reporting in galax eamon o'meara wdbj7. liberty university president jerry falwell junior is endorsing donald trump for president. trump quickly falwell's support today, writing quote - "one of the most respected religious leaders in our nation has just endorsed me." it's a blow to the gop front-runner's biggest challenger, texas senator ted cruz. cruz launched his campaign from liberty last spring. after only 10 months of campaigning, democrat ericke cage has suspended his race for congress in the fifth district. we sat down with cage today who says it was an uphill battle to find enough funding to support his campaign and they fell short. despite his best efforts, cage says he was not able to attract the attention he was looking for from high dollar donors. cage says he will continue to work toward the values he held during his campaign including high quality education, economic prosperity and equal opportunity in rural virginia. ericke cage, former 5th district democratic candidate cancel's campaign, " obviously we would

and an image on facebook leads to death threats against a school in galax. what the owner of the page has to say about the picture. good morning, it's just after 5 o'clock on wednesday, january 27. a few stray showers early followed by a slow increase in sunshine a proposed wind farm is gaining steam. botetourt county supervisors have voted unanimously to move forward with the next planning steps for the wind farm. but as wdbj7's noell saunders reports, several peopel who live in the area still have a lot of questions about the project. a packed room with a lot of concerns about virginia's potential first commercial windfarm. botetourt county board of supervisors opened the floor at tuesday's meeting to anyone who had questions or statements. "most of time not all the time but most of the time localities are left worse off then when they started" "i don't have a problem with it, if they want to set one up in my yard they can set one up the developer, apex clean energy spoke on the project it's calling the rocky forge windfarm. the company says it is going th

look at the wind us twenty nine mylan our wind us hot springs twenty eight bluefield thirty 32 in galax with the roanoke. the last wind us thirty six miles an are you take the temperature take the wind us look what it feels like out there right now would talk about the warm weather this weekend but still been a get through this afternoon feels against only eleven in hot springs at this lunch hour eighteen bluefield feels like it's twenty three and louisburg only 29 roanoke 24 galax feels like it's thirty three is you had outside in the lynchburg area because of those strong gusty winds should weather service continues would wind advisories until for clock this afternoon for gracing county down into the north carolina mountains these aviaries we could see those wind us forty forty five miles twenty five to thirty five mylan our range and kimberly as we head through the afternoon especially late today through the evening those winds will begin to subside shift out of the south heading out of the south today, after last night's debate with a noticeably absent donald trump. as marlie hall r

(keith barker, galax city manager) looking at the people that actually responded to the facebook page, they were not local citizens, they're not local people that are familiar with the school, what we do, what we stand for. our local people people know we wouldn't support something like this. for more on this story, head over to wdbj7 dot com. the better business bureau is warning people about a new scam. a patrick county man received a letter this week, claiming to be from capital one bank. it said a final notice deadline was in effect, and to contact the office immediately to receive a prize. the signature at the bottom of the letter is that of founding father benjamin franklin. the bbb says scam attempts will often use recognizable names to appear legitimate and will often target senior citizens. it's another hit to alpha natural resources plans to lay off more than 800 miners and dozens of support staff in neighboring west virginia. 60-day warning notices were sent out on monday, with the layoffs happening around march 25th. officials say the cuts are the result of an oversupply o

thirty three in martinsville the showers along the coast 31 to 37 up in lewisburg, west virginia 35 galax and 33 in martinsville the showers along the coast today didn't invade our region did keep some clouds nearby in southside and they started up today with really quite a bit of fall and that was in lynchburg is well administered to clear out a little bit the big story for big rain was down. once again and thankfully florida's catching a little book right now after another david soaked frenetic wins in the early afternoon so showers inbound and it made it across the state line now into a charleston huntington and into they go and we'll see some of those movements of the west central highlands by tomorrow morning when it emphasize that in the overnight forecast was scattered flurries twenty six in bluefield twenty seven the galax and thirty one degrees and brought up the overnight temperatures from there we watched the progress of the clouds during the day friday and snow showers ceiling can get hung up in the mountains and don't really advance but a few snow streaks every now and then m

it happened around six thirty this morning at a walmart in galax. anyone with information is asked to call police. political takeover in iowa ... as presidential candidates squeeze in some last minute candidates from both parties were there today ... including democrats hillary clinton and bernie sanders and republicans ted cruz and marco rubio. despite donald trump's absence from last night's g-o-p debate ... fox says it was the most watched show on t-v thursday night. the iowa caucuses kicks off monday. governor terry mcauliffe announced today concealed carry permits from all 50 states will continue to be honored in the commonwealth. thanks to a deal he struck with republicans. mcauliffee says the agreement will bring about the biggest gun reforms in virginia's history. w-s-l-s 10's rob manch has the details. mcauliffe says the agreement will mean both of the bills he submitted for consideration in the general assembly concerning gun reforms are going to pass. the first of those would make it illegal for anyone with a restraining order against the

