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Animals displaced by Hurricane Helene arrive at Northern Virginia shelters

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Animals displaced by Hurricane Helene arrive at Northern Virginia shelters


Dozens of rescue dogs and cats from communities devastated by Hurricane Helene are arriving in northern Virginia to find forever homes here.  It’s just one of the many ways people around here are reaching out and helping people and pets in need.  

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This is one of the nearly two dozen cats and dogs brought here to Falls Church from Richmond over the past 24 hours. They were rescued from humane societies in parts of North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene.

More than 100 dogs and cats were trucked from North Carolina to Richmond on Monday.  Then more pets arrived from Lee and Smyth counties in southwest Virginia Wednesday afternoon. 

MORE FROM FOX 5: Hundreds of US troops battle devastation caused by ‘biblical’ Helene floods

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They’ve been taken in by several animal rescue organizations across the Commonwealth.  

Nearly two dozen cats came to the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation from Tennessee on Sunday.  

“We’ll, as we’re doing today, start to go through their records, start to determine what care they need. Many will need to be spayed or neutered. Upper respiratory infections — we can expect in a lot of them just because of the conditions and how stressful the transport can be, so having that identified and being able to get them the medical care that they’ll need right away,” said Dawn Wallace, executive director of the shelter.

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All of these animals will eventually be available for adoption, brought here to make room in those shelters for people’s pets who have been displaced by Helene.

“Our volunteers are here today at our Rescue Care Center in Falls Church and they’ll start being able to walk the dogs spend time with them, give them the TLC that they deserve after a long journey. The cats and kittens will get cuddled and snuggled and lots of playtime,” Wallace said. “And we will start to determine how quickly we can get them all ready for adoption.”

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Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation has been doing this for 22 years, finding forever homes for more than 45,000 animals. The cats and dogs arriving now will likely be available for adoption next weekend. 

If you’re interested in adopting one of these furry friends, click here.



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Did you know West Virginia has an official state gun?

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Did you know West Virginia has an official state gun?


CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?

The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.

All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.

On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.

While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

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Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

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Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney


CHARLOTTE, N.C. —  In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches. 

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That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer. 

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“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”

The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s. 

But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers. 

“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”

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On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli. 

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It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist. 

“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said. 

The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship. 

Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment. 

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Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day. 

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Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years. 

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Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions

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Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions


Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.

The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.

In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.

SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues

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John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.

Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.

“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.

Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.

City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.

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