www.newrivervalley.com

Hello, Community Current readers. As you may have seen in Sept. 25′s Current, are longer publishing The Current as of the Sept. 30 edition.

However, we are making this change while introducing a new online site for the New River Valley community. Please check out The Burgs, where you will find many of your favorites from the Current plus an increased focus on schools and community events.

We are inviting our Burgs readers to contribute and help build the site by submitting their own news and photos. Here’s where you can learn more about The Burgs.

Thank you for your readership. We look forward to seeing you at The Burgs.

– Carole Tarrant, editor, The Roanoke Times

Weather journalist Kevin Myatt

Blacksburg celebrates its homecoming tonight with a 7:30 p.m. game against Lord Botetourt.

Eastern Montgomery also marks homecoming with a 7 p.m. game against Bland County.

Christiansburg has a bye.

Other teams in action tonight:
* Magna Vista at Pulaski County, 7:30 p.m.
* Narrows at Rural Retreat, 7:30 p.m.
* Fort Chiswell at Floyd County, 7 p.m.
* Giles at Tazewell, 7 p.m.
* Radford at Virginia High, 7:30 p.m.

Weather journalist Kevin Myatt has this forecast:

An umbrella or a poncho would be wise to take to the game Friday night. The farther east you are, the more your threat of seeing rain. But showers are possible anywhere on Friday night.

For more weather news, see Kevin’s Weather Journal blog.

We’ll have photos from the Blacksburg and EastMont games, so check back this weekend — or share your own at news@theburgs.com.

We’ll also have our paparazzi photo crew at both the Blacksburg and EastMont homecoming dances; look for those photos on Tuesday when we launch our new website for the New River Valley — www.theburgs.com — and in print later in the week when we debut our new edition.

You can follow The Burgs on Twitter at theburgsNRV or “like” us on our new Facebook page at facebook.com/TheBurgs. You can find more details here.

Here is the full state release:

Office of the Governor
Contact: Jeff Caldwell
Phone: (804) 225-4260
Email: Jeff.Caldwell@governor.virginia.gov

Department of Housing and Community Development
Contact: Amanda Pearson
Phone: (804) 371-7006
Email: Amanda.Pearson@dhcd.virginia.gov

Governor McDonnell Announces $1.4 Million in Community Development Block Grant Urgent Needs Funding for Pulaski
~County and Town of Pulaski will receive grants to assist with rebuilding after April tornado~

RICHMOND – Governor Bob McDonnell announced today $1.4 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Urgent Needs funding for the county and town of Pulaski for rehabilitation of homes damaged during the April 8 tornado. A state of emergency was declared for Pulaski County on April 17.

“Residents of Pulaski were struck by a destructive tornado that has posed many challenges to the community as they try to recover from the storm,” said Governor McDonnell. “This grant will help provide much needed assistance to the uninsured and under-insured homeowners who have been struggling to rebuild over the past months. When disaster strikes, as it did in April, we have to be ready to help.”
Eligible projects under this program alleviate existing conditions which pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community. Proposals are received on a rolling basis between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2011.

Since 1982, the federally-funded CDBG program has been administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and Virginia receives up to $17 million annually for this grant program. Most CDBG funds are awarded through a competitive process, and most projects benefit low-and moderate-income persons, while other projects are targeted for the prevention or elimination of slums and blighting conditions.

“With this funding, we anticipate that we will assist 60 persons that are now struggling to rebuild after the destruction left by the April tornado,” said DHCD Director Bill Shelton.

2011 CDBG Competitive Grant Awards: Locality Project Name CDBGAward
Town of Pulaski Pulaski Tornado Recovery Project $700,000
Pulaski County Pulaski County Tornado Recovery Project $700,000

Governor McDonnell is also still encouraging private citizens and corporations to donate to assist those Virginians impacted by natural disasters in the Commonwealth this year. Citizens and businesses are encouraged to donate to the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund, which will be used as a fund of last resort to assist homeowners and businesses to rebuild when other funding sources do not meet their needs. To donate, visit www.disasterfund.virginia.gov/.

A detour has been established for Blacksburg Transit’s Main Street route due to a downed power line.

At this time, no service will be available on Givens Lane or Whipple Drive. For more information on the detour, call 961-1185.

Wendell Jones shares this photo gallery from the Sept. 16 game between Blacksburg High School and Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke.

Do you have photos from the game? You can share at news@theburgs.com.

The Burgs, of course, is the new website and publication we’ll be launching in late September — we go live online on Sept. 27 with the first print edition Sept. 29. But no need to wait to share your photos, which we can start showing off now.

You can follow The Burgs on Twitter at theburgsNRV or “like” us on our new Facebook page at facebook.com/TheBurgs. You can find more details here.

The Roanoke Times announced plans Tuesday to replace the New River Current with a print publication and website called The Burgs.

One week from today, we launch our new website for the New River Valley — www.theburgs.com. The first print edition will hit on Thursday, September 29.

During the past few weeks, we’ve been busy fine-tuning the software that makes the website run, and, of course, learning how to use it. We’ve also been busy interviewing job candidates for the two new positions of community journalist. We hope soon to be introducing you to them.

In the meantime, if you have news or photos from around the New River Valley, we’d love to help you spread the word or show them off. You can share at news@theburgs.com.

You can also follow The Burgs on Twitter at theburgsNRV or “like” us on our new Facebook page at facebook.com/TheBurgs. You can find more details here.

Christiansburg celebrated homecoming Sept. 16 against Bassett. The 47-0 win helped the celebrations, too.

Ryan Stone has this photo gallery of the game and related festivities.

Do you have photos from homecoming? You can share at news@theburgs.com.

The Burgs, of course, is the new website and publication we’ll be launching in late September — we go live online on Sept. 27 with the first print edition Sept. 29. But no need to wait to share your photos, which we can start showing off now.

You can follow The Burgs on Twitter at theburgsNRV or “like” us on our new Facebook page at facebook.com/TheBurgs. You can find more details here.

The recreation league football teams and cheerleading squads from Eastern Montgomery were recognized Sept. 16 during East Mont’s game against Covington.

Jason Garst shares this photo gallery of the recognition — and the game.

Do you have photos from the recognition? Or of rec league teams or cheer squads anywhere in the New River Valley? You can share at news@theburgs.com.

The Burgs, of course, is the new website and publication we’ll be launching in late September — we go live online on Sept. 27 with the first print edition Sept. 29. But no need to wait to share your photos, which we can start showing off now.

You can follow The Burgs on Twitter at theburgsNRV or “like” us on our new Facebook page at facebook.com/TheBurgs. You can find more details here.

Auburn High School observed Sandlot Night on Friday night, with the rec league teams being recognized at the Auburn-James River game.

Russell Molka shares this photo gallery of the action.

Do you have news or photos from around the New River Valley? You can share at news@theburgs.com .

Holly Moore of Radford says friends Ethan Moore and Lee Simms loved the gigantic caterpillars on display at Heritage Day festivities at the Montgomery Museum in Christiasnburg.

See this photo on page 2 of tomorrow’s print edition of the Current.

To submit your own photos, please complete this form and include as much descriptive information as you can about the photo(s) you share.