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Global Spectrum's first full year managing the Roanoke Civic Center on behalf of the city was marked by at least two big successes, a few losers and a continuing push to eliminate the facility's taxpayer subsidy.

Some 13,000 Roanoke students returned to school Tuesday for the start of a new academic year -- without the major transportation glitches that plagued the start of the previous school year.

Transportation ran "very well compared to last year," according to Mountain Valley Transportation General Manager Andre Harris.

Gene Jones greeted students in front of Roanoke's William Fleming High School on Tuesday -- the first day of the 2010-11 school year -- and reminded the teenagers to stow cellphones while he looked out for potential dress code violations.

ROANOKE

Driver in fatal SUV crashindicted

A Roanoke SUV driver who struck and killed a pedestrian lastmonth was indicted Tuesday on a charge of driving while intoxicated forthe third time in five years.

Last year the city council cut loose leaf collection in Roanoke. Now, it's considering doing away with the collection of leaves in plastic bags -- and may instead require city residents to use special paper bags instead.