A majority of the Roanoke School Board is interested in pursuing legal action against the commonwealth of Virginia for an alleged breach of state constitutional rights.

The board voted 5-2 on a motion introduced by member Jason Bingham, who said the state -- by cutting millions of dollars in state aid to localities -- is not fulfilling the constitutional requirement to establish and maintain a high-quality program of education.

A regional gifted program for high school students that emphasizes mathematics, science and technology may be in trouble if one or more of the larger participating divisions withdraws.

About 275 students from seven localities currently attend the Roanoke Valley Governor's School, adjacent to Patrick Henry High School on Grandin Road in Roanoke.

The church's leader sees the crosses as a symbol of redemption. And the local Planned Parenthood administrator sees them as a political statement.

What's clear is this: There were 729 abortions during 2008 in the areas between Alleghany and Roanoke counties, and members of Rainbow Forest Baptist Church commemorated them by staking the same number of crosses on a grassy hill the church owns beside U.S. 460 near Bonsack.

Salem schools Superintendent Alan Seibert issued a sharply worded statement Thursday regarding the impact that impending state budget restrictions could have on schools, and warned of shrinkage of staff salary and benefits.

Doris E. Tucker's trial on federal fraud charges wasn't about whether her name was properly spelled in all caps or other oddball tax defier schemes. It wasn't about a kickboxing champ, sometime movie actor and purported financial adviser named Dennis Alexio.

A former Troutville Volunteer Rescue Squad captain who was convicted of embezzling nearly $10,000 from the organization won't serve jail time.

A Bedford County woman was convicted Tuesday of shooting her boyfriend dead under circumstances she says she does not remember.

Carl Cooper enters the Roanoke City Council race as the only independent candidate.

Cooper, 53, formally announced his candidacy Friday. He was the last of seven candidates to enter the race for three council seats that will be decided May 4.

Four people were at the house in the 100 block of Ninth Street when the fire broke out just before 10 p.m. Two people suffered broken bones while escaping and a third was severely burned, fire officials have said.