In a terrible way, the death of Tyre Nichols brings vindication to members of the Black community in Memphis who live in constant fear of the police. The fatal beating of the 29-year-old Nichols by five police officers tells the story many residents know by heart: that any encounter, includi…
STAUNTON, Va. (AP) — Blue Ridge, a mountainous area in Central Virginia with rugged ridges and rounded, weathered peaks, may not always get the attention it deserves. Still, a recent tourist attraction has many climbing on board.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A gleaming, hand-painted bronze sign reading “Veni Vidi Vici” hangs above a wall of stained paint cans, dividing a vast work floor from a second-story mezzanine.
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. (AP) — Dale Lieser believes in blooming where he’s planted.
Joe Edwards, who chronicled Tennessee news for more than 40 years as a newsman for The Associated Press and helped “Rocky Top” become a state song, has died. He was 75. Edwards' longtime AP colleague, Paul Randall Dickerson, said Edwards’ wife called him on Friday to share the news. Edwards …
Ford will return to Formula One as the engine provider for Red Bull Racing in a partnership announced Friday that begins with immediate technical support this season and engines in 2026. Red Bull powertrains and Ford will partner on the development of a hybrid power unit that will supply eng…
Officials say a sixth Memphis officer was fired Friday after an internal police investigation showed he violated multiple department policies in the violent arrest of Tyre Nichols, including rules surrounding the deployment of a stun gun. Preston Hemphill had previously been suspended as he …
Ford will return to Formula One as the engine provider for Red Bull Racing in a partnership announced Friday that begins with immediate technical support this season and engines in 2026. Red Bull powertrains and Ford will partner on the development of a hybrid power unit that will supply engines to both Red Bull and AlphaTauri when new F1 regulations begin in 2026. The American automaker dominated F1 in the late 1960s and 1970s as an engine manufacturer with Cosworth and Ford is the third most successful engine maker in F1 history with 10 constructors’ championships and 13 drivers’ championships.
Officials say a sixth Memphis officer was fired Friday after an internal police investigation showed he violated multiple department policies in the violent arrest of Tyre Nichols, including rules surrounding the deployment of a stun gun. Preston Hemphill had previously been suspended as he was investigated for his role in the Jan. 7 of Nichols, who died three days later. Five Memphis officers have already been fired and charged with second-degree murder in Nichols’ death. Hemphill was the third officer at a traffic stop that preceded the violent arrest but was not where Nichols was beaten. Body camera footage from the initial stop has Hemphill saying that he stunned Nichols and “I hope they stomp his ass.”
Memphis Zoo says giant panda Le Le has died. Zoo spokesperson Rebecca Winchester says Le Le died on Wednesday and the zoo announced the death Friday. The cause of death has yet to be determined as a medical investigation is pending. The zoo says Le Le was happy, enjoyed apples and liked to relax while covering himself with freshly shredded bamboo. Le Le was born born July 18, 1998, and had been at the zoo since 2003. He was expected to return to China soon with female panda Ya Ya as a loan agreement ended with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens.
Johnson City Press. January 29, 2023.
The federal labor board has decided that fewer than 100 employees out of thousands at Nissan’s auto assembly plant in Tennessee can hold a vote on whether to form a small union. The ruling Thursday by the National Labor Relations Board overturns a June 2021 decision by one of its regional officials that has long blocked the vote. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers sought to limit the push to about 86 tool and die technicians at Nissan’s Smyrna plant. The board’s decision comes after a Democratic board majority was installed under President Joe Biden. The union said it is discussing the ruling with the employees “to determine the best path forward.”
Sixth Memphis police officer fired for his role in arrest and beating death of Tyre Nichols.
Authorities say three Virginia college students were killed when their vehicle left a road and struck a tree in West Virginia. The Hardy County Sheriff's Office says the single-vehicle accident occurred Thursday night along West Virginia Route 259 near the Virginia border. There were five men in the vehicle, all 19-year-old students at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Three occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver and another passenger were airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Frankort State Journal. January 31, 2023.
The seashore hosted 2,862,844 visits and booked 60,973 campsites in 2022, the National Park Service says.
Three James Madison University students, including two from Richmond, were killed in a crash Thursday night in West Virginia.
At 2 p.m. Friday, the politics team of the Richmond Times-Dispatch discussed what happened this week at the Virginia General Assembly.
