WBTM Weather.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows around 63.

Saturday & Sunday: Sunny and cooler with a high of 83. Lows down to 53.

Labor Day: Sunny, with a high of 88. Low around 60.

Tuesday: Sunny and warmer. A high of 91. Lows around 63.

Friday, September 3rd, 2010 --  nighttime update
Reported by: Chuck Vipperman  & Jack Garrett

Essel Propack to expand, again:
(Danville, Va.) -- Essel Propack has announced plans to begin construction of a $10 million consolidation project, which will result in the expansion of their existing building in Airside Industrial Park. Essel will consolidate its production with that of Arista Tubes to increase efficiency and capacity in anticipation of "future business contracts that will lead to possible announcements of job opportunities." The news  release does not indicate whether the consolidation will mean additional employment at the Danville facility, which makes seamless tubes for the toothpaste, pharmaceuticals, food and industrial sectors. The company is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Danville Mayor Sherman Saunders praised the announcement, noting this is the fourth time Essel has expanded operations locally. Essel Propack chose Danville for its first U.S. manufacturing facility in 2002. The company is located on Cane Creek Boulevard.     

Democrats to rally in Danville:
(Danville, Va.) -- 5^th District Congressman Tom Perriello (pictured, left) and U.S. Senator Jim Webb (right) will hold what's being dubbed a "Rally for American Jobs" in Danville on Labor Day. The rally will be held Monday at 12:30 at the Community Market on Craghead Street. According to a press release, Perriello and Webb with be joined by workers who have lost their jobs to outsourcing. The two say their message will be "never again" to bad trade deals and tax breaks that reward companies for shipping jobs overseas. Rep. Perriello and Sen. Webb say they will discuss measures to promote jobs and economic growth in Southside during Monday's rally. Perriello is locked in a tight race with Republican challenger Robert Hurt, who leads the incumbent in recent polls.  

Robert Hurt widens lead in new poll:
(Roanoke, Va.) -- A new poll shows Robert Hurt with an even greater lead in the 5th District Congressional race. The poll of 581 likely voters indicates that the Republican challenger would defeat Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello 61 percent to 35 percent. Hurt has increased his lead over Perriello by three points since the last survey was conducted six weeks ago. The commanding lead follows a media blitz by the freshman Democrat, who has already run two television commercials. Hurt is also airing a commercial that is in heavy rotation on stations throughout the district.    Independent candidate Jeff Clark was the choice of just two percent of those surveyed. The News7 Survey-USA poll has a sampling error of plus or minus four percent.

United Way changes strategy:
(Danville, Va.) --The United Way's 2010 campaign begins Friday. Executive Director Patrick Jinks (pictured, left) says – since 1922 – over $40 million has been raised through the efforts of local volunteers. But the campaign has fallen short of its one million dollar goal during each of the past three years. So, Jinks says they plan to change strategy this year. Instead of setting a dollar goal, organizers are hoping to enlist 1,000 first-time contributors. And the organization has set a three-year target of bringing the annual amount above the million-dollar mark. And, rather than name a campaign chairman, the organization has named a business -- Carter Bank and Trust -- as the 2010 Community Campaign Chair. The average amount raised by United Way since 1989 is $1.1 million, but in the last three years the average has fallen below one million dollars. Jinks says the annual campaign has been hurt by job losses and a reduction in payroll contributions.

Hurricane Earl batters the Outer Banks.
( photo courtesy John Howard)

Hurricane Earl loses steam:
(Miami) (AP) -- Hurricane Earl is weakening another notch but remains a Category 1 storm as it heads for New England after brushing North Carolina. Forecasters say most of Earl's hurricane-force winds are expected to stay offshore of Cape Cod.
But just a slight deviation in Earl's track could bring those winds onshore. Earl is now carrying 80 mile-an-hour winds on a track that would take it very near or just east of Cape Cod Friday night.

