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Welcome to The Notebook, the community gathering place for news and tidbits from The Botetourt View, by community journalist Cathy Benson (that's her on the left). You'll be able to find the most up-to-date news, events and stories in Botetourt County here at this blog.

And please join in! You can share your comments, stories, links and ideas here, too. This is your community conversation.

Read more about The Botetourt View and this blog

The Botetourt View is a Web page and weekly publication for and by residents of Botetourt County. Our coverage area includes all of Botetourt County, and spans the Lord Botetourt and James River school districts.

Look for the latest news about Botetourt communities here, in The Notebook.

Or check out our print edition, which publishes on Fridays and is found inside The Roanoke Times or at select newsstands within our coverage area.

To subscribe, click here. Sorry, we don't offer mail subscriptions to The Botetourt View.

About Cathy Benson

Cathy Benson is the community journalist for The Botetourt View. From second grade through graduation at Lord Botetourt High School, Cathy was a Botetourt girl. After moving away to Texas, New Mexico and Roanoke for many years, she returned to Botetourt County to live on the family farm in 1995.

Cathy especially likes to write stories about people and animals. She has surfed the Truck Stop of America at Exit 150 with Botetourt County deputies and even answered a “man with a gun call” in Botetourt County. A pet story, though, will capture her heart!

She spends much of her life dodging piles of laundry, her least favorite chore in the world. Going to children’s activities, from school to sports to plays, are her preferred activities. She likes to read, especially fiction, and most recently finished “Rhett Butler’s People” by Donald McCaig. In her spare time she collects dust bunnies and creates distractions.