Friday, May 17th, 2013

By: Jordan Miles jmiles@wflo.net

Prince Edward County supervisors voted this week to delay amending the county’s zoning ordinance to add a corridor overlay district.

Supervisors expressed concern with enforcement and mandatory regulations associated with the change. Supervisor Jim Wilck purposed the delayed action. He says he spoke to many landowners and real estate agents, who said the real estate market is slow. He goes on to say that this new overlay district may make it harder to sell property, pushing buyers down the road to another area outside of the county.

The purpose of the district is to protect scenic beauty and view sheds, enhance levels of transportation, and increase property values. The proposed affected ares would include parts of Farmville, Pamplin, Prospect, Rice, Tuggle, Green Bay, Meherrin, and the new Granite Falls Boulevard.

Friday, May 17th, 2013

By: Jordan Miles jmiles@wflo.net

Centra Southside Community Hospital is wrapping up its celebratory events for National Hospital Week.

Kerry Mosler is with the hospital. She says its a time to recognize the great employees that work there. She says numerous activities have been going on this week, celebrating and recognizing all of the employees at the hospital.

Friday, May 17th, 2013

By: Jordan Miles jmiles@wflo.net

In addition to National Hospital Week, it’s also National EMS Week. David Norman is a First Lieutenant with the Prince Edward County Volunteer Rescue Squad. He says it’s been a very busy year for the volunteers. Normal says the squad has ran 1,115 calls in 2013 so far, and on average, they run between 200 and 300 calls per month.

Here is the latest Virginia news from The Associated Press

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) – A Maltese-flagged coal ship anchored at Portsmouth Marine Terminal for nearly a month has lost a court battle to sail out of Virginia waters. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the ship and its crew of 20 must remain in Portsmouth while a legal battle is waged.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Republican Ken Cuccinelli is in Virginia coal country proposing cuts to taxes and regulations on energy to stimulate its growth in the state if he’s elected governor this year. He also says he’d compel the state’s ecological watchdog agency, the Department of Environmental Quality, to cushion adverse environmental findings about pending infrastructure projects with “positive indirect results” such as job creation or reduced congestion.
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) – Virginia transportation officials worked for hours to remove a huge makeshift shelter a homeless man built and lived in for 9 years. Bernard Roulston of the Virginia Department of Transportation says the structure in Arlington required 10 trucks to haul away on Monday.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) – A Colorado company developing a spaceship to take astronauts to the International Space Station is having its spacecraft undergo a series of landing-focused tests at NASA facilities in Virginia and California. Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser vehicle is designed to carry seven people and land like a plane. The Louisville, Colo.-based company is one of three chosen by NASA to develop rocket ships to take over the job of the retired space shuttle.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Longwood University softball team earned three spots on the 2013 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I All-Southeast Region Team, as announced by the NFCA on Thursday. Senior Brooke Short/Hurt, along with sophomores Megan Baltzell/Stafford and Kori Nishitomi/Kaneohe, Hawaii were each named to the All-Southeast Region First Team, based on a vote by the region’s NFCA member coaches. This marks the program’s first-ever Division I All-Region selections.  

KNOXVILLE, TENN. – The recently-crowned Big South Champion Longwood University softball team will take on host No. 7 the University of Tennessee in its first NCAA Division I Regional game on Friday, May 17 beginning at 6 p.m. in Knoxville, Tenn. 

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS – BEST OF SEVEN
Thursday’s Scores
New York 85, Indiana 75 — Indiana leads series 3-2
San Antonio 94, Golden State 82 — San Antonio wins series 4-2
Friday’s Games
No Games Scheduled

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE – STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
CONFRENCE SEMIFINALS – BEST OF SEVEN
Thursday’s Scores
Boston 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, OT — Boston leads series 1-0
Los Angeles 4, San Jose 3 — Los Angeles leads series 2-0
Friday, May 17
Ottawa at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. — Pittsburgh leads series 1-0

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Thursday’s Scores
Seattle 3, N.Y. Yankees 2
Boston 4, Tampa Bay 3
Texas 10, Detroit 4
Chicago White Sox 5, L.A. Angels 4
Friday’s Games
Houston (Lyle’s 1-1) at Pittsburgh (J.Gomez 2-0), 7:05 p.m.
Seattle (Maurer 2-5) at Cleveland (U.Jimenez 3-2), 7:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay (Hellickson 1-2) at Baltimore (Hammel 5-1), 7:05 p.m.
Toronto (Buehrle 1-2) at N.Y. Yankees (Kuroda 5-2), 7:05 p.m.
Detroit (Porcello 1-2) at Texas (Tepesch 3-3), 8:05 p.m.
Boston (Buchholz 6-0) at Minnesota (Worley 1-4), 8:10 p.m.
Chicago White Sox (Sale 4-2) at L.A. Angels (C.Wilson 3-2), 10:05 p.m.
Kansas City (Shields 2-3) at Oakland (Parker 2-5), 10:05 p.m.