a little bit more melting going on which is what the mid to upper thirties 30s from bluefield the galax but the same in lexington lynchburg but not like at thirty nine degrees in danville at thirty eight hanging back a forty year enrollment forty two in charleston and thirty seven degrees this hour in the bristol area i satellite radar combined shows that we have low-pressure area sliding on biba because as was far enough out to sea we did not get involved in this moisture i've used primarily hugging eastern north carolina in the tidewater down to charleston as we slide down the florida show you this about three days now in a row were florida, his beginnings and with really strong weather tornadoes in southern florida couple to three days in a row we've seen that and now the heavy rains from orlando to sydney and running back toward the tampa bay area they are just getting soaked at this january a law here's the clipper it's not it does have some snow showers associated with that little drop down out of cleveland tonight by tomorrow morning it would be pretty close to our neighborhood s

get a be some pockets to the new river valley also along interstate seventy seven 77 corba or three galax were we could have thick fog in the morning so just keep data my it will burn off will have sunshine breaking back out during the afternoon that the other thing what a sherry is the high temperatures over the next couple days right in the forties about where we should be for this time of year but watch what happens by the we get were getting go right up into the fifties can be a very very warm and of the week o'shea why that comes in the plane just a second but a sprinkle possible in the morning highs upper thirties the low forties notice of the longer-range map showing and of what can happen the for the first week of february right now on the prediction center says hey will psych a good portion of the east coast will be warmer than average while the colder than average temperatures will stay on the west coast inseven-day forecast. we stay cool and then as we approach 1 february. we do warm up quite a bit with high temperatu their first acc road win of the season tonight, plus last ni

(keith barker, galax city manager) looking at the people that actually responded to the facebook page, they were not local citizens, they're not local people that are familiar with the school, what we do, what we stand for. our local people people know we wouldn't support something like this. for more on this story, head over to wdbj7 dot com. it's another hit to appalachia's coal industry. alpha natural resources plans to lay off more than 800 miners and dozens neighboring west virginia. 60-day warning notices were sent out yesterday, with the layoffs happening officials say the cuts oversupply of coal and the dramatically lower demand that's driven prices to "unsustainable levels." sprint is getting rid of 25-hundred jobs. the company says it's part of a plan to cut two-point- five-billion dollars turn business around. sprint is closing call new mexico, texas. today a government advisory group recommended all adults, including pregnant women and new mothers should be screened for depression as part of routine health care. it's because mental health issues often go unnoticed. new tre

forties head through the newer valley southwest blacksburg christiansburg radford pure lasky with bill galax low to mid forties partly sunny skies highlands greenbrier valley west virginia thirties and low first alert seven day planner the weekend is definitely for you highs in the 50s low 60s early next week man on tuesday groundhog come on one thing this is us on today or something like that would, temperatures in the upper 50s and wednesday more showers in the how much they rely on the internet. residents and businesses say they've been without internet for two weeks now. they weren't getting any answers so they wdbj7 for help, and verizon responded. tom: "we called them on the phone to check on it and they said the internet was down and they would have it back up that evening. that's been going on for two weeks. i call them everyday." o'malley: we've got so many people on the dsl network in that specific location and they're using that service so much that we've just reached capacity in that location" verizon tells us they are now expiditing the process to add new equipment and run new f

down to 37 in roanoke. 31 in galax. 31 if lewisburg and 26 this morning in hot springs. everybody else mainly above the freezing mark at this point. we'll continue to see those temperatures rebound just a touch as we go through the morning and into the afternoon. but a cool day overall with the little bit of sunshine later on mixing with some clouds. the temperatures will rebound into the 30s and low to mid40s around the region. bouncing up a little bit tomorrow and take it up a step from friday and really ramp it up heading into the weekend. we have all the details for you in the full pinpoint forecast coming up. right now. for choosing good day virginia. it's january 27, 2016 i'm january keaton and i'm kyle benjamin wfxr news is your local election headquarters.... donald trump's campaign manager says the g-o-p frontrunner is skipping the next republican debate ... hosted by fox news channel. the decision follows trump's calls for moderator megyn kelly to be removed from the debate.patricia stark has more from new york. :14-231:24-1:40 republican presidential candidate

