Virginia
Southwest Virginia under Code Orange air quality alert
ROANOKE, Va. – Theresa and Jeff Lowther traveled to the Star City from Kansas to visit their daughter this week but were met by a hazy skyline.
“Definitely disappointed in the views that we thought we were going to see versus what we do see,” Theresa said.
Winds pushed the smoke from Canada’s wildfires farther south, making its way to Southwest Virginia. Visitors at the Mill Mountain Star feeling the effects Thursday.
“We’ve been doing some hiking and so forth, so you can tell a little bit of a difference as far as your breathing and how well you’re breathing in,” Jeff said.
“Just when I hiked today, I mean, I think it was definitely a little harder to breathe,” said Michael Thieben, who lives in Roanoke.
Southwest Virginia is under a Code Orange air quality alert, meaning it’s unhealthy for sensitive populations like children, older adults, and anyone with lung or heart conditions.
“Definitely aware and thinking about my lungs and how well they’re operating and watching whether I need a break or not,” Theresa said. “I actually have asthma, so I am taking my medicine and definitely slowed down when we were walking because I could feel the air and the poor quality of it.”
Dan Salkovitz, a meteorologist with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, says the air quality in Northern Virginia, Richmond, and Hampton Roads is even worse, considered unhealthy for anyone to spend time outside.
“I would avoid, certainly avoid any physical activity outdoors,” Salkovitz said. “If you’re doing physical activity, it increases your respiration. You’re breathing in more and, in this case, you’d be breathing in more smoke particles.”
Phil Hysell, the warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Blacksburg, says conditions should improve over the next few days, but until the skies clear, take precautions.
“You want to limit your time outside, take frequent breaks, don’t do long-term exercises outside or activities outside that take a lot of exertion, and monitor your health,” Hysell said. “If you feel like you’re coughing, or you’re shorter of breath more frequently, seek medical help.”
You can check the current air quality forecast here.
Copyright 2023 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.
Virginia
2026 RB Kory Amachree discusses offer from West Virginia
Haslett (Mi.) 2026 running back Kory Amachree hadn’t spoken with West Virginia prior to making contact with running backs coach Chad Scott.
And that conversation led to a scholarship offer.
Amachree, 6-foot-0, 205-pounds, added the offer from the Mountaineers following a good discussion with Scott who let him know that his skill set was impressive on the field.
“He liked how explosive I am, and he liked how I am a dual threat,” he said.
Amachree was naturally excited to add West Virginia to an offer list that includes Michigan State, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and Cincinnati, among others.
“I am happy they offered me since they are a great school,” he said.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect is coming off a season here he had 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns and is being targeted at the running back position due to his athleticism and versatility.
The plan is for Amachree to take a visit to Morgantown in order to get a more up close look at what the football program has to offer, and he also plans to visit UCLA, USC, Indiana and Northwestern.
There is no timeline for when a potential decision could come but he is looking for a school that’s going to provide the right environment.
“What’s important to me in a school is a family-like bond,” he said.
Virginia
Snowstorm bears down on Virginia, will hit Petersburg, Tri-Cities hardest late Friday
Nashville snow time lapse: Watch as snow falls in downtown
In this time lapse, snow showers pass through downtown Nashville as a winter storm blows through Middle Tennessee Friday, Jan. 10, 2025
PETERSBURG – Winter is coming. Again.
A massive winter storm encompassing a large swath of the central and southern U.S. should be arriving here sometime after 7 p.m. Friday. Precipitation is expected to be light but steady until around 11 p.m. That is when the snowfall will pick up, and we will see most of the anticipated 4-6 inches that the National Weather Service office in Wakefield expects for us.
Snow will start to taper off after dawn Saturday and should be out of here completely by Saturday afternoon.
NWS said snow began falling around 5 p.m. in far southwestern Virginia.
Getting ready
Around the area, state and local officials prepped for the storm’s arrival. In Petersburg, a city statement said the main roads through town were treated in advance Friday. Petersburg’s first-responders and public-works department will be on duty all through the storm to keep the scene as safe as possible.
