well, that is the topic of discussion right now with the lynchburg city school system. the school system has just released the results of a survey they conducted last fall on culture and climate within the perceptions between students and teachers and parents. suri crowe is at the lynchburg city school administration building to break it down for usbuilding to break it down for us. >> reporter: well, danner, the results are troubleresults are troubling to the woman in charge of student engagement that presented the results of this survey to the school board last night. ethel reed is the director of engagement and activity for lcs and says there is clearly -- there is clearly a communication gap going on. 2800 students took the online survey and 495 parent did and asked to respond to statements regarding school climate including statements on respect toward teachers, and here is where perceptions are wildly liferdifferent. 91% of parents agree that the statements that my child respects his or her teacher but 33 bernanke33% of elementary school students and just 20% of hi

hill city leaders say it's going poverty in lynchburg. last year, city council set aside 50-thousand dollars as poverty initiative funding. another 50- thousand is proposed in the 20-17 budget. as wsls 10's rachel lucas found out, the poverty problem has been handed down from one generation to the next. the issue of poverty has now come to forefront for lynchburg city council. a new study shows that lynchburg has a 24-percent poverty rate. that's higher than the state and the national average. 7:32:20:09 "city council is very concerned this number is going to rise." a quarter of those who live in lynchburg are living in poverty - a number that city council woman joan foster says they can no longer ignore. 7:34:19:16 issue. not only does it affect our children, it affects families. it affects individuals." according to the study at u- v-a - it's a learned lifestyle. twenty percent of those currently living in poverty, grew up in poverty. a vicious cycle foster is working to change. 7:32:07;18 "it's generational, its been there for a while.

abc 13 learned that the lynchburg city council is giving its blessing to the group buying.. and promising to keep the hillcats here. council voted 7 to nothing.. on a lease deal between the lynchburg baseball corporation and the new owners.. the elmore sports group. it means the hillcats minor- league baseball team will stay put for at least 10 years.. with additional 5-year renewals. stadium, field and parking improvements are part of the deal. 3 mark box tonight.. the popular energy drink maker.. "monster".. is under fire.. for reports it targets children. doctors are warning of "life-altering" effects involving monster energy drinks. this follows several lawsuits that were filed against the company for targeting children.. and for its "proprietary blend" of ingredients *not* regulated by the fda. among the 23 ingredients in monster that pediatricians are most taurine, and guarana. "it can cause cardiac problems. so, there have been cases in which children end up in the emergency room. if not, i've actually heard of a recent case of a child dying from a caffeine overdose."mark box it ca

city. and he isn't ruling out another run for roanoke mayor in the future. the daughter of a former lynchburg mayor is hoping to land a seat on the same elected body where her father once served. charleta mason is running for the ward city council. she announced her candidacy at this afternoon. daughter of m-w "teedy" thornhill, who served on lynchburg city council from 1976 until 1992 and was the city's first african american mayor. while she's new to politics, mason says she learned a lot from her father's time in office. charleta mason/lynchburg city council candidate: "while some may view my entry into the political arena as walking in my father's footsteps, i would suggest that my background has instead cultivated and prepared me for this moment." mason currently works with her family funeral business and volunteers with various community organizations. helgeson, who has represented ward iii on city council since 2004. there's just one more day until republican presidential candidate will have their caucus in nevada.. this past weekend's results in south carolina have made it virtuallt a

hill city leaders say it will take more than money to address poverty in lynchburg. last year, city council set aside 50-thousand dollars as poverty initiative funding. wsls 10's rachel lucas reports. the issue of poverty has now come to forefront for lynchburg city council. a new study shows that lynchburg has a 24-percent poverty rate. that's higher than the state and the national average. lynchburg are living in poverty - a number that city council woman joan ignore. according to the study at u- v-a - it's a learned those currently living a vicious cycle 7:32:07;18 "it's generational, its been there for a while. of that number 20 percent, 30 percent are children. that is a other city council leaders are working to set up a steering committee and set up their first strategic planning meeting. in starting today ... parents in rocky mount won't have to drive far to access healthcare for their children. the new office is on south main street. for over a year ... parents had to drive to either roanoke or westlake for a pediatrician after the only pediatrician in town de

students and parents in lynchburg city schools will learn about dual enrollment programs for juniors and seniors. students can earn credit toward their high school diplomas... and receive their associate of arts and sciences degree in general studies. # martinsville city council discusses how to pay for its sewer interceptor project. the city is exploring 10 million dollars in bonds to pay for if council approves the measure tonight... there will be another vote at the next meeting in two weeks.# lynchburg city council is expected to finalize the new city manager recruitment profile. it describes what council is looking for--- including experience... leadership style... and challenges the manager will face. current city manager--- kimball payne--- announced last year that he would retire on june 30th. # chipotle mexican grill is blaming sick employees for the two norovirus outbreaks that the restaurant chain experienced last year. the chain hosted a company-wide meeting about food safety on monday, shutting its doors during lunchtime for training. chipotle is now offering employees pa