the senator met with the executive director of the cross roads institute in galax and the pittsylvania county farm bureau. he's also talked with farm bureau constituents from carroll county about their legislative and policy priorities. senator stanley says he will continue to fight for legislation that promotes the agriculture business and the small family farm. a salem woman didn't know much about playing the virginia lottery's powerball game but that changed after her million dollar win. the lottery handed kelly a huge check this afternoon at the salem 7-11 where she bought the ticket. she aksed the clerk to give her "20-dollars of whatever the big jackpot was." one away from the record breaking 1-point- 5-billion dollar jackpot. she says she thought she had to match the numbers in the order they came out but a co- worker told her differently. kelly cox/lottery winner "she confirmed i had them all so i called my husband woke him up and told him that i've gotten five of the numbers right. he was like oh that's great baby congratulation s, how much did you win, like $1000? and i was l

lead by senator charles carrico of galax... held a news conference to go over the bills. the bills would allow ministers and other groups to refuse to participate in same-sex weddings... based on their religious convictions. the legislation also allows religious organizations to deny services for a wedding if it violates their religious beliefs. they also protect organizations from being discriminated against by state and local governments for their beliefs. critics say the bills are more than a license to discriminate. g-o-p members in the house also released their plans for education reform today. the republican delegates say this year... they will push for more choice and flexibility in education... and encourage early childhood education. the lawmakers say they also hope to reform the standards of learning... and put parents and teachers back in charge of education. while politicians talk about education ... a local education leader talks about politics at the highest level. jerry falwell junior announced his endorsement of g-o-p presidential candidate donald trump to

and went for thirty nine degrees and handle right now and forty seven degrees this afternoon towards galax improvements though on on the feasibility board fog has lifted so concerned with the slick spot, rose anymore this morning i was there they concern earlier today we're sandwiched between two systems one bringing a lot of ranging from georgia and south carolina that form will say to the south and east of moscow we are turning to our next system which is a clipper system and will sleep very fast of the masonry if you mountain snow showers for area as well as those gusting winds temperatures today will top of the low forties and we fall into the thirties and forties overnight so i am tracking a few mountain snow showers will have the virginia lottery will present 1 million dollars to a powerball winner in salem this afternoon. the ticket was point 5 billion dollar jackpot drawing at roanoke boulevard today the lottery will present the winner with her prize at the store. the presentation is at 1 o'clock. we plan to live stream it on our website, wdbj7.com happening right now the virginia

this temperatures running in the low to mid thirties and blacksburg thirty three and wytheville also galax were still stuck in the twenties and bluefield were it's quite cold of course we cool off considerably tonight been seen those clouds move in today that's can a helping to filter that sunshine just a little bed soaks i not benefiting from bright sun across most east coast now and it's can be stalling there for the next low-pressure, riding along that looks i got to the state far enough to the south of the will not impact us but will a sherry is this thing has a tropical connection all way back to the pacific with the jetstream is bring in some of the next in border there into the golf and then riding ride up the jetstream and that's a nio pattern this year partly cloudy skies will be a cold night ahead with lows in the teens and 20s we argun be deal with some icy spots of some frosty areas early tomorrow morning to is watch out for those slick spots warming up on thursday into the low forties for roanoke also the forty five in danville tomorrow and martinsville with partly cloudy skie

the galax police department investigates threats made to the chestnut creek school of the arts. the threats stem from an facebook meme meant to look like someone from the school posted it. a spokesperson says the post was not made from someone associated with the school but rather an act of retaliation after a teacher reported inappropriate posts to facebook. police are investigating. now fully staffed. as we previously reported last march ... the department lost nearly a quarter of its force to retirement or other jobs. chief todd foreman says ... the department hired eight months. he attributes the new hires to good recruitment efforts and successful job fairs. lt. todd foreman/bedfor d police department - we just had to look for the best applicants and the ones that fit best for the department and our goals and objectives. so we look for the right people the right fit chief foreman says ... it's been three years since the department was fully staffed. in news around virginia... a manhunt is underway for a suspect wanted for murder and kidnapping outside of richmond. william h

image uploaded to facebook is causing controversy and now police are investigating death threats in galax. the picture is a meme mocking ptsd for veterans. now the chestnut creek school of the arts is taking attacks over it. but the person whose page it was published on says he didn't upload it. he claims someone hacked his account trying to hurt him. the problem for the school is that his facebook page lists the city-run business as an employer. but they say those who know them know they would have nothing to do with this. keith barker/galax city manager: "looking at responded to the facebook page, they were not local citizens, they're not local people that are familiar with the school, what we do, what we stand for. our local people people know we wouldn't support something like this." for more on this story, head over to wdbj7-dot-com. a few stray showers early followed by a slow increase in sunshine today. high: 42. a few stray showers early followed by a slow increase in sunshine today. high: 42. a few stray showers early followed by a slow increase in sunshine today. high: 42. a few

