The following local residents recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

• Denise Jones of Roanoke initiated at Old Dominion University
• Wesley Brugh of Roanoke initiated at Old Dominion University

These local residents are among approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society has chapters on more than 300 college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

– Submitted by Phi Kappa Phi

Due to heavy demand for brush collection caused by the recent storm, brush collection is delayed. Crews should be finished with Monday A Week residents by the end of the day. We are hoping to start on Tuesday A Week residents tomorrow – June 19, 2013. We are collecting brush as quickly as possible and updates will be posted via newsflash on this website. We appreciate your patience. Please contact the Solid Waste Division at 387-6225 if you have any questions.

Submitted by Roanoke County

It was a fun day at the park on Wednesday, June 12 for Bent Mountain and other area residents. The Bent Mountain branch of the library hosted a kick-off picnic to help usher in summer and to promote their summer reading program which goes from June 3 to August 9. The library provided hot dogs, drink and chips and not only that, but they offered face painting by Snookums the Clown and even had various games for the kids as well. The picnic took place outside of the Bent Mountain Public Library and was a big success. Kids and their parents played with bubbles, a parachute game, and they even got to use the playground too. The sun was shining and the air was clear up on the mountain that day… perfect for playing outdoors. You can read more about the county-wide library summer reading program here.

For rising grades 5-8. We will be discussing “Storm Runners” by Roland Smith. Please call 777-8772 to register.

• Date: June 20
• Time: 3:00 PM
• Time Details: one hour
• Location: South County Library
• Cost: free

Submitted By: Roanoke County Public Libraries

Lincoln stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Rated PG-13; 2012; 150 minutes As the Civil War continues to rage, America’s president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.

• Date: June 25
• Time: 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
• Time Details: This movie starts at 6:00 PM and lasts 150 minutes
• Location: South County Library
• Contact: (540) 772-7507
• Cost: free

Submitted by: Roanoke County Public Libraries

Southwest county resident Jessica Strokus graduated from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Wake Forest’s Class of 2013 was reminded that timing is everything at Commencement on May 20. Television journalist Gwen Ifill delivered the Commencement address taking to Twitter several days before her speech to ask graduates for suggestions on what she should say. During her speech, she paused to take out her phone and snap a photo of the audience for her Twitter feed.
She urged graduates to find a cause that they believe in and use what they have learned to “affect the lives of those around you.”
“You have to decide what you care about, and then be prepared to act,” said Ifill, managing editor and moderator of “Washington Week” and senior correspondent for the “PBS NewsHour.” “If you see something, do something…. I don’t care if you’re Tea Party or Occupy. Do something. It is not essential that you care about everything. But you have to care about something.”

Brian Lewis Fuquay was named to the honors list for the 2013 spring semester at Averett University in Danville, Va. Students must have a minimum of 12 hours of graded work for the semester to be considered for honors.

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Fuquay, Fuquay was named to the President’s List with a 4.0 grade point average. A junior, he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology: biomedical science.

Chartered in 1859 and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga., Telephone: 404-679-4501), Averett is a coeducational, comprehensive university located in Danville, Va. Averett enrolls more than 2,600 students on its Main Campus and in its statewide programs.

Submitted by Averett University

Emory & Henry College has announced the recipients of awards of academic excellence for the spring of 2013. Those honored include Mark Robertson of Roanoke, Va.

Robertson was given the Outstanding Senior in Geography, Outstanding Senior Award in History, and Outstanding Senior in Mass Communications award.

Located in the Highlands of Virginia, Emory & Henry is consistently honored for its achievements and is ranked on the national level. Among its recent honors is the Presidential Award for Service Learning, the highest national recognition for community service and service learning. In addition, Emory & Henry is ranked among the top 30 liberal arts colleges and universities in the nation by Washington Monthly and is listed among the first tier of national liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report. Newsweek ranks Emory & Henry No. 4 among all institutions in the nation in providing effective community service and service learning.

The following South County students attending Hampden-Sydney College were named to the Dean’s List for the Spring semester of the 2012-2013 academic year:

• Taylor William Bohon is a graduate of Cave Spring High School and is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Sy Bohon, Jr. of Roanoke.
• Jacob Alexander Hubbard is a graduate of Hidden Valley High School and is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Ryland H. Hubbard, Jr. of Roanoke.
• John Michael Simonic is a graduate of Hidden Valley High School and is the son of Patrick & Jill Simonic of Roanoke.
• Matthew Geyer Watson is a graduate of North Cross School and is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Watson of Roanoke.
• Adam Markley Witham is a graduate of Cave Spring High School and is the son of Michael & Dianne Witham of Roanoke.

To earn this distinction, students must achieve at least a 3.3 semester grade point average out of a possible 4.0.

A private college for men, Hampden-Sydney is ranked in the top tier of liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report. The College is known for its liberal arts curriculum, the Honor Code which stresses individual and collective responsibility, and a focus on the education of young men.

– Submitted by Hampden-Sydney College

Bucknell University has released the dean’s list for outstanding academic achievement during the spring semester of the 2012-13 academic year. A student must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0 to receive dean’s list recognition.

William T. Robison, son of Kenneth and Elise Robison of Roanoke, and a 2009 graduate of North Cross School was named to the spring dean’s list.

– Submitted by Bucknell University