lynchburg's mayor and progress report on the city in the annual state of the city address. this is a life look at at council chambers. they will recognize seven service. in the crowd. we'll bring you more tonight at 11:00. >>> candidates are announcing their runs for lynchburg city council. mason announced a run for ward three. mason is the daughter of former councilman and mayor thornhill. and albert billingsley announced on facebook that he's running as an independent for helgeson's seat. announce that he's running for his seat. >>> a list of nearly 900 hate groups in the united states just released. and in two minutes, the president of one of those groups questions the plus why the >> danner: the southern property law center is a self-described private organization that combats hate in america. swelled to 900 organization nationwide. one group on that list, questions the list and how it defines hate. >> reporter: the s.p.l.c. hate list includes group like the airian nation and the clue -- k.k.k. the president of one organization is crying foul. >> they are targeting us i

thanks for starting your day 3 pattie lynchburg held its annual state of the city at city hall. and this one was a bit different.whit both lynchburg mayor michael gillette and vice mayor caesor johnson announced they would not be seeking re-election. marissa parra reports. 3 caesor johnson, vice mayor of lynchburg: (17:32:04) "now my time is coming to a close...." (17:32:06) (2 secs) lynchburg's state of the city was an emotional one.michael gillette, mayor of lynchburg: (00:17:56) "i'm sure you can appreciate what a bittersweet moment this is for me. to deliver my final state of the city address." (8 seconds) the city's mayor seemed to look back on the city's progress fondly.michael gillette, mayor of lynchburg: "our economy has grown, many of our city departments have received accolades..." (5 seconds) but of course, the city isn't without its problems- the mayor addressed the 24 percent poverty rate in lynchburg.michael gillette, mayor of lynchburg: (17:38:05) - "some of these challenges, like the poverty rate are emorphose and do not readily admit to easy definition or remedi

we want to change the world. >>> lynchburg city schools released the results of a survey within culture and climate in schools. students, teachers and parents were asked to respond to questions of school climate and respect for teachers. 90% of parents said my student respects teacher. and 33% say students treat teachers with respect in school. >> so this for us is a telling -- it is a telling piece. we now have to figure out how to one of the things came out last night in the school board meeting is really who is talking to the students. and the parents even. what -- how is it that you are telling me that your children are being respectful when in the schools, the teachers and the students are saying not so much. >> danner: now they plan to define what respect means within each classroom. >>> pennsylvania county's board of supervisors say the ball is rolling on plans for a new animal shelter. the board voted unanimously to approve the design estimated to cost taxpayers $3.2 million. how the county will pay for it is yet to be decided. they have to put out the project for bid. when they

and we are also hearing from the lynchburg city schools who released a statement which says in part. malconduct serves a reminder that all community organizations need to engage in practices so that funds are used appropriately. >> the appomattox sheriff's office is looking for leads tonight regarding a drive by shooting. a small gray, 4-door vehicle drove by and shot four shots at a house. they can't say whether there is a random incident or not. call the appomattox sheriff's office or crime stoppers with any information. >> a bill to ensure that all virginia officials disclose where they receive drugs used today. senator scott sorvel introduced the bill today. sorvel called the use of to be highly inappropriate. lawmakers found the bill unnecessary. >>> and the virginia department of elections voted earlier today to rescind the statement that would have required all g.o.p. primarily voters to declare themselves republicans before casting a ballot. a lot of controversy over this. they planned to implement this change on the january 1st primary. the state has the legal authority to c

the lease of city stadium. the lynchburg regional business alliance says minor league sports brings so much to the community-- tourism, economic growth, and quality of life for residents. the city of lynchburg says the hillcats average about 32- thousand 500 dollars a year in meals and sales tax. and they've seen huge growth in attendance over the years. (:17)christine kennedy, chief operating officer, lynchburg regional business alliance, "outlying communities can come in fairly quickly with pretty much no traffic and come and do the great american pastime, really does contribute to the a region and it helps with attraction and retention of individuals, visitors, and 3 employers."pattie box the 7th. now here's 3 the altavista colonels wrapped up a state tournament berth last night at home, beating mathews in region 1a east quarterfinal play. the blue devils led 18-16 at the half, stuart anderson, junior had 15 of the 18, he poured in a game-high 30 points.but altavista caught fire the second half, mateo maulbeck drives and

none of that traffic comes anywhere close to lynchburg, the largest city in virginia with no direct interstate access. lee cobb/economic development consultant: "we were always able to overcome that." lee cobb spent several decades marketing lynchburg as an economic development director. attract two of the city's largest employers: j.crew and frito lay. luring those companies was not easy. cobb: "the tough part was getting them over that barrier where they said they had to be on an interstate." lynchburg is about an hour from the nearest interstate; a transportation obstacle that was nearly avoided. when the highway system was developed in the 1950's, planners conceived several different routes for interstate 64. one would have taken the highway from richmond into lynchburg following u-s route 60, but that plan never came to pass. instead, 64 was routed through charlottesville and staunton, leaving lynchburg with no interstate of its own. lynchburg has several highways that function like an interstate. routes 460 and 29 pass through the city as four lane freeways, but that doesn't mean much to

abc 13 has learned from lynchburg city schools that she is accused of stealing money from the school's pta account. new details tonight on abc 13 news at 5:00. >>> right now, a hearing going on for the second virginia tech student charged in the death of nicole lovell. 19-year-old allie keepers is charged with being an accessory to murder. abc 13 reporter annie anderson is inside the courtroom. we will bring you the latest as soon as we get it. will be laid to rest. her funeral service will begin at 3:00 p.m. at the mccoy funeral home. there will be a graveside burial in blacksburg. abc 13 has confirmed a memorial fund has been set up in nicole's honor at the blacksburg national bank. >>> a former fbi profiler weighing in on the level case. doctor mary ellen o'toole said based on her experience it is much easier for those admired to hide behind criminal behavior. we must point out david eisenhower is innocent until proven guilty. o'toole says she believes eisenhower may have had a criminal mindset and hid that athlete. >> this is not the result of snapping. there is an evolutionary pro

