Daily Press from Newport News, Virginia • A10

10 DAILY PRESS NEWS LOCAL GLADE SPRING 12 hours after a terrifying overnight tornado killed four and injured dozens more, Scott gas station and truck stop was open for business Thursday. The Petro Truck Stop he manages in the Glade Spring community of Washington County stood at the epicenter of 11square miles of devastation. The truck stop had seen its windows blown out from both sides and the diesel and gasoline pumps blown over. something you believe would happen in Virginia, in Glade Sutphin said. The station, at Exit 29 off Interstate 81, was surrounded by the worst damage seen in Southwest Virginia caused by the storm system that has killed nearly 300 across the South.

The truck stop was busy Thursday afternoon with gathered law- enforcement officers and emergency crews. Though most of the surrounding area had no power, the station remained open, running on a generator. Crews were already working to repair the damage, though Sutphin said he sure how long the store could remain open. ADollar General, a Pizza Plus and a restaurant were among other businesses that sustained extensive damage. is probably the worst-hit business in Glade he said.

He said at least six employees were at the truck stop when the storm came through. They hid in back rooms and showers until it passed. The Washington County Office, at a Thursday press conference, announced it had concluded its first round of search- and-rescue operations. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management lowered the death toll from the storms to four, but none of those killed was identified. The four deaths tie the Glade Spring tornado with the 1993 Petersburg tornado as deadliest since 11were killed in a 1959 Albemarle County twister.

While the businesses at Exit 29 were hard-hit, they certainly alone. Numerous houses were blown off their foundations, with others sustaining significant damage. Glade Spring Middle School was also heavily damaged, Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman said. Numerous tractor-trailers on I-81and at the Petro Truck Stop were overturned and damagedas well. Several were strewn along the interstate, blocking traffic on the interstate and parallel U.S.

11 for hours on Thursday. Checkpoints were established to secure damaged homes and businesses, with only residents allowed in. is a close-knit community, which has made our search- and-rescue efforts much Newman said. here look out for one another and have been able to help us identify who was home at the time the storm struck. We truly appreciate the outpouring of support from our residents and those in neighboring jurisdictions in this time of President Barack Obama called Gov.

Bob McDonnell to express his condolences over the loss of life and destruction in Virginia. Atotal of five people died in storms, with another fatality in Halifax County on Wednesday evening. Tornadoes were also reported in Augusta, Shenandoah, Goochland and Prince William counties. The governor was scheduled to visit Washington County Friday to view the damage. STATE Scary storms kill four in Glade Spring Truck stop open, perhaps surprisingly, amid miles of devastation in Washington County THE ROANOKE TIMES NEWPORT NEWS the first time since 1989, the U.S.

Navy has ordered two fast-attack submarines in a single year, both of which will be built in part at the Newport News shipyard. The U.S. Navy on Friday said it has released $1.2 billion for the construction of the 14th Virginia- class submarine, the yet-unnamed SSN-787, allowing for the purchase of components and materials for the construction. The money for a second Virginia-class was held up for several months because of inability to pass a federal budget. The Pentagon, like other federal agencies, was operating under a series of stopgap spending measures that provide additional funding for several Navy shipbuilding projects, including a second sub.

Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. officials had warned last month that if Congress act soon, layoffs or furloughs were possible. Huntington builds the boats in apartnership with Groton, based General Dynamics Electric Boat. The companies each build sub portions and take turns on final assembly and delivery. look forward to continuing what has been a very effective teaming relationship and a proven, successful program as we ramp up to two Virginia-class submarines per said Christie R.

Miller, a Huntington spokeswoman. The Navy moved to double production of the 377-foot boats after its shipbuilding partners proved they could drive down costs and cut production time. Beginning in 2012, Huntington and Electric Boat are tasked with cutting the construction time of each boat to 60 months and reducing the per-copy cost to $2 billion in 2005 dollars. the cost of Virginia- class ships to the point where the Navy can afford to acquire two ships per year has demanded an intense process of continuous said John D. Holmander, Electric top Virginia class submarine official.

task now is to ensure that we demonstrate additional improvement on each ship so taxpayers get the best possible return on the investment in he said. The last sub the partners delivered, the Missouri, was built in 65 months at a cost of $2.26 billion. Huntington is scheduled to deliver the eighth sub in the class, the California, in the third quarter of this year. Shipyard officials have said the boat was tracking under its estimated $2.38 billion price tag and was expected to be delivered in 64 months. SHIPBUILDING U.S.

Navy releases $1.2 billion for another Virginia-class sub By Peter Frost 247-4744 Virginia-class subs This is the first year since 1989 that the U.S. Navy has bought two fast-attack submarines in one year. According to its long-range plans, the sea service is scheduled to buy two subs each year until at least 2017. NEWPORT NEWS regulators will allow Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to conduct tests in the James River that are related to a proposed $6 billion coal-fired power plant. Old Dominion plans to deploy three buoys near the end of Cobham Wharf Roadin Surry County, the site it favors to draw river water to the plant.

The buoys will each contain a different type of screen that Old Dominion hopes will show which collects the least amount of algae, barnacles and other debris, known as The Virginia Marine Resources Commission granted the request Tuesdaydespite the objections of power-plant foes, who are concerned, among other things, that the buoys could harm the environment, especially nearby sturgeon. concerns are all of our said Helen Eggleston, who lives near the proposed site of the plant. Commissioners noted that other agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approved the project.

They stated the approval does not indicate its support of the plant. Old Dominion plans to install the buoys as early as next month. They could be anchored there for about 26 weeks, according to commission documents. The permit is one of many local, state and federal permits that Old Dominion needs to secure before building the plant, dubbed Cypress Creek Power Station. Old Dominion announced last year it would delay building the plant due to a shaky economy and uncertain federal regulations.

The plant is still subject to a lawsuit by a handful of complainants, including Eggleston, who allege that Old Dominion and the town of Dendron did not include proper information in legal ads published before a meeting last year. Dendron is Old preferred location for the plant. Virginia regulators OK coal-plant testing By Cory Nealon 247-4760 Technology Launch Program Technology Launch Program Charles Barker Charles Barker TVWeeklywillbringbackmanyofyourfavoritefeatures inaBiggerandBetterTVmagazine! TVWeekly andthe DailyPress haveteameduptoofferyouamuch betterTVreviewingresource.Itwillinclude44pagesinaconvenient TVWeekly replaces DPTV May1st intheDailyPressandfindouthowtosubscribe! tobeboundbytheTermsofService.SeeVonage.com/tosfordetails.Unlimitedcallingandotherservicesarebasedonnormal residentialrateandaresubjecttoTermsofServiceonVonage.com/tos*In-planinternationalcallingmayexcludecertaincall typessuchascallstocellphonesdependingonthedestination.Outofplancallsarechargedatourlowperminuterates. OffervalidintheUSonly.SeeTermsofServicefordetails.^Whereavailable.Thenumbertransferprocessmaytakeupto10 businessdaysfromthetimeyouconfirmyourtransferrequest.Vonage911serviceoperatesdifferentlythantraditional911.See www.vonage.com/911fordetails.TTY,Alarmsandothersystemsmaynotbecompatible.©2010Vonage. STACKSUP! simulring.

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