N.C. 12 to reopen Saturday:
(Nags Head, N.C.) (AP) -- North Carolina transportation officials say the major link between the Outer Banks and the mainland will reopen Saturday morning.
The state Department of Transportation announced Friday afternoon that N.C. Highway 12 connecting Hatteras Island to the rest of North Carolina is to open at 7 a.m. The road has been closed in both directions south of the Bonner Bridge because of water and sand blown from Hurricane Earl. Workers are clearing the road using bulldozers and allowing water to drain.

Students tout summer programs:
(Danville, Va.) -- It was a summer of learning for nearly 150 Danville public school students. All were enrolled in one of three summer “enrichment activities” offered through the school system. Students in each of the study programs addressed members of the local school board Thursday night. Superintendent Dr. Sue Davis says the offerings included a residential governor’s school, which linked students with major universities. And, at W. Townes Lea School Elementary School,  students participated  in a the critical-thinking “Camp Invention” program. Also, three dozen students took part in the Piedmont Regional Governor's School. 

More research money for the Institute:
(Danville, Va.) -- The U-S Department of Energy is sending more than $730 thousand for cutting-edge research at the Institute in Danville. The money will pay for research into plants that can be converted into bio-fuels. Fifth District Congressman Tom Perriello and Senator Mark Warner says the Institute's track record, along with Southside's rich agriculture history were key components in claiming the grant. The grant is part of a nearly $9 million program through the Department of Education's Office of Science.

Farmer's market coming to Pittsylvania County:
(Chatham, Va.) -- The new Ag complex that's being built north of Chatham will now include a farmer's market. That's thanks to a $100 thousand grant from the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Enterprise program. The Olde Dominion Agricultural Foundation hopes to complete the building later this year. The facility will include office space, an indoor arena, and a 500 seat conference center. It will serve as the new home of the Pittsylvania County Ag Development Office.

Police seek shooter:
(Martinsville, Va.)  -- Authorities have identified the man they say shot Kenneth Wayne Booth. Henry County Sheriff's investigators say 31-year-old Corey Jermaine Hairston shot and killed Kenneth Wayne Booth. The 51-year-old was found dead at the end of a driveway in Ridgeway August 28th. Hairston is about five-foot-nine, 180 pounds, and had his hair in dreadlocks the last time he was seen. If you've seen Hairston, call the Henry County Sheriff's Office at 276-638-8751.  

Rockingham County investigators take John Michael Kasten into custody. 

Son charged with murder/arson in mother's death:
(Rockingham County, N.C.) -- A Stoneville woman was found dead in her burning home Wednesday and authorities have arrested her son. Rockingham county deputies were called to a home on Ridge Crest Drive just after 10 am by neighbors who feared for the safety of the woman who lived there. When deputies arrived, they found the home in flames and the body of 57-year-old Carla Kasten inside.  Investigators say the woman had been beaten, but her exact cause of death is still under investigation. Investigators found 31-year-old John Michael Kasten, the victim's son, naked in the back yard.  When officers ordered him to stop, he tried to run away, so they shot him with a taser gun. Kasten was examined at the hospital, then taken to the Rockingham County Sheriff's office for questioning.  He was later charged with first degree murder, arson, and resisting arrest.  He's being held without bond in the Rockingham County Detention Facility.

Fire at the site of a weekend murder:
(Henry County, Va.) -- Henry County sheriff's investigators are still trying to determine if a mobile home fire was related to the murder of a man whose body was found near the trailer three days before it burned. A sheriff's spokesman says investigators have yet to make that determination. The body of 51-year-old Kenneth Wayne Booth of Eden, N.C. was found in the driveway of a Ridgeway residence on Saturday. The mobile home was gutted by fire on Tuesday. Information on the fire's cause has not been released. The trailer was the home of 45-year-old Mark Anthony Vernon, who has since been charged with possession of stolen property and possession of ammunition as a convicted felon. Investigators found a stolen ATV in the backyard of the home and said at the time that Vernon was also a suspect in the homicide. Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry said Booth died from a gunshot wound. It's believed Booth traveled from Eden to Ridgeway to visit Vernon. Police have said only that the two men knew each other.

