The University Chamber Music Series at Virginia Tech joins in the bicentennial celebration of Edgar Allan Poe's birth this Saturday with a concert featuring the world premier of a specially commissioned composition setting Poe's poetry to music.
Arts writer Mike Allen has details on his Arts & Extras blog.
Virginia Tech's Theatre Arts Department launches a new version of one of Shakespeare's bleakest and most diabolical tragedies, "Othello," starting this Friday at the Squires Haymarket Theatre. This particular production puts the play in a modern setting, imagining the beleaguered Moorish soldier as a basketball coach.
Arts writer Mike Allen has a video from the show on his Arts & Extras blog.
Town council meets at 7:30 p.m. Here's the agenda.
The board meets at 6 p.m. Here's the agenda.
We have details about the pairings in this post on the Pressbox sports blog.
Radford City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. Here's the agenda.
A rematch between Giles and Radford highlights the first round of the high school football playoffs that begin on Friday. Other local teams set to play are Christiansburg and Narrows.
Eastern Montgomery, with its 8-2 record, was awarded a first-round bye.
For full slate of playoff action, click here.
Region C, Division 1
No. 6 Narrows (3-7) at No. 3 Bath County (6-4)
No. 5 Rural Retreat (3-7) at No. 4 Covington (6-4)
No. 1 Holston (9-1) and No. 2 Eastern Montgomery (8-2) have Week 1 byes
Region C, Division 2
No. 6 James River (5-5) at Fort Chiswell (9-1)
No. 5 Giles (6-4) at Radford (7-3)
No. 1 George Wythe (7-3) and No. 2 Chilhowie (7-3) have Week 1 byes
Region IV, Division 4
No. 6 Bassett (3-7) at No. 3 Christiansburg (7-3)
No. 5 Magna Vista (6-4) at No. 4 Carroll County (6-4)
No. 1 Salem (10-0) at No. 2 Hidden Valley (7-3) have Week 1 byes
If the goal of moving the Blacksburg municipal elections from May to November was to increase voter participation, it worked.
Voter turnout in the town soared to 36.3 percent in last week’s election — by far the highest amount in more than a decade — according to figures released Monday by Montgomery County Registrar Randy Wertz. Wertz said 7,556 of the town's 20,831 registered voters cast ballots.
In May voting since 1998, voter turnout has fluctuated between 3.3 percent and 22.2 percent. Turnout for the past three town elections have been 12.5 (2008), 20.6 (2006) and 22.2 (2004).
Making the turnout even more remarkable is the higher number of registered voters.
Following the push to register voters in advance of the historic 2008 presidential election, there were nearly 21,000 registered voters in the town. That’s up more than 30 percent from any of the previous six election cycles.
Teams of volunteers are today combing Charlottesville, looking for any evidence that relates to the disappearance of Morgan Harrington, the Virginia Tech student who went missing at the Metallica concert last month.
We have more on this story from the newsroom of The Roanoke Times.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF MORGAN DANA HARRINGTON:
* Nov. 4: Family seeks community help in finding missing daughter
* Oct. 30: Police say Harrington suffered facial injury at concert
* Oct. 28: Police say Harrington last seen on bridge in Charlottesville
* Oct. 26: Metallica adds $50,000 to reward fund
* Oct. 23: Video from vigil for missing Lord Botetourt grad
* Oct. 21: Police set up tips line
* Oct. 20: Police ask Metallica fans to check video and photos for images of missing fan
* Oct. 20: Former teacher describes Harrington as "genuinely nice person"
* Oct. 19: Missing Tech student is Lord Botetourt grad
The suspect in the Fort Hood shootings is identified as Nidal Malik Hasan, a Virginia Tech grad.
According to Virginia Tech records, Nidal Malik Hasan first enrolled at Virginia Tech for Summer Session II in 1992, and completed coursework in Spring Semester 1995. He received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in biochemistry from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He minored in biology and chemistry.
We're looking for anyone who knew him. If you did, please contact reporter Tonia Moxley at tonia.moxley@roanoke.com.
We have more on the story here.
