Jason Dunovant, Roanoke Times Journalist Profile

Articles

Rocky Mount pushes Franklin County for more details on CTE proposal

2 days ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

ROCKY MOUNT — The town government is asking for some clarification from Franklin County before the county moves forward with the construction of a proposed career and technical education facility within the town limits. In February, Franklin County placed an option to purchase the former Mod-U-Kraf building at 260 Weaver St. in Rocky Mount for $5 million.
N.C. fire, EMS departments work to increase paid staffing as number of volunteers decline

3 days ago | firerescue1.com | Jason Dunovant

By Jason DunovantThe Roanoke TimesFRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. — Nationwide, the number of volunteer rescue squad members has been steadily declining for more than a decade while call volume continually increases. With fewer volunteers, localities such as Franklin County are forced to hire staff to pick up the slack. Emergency medical services, or EMS, is where Franklin County has suffered the most losses in volunteers over the years.
Franklin County fights to increase volunteer numbers

4 days ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

ROCKY MOUNT — Nationwide, the number of volunteer rescue squad members has been steadily declining for more than a decade while call volume continually increases. With fewer volunteers, localities such as Franklin County are forced to hire staff to pick up the slack. Emergency medical services, or EMS, is where Franklin County has suffered the most losses in volunteers over the years. In the past, the county had a volunteer rescue squad that operated along with each fire department in the county.
Rocky Mount residents may see utility, trash rate increases

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

ROCKY MOUNT — The town's proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year was presented to the Rocky Mount council Thursday. While no tax increases are proposed, residents could see increases in the cost of some services. Town staff proposed a 6% increase to monthly water and and wastewater rates. A $2 residential and $4 commercial rate increase for solid waste collection was also proposed for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
Deputy County Administrator Brian Carter

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

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Supervisors choose not to raise taxes in Franklin County

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

ROCKY MOUNT — After initially advertising a tax increase for the county, the Franklin County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to keep rates the same in the coming fiscal year. Franklin County advertised a 2-cent real estate tax increase earlier this month from 43 cents per $100 of assessed value to 45 cents. That was a 1-cent increase from the board's originally proposed rate of 44 cents when the proposed budget was initially unveiled in March.
Blue Ridge Marathon continues tradition as America's toughest

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

The Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon infamously carries the title as “America’s Toughest Road Race.” For those who were able to cross the finish line at Roanoke’s Elmwood Park on Saturday, the race certainly continues to live up to the hype. “For a marathon, it’s definitely the hardest one I’ve ever run,” said Thor Johansen of Prescott Valley, Arizona. Saturday was Johansen’s second time running the race.
Students study hands-on science at Smith Mountain Lake

1 week ago | martinsvillebulletin.com | Jason Dunovant

HUDDLESTON — Students from Liberty High School in Bedford County gained a hands-on education in environmental sciences during a Thursday visit to Smith Mountain Lake State Park. More than 40 students worked with park staff and volunteers from the Smith Mountain Lake Association to learn about the lake’s complex ecosystem. The outing was the first of what the SMLA is hoping will be an annual educational event for students called Lake Days.
Bedford County students study hands-on science at Smith Mountain Lake

1 week ago | roanoke.com | Jason Dunovant

HUDDLESTON — Students from Liberty High School in Bedford County gained a hands-on education in environmental sciences during a Thursday visit to Smith Mountain Lake State Park. More than 40 students worked with park staff and volunteers from the Smith Mountain Lake Association to learn about the lake’s complex ecosystem. The outing was the first of what the SMLA is hoping will be an annual educational event for students called Lake Days.
Planning for disaster: crews from NYC, Va. join to train at Smith Mt. Lake

2 weeks ago | godanriver.com | Jason Dunovant

WIRTZ — Incident management teams from Virginia and New York City converged at Smith Mountain Lake this week for a large-scale training exercise created to test their response to a simulated catastrophe. Members of the Fire Department of New York Incident Management Team joined the Central Virginia Incident Management Team and the Southwest Virginia Incident Management Team at the W.E. Skelton 4-H Center in Wirtz.