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Virginia
Well-known Virginia Tech professor dies at 81
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – Virginia Tech professor and poet, Nikki Giovanni, has died at the age of 81. She died peacefully with her lifelong partner, Virginia (Ginney) Fowler, by her side.
Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni, born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943, served as a University Distinguished Professor in the English Department at Virginia Tech. Giovanni, an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is the recipient of hundreds of awards and honors. She was most recently awarded a 2024 Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking for Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.
As a prominent figure of the Black Arts and Civil Rights Movements, she became friends with Rosa Parks, Aretha Franklin, James Baldwin, Nina Simone, and Muhammad Ali, and inspired generations of students, artists, activists, musicians, scholars and human beings both young and old.
Having battled cancer twice already, Giovanni refused to let a third bout interrupt her art. Just three weeks ago, she performed with saxophonist Javon Jackson at the Louis Armstrong House in New York City. Her forthcoming book of poetry, “The Last Book”, will be published in fall 2025.
“The poet Adrienne Rich wrote ‘…somehow, each of us will help the other live, and somewhere, each of us must help the other die.’ Renée Watson and I sat by her side, with Ginney, along with family and close friends, chatting about how much we learned about living from her, about how lucky we have been to have Nikki guide us, teach us, love us. We will forever be grateful for the unconditional time she gave to us, to all her literary children across the writerly world,” said Kwame Alexander.
Giovanni is survived by her wife, Virginia Fowler, her son Thomas Giovanni, her granddaughter, Kai Giovanni, two cousins, Haynes Ford and Allison (Pat) Ragan, and a nephew Christopher Black.
“We will forever feel blessed to have shared a legacy and love with our dear cousin,” said Allison Ragan on behalf of the family.
Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.
Local News
The victims included a Greenfield couple and their two children, as well as a 25-year-old Worcester woman.
Four members of a Greenfield family and a Worcester woman have been identified as the five Massachusetts residents killed in a fiery charter bus crash on a Virginia highway this week.
Virginia State Police identified the victims as Dmitri Doncev, 45; Ecaterina Doncev, 44; Emily Doncev, 13; and Mark Doncev, 7, all of Greenfield, along with 25-year-old Priscilla R. Mafalda of Worcester.
The crash happened on Thursday on Interstate 81 near Lexington, Virginia, when a charter bus traveling from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, struck several vehicles as traffic slowed for roadwork. In addition to the five people killed, 34 others were injured and taken to local hospitals, according to authorities.
Investigators said the bus failed to slow down and slammed into a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Mafalda. The impact pushed the SUV into the Doncev family’s Acura, which caught fire.
Dmitri, a nurse at Holyoke Medical Center, was driving his family through the night to attend a wedding in South Carolina when the crash occurred, according to the Boston Globe.
Dmitri’s 27-year-old niece, Carolina Bublik, shared the family’s grief with the Globe, saying the Doncevs would join extended family at church every Sunday.
“Now it’s going to be very difficult, the next Sunday that comes around, where we will not be able to have them sit next to us at the lunch table,” said Bublik.
The Doncevs were members of the Providence Christian Academy community, where Emily and Mark attended school.
“The Doncev family was a cherished part of our school community, and their loss is being felt deeply by our students, families, faculty, and staff,” the school said in a statement.
A family friend started a GoFundMe to raise money for the family’s funeral expenses.
Few details were immediately available about Mafalda.
Police have charged the bus driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and authorities said additional charges are pending.
A Staten Island, New York, resident, Dong obtained his commercial driver’s license in 2024, according to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 30, 2026, results for each game:
Powerball
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11 p.m.
01-27-35-44-52, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Monday, June 01, 2026
Pick 3
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 5-2-9, FB: 7
Day: 9-2-4, FB: 4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 8-7-9-9, FB: 9
Day: 3-3-7-6, FB: 0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.
Night: 4-4-8-8-1, FB: 1
Day: 9-3-9-8-1, FB: 7
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash Pop
Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.
Coffee Break: 09
After Hours: 05
Prime Time: 13
Rush Hour: 04
Lunch Break: 14
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Cash 5
Drawing every day at 11 p.m.
11-16-25-27-33
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Bank a Million
Bank a Million draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 11 p.m.
02-13-16-17-22-31, Bonus: 27
Check Bank a Million payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawing everyday at 11:15 p.m.
05-14-22-28-30, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A manhunt is underway in Virginia for a suspect accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy while he was conducting a welfare check, law enforcement officials said.
Deputy Logan Utt was fatally shot after police received a request from a family member to do a welfare check at the location, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said.
A man at the home opened fire on the two deputies who responded to the location, according to the sheriff’s office. The deputies returned fire, the sheriff’s office said, and both were hit by gunfire. Utt was pronounced dead, while the second deputy was struck in his ballistic vest. That deputy is currently receiving medical evaluation and is reported to be in stable condition, officials said.
“Deputy Utt was a devoted husband, loving father, cherished family member, friend, and respected member of our law enforcement family. His service, courage, and dedication will not be forgotten,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Utt joined the sheriff’s office in 2023, after serving in the military.
A search is underway for the suspect. He should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, law enforcement officials said.
“My office is closely monitoring this tragic incident,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger wrote on social media. “I encourage anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to contact Virginia State Police. My thoughts are with the deputy’s family and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office as we work through this awful situation.”
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