Local news from the New River Valley

Montgomery County

What: School board forum

When: 7 p.m. Monday

Where: Christiansburg Middle School, 1205 Buffalo Drive N.W., Christiansburg

On the agenda: Introduction of the three superintendent candidates and a question-and-answer session with attendees.

The nonprofit gives children a safe place to visit with their noncustodial parents.

| Shawna Morrison

shawna.morrison@roanoke.com, 381-1665

Less than two years after Safe Haven Child Visitation Centers of the New River Valley opened the doors of its Pulaski site, the nonprofit has branched out to Christiansburg.

The expanded bus routes in town start Monday and mark the first major expansion of Blacksburg Transit.

| Sharla Bardin

sharla.bardin@roanoke.com, 381-1669

CHRISTIANSBURG -- The field trip isn't scheduled until next week, but the excitement is already present.

The former Virginia Tech student will have a second psychological exam before his trial.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- A former Virginia Tech student charged with killing a fellow student on campus last year will undergo another psychological evaluation, which may delay his February trial.

The finalists include the superintendents in Martinsville and Hattiesburg, Miss., and an associate superintendent in Brevard County, Fla.

| Anna L. Mallory

anna.mallory@roanoke.com, 381-8627

Florida Today

On-campus faculty, staff and students with vt.edu e-mail accounts should receive a test message.

| Tonia Moxley

tonia.moxley@roanoke.com, 381-1675

Virginia Tech plans to conduct a partial test of its VT Alerts system at 10 a.m. Monday.

Robert Cooper will spend today dicing, chopping and preparing ingredients for Guy Fieri.

| Anna L. Mallory

anna.mallory@roanoke.com, 381-8627

DUBLIN -- A Pulaski County High School student is traveling to Norfolk today to take part in a Food Network event there.

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A former principal may not face disciplinary action following SOL irregularities.

Montgomery County's interim superintendent recommends that no disciplinary action be taken against any employee now that the school system's investigation into Standards of Learning irregularities at Eastern Montgomery High School is complete.

Board members have decided they don't want to be involved in the sale of the 20-acre Blacksburg property.

| Anna L. Mallory

Montgomery County School Board members are now verifying that the candidates are still interested in the position.

| Anna L. Mallory

Officials with the nonprofit say the move will help reduce duplicate expenses.

| Sharla Bardin

A portion of the New River Trail State Park that runs through Galax will be closed until May 1 to restore a tunnel.

The affected section is from milepost 39.8 (Fries Junction) to milepost 42.3 (Gambetta Road), according to a news release from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Joni Pienkowski, whose art can be hung vertically or horizontally, says she was inspired by the wind.

| Amy Matzke-Fawcett

amy.matzke-fawcett@roanoke.com, 381-1674

BLACKSBURG -- The title of a new exhibition neatly sums up the work: "On the Move."

Montgomery County leaders are developing several scenarios to deal with the estimated losses in the next fiscal year.

| Sharla Bardin

sharla.bardin@roanoke.com, 381-1669

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Montgomery County leaders will soon consider some tough scenarios to deal with an estimated budget shortfall of $2.8 million for next year.

The city patched the 16-inch pipe Monday and were making permanent repairs Tuesday night.

| Shawna Morrison

shawna.morrison@roanoke.com, 381-1665

RADFORD -- Water service could be back to normal today after a water main break affected homes and businesses throughout a large part of west Radford on Monday and Tuesday.

Blacksburg police are investigating the armed robbery of a business late Monday night.

A man and a woman, both wearing jeans, sweatshirts and black ski masks, went inside a business in the 800 block of University City Boulevard just after 11 p.m., Blacksburg police Lt. Joe Davis said in a news release.

Christiansburg Middle School students visit Radford University for Science Day.

| Anna L. Mallory

anna.mallory@roanoke.com, 381-8627

More than 100 Christiansburg Middle School students were treated to floating beach balls, glowing rocks and a peek at the night sky, all while indoors.

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