ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9702030003
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
Starting today, the Sunday New River Current will include a summary of some of the week's major news.
BLACKSBURG
First brawl charge dismissed
Months of media attention ended quickly Monday for Greg Melvin, a former Virginia Tech football player indicted in November in a brawl that left another student with a broken collarbone. Prosecutor Phil Keith asked that the misdemeanor assault charge against Melvin be dismissed, and a judge complied, because there was no evidence linking him to the Aug. 31 assault. Charges against seven other players are set for trial in March and April.
CHRISTIANSBURG
Police Department sued
Stella Arcaro sued the Christiansburg Police Department and Officer Alicia Smith for $5 million in federal court in Roanoke on Monday. The lawsuit alleges excessive force was used when Smith fired at Arcaro five times, striking her once in each leg, on April 27. A state police probe into the late-night shooting found that Smith acted in self-defense after Arcaro emerged from her home waving a .22-caliber rifle around.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
School budget recommended
Though its superintendent tried to avoid it, the Montgomery County School Board approved a budget that likely will require a tax increase if fully funded.
Tuesday night, the board grudgingly agreed to a 7.3 percent increase in next year's budget. Superintendent Herman Bartlett had proposed a 6.75 percent increase - which would not require a tax increase - in an effort to appease the school's funding source, the Board of Supervisors.
The $2.2 million increase will fund 19 teachers, a half-time reading teacher for each elementary school, a 3 percent salary increase and $42,000 for elementary schools with high at-risk populations.
Riner town houses criticized
Speakers at a public hearing Monday on a town-house proposal in fast-growing Riner roundly criticized the idea and said it would violate the county's 1990 comprehensive plan and zoning map. The county Planning Commission deadlocked on recommending its rejection afterward and will reconsider the matter Feb. 19 before forwarding the proposal to the Board of Supervisors for a final vote.
PULASKI
Trash plan opposition grows
Opposition continued to grow in Pulaski County to expanding the New River Resource Authority to include Montgomery County, Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg. Although Radford City Council voted for the agreement Monday, citizens opposing it addressed both the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors on Monday and Dublin Town Council on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Pulaski Town Council members expressed their misgivings about a provision equalizing NRRA board membership among the Montgomery County localities, the Pulaski County localities and Radford. Pulaski County and Dublin now hold three of the five board memberships. Opponents of the new agreement want Pulaski County to keep its majority control of the new landfill, which is located in the county.
RADFORD
Renovation back on table
City Council members on Monday praised a new plan to renovate the Municipal Building for $2.47 million rather than building an all-new courthouse for more. Based on that praise, it is possible council will rescind its December vote for a new courthouse at its Feb. 10 meeting and pursue the new, cheaper plan.
VIRGINIA TECH
Proposals move through
Faculty should have a better idea this week whether they're closer to earning 6 percent more next year, instead of 2 percent as currently budgeted. The legislative money committees complete their work tonight, which also means Virginia Tech can gauge how its other requests have fared. Among them: $5 million for the $25 million advanced information technology building - complete with skybridge spanning The Mall - slated for a likely groundbreaking later this year, and $5.2 million to make up for 1,005 Virginia students the state hasn't subsidized in recent years. The university's also looking for $2.4 million to fund programs both here and in Northern Virginia.
RADFORD UNIVERSITY
Covington's team now in place
David A. Burdette will start work Feb. 17 as Radford University's new chief financial officer, replacing Charles King, who left six months ago to take a similar post at James Madison University. Burdette's arrival will mean President Douglas Covington has placed his own hires in key management jobs including vice president for academic affairs and director of admissions.
For electronic versions of these and many other stories, see the New River Current and The Roanoke Times on line.
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