DMV offices up and running again:
(Richmond, Va.) -- State officials say the computer system failure that shut down Virginia's DMV's and 25 other agencies for a week has finally been fixed. DMV's across the state have been unable to process drivers license renewals since August 25^th, but a press release from the Governor's office says the offices should be fully functional Thursday. The DMV estimates that as many as 45-thousand customers have been unable to get new drivers' licenses or ID cards since a major data storage system failed affecting 26 of the Commonwealth's 89 agencies. Governor Bob McDonnell has called for an inquiry into the computer failure at the Virginia Information Technologies  Agency in Chester, where 400 servers failed when two circuit boards crashed.

Supervisors oppose strip club:
(Chatham, Va.) -- Pittsylvania county leaders say a topless bar is the last thing the area needs and they'll consider an ordinance preventing it at their Tuesday meeting. The issue came to light, according to the Chatham Star-Tribune, when Odie Shelton, the county's director of code compliance, was contacted by Michael Lee Lewis of Glenwood, Maryland. Lewis told Shelton that he wants to open a topless bar or a private club with waitresses in bikinis in the former "Three Red Barns and Dominic's Restaurant" location on US 29. The long-vacant property is owned by J. D. Compton, who told reporters that he wanted no part of such a venture and –quote – "that it would ruin the property forever." Since the county's Zoning ordinance does not specifically prohibit topless bars or nude dancing, Westover District Supervisor Coy Harville has drafted a proposed ordinance on – "morals, decency, and community standards," that he believes will prevent such adult entertainment ventures. The Maryland entrepreneur told county officials he was also looking at property in Pelham.

Cold case cleared with DNA evidence:
(Danville, Va.) -- A suspect in a 2004 robbery entered guilty pleas to three charges Wednesday in Danville Circuit Court. According to the Danville Register and Bee, Issiah Bernard Johnson, 24, of Yanceyville, N.C., pleaded guilty to the charges relating to a robbery  in 2004. The charges include armed robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and wearing a mask in certain places. During the proceeding, Circuit Court Judge David Melesco asked Johnson a series of questions to make sure he knew that by pleading guilty he waived the right to a trial. He said he did. Johnson and two others are accused of holding up the Sunrise Store on South Main Street on Aug. 12, 2004. Around midnight that night, three masked men entered store, grabbed the female cashier, held her at gunpoint and asked her to open the register, said Coleman Adams, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. Before she had a chance to open it she was pushed to the floor but witnessed one of the men take an undisclosed amount of money, Adams said. When Danville police arrived at the scene, a K9 unit was able to track the suspects, who fled on foot. The trail led to a ski mask, which was collected and sent to the Department of Forensic Science in Roanoke, Adams said. Investigators there found DNA on the mask, which they then ran through a national databank. This registered a hit from a jail in Caswell County, N.C., where Johnson was serving time. Investigators obtained a warrant, but also had Johnson’s consent to take a swab from his mouth. The sample from the swab matched the DNA from the mask and linked Johnson to the robbery. He was arrested in May 2010. Johnson’s sentencing hearing will be Oct. 29.

Former sheriff's deputy convicted of perjury:
(Martinsville, Va.) -- A former Henry County sheriff's deputy faces up to ten years in prison for lying under oath. 58-year-old Mary Lois Markland was convicted this week of lying under oath.  She had given a cigarette to an inmate, but later denied it at a special grand jury hearing. In convicting her this week, the judge told Markland that lying about the act was worse than the act itself. The charge resulted from an investigation into unprofessional and even criminal conduct at the Henry County jail dating back to 2004. Markland is set for sentencing on October 28^th.

Jobless rates remain high on the Southside in July:
(Danville, Va.) -- Southside's jobless rates are still the highest in Virginia, but held steady in July. The just-released report from the Virginia Employment Commission shows the Danville metropolitan area with a 12.2 percent unemployment rate. That was the highest among Virginia's ten metro areas, but virtually unchanged from a year ago. Martinsville's jobless rate of 20.6 percent was highest among Virginia's cities and counties; however, the figure dropped three-tenths percent from July 2009. Henry county's 14 percent rate was the state's fifth-highest, while Danville placed fourth-highest in the Commonwealth. Halifax and Pittsylvania Counties were also in double-digits during July.

