Former Virginia State Police Sgt. Matthew Brannock, a Ridgeway native, narrowly survived a shooting incident that could have taken his life on his 36th birthday: May 30, 2011.
On that day, Brannock, 36, was shot in the thigh while doing a traffic stop on Interstate 81 near Roanoke. He has since left the state police and taken a job at Martinsville Speedway.
On Tuesday, Brannock spoke to about 75 law enforcement officers and others at a ceremony to recognize local officers who have fallen in the line of duty.
One man is in custody and another is being sought in connection with an alleged abduction in April, according to the Martinsville Police Department.
Jerome Keith Wade, 19, of 81 Honey Drive, Bassett, is wanted on charges of malicious wounding, conspiracy to commit malicious wounding, abduction and robbery in connection with an April 14 incident, according to Martinsville Police Capt. Eddie Cassady.
A motorist was injured Tuesday when a vehicle ran off U.S. 58 near Lover’s Leap and plunged 150 feet down the mountainside, according to the Virginia State Police.
The driver, whose identity and condition were not known Tuesday night, was flown to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center for treatment, said Trooper P.W. Meade, who is investigating.
Recruiting teachers can be hard when average salaries in local public school systems run an average of 18 percent to almost 25 percent below the state average, according to educators.
Due to local economic constraints, “we are limited in what we can do” in terms of paying teachers, said Dawn Lawson, chief financial officer for the Henry County Schools.
A survey by the Virginia Department of Education (DOE) shows variations among the average salaries of teachers in the area’s public schools.
The factor that most influences how much a teacher, principal or assistant principal is paid is the person’s length of service, and staffs at some schools have more overall experience than personnel at others, according to officials with the Henry County, Martinsville and Patrick County school systems.
Actor and musician Gary Sinise said he is excited to be partnering with the Rooster Walk festival to raise funds for a Patrick County veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan.
Sinise, who played Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump,” will be in Martinsville on May 24 to perform a benefit concert with his Lt. Dan Band. The concert will kick off the fourth annual Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival at Blue Mountain Festival Grounds in Figsboro.
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