Criminal Investigation Panel and Free Fire Safety Family Fun Day

From 6 to 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 11, a panel of state and local officials will discuss the
inner workings of large-scale investigations, including the Shore’s arson spree of 2012-13, in conjunction with the Eastern Shore firefighting exhibit currently on display at Ker Place. Panelists hosted by the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society will include Rob Barnes, investigator with the Virginia State Police; Robbie Lewis of the Virginia Department of Forestry; Jeff Flournoy, director of the Eastern Shore 911 Center; C. Ray Pruitt, director of the Accomack County Department of Public Safety; as well as a representative from the Accomack County Sheriff’s Department. The gentlemen will offer an inside look
at cross-departmental investigations, including profiling, field work, etc. Admission to the event is $5 for each Historical Society member and $10 a person for non-members. The event will be at the Onancock Baptist Church Family Life Center, 1 Crockett Ave. in Onancock. Purchase tickets at shorehistory.org/ticketsales.

The next day, Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ker Place will host a free Fire Safety Family Fun Day on the front lawn, 69 Market St. in Onancock. Various Shore fire companies and departments will have equipment on display; Sparky the fire dog will be out and about for pictures; and there will be giveaways for the kiddos. The Accomack County Department of Public Safety will be bringing its fire prevention house for kids to tour. Family-friendly lunch items will be available for sale. Meanwhile, the exhibit inside Ker Place, “It All Started with a Spark: The Rise and Evolution of Eastern Shore Firefighting,
will be open to visitors that day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.