. >>> more candidates are announcing their runs for lynchburg city council. this afternoon, announced a run forward 3 the seat currently held by zack helgeson. thornhill served from 1976 to 19 2 albert billingsly announce and facebook he is the seat. that has some calling for billingsly dismissal from the republican party. councilman parro is set to announce he is running for reelection to his ward 4 seat. and sterling wilder from the jubilee development center has announced he is running for the ward 2 seat that caesar johnson treasurer. >>> in less than an hour, lynchburg's mayor and vice mayor will be talking in the state of the city address. mike gillette will recognize seven people. the state of the city is at 7:00 in the city council chamber. we will have a crew there and bring you more tonight at 11:00bring you more tonight at 11:00. >>> there is a lot of reaction still coming into a story suri crowe brought you friday about two dogs in appomattox county. >> noreen: tonight we are digging deeper into what mistreatment of anand audiology count on. >>> a

. >> danner: we will have more from lynchburg city schools on this case tonight on abc 13 news at 7:00. >>> police are busy sorting through tips tonight searching for clues that could lead them to the person who shot a danville doctor and his neighbordanville doctor and his neighbor. so far, no arrests after monday's shooting. now danville regional medical center is addressing the violence. valerie bragg is live in danville with the story. valerie? >> reporter: danner, several drmc employees are feeling uneasy walking to and from work, because dr. randolph neal was walking home from work when he was shot. the hospital's ceo allen larson says the incident has prompted him to increase security at the and in the overtime hours. in the six months lawrenceson has been in that position, he said he has seen more than 25 gunshots and stab wounds come through the emergency room and enough is enough. he says it is time he addresses the crime and help build what he hopes to be a crime-free city. >> we are also working with the police. we will have some -- some experts come and give lectures and t

lynchburg city leaders met with him at central virginia community college for a round-table discussion about the local economy. warner says it's time virginia begins building a workforce for two growing industries -- systems focusing on drones and driverless vehicles. mark warner: "unmanned systems, some of the best testing can be done right over at fort pickett. we've gotten southside virginia areas where you can test unmanned vehicles in terms of driverless cars. this is a transformation that is going to take place all across america." warner says 18- thousand cyber tech jobs are currently unfilled in the state with an average salary of 88-thousand dollars per year. the roanoke regional chamber of commerce is giving away 15- thousand dollars to help small, local businesses grow. the chamber is working with the small business development center to bring a national program to the star city. "the growth wheel" course will begin in april. the program has about 12 vacancies. start-up and existing business that complete the course have the opportunity to become eligible to win a five-thous

. >>> more changes are coming to lynchburg city council. mayor mike gillette will not run for reelection in may. he announced this today to abc 13 news right in our newsroom. councilmember for 12 years and mayor for four. he says he is proud of all this has been accomplished but he believes there should be turnover in the office. he is ready to see some new faces and new ideas. >> i think it is important to -- to have evil imposed term limits so that's really what i am doing. not like i am chasing something else. i just think this is philosophically the appropriate thing to do. >> gillette plans to stay in the hill city and remain involved. vice mayor caesar johnson said he is not going to run again and he is plans to again run for treasurer. >>> the halifax historical society has to change its plans for the crossing of the dan commemoration this weekend. the annual event of the revolutionary war draws in hundreds to the area. the heavy rain this fell last week flooded this area down by the river, and it is still public safety concern. so t

dario has his mind on the big >> mark: that is a >>> there is going to be a big change in the way lynchburg city schools are going to calculate student's gpa. >> mark: tonight at 7:00, the school's assistant superintendent explain how some students had a >>> breaking news tonight. the new national poll. is donald trump no longer the front-runner? >>> also, late today, the south carolina surprise. just three days before the high stakes republican primary, the major endorsement. could it sway the race? governor haley is not for donald trump. >>> also developing, the fbi standoff with apple. bernardino, the fbi desperate to break into the gunman's iphone. a judge now demanding apple help the fbi. apple refusing. >>> under fire. the two officers trying to arrest this man. he pulls out a gun. their quick action in the moments that follow. >>> the alleged imposter accused of posing as a doctor for more than a month, undetected, examining patients. the sting right here tonight. >>> and, lucky couple. winning hundreds of millions, bhau they revealed after being handed the check. >>> good evening. and we

gillette has served on lynchburg city council since 2004. he succeeded joan foster as mayor in 2012. roanoke's grandin theater is getting a fresh look, with improvements to the facade and front entrance now under construction. today, we checked explains, what's old is new again. jean, the project includes new doors, a new box office, new marble footers out front and new windows above the entrance. but the design is inspired by the original facade in 1932. when the theater opened, the box office was in the center of the front entrance. it was moved to the side during renovations. but with the latest construction it's back between the two sets of doors. ian fortier/grandin theatre foundation executive director: we started looking at some old pictures when we decided we were going to move foreward with this project, and even though this box office is a little bigger than the original one in 1932 moving it back to the center of the facade puts it back in line with what it's original look was like and we had a very strong interest in doing that.

