www.newrivervalley.com

The Floyd Music School has been invited to bring its students to the White House.

Music writer Tad Dickens has more details on his cut'n'scratch music blog.

Virginia Military Institute is now booked to play Virginia Tech's men's basketball team in the coming season.

Sportswriter Mark Berman has more details on his Courtside basketball blog.

One person is dead after a vehicle crash on the Virginia Tech campus.

We have a few more details here and will post others there as soon as they become available.

Radford will hold electronic waste collection days from 2 to 5 p.m. July 17 and from 9 a.m. to noon July 18 at the Electric Department, 701 17th St.

Items that can be recycled includes TVs, VCRs, DVD players, CRT and LCD monitors, laptops, computer towers , printers, copiers, scanners, keyboards,  fax machines, modems, input devices, video and surveillance cameras, stereos, CD players, telephones, cell phones, speakers, glucose meters, digital cameras, projectors, wires, cable, video game systems, microwave ovens, small electronic household appliances, most commercial equipment.

Scott Recycling will take disassemble items at their facility in Pulaski, then recycle or properly dispose of the components.  No information remaining on computer hard drives, cellphones, cameras, is retrieved during this process and will be safely destroyed.

For more information call Becky Hawke at 731-3603 or email rhawke@radford.va.us

-- Amy Matzke-Fawcett

Virginia's Tech's non-conference schedule has been rated the second-toughest in the nation. Sportswriters Randy King and Doug Doughty talk about Tech's football prospects on the Sports TimesCast, our weekly college sports webcast. What do you think? You can weigh in below.

They also talk other sports, too. One point of contention: Is Virginia Tech getting a good return for its money on the so-called "minor sports"?

See what Doug and Randy have to say on the July 2 episode.

The New River Valley Mall has eliminated its service desk and the position of marketing director.

Business writer Jenny Boone has more details on her retail blog, The Storefront.

Have you noticed any of these cuts as you go shopping? You can leave comments below.

A ranking of the nation's top Chinese restaurants didn't list any in Southwest Virginia. So that leads food writer Lindsey Nair to ask her readers: What do you think is the best Chinese restaurant around?
You can join the conversation on her Fridge Magnet food blog -- or start a separate thread here by leaving comments below.

So far, one reader really likes the China Inn across from the Blacksburg library.

Buckwheat Zydeco plays the Floyd Fandango on Saturday night -- but you can hear him now, in this downloadable interview on music writer Tad Dickens' cut'n'scratch music blog.

Justin Taylor, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive end from Norwood, N.C., has become the 11th football prospect to commit to Virginia Tech for 2010.

Sportswriters Doug Doughty and Randy King have more details on their Insiders sports blog.

The City of Radford and Radford University have been awarded grant funding for the development of a transit service plan through the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, according to a press release from the city. It is unclear the exact amount of the grant.

In addition to addressing the needs of both the city and university, the plan will address the level of demand for service, design of potential routes, and cost of services. To help gauge the level of demand and design of potential routes, citizen and student input will be gathered over the coming months. While exact methods are still being determined, surveys will likely be conducted across the city.
The transit service plan is expected to be completed in November 2009. If the plan shows it makes sense to proceed with a public transportation system, funding assistance will then be pursued for the fiscal year 2011.

The study and corresponding plan are being developed by Cambridge Systematics and the KFH Group, with the assistance of the Radford Transit Committee.  The Transit Committee is comprised of representatives from the city, university, Department of Social Services, Main Street Radford, Carilion Clinic, and other non-profit organizations that serve disadvantaged populations.

--Amy Matzke-Fawcett