Averett named a "military friendly" school:
(Danville, Va.) -- Averett University in Danville has been named a "military friendly" school for 2011 by G.I. Jobs magazine. The ranking places Averett in the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that are doing the most to help members of the military and veterans as students. Averett registrar Janet Roberson says the designation will help Averett attract even more students to the liberal-arts school, since the college will receive recognition through military publications and websites. Roberson says Averett was recognized for participating in a number of offerings aimed at military personnel, including the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is part of the new G.I. Bill. Averett also offers an accelerated format toward bachelor and master of business administration degrees at the Marine Corps Base at Quantico -- classes are held in the education center.

Highway workers struck on US 29:
(Blairs, Va.) -- A highway worker standing in a work zone was critically injured Tuesday afternoon on U.S. 29 at Blairs.  He and a co-worker were struck by a brown Chevrolet.  Northbound traffic was re-routed as rescue personnel and Virginia State Police responded at around 4:15 p.m. Two workmen were injured. A 50-year-old male from Roanoke suffered trauma to a leg and was taken from the scene by helicopter to Lynchburg General Hospital. The other workman's injuries were not life-threatening. He was taken to Danville Regional Medical Center. Their employer says both are improving. State police say alcohol was a factor. Charges are pending against the driver, who lives in Danville.

Danville woman sentenced in stabbing death:
(Danville, Va.) -- A Danville woman will spend seven-and-a-half years in jail for stabbing her boyfriend to death earlier this year. Officers were called to a trailer park on Longview avenue off of Westover drive, shortly after midnight January 22^nd. They found 32-year old Derrick Lawson suffering from a stab wound to the chest. He later died at Danville Regional Medical Center. 27-year old Toni Danielle Reese was picked up later in the day and charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and was sentenced Tuesday.

Governor visits struggling Southside company:
(Martinsville, Va.) -- An Ohio-based metals manufacturer got a visit from the Governor Tuesday, less than a month after pushing back the projected start-up date for a new plant in Henry County. Governor Bob McDonnell met with R.T. I. officials to get an update on their revised plans. The company will now begin production in mid-2012, not later this year. Officials blame delays in orders from some of their vendors. Henry County officials estimate R.T. I. has already spent $70 million renovating a shell building in the Patriot Centre Industrial Park; and they have already begun hiring some managers. The factory hopes to employ 150 workers when R.T. I. begin metal fabrication production.

AAA projects busier Labor Day travel:
(Richmond, VA) -- Nearly 930,000 Virginians will travel fifty or more miles from home this Labor Day weekend. That's according to Martha Meade with Triple-A Mid-Atlantic in Richmond. She says that represents a nearly nine percent increase from a year ago, suggesting more confidence in the economy. But Meade cautions Hurricane Earl could put a crimp into some travel plans. The agency says gas prices are steady compared to a year ago, but other travel costs have risen slightly.

Local Foundation receives large, unexpected gift:
(Danville, VA) -- A Danville electrician who died last December will leave quite a mark in the community. Roy L. Doss (pictured, left) left nearly $1.4 million dollars to the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region. Executive Director Debra Doss says this boosts the Foundation's total assets to nearly $20 million dollars. Dodson says she never met Mister Doss, but the Foundation did sell him a brick for the local Veteran's Memorial several years ago. Dodson says the money will be available to scholarship recipients beginning with their next cycle in February, and will add about $50,000 to each payout.

Recently, the American Legion Post 1097 donated funds to enable the Danville Sheriff’s Office to put American Flag decals on all vehicles in the fleet.  Pictured from left to right: American Legion Post Commander Melvin Scott, Sons of the American Legion Commander Doug Ferrell, Sheriff Mike Mondul, and Post Adjutant Ray Barbour.

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