city workers or contractors. we are your hometown news leader wdbj7. how lynchburg leaders are using their arts and cultural community to a 10 thousand dollar reward for information that leads to an arrest in a shooting. one of the victims, dr. randolph neal, is currently at a hospital and listed in stable condition. his neighbor was also shot and is expected to be okay. today wdbj7's danielle staub spoke with neighbors who are questioning their security after last night's shooting. me: investigators have been walking up and down virginia ave and near by streets speaking with neighbors all day. a noticeable amount of patrol cars were out and about as well. speaking with averett university leaders and area residents - i've found mixed emotions when it comes to security in a neighborhood which many considered very safe. patti clifton, neighbor, " i would walk my dogs every night probably around 11 oclock or midnight and i have very big dogs and i felt fine doing that. until last night." patti clifton lives right down the street from where dr. randolph neal and another

none of that traffic comes anywhere close to lynchburg, the largest city in virginia with no direct interstate access. lee cobb/economic development consultant: "we were always able to overcome that." lee cobb spent several decades marketing lynchburg as an economic development director. during the 1980's and 90's, he helped attract two of the city's largest employers: j.crew and frito lay. luring those companies was not easy. cobb: "the tough part was getting them over that on an interstate." lynchburg is about an hour from the nearest interstate; a transportation obstacle that was nearly avoided. when the highway system was developed in the 1950's, planners conceived several different routes for interstate 64. one would have taken the highway from richmond into lynchburg following u-s route 60, but that plan never came to pass. instead, 64 was routed through charlottesville and staunton, leaving lynchburg with no interstate of its own. lynchburg has several highways that function like an interstate. routes 460 and 29 pass through the city as four lane freeways, but that doesn't mean much to

lynchburg city schools has partnered with the american red cross. right now this is for students at e.c. glass high school and heritage. the idea is to give students the the community while also showing how his or her donation will directly benefit a fellow student. dr. amy huskin--coordinator for partners in education/ lcs(:11)"we always think about the red cross and everyone giving to them in the form of blood and donations and things in a crisis. but they actually have programs where they work actually to give back to the community." pattie box dr. amy huskin says they hope to turn this partnership into a scholarship program. the first blood drive is today at e.c. glass. the next will be at heritage. 3 3 mona still to come on good morning virginia... this isn't your father's superhero movie.... the new movie "deadpool" isn't even out yet and it's already showing that a sequel could be in the works. details in today's showbiz news. pattie and... 3 3 the rest of the week will feel frigid for the heart of virginia. please make sure that your loved o

pattie and, the lynchburg city school system has made a big change that could affect your child's gpa. what you need to know, just ahead. 3 3 3 quiet and cool for the rest of the workweek, with mild time for the weekend. i'll have the details up next. 3 3 pattie 3 good morning virginia. it is thursday, february 18th. i'm pattie martin. mona and, i'm mona kosar abdi. thanks for starting your day with us. when it comes to the weather we've seen a lot of ups and downs, this week. but the bitter cold temps may be behind us.. at least for the weekend. let's send it over to melissa le fevre in the weather center for the latest... melissa? 3 3you'll want the coat this morning as temperatures are starting out in the mid 20 to lower 30s. thursday will be mostly sunny, dry and cool with highs reaching the mid 40s this afternoon. quiet weather continues tonight with temperatures in the mid to upper 20s by friday morning. we end the workweek with a mix of sun and clouds. temperatures begin to warm up and we'll see highs in the lower 50s. 3pattie the presidential candidates are stumping for votes

they have in flintproblems like they have in flint. >> reporter: mitchell went on to say the city of lynchburg has never had issues with lead, despite still housing more than 100 lead service lines which are all in the process of being replaced. he also said after a pipe burst under the james river, there was no corrosion on the old water lines indicating the water isn't corrosive, but still they add phosphate to the water just in case. live in the newsroom, priscilla kaiser, abc 13 news. >> thank you, priscilla. >>> there won't be a new boat now. altavista town councilmembers say the ramp would promote quality of life of who lives there. seven miles out of city limits from route 3. they requested that campbell county help them with grading. the county denied the request. the town, though, says they have secured land and they are working to get grants to help fund it. >> some of us feel that the quality of life is a big issue campbell county. our town is aging out. campbell county is aging out. we would like to create an atmosphere for our younger people to go off, get their education and perh

a survey from parents and from students that go to lynchburg city schools is revealing the class room. it's about time the taco...came out of its shell. unleash the power of dough. give it a pop. that sound. like nails on a chalkboard. but listen to this: (family talking) that's a different kind of sound. the sound of the weekend. unleash the power of dough. 3 good thursday to you, let's get a check of your morning drive. we're waking up to patches of fog this morning, so please be careful on your commute to work and school. the fog will move out later in the morning and we'll see a mix of sun and clouds for thursday. it'll be a bit cooler today with breezy northwest winds as highs stay in the 50s. colder air arrives for tonight with overnight lows dropping into the upper 20s to near 30. friday ends the week with abundant sunshine and highs in the upper 40s. your weekend will virginia won its fourth in a row and 16th straight at john paul jones arena, beating boston college in acc play. senior malcolm brogdon continues his great play, brogdon poured in 17 of his game-high 27 points in

