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Virginia Big Brother/Big Sister of Year Announced

Virginia Big Brother/Big Sister of Year Announced »

There is a long list of Little Brothers and Little Sisters waiting for a mentor and friend, said the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Charles Pierson. Many of the youngsters suffer from...

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After Prom Event To Take On “Festival” Atmosphere

After Prom Event To Take On “Festival” Atmosphere »

Event moves outdoors for 2013. With prom season wrapping up, RAYSAC – Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition is gearing up for the first-ever outdoor After Prom Grand Finale, which is highlighted every year by...

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Racers Mean Big Dollars for Valley

Racers Mean Big Dollars for Valley »

Marathon and half marathon create $476,000 economic impact; up 26.3 percent from 2012   Billed as America’s toughest road marathon, the fourth annual Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon and Half Marathon generated $476,000 in economic...

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CHIP Program Continues to Grow As Key Lifeline for Valley Families

CHIP Program Continues to Grow As Key Lifeline for Valley Families »

The Child Health Investment Partnership – better known as CHIP of Roanoke Valley – is an early childhood home visiting program that has been a fixture in the valley for decades. CHIP pairs low-income children,...

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Council Receives Citizen Input On 28% Pay Raise

Council Receives Citizen Input On 28% Pay Raise »

Just a handful of people signed up for the first public hearing on city council’s proposed 28.5% pay raise Monday evening. One of those was former council member Rupert Cutler who supported council giving themselves...

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Roanoke College Legendary Coach Homer Bast: 1914-2013

Roanoke College Legendary Coach Homer Bast: 1914-2013 »

C. Homer Bast, a legend at Roanoke College for his work in the classroom and on the track, passed away May 20, 2013 at his home in Salem. He was 98 years old. His words...

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News

Republican Ticket Statewide “Fly Around” Lands in Roanoke »

The Republican ticket of Ken Cuccinelli for governor, E. W. Jackson for lieutenant governor and Sen. Mark Obenshain for attorney general barnstormed the state on Monday morning, touching down at Landmark Aviation in Roanoke to...

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Harrison Museum Cuts Ribbon On New Location »

Dignitaries and volunteers were among the 75  or so guests at the ribbon cutting for the 7000 square foot Harrison Museum of African American Culture now relocated to the Center in the Square. The Square...

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Cuccinelli, Jackson and Obenshain Nominated at Republican Convention »

Over 8500 attendees and credentialed delegates filled the Richmond coliseum at Saturday’s Republican State Convention where Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was the keynote speaker. A twelve-hour day started late as participants squeezed through two coliseum...

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$27 Million Makeover Goes A Long Way »

Hundreds of people turned out to celebrate Center in the Square’s $27 million makeover during the grand reopening celebration.  Some 300,000 children visit the Center each year and after 30 years and 10 million visitors,...

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13th Annual Armed Forces Day Parade to Honor WWII Veterans »

The 13th Annual Armed Forces Day Parade will be held on Saturday, May 18 at 10:00 a.m.  Following a brief opening ceremony, the parade will proceed from the Virginia Veterans Care Center; down Roanoke Boulevard;...

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T. T. To Go! »

After 83 years in the same location the world famous Texas Tavern now has a mobile unit. Owner Matt Bullington put together a unique combination of grills, tent, coolers, and necessary equipment to enable the...

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Workshop Offered for Beginning Beekeepers »

Besides the distinguished role of being the only insect that provides food for human consumption, the honeybee’s most estimable value lies in the pollination of fruit and vegetable crops throughout the country. The upcoming Beginning...

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Sports

Northside Advances in Region III Girls Tennis With 5-2 Win Over Jefferson »

Northside Advances in Region III Girls Tennis With 5-2 Win Over Jefferson

Northside picked up the first four points in quick fashion of the requisite five needed in their first round Region III quarterfinal girls tennis match against Jefferson Forest Tuesday afternoon at Waldrond Park. The fifth point clincher was more of a grind on a muggy afternoon that...