it's january 27, 2016 i'm kyle benjamin and i'm january keaton police in galax are looking into online threats made those threats were made to the chestnut creek school of the arts from a facebook picture- that appears to be from someone associated with the school.officials say they are looking into whoever made the picture- and are investigating it as a crime.the picture showed bullets and suggested they were the way to cure post traumatic stress disorder. with yet another day of school delays or closings, many parents throughout central and southwest virginia are feeling the snow day blues. we found parents scrambling to pick up their kids from babysitters and daycares in lynchburg on tuesday night.tuesday marked five or even six snow days for some schools. some moms say they're forking out a lot of extra cash for the unexpected days off. amber ly "i'm a little upset because they could go two hours late. i don't understand why they're just closing it." teritta brown "the kids, of course they're enjoying it, but as far as me getting back and forth to work, the roads been hard."there a

police in galax are looking into online threats made toward a school.police say someone threatened the chestnut creek school of the arts with a photo...the photo appears to be from someone associated with the school officials say they are looking into whoever made the picture, and are investigating it as a crime. a stern warning from alpha natural resource to almost a thousand coal miners in wwst virginia. marfork coal and elk run coal will be by the end of march. the reason for the massive cuts to an already dwindling industry is a reduction in supply and demand, which has made coal prices plummet. more troubling news on the job front, this time for sprint. efforts to revamp the company will force 2-thousand people out the door.the company is is closing or cutting back call centers in new mexico, tennessee, texas, virginia and colorado.with fewer call centers operating, sprint is urging customers to handle routine business online or through the sprint zone app. restocking after the storm! how a local business cashed in during the grocery store rush. "it was found at two different loca

police in galax are looking into online threats made toward a school.police say those threats were made to the chestnut creek school of the arts from a facebook picture- that appears to be from someone associated with the school.officials say they are looking into whoever made the it as a crime. around the commonwealth-we first told you about the wythe county sheriff's department adding "in god we trust" to the back of their cruisers. and now tazewell county sheriff's have done the same thing.they posted this photo on their facebook page with the new decal.last week, they added the phrase "in god we trust" on the back of their cruisers. the sheriff says the decals were made with donations from churches and people in the community who attended concealed weapons classes. in franklin county-the first woman to lead ferrum college will retire this summer. jennifer braaten, is the 10th president of the methodist college.in a release, officials say family health issues led to her decision to step down.a committe is in the process of finding her replacement. wfxr news is your local election hea

now though it is fairly chilly upper twenties and low thirties from roanoke woodsboro in danville in galax it's thirty six degrees blacksburg thirty three in hot springs thing in the middle forties we are in for a bringing in a southerly warm fifteen to twenty degrees above average over the next look at sports this morning with some a surprising finish to the australian open women's final. onto some where the radford ladies were back in action saturday after a 2- point on tueseday. the lady highlanders trying to snap a 2- game skid, as they host unc-asheville, who sits tied atop the big south standings with liberty. radford playing inspired early. janayla white with the strong move in the post. then it's aisha foy cutting- through the lane. the bucket and the foul. the highlanders building a lead in the first quarter. check out this block from white on one end, and then she gets it ahead to jayda worthy for the finish on the other end. radford up by double-digits in the early-going, but unc asheville comes- back to win it 54-46. shifting to some 7th-seeded defeated top-seeded serena willia

danville martinsville over the keys bill area newer valley southwest floyd radford pure lasky with bill galax low to mid thirties a few snow showers driving through accumulatingsnow showers up toward the mountains a west virginia hot springs 30 new castle 37 and your wonderful first alert wtvj seven day planner sunshine for the 60s on monday groundhog day tuesday were talking but a late they shower into wednesday is another arctic front kind drives to the area knocking temperatures down by morning. authorities in mexico flew ethan couch to dallas yesterday, charges. couch was wanted for skipping out on his probation officers with his mom. he gained when he was giving ten years probation in a drunk driving crash that killed four people. prosecutors are working to get couch's case moved from juvenile court. he is now being detained in a juvenile detention center in dallas. a detention hearing is expected to be held today. some protesters are continuing the standoff over a federal nature preserve in oregon. the fbi has released new video of the deadly shooting that led to the arrest of several m

temperatures right now in the low 50s from blacksburg to galax were 49 in wytheville 52 with the fountain lake chaco danville still in the 60s at this hour 63 there over the next 12 hours temperatures slowly dropped we really don't get all that cold lower middle 40s expected overnight with work cloud cover dropping forty degrees and blacksburg forty four in martinsville three ninety covington and three eight in lexington obsolete on my starts were monday and i will help with the warm-up tomorrow afternoon clouds continue to filter rain this evening and night never next frontal system very complicated system going on out last to go through this frontal boundary tomorrow and in this storm system that impact in places like arizona and southern california will strengthen moved to the east impacting us in the middle of weeks let's hang out tomorrow's rain and motorcycle ride to his amount communities around eight a.m. and continues to move to the east haven't done so the line of showers falls apart so just if you think showers from time to time expected in the afternoon and early evening befor