the lynchburg city school board approved an update to the grade point average calculations for high school credit courses during a meeting last night. currently- students can earn a higher g- p-a by taking upper level classes- causing students to forgo electives.the new strategy is meant to limit the number of upper level courses students can factor in to earning a higher gpa.the change goes into effect next school year- starting with those entering tenth grade. in danville- the police department is beefing up its force.wfxr's kristen eskow say- adding more staff- won't come out of the taxpayers pocket. 00-0530-35 the danville city council has approved the addition of four new officers to the danville police department - and officials say more officers can always help fight crime.right now the police force is budgeted to have 131 officers - but only has 125 on staff due to a high level of turnover - as some officers leave the department. now - the police department can have up to 135 officers on staff.officials say after several city jobs were cut several years ago due to budgeting issues,

lynchburg fire department. how are you? >> very good. >> whitney: what are the regulations as far as open burning within the city of lynchburg? >> you need to make sure you are within the city limits and you need to be about 300 feet from any occupied building and 10 feet from any adjoining. the pile you are burning can only consist of limbs, tree trimmings, garland trimmings. you cannot have large debris, large limbs, large tree stumps. you cannot have any household like that.you cannot burn in a barrel. it can only be 8 feet in diameter. >> whitney: at you think are the misconceptions of folks who fall within city regulations and those who follow state code? >> i get a lot of calls about that. there are lot of addresses that have lynchburg addresses, so they automatically assume they are within city limits and that is not the situation. they have to go by state regulation. >> whitney: and you always want people to practice safe earning. >> yes. you want to have a garden hose you want to be 16 or older a round of applause. will stafford has been out also all the other reporters. everybody keeping us up to speed on everythin

lynchburg city schools announces a partnership with amazing grace outreach church today. the new partnership will provide students at the early learning center home with home with nutritious food on weekends, holidays and during summer breaks. students at narrows high school will continue taking part in healthy relationships week. the women's resource center of the new river valley hosts the event which allows students to learn what it means to have healthy relationships either romantic, friendly or familial. lynchburg's vector space and areva host local students today for the seismic shake-up challenge in celebration of engineers week. students and their families will design and build structures and then test them on earthquake shaker tables. the event promotes stem education in the hill city. art as a business is the topic for a workshop led by the roanoke regional small business development center and the roanoke arts commission. a marketing expert will talk business... and will moderate a panel of local artists. the healing arts program at carilion clinic and the arti

city. genworth financial is laying off about 200-employees in lynchburg. it's a move by the company to restructure and sell part of its business. this is related to the company's decision to suspend life insurance and fixed annuity sales. wsls ten's duke carter joins us in studio. duke -- how do businesses in the area feel about the job loss? many businesses in the area are sad to hear there were 200 jobs cuts from one of the largest employers in the lynchburg area. they're hoping lynchburg will attract more companies that will replace the jobs. nats of music in downtown lynchburg downtown lynchburg is getting a lot of foot traffic on a friday night. nats full its that foot traffic that helps small mom and pop businesses like cheesy-rider food truck. "we like it, it's fun," but what isn't fun --- learning of the largest employers in the hill city is laying off 200 employees. elizabeth russell/managin g partner cheesy rider food truck "i'm saddened to hear that news, i know that genworth employs a lot of people in lynchburg," employs a lot of people who spe

. >> whitney: lynchburg city officials will update the scape project. construction begins in april. replacing old undergroundwater, sue and storm drain piping. crews will add new street scape features like sidewalks, crosswalks, landscaping and lithe. meeting is tuesday at 6:30 in the holiday inn. >> patti: still to come, the water crisis in flint, michigan is raising concerns about lead levels in water. how to make sure what you are drinking is safe. >> whitney: it is raining but that may not be the only thing have you to worry b. 40 in roanoke. 39 in lynchburg and 43 in dan victim. and so would her presidency. which is why, for every american who's not being paid what they're worth... who's held back by student debt or a system tilted against them- and there are far too many of you- she understands that our country can't reach it's potential... unless we all do. together. >> melissa: hopefully you had the umbrella ready for the day. steady to moderate rain of continue through the morning hours from 12:00-5:00 p.m. we will see stronger storms. most rainfall half an inch to almost t

organization says many judges and domestic relations attorneys like the system the way it is. 3mona box lynchburg city schools will now put a cap on gpa scores. the school board voted 5 to 4 tuesday some board members believe limiting the amount of a-p courses students can take.. limits their achievement. but others say it allows them to take elective courses.. without worrying about lowering their gpa. under the new rules, only 5 a-p courses will count towards a high school student's gpa. they can still take seven courses, if they want, but only the 5 will actually count. 3pattie still to come on good morning virginia... think your kitchen is the most dangerous room in your house? we'll tell you if you're right, just ahead. mona and... >> i have been told for years i >> rachael: before she was quinn on "scandal," katie lowe did what? >> brad pitt ordered a martini, he my computer's dying again. you'll need to email us so we can issue you a ticket. but you're right here. it's protocol. next day guarantee. it's fast and done right. i'll do that instead. that's not protocol marsha. in by noon, out by 5