May 22 2013 / No comment / Read More »

30th Scott Robertson Golf Tournament Crowns 2013 winners; Brediger 6th »

30th Scott Robertson Golf Tournament Crowns 2013 winners; Brediger 6th

The 30th annual Scott Robertson Memorial junior golf tournament crowned winners Sunday afternoon in four divisions in the 54-hole event at Roanoke Country Club. Carl Yuan, a 16-year-old who moved from China to The United States two years ago to improve his golf game, fired...

May 20 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Patriots Strong Finish Secures Western Valley Baseball Title »

Patriots Strong Finish Secures Western Valley Baseball Title

Don’t blame the Patrick Henry baseball team if they were looking forward to a few days off after a hectic week of action on the diamond. With a good excuse at hand if anyone was suffering from sore legs and tired pitching arms, the Patriots...

May 20 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Cave Spring Rally Nets River Ridge District Softball Title »

Cave Spring Rally Nets River Ridge District Softball Title

When opportunity knocks, you better be ready to open the door. You could make a good argument the Lady Knights softball team knocked the door down with a final-inning rally in the regular-season River Ridge final against rival Hidden Valley that gave Cave Spring the...

May 20 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Commentary

An Abuse of Power »

An Abuse of Power

I was shocked to hear of the pay increase proposed by Roanoke Mayor David Bowers and council members Bill Bestpitch, Sherman Lea and Anita Price. As a long-time guy who has worked in politics in Roanoke for more than 45 years, I see this is...

May 21 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Griffith Will Not Support Any Attempt to Exempt Lawmakers From Obamacare »

Griffith Will Not Support Any Attempt to Exempt Lawmakers From Obamacare

An article was published recently in Politico, a respected inside-the-beltway news journal, saying that some Democrats are trying to exempt Congressmen and Congressional staff from Obamacare health exchanges. I was not here when Obamacare was passed, but I think – as does Senator Max Baucus,...

May 7 2013 / No comment / Read More »

The Ethanol Mandate: Hurting American’s Economy »

The Ethanol Mandate: Hurting American’s Economy

Who’s paying the costs of the federal ethanol mandate?  Every family who shops in a grocery store or dines at a restaurant, every livestock producer who faces higher feed costs, and every motorist who fills up their tank at the gas station pays the price...

May 7 2013 / 1 comment / Read More »

Genesis One to Genesis Two »

Genesis One to Genesis Two

In 1967, historian Lynn White, Jr. ignited a firestorm that burns still today. In a widely discussed article titled, “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis,” he laid a charge at the doorstep of the Judeo-Christian community: The Bible is responsible for the world’s environmental...

May 7 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Business

Locally Owned High Tech Tire and Battery Service Set to Open »

Locally Owned High Tech Tire and Battery Service Set to Open

Star City Tire and Battery Service has announced that it will open to the public on Friday, May 31 at 6802 Peters Creek Road.  The business will offer complete car care service, including tires, batteries, brake repair, front-end alignment, transmission service, shock replacement, oil changes...

May 21 2013 / No comment / Read More »

KnowledgeWorks Partner Looks To Hit It Big With “SimulTV” »

KnowledgeWorks Partner Looks To Hit It Big With “SimulTV”

System Integrates Content, Chat, Social Networks & Search on the Same Screen on Any Web-Enabled Device  Say goodbye to the second screen. According to its maker, the new way to stay socially connected while watching live TV or video on demand is SimulTV, the first...

May 16 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Carilion Scientist Discovers How Alzheimer’s Drugs Sharpen the Brain »

Carilion Scientist Discovers How Alzheimer’s Drugs Sharpen the Brain

The importance of transmitting clear signals, however, is not relegated to the airwaves. The same creed applies to the electrical impulses navigating a human brain. Now, new research has shown that one of the few drugs approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease helps patients...

May 16 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Former Gentry Locke Managing Partner Accepts Position at Roanoke College »

Former Gentry Locke Managing Partner Accepts Position at Roanoke College

G. Michael Pace, Jr., former Managing Partner of the Virginia law firm of Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, LLP, will become General Counsel with Roanoke College on July 1. Pace will continue to practice law at Gentry Locke as Of Counsel to the firm, concentrating...