NATIONAL LEAGUE
Thursday’s Scores
N.Y. Mets 5, St. Louis 2
Pittsburgh 7, Milwaukee 1
Cincinnati 5, Miami 3, 10 innings
San Francisco 8, Colorado 6
Washington 6, San Diego 2
Friday’s Games
N.Y. Mets (Harvey 4-0) at Chicago Cubs (E.Jackson 1-5), 2:20 p.m.
Cincinnati (Cingrani 2-0) at Philadelphia (Lee 4-2), 7:05 p.m.
Houston (Lyles 1-1) at Pittsburgh (J.Gomez 2-0), 7:05 p.m.
Arizona (Cahill 2-4) at Miami (Slowey 1-3), 7:10 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers (Ryu 4-2) at Atlanta (Maholm 4-4), 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee (W.Peralta 3-3) at St. Louis (J.Garcia 4-2), 8:15 p.m.
San Francisco (Bumgarner 4-1) at Colorado (J.De La Rosa 4-3), 8:40 p.m.
Washington (G.Gonzalez 3-2) at San Diego (B.Smith 0-0), 10:10 p.m.

Spurs advance, Knicks stay alive…Bruins, Kings win…Kings get local buyer
UNDATED (AP) – Tim Duncan scored 19 points and the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the NBA’s Western Conference finals against Memphis by downing the Warriors 94-82 at Golden State. And the New York Knicks have forced a Game 6 in the Eastern Conference finals as Carmelo Anthony Scored 28 points in an 85-75 win over the Indiana Pacers.

UNDATED (AP) – Brad Marchand’s goal at 15:40 of overtime allowed the Boston Bruins to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 in Game 1 of the NHL’s Eastern Conference semifinals. Dustin Brown and Trevor Lewis scored power-play goals 22 seconds apart over the final 1:43 as the Los Angeles Kings rallied to beat San Jose 4-3 and take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

UNDATED (AP) -The Sacramento Kings are another step closer to staying put. A person familiar with the deal tells the Associated Press the Maloof family has reached an agreement with a Sacramento group headed by software tycoon Vivek Ranadive. The Maloofs would sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the Kings at a total franchise valuation of $535 million.

IRVING, Texas (AP) – Keegan Bradley is the leader through one round of the PGA’s Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas. Bradley set a course record with a 10-under-60 for a three shot lead over Charl Schwartzel. Bradley’s round featured 10 birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.

LONDON (AP) – Veteran soccer player David Beckham says he will retire from professional the end of the season. The 38-year-old Englishman recently won a league title in a fourth country with a team in Paris and has two games left this season with the French club. He also played for Manchester United, Real Madrid (ray-AL’ mah-DRIHD’) and the Los Angeles Galaxy, winning titles with all three clubs.

Today: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Northeast winds around 5 mph… Becoming southeast around 5 mph this afternoon. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening…then a chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. East winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning…then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening…then a chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Northeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning…then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Southeast winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening…then a chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Monday And Monday Night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers in the morning… Then partly sunny in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 80s. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s.

Wednesday And Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s. Lows in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Thursday: Partly sunny. A chance of showers in the morning…then a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

By: Jordan Miles jmiles@wflo.net

Supervisor Parker Wheeler. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County.

The Chairman of the Cumberland Board of Supervisors unsuccessfully attempted to censure one of his fellow board members Tuesday evening.

Board Chairman David Meinhard made a motion to censure fifth district representative Parker Wheeler for what he called actions unbecoming of a board member. Meinhard said Wheeler has failed to pay his federal income taxes.

Board Chairman David Meinhard. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County.

Meinhard later withdrew his motion and made another motion to do away with the board’s code of ethics, which died on a three to two vote. Supervisor Lloyd Banks supported both motions. Banks says that all public officials have a public responsibility to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests involving their actions. He goes on to say that there is no need for a Code of Ethics if the Board is not going to adhere to it.

Wheeler said he plans on responding to the attempted action in June. He’s faced criticism recently for having an outstanding tax lien in Prince Edward.