gillette has served on lynchburg city council since 2004. he succeeded joan foster as mayor in 2012. some changes are coming to the grandin theater in roanoke. we'll tell you what they are, coming up after the break. and, why not get an associates degree along with your high school diploma? what one school system is doing to teamwill looking out live through our mill mountain camera were finding relatively quiet conditions across the roanoke valley chilly twenty one degrees twenty lynchburg twenty sixteen danville blacksburg coming in at nineteen a little wider picture twenty seven bristol eighteen charlottesville in fifteen is you had out toward washington dc finding couple snow showers across the border counties would north carolina a bigger massive snow showers beginning to enter kentucky now swing through our area later this morning into the see a snow shower today my get a quick burst lowers visibilitymaybe a quick coding or so back toward the mountains a west virginia far southwest virginia might see a quick coating to inch or two befo

trump was last in our area in january at liberty university in lynchburg salem city officials staffers though say no plans have been finalized. a man is charged after deputies say he led them on a chase in montgomery county last night. the sheriff's office says joseph meade is charged with several crimes including dui and reckless driving. it started last night around 8 when a deputy says meade's vehicle was going more than one hundered miles per hour on roanoke road near eastern montgomery high school. when the deputy tried to pull him over, meade sped off. a pursuit eventually ended with a head- meade's car and the deputy. no one was hurt. a woman has died after her van crashed in patrick county. it happened night just before 10 on orchard road, not far from abram penn highway. state police say angela dalton was killed after her dodge caravan ran off the left side of the road and hit a tree. no one else was hurt. the centers for disease control and prevention is investigating more than a dozen new cases of zika virus, possibly spread through sex. the cases involve men who visited are

and, is the city of lynchburg off the map when it comes to attracting new businesses? how the lack of a could play a role. heavy rain today could bring high water to our area. how salem's swift water rescue team is prepared to handle any emergency calls that might come in. despite some opposition, the historic slave homes at the greenfield complex in botetourt county are re- locating. who now controls the land where they and, the internet can be a dangerous place for teenagers. in this week's mornin' newsmakers, how the prevention council is working to educate families about on-line risks. good morning, it's just after 6 o'clock on wednesday. i'm kimberly mcbroom. i'm garrett turner. and i'm leo hirsbrunner. heavy rain and severe storms are possible across the region today. be weather aware this

city is strong. [applause] >> noreen: the lynchburg mayor said the city is on the right path. during the state of the city address, mayor might gillett looked back on the progress and also cited the 2014 poverty rate. he is proud of how far we have come. johnson will not be seeking reelection. it was a especially emotional for the two of them. >> i'm sure you can appreciate what a bittersweet moment this is for me to deliver my final state of the city address. >> i want to take this opportunity to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. >> noreen: we will find out who will take gillett and johnson's places in july once the city council members take office and vote on new leadership. >>> the presidential candidates rallying voters in nevada ahead of tonight's first in the west republican caucuses they are. meanwhile, the democratic candidates are courting african-americans with the help of hollywood heavyweights. bazi kanani reports. >> reporter: the front runner heading into tonight's nevada republican caucus with a double-digit lead is fired up. >> you have to vote tomorro

those may not be plowed by vdot in the city of lynchburg the city cruise public works plows those roads and county vdot takes care of those. it will take some time for plow plows zero to get into the neighborhood area. some people are getting around by bus and greater lynchburg transit authority say they are running buses this morning on a modified route schedule on roads that have been plowed. so keep that in mind if if you do take the bus to get to work or anywhere else, remember the buses are not going to travel under normal routes this morning. they are going to be modified and you may need to make a phone call to find out what the routes are. live in campbell county, tim saunders, wdbj7. on the other side of our coverage area the new roanoke valley is getting plenty of snow piling up. wdbj7wdbj7 eamon o'meara joins us live. how much snow are you seeing there now, eamon? >> good morning, kimberly. it is quite a bit. it is not looking bad because not too many cars driving which is a very good thing. despite the plows there is still a lot of snow building up on these roads. state poli

hill city leaders say it's going to take more than money to address poverty in lynchburg. last year, city council set aside 50-thousand dollars as poverty initiative funding. another 50- thousand is proposed in the 20-17 budget. a recent study shows that 24- percent of the population in lynchburg is impoverished. 20 percent of those grew up in poverty and are now raising their children in the same environment. 7:32:07;18 "it's generational, its been there for a while. of that number 20 percent, 30 for more information on how the money will be used to tackle the issue, visit us online at wsls dot com. a local breast cancer patient gets a night out on the town. the country music star that made (cell phone rings) where are you? well the squirrels are back in the attic. mom? your dad won't call an exterminator... can i call you back, mom? he says it's personal this time... if you're a mom, you call at the worst time. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. where are you? it's very loud there. new ton

