 2013 saw more residential sales in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County than any month in the past several years with the exception of June 2010.  There were 97 sales in April---a dramatic increase over prior months.
The first four months of the year saw 277 sales, the most since 2007 and a

NEW 7-ELEVEN PLANNED
The one and a quarter acre parcel on the corner of Neff Avenue and Reservoir Street in Harrisonburg has officially been sold for just over a million dollars to a Charlotte, North Carolina company. The current approved plans for the site are for a new 7-11 gas station and convenience store.

HESS ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY
Republicans will now have their choice of three candidates for Rockingham County Board of Supervisors in District 3. Connie Hess has announced her candidacy and says shell be seeking the Republican nomination along with Ken Patterson and Rick Chandler.

CREAMERY SET TO OPEN
The state says the milk is good, so the Mount Crawford Creamery will be open tomorrow.

Druggie Chased
A target of an ongoing narcotics investigation was arrested yesterday after a multi jurisdictional chase.
36 year old Charles Brown of Staunton drove off after State Police tried a traffic stop. Members of the RUSH Drug Task Force,WPD ,Staunton and State Police chased Brown from Rt 262 in Augusta County towards Staunton. As Brown entered the City,he threw a loaded pistol and a backpack with

VDOT Delayed
The weather has washed out an entire week of work on Afton Mountain.VDOT's emergency project to remove unstable soil from a slope above I-64 was suspended again for this weeek due to wet conditions.
Crews are set to go back on Monday and continue through Thursday.
Traffic between Waynesboro and Crozet will be affected.

Trial set for Boyfriend basher
A trial has been set for a Waynesboro woman accused of trying to kill her boyfriend.
June 25th has been set aside to try Lori Fay Miller. The 36 year old faces a single count of malicious wounding.
It was last October that cops were called out to an apartment on Port Republic rd and found Miller's boyfriend had been stabbed in the arm,face and back.He was airlifted to UVA Medical Center in

SUICIDES UP
Virginias suicide rate is the highest it's been in 13 years and parts of the WSVA listening are among the spots struggling with the issue the most.

NO WATER IN ELKTON
Elkton residents are hoping their morning shower goes a little bit better today.

HOSPITAL COSTS STUDIED
You hear and see commercials for hospitals because they believe that we might shop around for healthcare.  A new study says maybe we should.

EAT YOUR BREAKFAST
Breakfast does a body good. A recent study shows kids who eat a bowl of cereal in the morning are less likely to be overweight.

AG PROGRAMS GETS CASH
A program to promote agriculture here in the valley is getting some cash from the governor.

Bolling's not going!
Lt Governor Bill Bolling will not attend the state GOP convention where the party will pick their candidates for this fall's election.
The Washington Post reported today that Bolling will skip the convention in protest of the process that took the place of a statewide primary which Bolling felt woulld favor his opponent Ken Cuccinelli. Bolling in a statement said the convention disenfranchises

1st Grader leaves Ottobine Elementary
A scare that turned out ok but not before worrying everyone at Ottobine Elementary and the Rockingham Public School main office.
School Superindendent Dr Carol Fenn told 550WSVA News on Wednesday that a female first grader left the school through the backdoor sometime during the day yesterday. Fortunately she was found and returned by an Ottobine area resident without problem.
The investigation

COPPER THEFT FAILED
A New Market man is accused of making a drunken, failed effort to steal copper from a former employer.<

GOODLATTE CHALLENGED
It seems like Congressman Bob Goodlatte was just re-elected to his 11th term, but he already has a challenger should he decide to run for a 12th. Staunton City Councilman Bruce Elder