Virginia
Virginia Tech’s Jewish community responds to campus protests
BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) -“It’s definitely a feeling of just being scared. I wear a star of David but have it tucked under my shirt the past few months,” said Ethan Werner is the president of Hillel at Virginia Tech, the campus’s Jewish community.
While they were surprised at the intensity of Sunday night’s protests, he says hostility toward Jewish students has been going on for months. He says anti-Semitic chants have members of the Jewish community on edge.
“I heard from the river to the sea, which Congress just declared that that is officially hate speech and antisemitic, as it calls for the ethnic cleansing of Jews from the area. So it was just a very different vibe yesterday,” said Werner.
He also said they’re not just being targeted with words.
“I know a lot of students who’ve had who’ve been targeted by a lot of anti semitic attacks, swastikas on doors, anti semitic fliers under their doors on the or desks,” said Werner.
Amanda Herring is Hillel’s director. She says it’s unfair to blame Jewish students at Virginia Tech what’s happening in the Middle East as it is far beyond their control.
“Everyone has complicated political views. And so to assume that because someone is Jewish, or because they’re wearing a Star of David, that you can scream at them that they are causing violence in the Middle East is antisemitic, and that’s what needs to end,” said Herring.
Werner and Herring both said they’ve tried to schedule meetings with pro-Palestinian groups on campus to try and get some mutual respect and humanize the situation. However, they say those attempts have fell through. They want a discussion because it is the only way to bring peace on campus.
“If anyone was ever willing to do that with us, we would be more than willing, we’d be beyond grateful to come to that table and have that discussion. Unfortunately, that has not been what a lot of students have been wanting to do. It’s been a lot more aggressive, a lot more.
“Jewish students and Palestinian students could sit together and talk about their shared care and concern for this one small piece of land,” said Herring.
As the semester comes to a close, members of Hillel said they hope the summer will resolve the chaos between the two groups, so they can come together again as Hokies in the fall.
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Virginia
Netflix casting Central Virginia singles for “Love on the Spectrum” after Danville man joins show
DANVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Netflix is searching for singles in Central Virginia to appear on its documentary-style dating series “Love on the Spectrum,” after a Danville man was cast for an upcoming season and producers are now looking to find his match.
The series follows adults on the autism spectrum as they navigate dating.
Monica Karavanic, executive director of The Arc of Southside in Danville, said the person cast has ties to her organization.
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“This show has been loved by millions internationally and so for it to come to Danville is pretty awesome and we’re just really excited and hoping to make it work,” Karavanic said.
Casting is focused on singles ages 25 to 40, of any gender, who live near Danville or Lynchburg and would be interested in going on a date with a man on the spectrum. Producers say the time commitment could be as little as half a day.
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For more information on how to apply, you’re asked to email: production@northernpictures.com.au
RICHMOND, Va. — Friday will be sunny and seasonably warm, with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.
The pattern of cool nights and mild afternoons will continue through the weekend and through much of next week as upper-level flow continues to bring reinforcing mild and dry air out of eastern Canada.
Rain chances will be very limited over the next week, with only a slim chance with a frontal passage on Monday.
Stay With CBS 6, The Weather Authority.
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WTVR
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — Ressie Keen, a 107-year-old Pittsylvania County woman, is safe after escaping a house fire that destroyed her more than 100-year-old home, leaving behind a yard filled with charred debris and scattered belongings.
Keen said she has no special secret to her longevity.
“I ain’t got no secret, just thanking the Lord to let me stay here to see 107,” she said.
Keen said she moved to the home decades ago and built a life there.
“I’ve moved there in 1969, our first crop was made in 1970, and I been living there ever since,” she said.
The fire broke out in Keen’s bedroom on Thursday afternoon. Keen said she and her sitter got out as the fire grew.
“I don’t know what happened, only thing I knew to do was to get out of there. So me and my sitter we got out. She tried to put it out but she couldn’t,” Keen said.
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Pittsylvania County Fire Marshal Scott Hutcherson said investigators believe the fire started with an electrical issue.
“We think we had an electric outlet failure, more or less; an adaptor on the outlet probably failed,” Hutcherson said. He said the fire spread quickly once it ignited nearby items. “It set the bed on fire and the clothes that was on top of it, the material on top of it, what’s pretty much what got the fire going. And then it easily spread to the second story.”
Keen’s son, Ronnie Keen, said the loss has been painful for the family.
“It was devastating real devastating, lot of memories lost. But I know those memories and emotions the things that were sentimental were still right here,” he said.
A family photo album was among the few items recovered. Pointing to one image, Ronnie Keen said, “That’s a picture of the house.”
He added that the album was badly damaged. “It’s so charred it’s kinda hard to open,” he said.
Keen also held onto her favorite cast-iron pan.
“I knew this wasn’t going to get burnt up,” she said.
The home was considered a total loss, but the family said the most important thing is that Ressie Keen survived. She is now living with her son.
“I’m overjoyed that she’s here with us and she’s safe,” Ronnie Keen said.
Hutcherson said to prevent this, make sure that there is a smoke alarm in your home. He says you can reach out to the Pittsylvania County Public Safety office for a free installation of a smoke alarm.
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