Archive for May, 2010

BOTETOURT -  “Fincastle District’s vote on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors must be kept in hands that are locally oriented and not bound by rigid ideological commitments and obsessions,” Steve Vaughn told Botetourt County Democrats Monday night after accepting their nomination to run for supervisor. He will be on the November ballot to serve... »

The Lord Botetourt High School library was popular Saturday afternoon. That’s where alumni, friends and family got a chance to browse through the school’s 50 years of history recorded in the 50 yearbooks that were on display. The school held its 50th Anniversary Open House Saturday with displays, yearbooks, technology demonstrations, 50th anniversary items for... »

With not all tallies in, this year’s Stamp Out Hunger annual food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Post Office broke a record in Salem, with 20,858 pounds collected on May 8. Jenny McCormick, who is director of the Roanoke County/Salem Community Food Bank, said donations topped last year’s... »

Truly, this is shaping up to be a season of all conditions. Many folks who put their warm season vegetables out had to replace, due to late frosts, or the plants are stunted and just sitting there. It should be OK to finish planting your vegetables now. Our last frost date... »

SALEM – Virginia Western Community College students graduated wearing plastic bottles last week. Their caps and gowns didn’t look like recycled drink bottles, but that’s what they were. The “green” graduation outfits were made right here in Salem by Oak Hall Cap and Gown. Each gown takes 23 plastic bottles out of the waste stream. Company Vice... »

CAVE SPRING–Walking into the Shoe Doctor at Corners Shopping Center, one is likely to receive one of the following greetings: “Hey, young fella,” if the customer is a man with white hair; sometimes a “How are you doing, girl?” with a distinct southern twang, whether the female in question is five years old or... »

CATAWBA, VA. – Yum. Red, ripe, juicy strawberries. It’s strawberry time, and area strawberry growers such as Leighton Hodges and his family who operate Catawba Valley Farms are working quickly – in between rain storms this week – to pick the luscious berries as they ripen in their berry patches. “Strawberries are ripening about a week... »

VINTON–Disappearing are the traditions of shock collars and choke chains. These days, many have found what they believe is a better way to train dogs. A positive way. The people at Field of Dreams, which recently relocated to Vinton, know all about positive dog training. They know it is about more than doling out dog... »

The Vinton-based company hired to develop the branding and marketing campaign for the Upper James River Water Trail has been honored for its work. The Botetourt County Office of Tourism hired Inprint, a Roanoke Valley branding and advertising agency headquartered in Vinton, to produce an integrated marketing campaign for the river trail, or blue way. Inprint... »

Mildred Macdonald Wood Coalter of Roanoke died Tuesday, May 18, 2010. She was the daughter of Alberta Scott and Grover C. Wood and granddaughter of Anna Thrasher and W. Garrison Wood. She was predeceased in death by her husband Gilfert Witt Coalter and brother and sister-in-law, Marcus Scott and Marie B. Wood.... »