lynchburg. >> the faith in our city is strong. >> mark: how leaders are reacting to the city's report card. and neighborhood crime. why local families feel abandoned. and an alert. the flooring material that could make you sick. >> mark: a live look in lynchburg tonight where there's a slight drizzle and we're expecting cold and rainy weather tuesday and wednesday. chief meteorologist george and we're going to need to have our umbrellas and boots with us. >> george: and a coat. we're going to see the rain picking you will overnight tonight. we're a live look at lynchburg. we're looking at route 460 around liberty. not bad right now, but it will get wetter overnight. when you wake up in the morning, evening is going to be wet from the rain, so the roads will be wet in the morning. there's additional showers in martinsville, danville, and southside with additional rain in the carolinas and tennessee. if you're getting your family ready for school in the morning, it's highly likely it will be raining towards 7:00 a.m. >> mark: tonight lynchburg learned about its ups and downstairs and outlook f

in lynchburg rachel lucas wsls 10. the hill city's economy takes a major hit. today ... genworth financial announced its laying off about 200 employees in lynchburg. we spoke with lynchburg mayor michael gillette about it. in short, he says he's not too worried. while it's serious people are losing their jobs... he's hopeful some will be able to transition and voice of mayor michael gillette/lynchb urg - "certainly we have sympathy for the folks who are going to be a little bit of turmoil here, this is not going to harm lynchburg in any deep way, it's not as though the survival of lynchburg is at stake here but there is no question that 200 jobs is a lot jobs." genworth financial began notifying impacted employees today ... most will get at least 60 days' paid notice of layoff. some are even eligible to for transition benefits including out placement services and compensation based on their years of service. farmers in halifax ... henry and pittsylvania counties can now apply for emergency loan assistance from the u-s department of agriculture's farm service agency. the u

. >> right now every road in the city of lynchburg is clear, according to public works. crews finished up this afternoon. they say the weather really helped this time. while lots of roads have running water on them, there haven't been many reports of severe flooding. the sun dried some of to roads today, but some are wet and have the danger of refreezing. they have treated the roads with salt and have crews on call just in case >>> and an update on that rollover accident in appomattox. the driver, antoinette jennings, of farmville, has no word on how the children were doing. police cited jennings for child restraint violations. a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old were sharing a seat belt in the backseat. >>> and the accidents mean big business for auto repair shops. laslie's auto shop says is that many drivers are underinsured for vehicles. >> because we're not accustomed to the snow, it is difficult. driving a better car with better speed. front wheel drive is better than rear wheel drive. and a lot of them are older cars and they don't have insurance. enough collision insura

he's in the amherst adult detention facility beng held with no bond. 3 pattie tight the lynchburg city school board has voted to put a cap on gpa scores. some board members believe limiting the numberof a-p courses students can take.. limits their achievement. but others say it allows them to take elective courses.. without worrying about lowering their gpa. under the new rules, the students can take 7 a-p courses, but only 5 a-p will count towards their gpa. 3 pattie tight the bedford county commonwealth's attorney could soon step into a new position... randy krantz is a candidate for the general district court judge vacancy when judge harold black retires at the end of next month. krantz says the virginia legislature will make the final decision after going through the process for judicial selection. in virginia, judges are elected by a vote of the legislators 3 quiet and cool for the rest of the workweek, with mild weather on the way just in time for the weekend. you'll want the coat this morning as temperatures are starting out in the mid 20 to lower 30s. thursday will be mostly su

out of lynchburg, one arriving flight was cancelled with a look at the hill city. that was the 10:45 flight from charlotte -- from charlotte not in roanoke, everything is on time and moving along just fine. once your friday is on time, we have tips to make your journey easyeasier and cheaper whenever you fly. you how. >>reporter: on average, monday than 8 million people travel by plane every day that can make hassle at some airport. you may be able to save time by going to the checkpoint farthest to the left. research shows that most people are right-handed and go to the line on the right. if you want to get a big bottle security, freeze it. frozen food and drank are allowfrozen food and drank are allowbring an empty water bottle and fill it up once you get past the checkpoints. instead of a fancy bow, try technology and a luggage tracker. some let's you track your luggage on your firestone anywhere in the world. and to be the first to hit your conveyor. request a fragile sticker. those marked fragile rill put on top of the rest. if you want to avoid commercial fli

city council tonight and then wait to hear on a decision from ferc. in martinsville danielle staub wdbj7. interstate highways connect various parts of our region, but none of those roads cross through lynchburg. it's the largest city in virginia with no direct interstate access and we wondered how that might be effecting jobs and the economy. wdbj7's tim saunders has been digging into this issue for us. tim, what did you find out? it's not having a big impact right now, but that's because the economy isn't growing a lot and companies aren't looking to relocate. economic developers say it has been an obstacle in the past. i talked to at least one former economic development director who said companies flat out refused to interstate. despite that challenge the city has successfully attracted large scale manufacturers like j. crew and frito lay. those companies initially wanted to be on an interstate, but chose lynchburg after learning about the region's other assets. lee cobb/former economic development director: "there were a lot more companies moving around in those days. it was before the real effects of nafta took place, driving manufacturers out of this country." so how much does an inter

