ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, March 16, 1997                 TAG: 9703170012
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES IN THE NEW RIVER VALLEY.

BLACKSBURG

Zoning vote delayed

A vote on the long-debated overhaul of the town's zoning ordinance, which would affect most property owners in Blacksburg, was pushed back at least one month following a public hearing Tuesday night. Town Council heard more concerns from owners of rental property and from residents of the upscale Stroubles Mill neighborhood worried about possible development of adjacent farm land. Town Council will conduct a work session on the concerns on March 25 and hold a third public hearing on April 22. Published in Thursday's Current.

CHRISTIANSBURG

Depot Street on schedule

The widening and extension of Depot Street in downtown Christiansburg is on schedule for completion by July. The project began in December 1995 and has disrupted commutes for drivers and business for some merchants. When finished, Depot Street will have four lanes between North Franklin and West Main streets and will have turn lanes and traffic signals. It should speed travel for drivers trying to reach Radford, Riner and Floyd County. Published in Friday's Current.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

No vulture haven here

Officials in Giles and Montgomery counties were concerned that some 200 unwanted vultures could be coming to this area. But a federal official said last week that the New River Valley had been eliminated as a possible relocation site for the buzzards, who have taken to roosting over winter in the small Northern Virginia town of Leesburg. Officials there have tried everything to scare the birds away; relocation will be the last option. Montgomery County, though, already has its own problem from the large numbers of predatory black vultures that roost on Radford Army Ammunition Plant property and victimize calves and other young livestock. Published in Wednesday's Current.

RADFORD

Downtown upgrade outlined

Downtown merchants made a strong showing last week as city officials outlined plans for a 72-space parking lot and other improvements to shore up the downtown business district. Radford is applying for a $700,000 grant for the projects, to be matched with $300,000 from the city. Published in Wednesday's Current.

PULASKI COUNTY

Union vote called off

A Friday vote on whether to unionize the 229 salaried workers at Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corp. in Dublin was called off last week after the petition to the National Labor Relations Board was withdrawn. The United Auto Workers union, which represents hourly employees at the 1,400-worker plant, had no comment. Published in Thursday's Roanoke Times.

Brief appointment

H. Lee Chitwood had a short life in local politics. Chitwood, who practices law in Wytheville but lives in Pulaski, was named to the Pulaski Town Council to fill a vacancy. But before he could be sworn in, Chitwood learned from the Virginia State Bar that he is ineligible to serve on the council because he has served a substitute judge in General District Court since the start of the year. Now council will have to find another appointee. Published in Wednesday's Current.

GILES COUNTY

Truck fire blocks traffic

A tractor-trailer fire outside Pembroke blocked evening traffic on U.S. 460 on Monday. The trailer was carrying a load of acetate filter tow, used to make cigarette filters, from the Hoechst-Celanese Corp. Celco Plant near Pearisburg. Pembroke firefighters stopped the brake-and-tire fire before it reached the cargo, preventing a major incident. Published in Wednesday's Current.

FLOYD COUNTY

Lost and found school buses

Two Floyd Council school buses were stolen and taken on short rides Monday morning before being recovered by the Sheriff's Office. One bus had been driven through a locked gate and had a broken mirror. No arrests have been announced. Published in Tuesday's Current.

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:   96 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Alan Kim/THE ROANOKE TIMES. Radford Fire and Rescue 
          workers searched the New River Thursday afternoon below the Peppers 
          Ferry Bridge on Virginia 114 for a man believed to have jumped to 
          his death after stopping his car on the bridge. As of midday Friday,
          no body had been recovered.