Virginia Tech senior defensive analyst for offense Danny Rocco talks to offensive players during a March 21 practice in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech senior defensive analyst for offense Danny Rocco talks to offensive players during a March 21 practice in Blacksburg.
A Rocky Mount woman was arrested in connection to a homicide that occurred early Tuesday morning.
Officers and first responders were dispatched to the Candlewood Apartments in Rocky Mount at approximately 2:32 a.m. Tuesday morning following reports of a person with a knife wound. Nikita Aaron Williams, 27, of Rocky Mount was found with a puncture wound to the upper chest, according to a release from the Rocky Mount Police Department.
First responders immediately gave emergency medical aid until Williams was transported to nearby Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital. Williams later died from his injuries while at the hospital, the release said.
Akers
Amanda Nicole Akers, 18, of Rocky Mount was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder as a result of a preliminary investigation. She is being held without bond at the Franklin County Jail, according to the release.
The investigation remains active.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
Damon Tobin (aka “Dary Vain”) of the Loose Cannon Co. watches as 7-year-old Stevie Kislow of Glade Hill participates in the Rat Toss game during Pirate Days festivities at Goodhue Boat Co. in Moneta in July 2025.
Smith Mountain Lake Pirate Days is set to return next weekend even as low water levels have threatened to put a damper on the popular lake event.
Organizer P.J. Nagel was forced to make a few changes to this year's Pirate Days festivities due to current lake levels. The main event next Saturday and Sunday, usually held at the Goodhue Boat Company Blackwater, has been moved off water to nearby Wind Vineyards.
P.J. Nagel, organizer of SML Pirate Days, speaks with some young pirates at Crazy Horse Marina during 2021's festivities.
Nagel said the decision to move the location of Pirate Days was a difficult one, but he thinks it is the best one for this year with all the challenges they were facing. He is optimistic his hard work preparing the new location will be worth it.
"Smooth seas never made a good pirate," Nagel said.
While the change means no water access or lake views, Nagel said he will have all the fun and games of previous Pirate Days in the new location. That includes live music, kids activities, mermaids and pirates from the Loose Cannon Company interacting with visitors.
From left to right, Katelyn Shannon-Sudds, Damon Tobin, Tess Macon and Sheri Shimada of the Loose Cannon Co. pose for a photo before the start of SML Pirate Days festivities at Goodhue Boat Co. in Moneta in July 2025.
Nagel said he added a fenced-off area with water cannons, toy pistols and foam swords where children can participate in pirate battles of their own. Kids can also try to dunk a pirate in a new dunk tank available this year.
The decision to move the event off the water was difficult, Nagel said. Even so, he's optimistic attendance will be similar to previous years as most attendees to the event come by car.
"We are absolutely doing everything we can to make the best out of what we have," Nagel said. "We are doing that by adding activities and events to the venue that we have never had before."
As in previous years, Pirate Days kicks off next Friday with the Pirate's Ball at Mango's Bar and Grill starting at 7 p.m. The event will include a live band and costume contest with everyone dressed as pirates.
"It's just a big pirate party," Nagel said.
Pancakes with Pirates, organized by the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, will be held next Saturday at 8 a.m. at Cancun Bar and Grill. The event includes breakfast along with interactions with pirates during the meal.
Tickets for the Pancakes with Pirates can be purchased at visitsmithmountainlake.com. It is $15 for people ages 16 and up, $10 for youth ages 6 to 15, and $5 for kids ages 5 and under.
Wind Vineyards will be hosting the pirate activities starting at 10 a.m. next Saturday and continuing until 5 p.m. Next Sunday, it will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost to attend the Pirate Days celebration at Wind Vineyards is $20 per car. Nagel encouraged visitors to pack into one vehicle to save on costs.
Visitors to Pirate Days are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and even a canopy to provide some shade. He added that outside food and drinks are not allowed.
In addition to fun and games, Nagel said they will have more than 20 craft vendors on site and eight food and drink vendors.
While Nagel said he is not organizing any events on the water this year, other groups are still planning pirate battles on the water as in previous years. Several marinas and docks around the lake are expecting visits from pirates.
Nagel said that is part of the popularity of Pirate Days at Smith Mountain Lake. Many families participate with their own celebrations without attending any of the sponsored events. It has become more of a holiday where everyone in the community celebrate in their own way.
Pirate Days has steadily grown in popularity since it was first organized more than a decade ago at Smith Mountain Lake. It is now one of the lake's biggest events, rivaling the Fourth of July in the number of lake visitors.
Recent Pirate Days have seen multiple boats converging at many of the lake's popular marinas participating in water battles for hours. Many restaurants have reported record numbers of visitors.
As last weekend's Fourth of July celebrations saw a drop in attendance due to the lake being down more than five feet below normal, Nagel said he expects a similar drop next weekend. With many residents unable to get their boats into the water, some may be unable to participate.
While participants on the lake may be down, he is optimistic attendance will still be up at Wind Vineyards. He hopes to see those residents who may be unable to get their boats out come out and still have a chance to take part in pirate activities off the water.
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3507
A motorcyclist was killed Tuesday on Interstate 81 in Botetourt County when he struck a pickup truck from behind.
Andrew David Lee Camp, 36, of Callaway, was traveling north on I-81, about a half mile south of the Brugh's Mill Road exit, when the wreck happened shortly after 6 p.m., according to the Virginia State Police.
Police said Camp’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle was weaving in and out of traffic and driving between vehicles when it rear-ended a Honda pickup truck.
Camp, who was wearing a helmet at the time, died at the scene of the crash, police said.
The driver of the truck was not injured.
An investigation is continuing, police said, but no charges are pending.
Laurence Hammack (540) 981-3239
A Washington County judge issued an order Tuesday night that halts enforcement of Virginia’s ban on assault weapons ban statewide.
The order goes beyond the scope of the complaint filed on behalf of gun owners and gun shop owners against the Virginia State Police superintendent and a patchwork of Commonwealth’s Attorneys across Virginia — including Washington County, Chesterfield County, York County, Frederick County, Giles County and Chesapeake.
Judge Jeffrey Campbell granted a preliminary injunction against enforcing the assault weapons ban that applied to the six localities on June 29.
He concluded that the plaintiffs have a good enough case that the ban infringes on their Constitutional rights and ruled halting the enforcement of the ban until the court decides whether or not the ban can lawfully proceed.
But Campbell’s most recent ruling expands it statewide, prohibiting all law enforcement in Virginia from enforcing the assault weapons ban.
Campbell writes in his opinion that it is “traditionally disfavored” to enforce injunctions against parties that aren’t named in a complaint because they aren’t involved in the litigation.
But he wrote that the original ruling, applying only to a half dozen of Virginia’s 120 localities, would not sufficiently protect the plaintiffs.
A plaintiff can freely transport an AR-15 inside Washington County, where the ban’s enforcement is enjoined, the judge wrote, but if they were to cross into Grayson County they would be violating the law.
The ban, effective July 1, prohibits the purchase, manufacture or transport of commonly used semi-automatic firearms and ammunition magazines that hold more than fifteen rounds. If found violating the law, a person can be charged with a Class I misdemeanor, carrying up to 12 months in prison and/or a $2,500 fine.
The ban doesn’t apply to people who already own firearms defined in the ban as assault weapons.
Campbell’s ruling on Tuesday will not go into effect until July 21, to allow for his clerks to notify law enforcement agencies, including top prosecutors, across the state of the injunction.