a crew contracted by lynchburg's government is replacing the city's largest sewer line. kirby says the work has really picked up in the last month or so. kirby: "maybe there is a light now at the end of the tunnel." city officials say the work is wrapping up. tim mitchell/director of water resources: "they're almost done with the large pipe, which has been the challenge of the project." director tim mitchell says contractors have encountered a number of issues that have caused delays, including a delicate archaeological discovery. mitchell: "they found an old bridge buried near amazement square that they wanted to excavate." amazement square is a children's museum. construction of the interceptor has kept leaders of that facility from moving ahead with a project of their own. ashleigh karol/marketing director: "a lot of it has to do with the space down here at the riverfront. there is not a lot of room for major construction projects to take place at the same time." a nearly 7-million dollar education center is being added to amazement square. leaders of the museum have

legislation creates a double standard for student tleetsz. >>> you can weigh in for a new city manager in lynchburg. describe the characteristic of a good candidate. give candidates an idea what challenges they could experience. hear the profile at february ninth council meeting or go online at wset.com, current city manager will retire at end of june. >>> still to come, president obama is visiting a mosque today. we will tell you why in today's looking ahead. >>> looking ahead to the weather, tell be rainy. you can see it starting to move in and it is cool. 42 roanoke. 51 in danville. >> melissa: tell be a wash out wchdz here is what you can expect today. 100% heavy rain begins this morning. continues into the afternoon. the rain will move out later tonight. we could see thunderstorms and the one-two inches totals across the heart of virginia. latest look at pen point radar, beginning to see the steady rain moving into parts of bedford, lexington and amhurst. roanoke, rocky mountain. everybody will see that rain today. you need the umbrella and the rain boots with lots of rain on the way, we got a

. >>> right now the search is on for a new city manager in lynchburg. mayor mike gillette said they opened a national search after getting community feedback and developing a position. it is a tough job that can require someone who can take care of the day-to-day business. prepare budgets and take care of a lot of responsibility. retirement after 15 years and it is huge shoes to fill. >> the downtown is a great example of fruits you can develop when off long-term view and you stick to it. that takes discipline. >> danner: council hopes to hire the new manager by end of the term in may and have that person start july 1. get a link at wset.com, and more importantly, there will be more of a shake-up when it comes to city decision-makers. more on that on abc 13 news at 6:00. >>> many of you may turn to the experts for help losing weight, but find out why weight loss centers may be steering you wrong. >>> and if dieting and exercise approve to let you burn that gwen aha! oof! weee! slurp. mmmmmm. cinnamon. milk. cinna-milk. cinnamon toast crunch. crunch! cra

lynchburg. and saturday, lauren at the overlook over the city. and earlier today, mike lewis sent in a nice shot. around there. and you can tell the fog on our lynchburg tower camera outside right now. and if you look close enough, you'll see that river fog. temperature 47. the atmosphere pretty much already saturated. visibility at five miles per hour. any time these two numbers get this close together, it's a prescription for fog. wind is preventing a lot of fog from developing west of lynchburg. east of lynchburg, we have some fog starting to form from danville, south boston, charlottesville. late tonight, early tomorrow morning, allow yourself extra time. >> 53 danville. 47 in the hill city. we're watching the last batch of showers in beckley up north to highland county. aside from a stray shower overnight tonight, many areas will stay dry. maybe some drizzle. tuesday's weather towards dallas and houston. and here's wednesday's weather in the pacific northwest. we'll have a somewhat dry day tomorrow. tuesday's weather is getting ready to move

lynchburg. >> genworth financial announced today it is cutting 200 jobs from its hill city location. katie brooke is live in downtown lynchburg with the very latest details on this. katie? >> reporter: noreen, we tried to talk to employees coming and going from the building this afternoon, and no one wanted to comment. the decision to lay off so many came as the company decided to suspend insurance and fixed annuity sales. the company said that most will receive 60 days pay and begin notifying everyone today. they say they deeply regret the impact the layoff have on employees and their familyemployees and their families and their top priority will be to

looking ahead to events lynchburg's annual state of the city will take place monday night. mayor michael gillete and the city's vice mayor will deliver the address. the duo will recognize seven citizens for their outstanding community service work. the event is open to the public. also monday night ... a community meeting will be held at northside high school. this comes after the school received a threat thursday. the meeting will discuss administrative changes ... social media threats and parents concern about drug testing athletes. tom mcracken ... member of the roanoke county school board will lead the meeting. parents ... students and the community are urged to attend. it starts monday night at seven. the roanoke county board of supervisors meets on tuesday items on their agenda include tourism...economi c development and the local workforce. this week, county leaders will hear about "branding" the roanoke valley region. it's part of an effort by the roanoke valley convention and visitors bureau to attract more people. session to discuss workforce demographics and comp

lynchburg's annual state of the city will take place monday night. mayor michael gillete and the city's vice mayor will deliver the address. the duo will recognize seven citizens for their outstanding community service work. the event is open to the public. also monday night ... a community meeting will be held at northside high school. this comes after the school received a threat thursday. the meeting will discuss administrative changes ... social media threats and parents concern about drug testing athletes. tom roanoke county school board will lead the meeting. parents ... students and the community are urged to attend. it starts monday night at seven. the roanoke county board of supervisors meets on tuesday items on their agenda include tourism...economi c development and the local workforce. this week, county leaders will hear about "branding" the roanoke valley region. it's part of an effort by the roanoke valley convention and visitors bureau to attract more people. supervisors will also have a work session to discuss workforce demographics a