A North Carolina-based national leader of a motorcycle gang has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for drug trafficking, money laundering and other crimes. Court documents show Christopher Lamar Baker was sentenced in Wilmington federal court Thursday, more than four months after a jury convicted him of 17 counts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Raleigh says Baker was a leader of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, which law enforcement deems an outlaw gang for using its club for criminal enterprises. The government says the conviction was part of an ongoing organized crime and drug enforcement operation that has led to indictments against 20 people.
Joshua Dillon Haynes previously was active in local government and served on the Covington Planning Commission.
The man charged with raping and killing a Tennessee kindergarten teacher during a pre-dawn run in Memphis last year has pleaded not guilty. The Daily Memphian reports Cleotha Henderson was indicted last week on charges that include first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping. The first-degree murder charge carries a sentence of life in prison or 60 calendar years. However, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has indicated it may seek an enhanced sentence of life without parole or the death penalty. At his arraignment Friday, Henderson pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Dominion Energy’s ongoing push for yet another year of legislative tinkering with the way its rates are regulated took a surprise turn this week. A Virginia House committee on Thursday whittled down a company-backed bill ratepayer advocates have fiercely opposed. The vote came after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration weighed in publicly for the first time on the dispute, which has simmered since before this year’s legislative session officially kicked off. The measure initially contained provisions that effectively would have bumped up the company's return on equity, a measure of profitability. Those pieces are now gone from the bill. A different Senate version is advancing. Lawmakers will eventually have to reconcile any differences.
"Dutch Miller is long gone but he left a philosophy of integrity in his car dealerships"
Content by Salem Tourism. For pickers and antiques aficionados, everything old is new again, and there’s certainly plenty of charming territory to explore in the welcoming town of Salem on the northwest outskirts of Roanoke, Virginia.
6 gift ideas for the outdoorsy person in your life
Content by Jennette’s Pier, North Carolina Aquariums. If you’ve never been or if you want to return for a jaunt, here are the top five reasons why you should check out Jennette’s Pier.
The car owned by a missing 74-year-old Florida Lyft driver has been found in North Carolina and the man who was driving it is wanted in connection with a homicide last week in southwest Florida. Authorities said Friday that Gary Levin has been missing since Monday, when his family believes he picked up a customer in Palm Beach County, Florida. His red 2022 Kia Stinger was spotted in Miami that day and later in north Florida. The vehicle was then seen Thursday evening in North Carolina and driver Matthew Flores was arrested following a police chase. Flores is a suspect in a slaying that occurred nearly a week before Levin went missing.
Virginia Senate Democrats have voted down a priority measure for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would have required student and parental notification about certain scholastic awards. Youngkin sought the legislation in response to concerns about how some northern Virginia school districts delayed recognizing student achievements on a standardized test. Democrats on the Senate Education and Health Committee argued in a hearing Thursday that there was little reason to think the northern Virginia school districts’ mistakes were intentional. They raised concerns about including such specific language in the state code. Youngkin told TV station WJLA after Thursday’s vote that the proposed legislation was “just a matter of common sense.”
Tyre Nichols was brutally attacked by police in Memphis after they pulled him over Jan. 7. Video of the deadly beating was released to the public on Friday. Family and friends remember Nichols as a generous, lovable man who worked hard to be a good father to his 4-year-old son. He was passionate about photography. He was an avid skateboarder and hailed from Sacramento, California. He got stuck in Memphis during the coronavirus pandemic, but didn't mind because he was with his mother. They were close, and she says she's still in shock he won't walk through her door anymore.
Brian Vick was arrested this week on two dozen charges related to acts said to have occurred two decades ago.
Police say a Tennessee officer who was shot at a public library in Memphis while responding to a trespassing complaint remains in “extremely critical condition." Police updated the officer's condition Friday. He was hospitalized Thursday after a shooting at the Poplar-White Station Public Library. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said officers were called to the library and encountered a man who had been the subject of a trespassing complaint. The bureau said when officers attempted talking to the man, he pulled out a weapon and shot one of them. Authorities say the other officer drew his weapon, shooting and killing 28-year-old Torence Jackson Jr. of Indianapolis, who was Black. The two officers are also Black.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D- Va., on Friday announced that his guest to Tuesday’s Presidential State of the Union Address will be Bristol, Virginia resident and At-Large International Vice President of the United Mine Workers of America, James Gibbs.
The move follows recent cancellation of and social media uproar surrounding a “Build a Babe” workshop with a local drag performer teaching costume, makeup and hair design.
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