Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 13, 1993 TAG: 9308130291
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
LEXINGTON - Virginia Military Institute on Saturday will welcome 358 new cadets - the school's smallest class since 1976.
VMI, the oldest state-supported military college in the nation, and other four-year colleges have had fewer first-year students due to demographics, VMI spokesman Mike Strickler said Thursday. The number of graduating high school seniors nationwide has decreased since the mid-1970s, he said.
Overall, the new class has cadets from 32 states and eight foreign countries; 202 students are from Virginia.
- Associated Press
\ City recovers funds embezzled by sheriff
BRISTOL - The city has recovered more than half the money embezzled by a former sheriff, who killed himself days after federal agents raided his home.
Marshall Honaker stole about $750,000 from city accounts before taking his own life Jan. 22, 1992, federal officials said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson presented two checks Wednesday to Mayor Jerry Wolfe - one for $6,995.54 from the sale of a jewelry collection and one for $209,505.50 from the sale of Honaker's house.
The money is in addition to about $240,000 the city received in January from the liquidation of items including an automobile, a checking account, certificates of deposit and cash found in Honaker's office at the time of his death.
Honaker was never charged with any crime. - Associated Press
\ No $8.7 million winner in Thursday's Lotto
RICHMOND - No ticket correctly matched all six numbers in an $8.7 million Lotto jackpot, a Virginia Lottery spokeswoman said Thursday.
The winning numbers drawn Wednesday night were 8, 16, 18, 20, 31 and 38.
Matching five of six numbers to win $1,484 each were 75 tickets, and matching four numbers to win $50 each were 4,679 tickets, spokeswoman Cherie Phaup said. Matching three numbers to win a free play were 72,026 tickets, she said.
The estimated jackpot for Saturday's drawing is $11.5 million. - Associated Press
\ Wilder requests aid for 4 more dry counties
RICHMOND - Gov. Douglas Wilder on Thursday requested that four additional agricultural areas be eligible for federal drought assistance.
Without steady rain, more localities will join the list, he said.
Wilder said he sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy on behalf of Augusta, Essex, King William and Middlesex counties.
Virginia suffered through a record-dry July, with only a third of an inch of rain recorded in Norfolk and less than 2 inches in Richmond. - Associated Press
\ Coal company's fight against fines rejected
BIG STONE GAP - A coal company that improperly operated a mine where a roof collapse killed four men in 1991 fought federal criminal fines of up to $1.4 million at a sentencing hearing Thursday.
After five hours of testimony, U.S. District Judge Samuel Wilson rejected J&T Coal Co.'s contention that safety violations did not cause the roof fall.
But the judge delayed sentencing until Aug. 30 so more information could be obtained about the relationship between J&T Coal and JAD Coal Co., both of which are owned by Carl E. McAfee and Aubra P. Dean.
Federal prosecutors are targeting the assets of JAD because J&T Coal has filed for bankruptcy. - Associated Press
\ Park, Forest services fight insect together
CHARLOTTESVILLE - Two federal agencies are trying to stop an insect from destroying hemlock trees in the Shenandoah National Park and the rest of the eastern United States.
The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Working Group was created this week by the U.S. Park Service and U.S. Forest Service.
The hemlock woolly adelgid already is threatening Shenandoah National Park's hemlocks, said park entomologist Keith Watson. Watson said all 2,016 acres of hemlock in the park are infested. - Associated Press
by CNB