ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997 TAG: 9703030011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
BLACKSBURG
Clone story's local tie
A Blacksburg company is part of the international news story that broke last week over the successful cloning of a sheep in Scotland. PPL Therapeutics Inc. has a laboratory at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center and a 900-acre farm in the Blacksburg area. The firm's research focuses on using genetically engineered farm animals to produce human proteins that can be used to develop medicines to fight emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other diseases. Published in Tuesday's Roanoke Times.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Town houses rejected
By a 5-to-0 vote, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors defeated a proposal to build 20 town houses in the heart of rural Riner. The board followed the recommendation of the Planning Commission and the urgings of residents who believed the development would be out of character with the farming community. Published in Tuesday's Roanoke Times.
No more for Moore
Supervisor Jim Moore, in the last year of his second term, announced last week that he will not seek re-election this fall. He represents part of Blacksburg and the Mount Tabor and Catawba Valley areas. Moore has been a key voice for controlling growth in the county and against the "smart" highway project. Two other board seats will be on the ballot this fall. Published in Wednesday's Current.
GILES COUNTY
Squad in a bind
The Giles County Rescue Squad, facing a funding crunch, wants to begin charging $150 and up for transports to the hospital. Squad fund-raising efforts and donations have fallen off in recent years and the volunteer squad is facing a financial crisis. Before approving the proposal, the Giles Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Giles County Courthouse. Published in Tuesday's Current.
PULASKI COUNTY
Planting a proposal
Pulaski officials are pondering a $5,445 beautification program to plant a variety of flowers, trees and grasses at town entrance signs and around the Pulaski Municipal Building. The bid came from Doug Steger of the Flower Shoppe, who is also proposing more wide-ranging floral decorations in Pulaski's business section, and beds of rare plants from England in town parks, all of which he said would draw visitors to Pulaski. Published in Thursday's Current.
RADFORD
Paving donnybrook
Members of the City Council and School Board clashed over a council decision last month to refuse funds for repaving the parking lot behind the School Administration Building. The conflict was unusual given the normally cordial relations between the body responsible for running the city's schools, and the council responsible for paying for it. Published in Wednesday's Current.
VIRGINIA TECH
Athletic rules
Athletic director Dave Braine will dispense official university sanctions when athletes get in trouble with the law. That's the keystone of a roundly applauded new set of efforts designed to eliminate future arrest problems, unveiled Monday by Braine and Tech President Paul Torgersen. The report focuses on recruitment, education and sanctions. Among the new rules: athletes will have to get permission from their coach and the athletic director to move off campus after freshman year. Published in Tuesday's Roanoke Times.
RADFORD UNIVERSITY
RU's gain
Radford's new focus on expanding its educational offerings throughout Southwest Virginia got a tidy boost from the General Assembly, which adjourned Feb. 22. Joint programs with Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke picked up $75,000, and with Abingdon's Southwest Virginia Center, $50,000. In both cases, the money pays for a position. Published in the Feb. 22 Roanoke Times.
For electronic versions of these and many other stories, see the New River Current and Roanoke Times on line. http://www.roanoke.com/nrvhome/nrvindex.html
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. A large crowd gave anby CNBenthusiastic kickoff to Virginia Tech professor James I. Robertson
Jr.'s book-signing tour for his major new biography of Confederate
Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson on Feb. 22 in Blacksburg.