The city also issued the typical advisory for citizens to stay off the roads as much as possible, and travel only if necessary.
“With less traffic, road crews can better cover the streets,” the statement read. “Residents are also asked to use off-street parking when available.”
Central, southern Virginia expected to feel brunt
Unlike last weekend’s storm that dumped as much as a foot of snow on northern Virginia, this weekend’s storm appears to be targeting central and southern Virginia.
The dividing line between 3-4 inches of snow and 4-6 inches of snow is between Richmond and Petersburg, maps from NWS indicate. The further north you go, the less accumulation you can expect.
Snow bands stretch from Louisa County to the Virginia-North Carolina line. The largest of those bands extends from Farmville through Petersburg and on up to Accomac on the Eastern Shore.
Projected totals fall off a bit as you move toward Tidewater and down into North Carolina.
If you must drive, the Virginia Department of Transportation recommends checking 511Virginia first, either online or through the app.
This is a developing story.
Virginia
Virginia Tech Football: Where do Hokies Finish in Final ACC Power Rankings?
Just a few months ago, before the 2024 season ever officially kicked off, Virginia Tech seemed like a program that was trending up. They finished the 2023 season strong and were returning a ton of starters from that team and seemingly had a favorable schedule in front of them. They were talked about as the dark horse to win the ACC and make the college football playoff, but it wasn’t long before that was proven to be false.
The Hokies started the season with an upset loss to Vanderbilt, lost to Rutgers a few weeks later, and had the controversial loss to Miami to drop them to 2-3. After rallying to win three straight to get to 5-3 and still have a shot at the ACC Championship, the Hokies collapsed, losing four of their last five, including the bowl game to Minnesota last Friday. Not only was this season very disappointing, but the Hokies are losing most of their contributors from this team to the transfer portal or the draft. RB Bhayshul Tuten, OL Xavier Chaplin, Braelin Moore, and several members of the secondary. They are working to fill those holes in the portal and quarterback Kyron Drones is coming back, but there is not as much optimism heading into this offseason as there was for last season
While all eyes might be on moving forward to the 2025 season, where did Virginia Tech finish in the final ACC Power Rankings From 247Sports analyst Grant Hughes?
“Bowl Result: Lost Duke’s Mayo Bowl to Minnesota, 24-10
“Virginia Tech entered the 2024 season with ACC championship aspirations but failed to live up to expectations after dropping three of its first five games. A 1-4 finish to the campaign secured the Hokies’ fourth losing season in the last five years. The good news is that starting quarterback Kyron Drones is returning for the 2025 season, and the Hokies have already replaced star running back Bhayshul Tuten via the portal with former top-100 recruit and Tennessee transfer Cameron Seldon.”
All of that has led to speculation about head coach Brent Pry being on the hot seat going into 2025. Pry has gone 3-8, 7-6, and 6-7 in his three seasons in Blacksburg. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg listed Pry as a coach on the hot seat going into 2025 and listed him in the “Don’t backslide” category alongside Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, Florida’s Billy Napier, and Cal’s Justin Wilcox:
“The hot-seat talk bubbled up around Pry in November, and if the Commonwealth Cup had gone differently, Virginia Tech could have had a decision to make after a disappointing fall. Pry’s second consecutive 6-6 regular season got him to a bowl game, but he will enter Year 4 with a new defensive coordinator and a staff that will include former longtime Hokies DC Bud Foster as an advisor/analyst.
Pry is halfway through his contract and Virginia Tech isn’t in the best position to eat a seven-figure buyout. Virginia Tech should be more competitive in a very winnable ACC, especially with quarterback Kyron Drones back. The Hokies have eclipsed seven wins just once since 2017.”
Will Pry need to improve upon his record in 2025 to be ensured of another season in Blacksburg? Virginia Tech opens the season against South Carolina in Atlanta and the Gamecocks are likely going to start the season with a lofty ranking. They also face Miami, Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Louisville next season, but it is not a murderers row of a schedule. Needless to say, the Hokies need to see some progress next season.
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