Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 3, 1993                   TAG: 9306030221
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

REGIONAL DRUG PROSECUTOR NAMED

Ekirch will replace Melvin Hill, who resigned from the state-grant-funded position last month to go into private practice.

In addition to Roanoke, the office covers Salem and the counties of Roanoke, Franklin and Craig. But Ekirch expects to spend most of her time prosecuting street-level crack dealers in Roanoke Circuit Court.

"Although the drug problem is throughout Southwest Virginia, the core of the problem seems to be here in the city," she said.

A growing caseload - Hill handled more than 1,000 cases in his two years on the job - has led authorities to appoint an assistant to help Ekirch.

Dennis Nagel, an assistant commonwealth's attorney, will handle most of the preliminary hearings and drug cases in juvenile court.

In addition to concentrating on cases in Circuit Court, Ekirch hopes to become cross-designated as a federal prosecutor to follow city cases that go to U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

Ekirch plans to start her new job about June 15.