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THURSDAY DECEMBER 9, 2010 ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
TOP STORIES
Some BHS work lacked permits IN NEWS
Section/Page/Zone: Main A/A001/Metro
Town and school district documents show that some of those renovations had made the building unsafe. the months since February’s Tax cut perks
collapse of the gym roof, raised could trickle to
By Katelyn Polantz to Blacksburg High School wheelchair-lifts and ramps, Permits also don’t exist concerns about schools across all income tiers
katelyn.polantz@roanoke.com over the years without proper converted storage areas that for repairs made to a crum- the county for Cook and other
381-1669 Democrats’ arguments
permits and made the building were once bathrooms and hall- bling stairwell and a cracked inspectors. about Monday’s tax-
unsafe, according to town and ways, and installed piping and gym locker room wall at the “Once they started making
cut compromise have
Montgomery County school school district documents. dryer vents, Blacksburg build- now-closed, 36-year-old high repairs, they should have pulled
personnel and contractors Permits don’t exist for addi- ing official Cathy Cook and school. focused on how much
made dozens of renovations tional wall partitions, flooring, school officials said. The findings, discovered in See PERMITS, 9 money the wealthy
might save. Yet if the
deal is approved by
Congress, you’re bound
to see more money in
Man gets
your wallet, whatever
Social media scoured
your income. PAGE 3
convicted
for meth
to help find 12-year-old
Client Name:
in Vinton
Description:
Advertiser:
The 29 year old pleaded
guilty to manufacturing
meth in the presence of
his teenage girlfriend.
By Mike Gangloff
mike.gangloff@roanoke.com
981-3336
Man honored for
A man who hung his GED service on many
certificate above his metham- nonprofits’ boards
phetamine cooking rig, then
tried to evade police by taking Lee Wilhelm is Roanoke’s
to the woods with a tent and a 2010 Citizen of the
bowl of macaroni and cheese, Year. He’s most closely
pleaded guilty Wednesday to associated with the
charges that may send him to YMCA, where he has
prison for years. served for 31 years on
John Thomas Nelon Jr., 29, the board of directors.
of Vinton pleaded guilty in PAGE 11
federal court This photo is one of many posted in 12-year-old
Insertion Number:
in Roanoke Brittany Smith’s Facebook albums.
to charges
he manufac-
tured meth Health care
and did so in manufacturer
Ad Number:
Color Type:
the presence picks Franklin Co.
John Thomas of a minor.
Nelon U.S. Dis- Solution Matrix Inc. will
Each charge trict Court move its headquarters
carries up to a Judge Sam- and manufacturing
20-year term.
uel Wilson operations into Franklin
Size:
accepted the pleas and said he County, announcing
would await a pre-sentencing that it will create 80
report before setting Nelon’s jobs within three years.
punishment. Each charge car- PAGE 10
ries a maximum of 20 years in
prison.
In a plea agreement, pros-
ecutors dropped a charge of l SPORTS
making meth near a school.
Nelon cooked his meth Vick on top of
in a garage where he and his Pro Bowl voting
15-year-old girlfriend lived, Jeff Easley’s MySpace
Publication Date: 12/09/2010
Former Hokie Michael
Assistant U.S. Attorney page. His profile photo is Tina Smith’s MySpace page was last updated Friday, the Vick leads NFL Pro
Andrew Bassford said. Bowl voting. In second
“The cooking was kind of him with Brittany. day she died.
place, Indianapolis Colts
of an evolutionary process,”
quarterback Peyton
Bassford said. Nelon and his
girlfriend were frequent meth Manning. PAGE 1
users, and after the girl passed Police are seeking cooperation from Facebook and MySpace to get information
out after long meth-using ses-
sions, Nelon would test his lat- that might help in the search for Brittany Smith and her late mom’s boyfriend.
est recipe by holding chunks
of freshly cooked meth under By Amanda Codispoti and Sheila Ellis | The Roanoke Times
her nose to see if it woke her
up, Bassford said. From Tina Smith’s chilling Face- but it’s like another ingredient in tany Smith and Jeffrey Easley, 32,
When an anonymous tip book post on the day she died to the cake that we need to bake,” said dragged into a fourth day without
led to a police search in May, cryptic comments left on MySpace, Sgt. Terry Wright, an investigator a trace, police said the social net-
officers found meth-making the online profiles of Smith, her with the Southern Virginia Inter- working websites finally allowed
equipment and ingredients. missing 12-year-old daughter and net Crimes Against Children Task them access to what may be leads
Officers also found Nelon’s the man who police say abducted Force. “A lot of times it will give us in the possible abduction of Brittany
GED certificate hanging her are full of potential clues. more direction in a case.”
“It’s not always a smoking gun, As the national search for Brit- See SOCIAL, 18
Bridge. . . . . . . Classified 7
See CONVICTED, 18
Comics . . . . . . . . . Extra 10
Crossword . . . . . . Extra 11
Lottery . . . . . . . . . News 11
Boones Mill is closing in on
Obituaries . . . . . News 13
TV Listings. . . . . . . Extra 2
purchase of 62-acre property WEATHER
The town is seeking a USDA loan to take over the vacant industrial property. Roanoke New River
By Janelle Rucker Town officials say they site.
34 21 32 14
janelle.rucker@roanoke.com HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
couldn’t have afforded such a After a public hearing set
981-3159 purchase any other way. for 7 p.m. tonight at the town Full forecast
The property, formerly the hall on Easy Street, the town and weather data.
The small town of Boones manufacturing site of Cham- could take over the property PAGE 2
Mill might get one of the pion Home Builders/North for $350,000.
biggest deals of the holiday American Housing Corp. on The town already has a con-
season: a 62-acre industrial Boones Mill Road, has been tract to purchase the property
ERIC BRADY | The Roanoke Times
property with offi ce build- vacant for at least two years — assessed for tax purposes at Boones Mill Town Manager and Police Chief Lynn Frith (left) and
ings and two rental homes and was listed for $2 million, $2.9 million — which includes Mayor Ben Flora tour one of the buildings on a 62-acre property
for more than an 80 percent according to the Roanoke last used and owned by Champion Home Builders. The town has
discount. Regional Partnership web- See PROPERTY, 18 a contract to purchase the property for a fraction of its list price. 6 45527 08554 5