May 16 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Arts & Culture

Local Colors Endures Despite Rain, Relocation »

Local Colors Endures Despite Rain, RelocationThe 23rd edition of Local Colors had to deal with on and off rain, not to mention relocation of the main stage from its usual...

May 22 2013 / No comment / Read More »

Blue Ridge Music Festival Reborn As Country Music Festival »

Blue Ridge Music Festival Reborn As Country Music FestivalDon’t confuse the Blue Ridge Music Festival on Saturday, June 1 with an earlier musical event featuring Willie Nelson that was also held in Salem....

May 22 2013 / 1 comment / Read More »

Greenbrier County’s Supernatural History Explored at GVT »

Greenbrier County’s Supernatural History Explored at GVTIn celebration of both West Virginia’s 150th anniversary as well as the history of Greenbrier County, Greenbrier Valley Theatre will present the original musical The...

May 21 2013 / No comment / Read More »





Hayden Hollingsworth  spacer

Hayden Hollingsworth

Our Most Hated Agency

When have you ever heard a kind word about the Internal Revenue Service?  Here’s one. The Mensa society has a contest each year:  Change one letter in a word and give it a...

May 20, 2013 / More »

Mary Jo Shannon  spacer

Mary Jo Shannon

Kathy’s Big Misunderstanding

Fifty years ago parents of children with multiple ear infections and sore throats were advised to have the tonsils removed. Since our three easily met these qualifications, I added three tonsillectomies to three...

May 6, 2013 / More »

Keith McCurdy  spacer

Keith McCurdy

Too Much Stuff Before Its Time

It is a common theme today to talk about not “spoiling” our children with too many things.  While it may very well be true that giving in excess to our children will develop...

May 7, 2013 / More »

Caroline Watkins  spacer

Caroline Watkins

Dites Moi, Pourquoi

Thought of this song from South Pacific as I was contemplating one of the most important yet ever frustrating questions of all time…why. It is a question repeated endlessly by our 4 year...

May 13, 2013 / More »

Lucky Garvin  spacer

Lucky Garvin

The Beaver and The Bluejay

My wife, Sabrina, has a new love, but I’m not jealous. He only weighs a thousand grams, has the worst over-bite I’ve ever seen, and is six to twelve weeks old. He is...

May 21, 2013 / More »

Dick Baynton  spacer

Dick Baynton

Presidential Firestorm Is A Long Time Coming

You can fool some of the people all of the time, you can even fool all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the...

May 20, 2013 / More »

John Robinson  spacer

John Robinson

Running in the Mountain Junkies Trail Race Series

I’m alone now, plodding along with the rhythm of my heart beat keeping time with my footsteps. There is someone just ahead, just around the next bend I guess, and a few runners...

Apr 29, 2013 / More »

Bill Turner  spacer

Bill Turner

Wild Bill’s Sports Round Up!

There’s nothing more exciting than tournament time in spring high school sports. Whether the AAA playoffs or the spring jubilee for A and AA teams in Radford, playoff action offers pressure-filled games among...

May 22, 2013 / More »

Valerie Garner  spacer

Val Garner

Virginia Big Brother/Big Sister of Year Announced

There is a long list of Little Brothers and Little Sisters waiting for a mentor and friend, said the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Charles Pierson. Many of the youngsters...

May 22, 2013 / More »

Guest Columnist  spacer

A is for Apple – B is for Bees.

And C? That would be for Corporate Crops. Chemicals. Colony Collapse. Crap! It’s getting worse. There were multiple reports this week in the United States and Europe that Colony Collapse disorder – the...

May 21, 2013 / More »

Guest Columnist 2  spacer

Of A Mind, Not Stentorian

 I’m not sure that anyone has used that word since Stephen Crane used it to describe artillery in The Red Badge of Courage. It appears that the last time that word was in...

May 22, 2013 / More »

Preacher's Corner  spacer

Everything Happens For . . .

Everything Happens For . . .

 “Everything happens for a reason.”  That’s what we often tell ourselves when tragedy strikes (such as befell Oklahoma City this week).  This is usually an attempt to bring order to our chaos and...

May 21, 2013 / More »








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