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The Virginia Department of Transportation issues the following release:

STUDY TEAM PRESENTS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ROUTE 419 CORRIDOR
Citizens encouraged to attend meeting December 3
SALEM – The Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will hold a citizen information meeting to
present recommendations to address transportation needs along the Route 419 corridor from
Route 311 to Route 220 in the Roanoke area.
The meeting will be held Thursday, December 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gymnasium of the
Brambleton Recreation Center located at 3738 Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke.
Representatives from the MPO, VDOT and the study team will be available to answer questions
and receive comments regarding this study to determine how to make travel along the Route 419
corridor safer and more efficient.
The recommendations presented at this meeting were developed as a result of public input
gathered in the spring 2009. Input from the community, especially those who travel or live and
work within the corridor, is extremely important to the success of the study. To review materials
prior to the meeting, a draft of the study can be found at http://www.rvarc.org/419/419plan.htm.
Written comments about the study may be submitted at the meeting or by December 18 to
Michael Gray, Virginia Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 3071, Salem, VA 24153. E-mail
comments can be sent to saleminfo@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Route 419 Study
Comments” in the subject heading.
Anyone requiring special assistance to attend and participate in this meeting may contact
VDOT’s Civil Rights Division at 540-387-5320, 800-611-5812 or TTY/TDD 711.

So, what do you think needs to be done? You can share your comments below.

The Salem School Board meets tonight at 7:30 p.m. Here's the agenda.

The supervisors meet this afternoon and again tonight. Here's the agenda.

The sky beamed and the unusually warm autumn afternoon on Saturday, November 14 welcomed veterans and their families and friends to the unveiling of Sherwood's newly installed veteran memorial. Rumbling in, Johnnie Tickle of the Christian Motorcycle Association started the event with a prayer. The Salem Treble Chorus sang "Amazing Grace" and later "The Star Spangled Banner," and Mayor Randy Foley spoke on the sacrifice of our veterans overseas in the present. Foley served some years as an Officer in the Air Force.

The DAV Honor Guard raised the American flag, then later lowered it to half staff to recognize the tragedy at Fort Hood. A gun salute was offered, and K.P. Waterman closed the ceremony by playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes.

"It's almost like those three soldiers from the past have noticed him coming up to honor them and that central figure has kneeled down in turn to reach out his hand," said Bill Wolfe, the sculptor from Indiana who created the bronze figure, in an interview before the unveiling.

"It's always an honor to work on projects like this - it's one thing that I'm able to utilize my abilities as an artist and another thing to honor our soldiers," he said.

This year, Sherwood president Susan Mini did something a little different. She was alerted that a balloon release might be detrimental to nearby wildlife, so a white carrier pigeon was released to honor veterans this year.

"We wanted to have something for the community and to honor our veterans," said Susan Mini, President and CEO of Sherwood, in October. "I hope that veterans can use it to just have a place to reflect. Even for the families, even if their vets aren't buried out here."

Here are more photos from around Salem showing the soggy mess that the remnants of Ida have created on Mill Lane and Riverside Drive. (You can view them in the slideshow above or in this gallery format; the videos are in the middle of the set.)

There's now a pond beside the playground at Longwood Park, although it's probably not good to swim in (maybe a new duck pond?) and there are also photos from under the bridge near the Hanging Rock Battlefield trail.

How have the Ida leftovers treated you? Feel free to share by sending your photos to news@sosalem.com!

For news on flooding around the region, see the breaking news blog from the newsroom of The Roanoke Times.

OTHER FLOODING UPDATES:
* Curtis Howell shares flood photos from Salem
* Mike Stevens shares photos of flooding on Mill Lane
* The Krzyskos share photos of flooding around Salem
* Sump pumps are big sellers in Salem today
* Colorado Street Bridge is open
* Riverside Trailer Park residents being evacuated
* Salem schools will close two hours early
* Flood warning in effect for Salem and Roanoke County

The Roanoke County School Board meets tonight. Here's the agenda.

Salem lawyer Ross Hart -- who, yes, once lived in Roanoke -- offers up yet another reason why he moved to Salem in this entry on his blog.

He sent it to us and we thought we'd share.

So why do you like living in Salem? Feel free to share -- either by leaving a comment below or by email at news@sosalem.com.

Salem City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. Here's the agenda.

Tonight's city council meeting has been canceled, per the city's webpage: www.salemva.gov.

Here's a release from Mike Stevens with the City of Salem about the changing of the guard at the Salem Police Department: 

For the first time in 16 years the City of Salem has a new Police Chief. Jeff Dudley, a 32-year veteran of the department, was appointed to the position on August 12 by City Manager Kevin Boggess. This morning Dudley officially assumed his new post after receiving a handshake and a pat on the back from outgoing Chief James Bryant."I appreciate the confidence the City Manager and City Council have shown in me for this position," says Dudley. "The Salem Police Department has very dedicated and qualified individuals working for it and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead them. I cannot express in words how this opportunity feels."

Bryant, Boggess and a number of family members took part in the official badge pinning ceremony that also featured the swearing in of new Deputy Chief Tim Guthrie, who has been an integral part of the Salem PD for 28 years.

In addition to the appointments of Dudley and Guthrie, the following officers also were promoted today:

Sergeant Michael H. Brightwell to Lieutenant
Mike joined the department on August 21, 1989. Mike was promoted to Senior Police Officer in December 1992 and worked in Patrol and in the Detective Division, both in the Special Investigations Unit and as a General Investigator. Mike also serves on the department Emergency Response Team (ERT). Mike was promoted to Sergeant in June 2006 and assigned to a patrol division supervisor where he has worked until this time.Mike graduated from Salem High School and resides in Roanoke County with his wife, Tina, and son, Michael.

SPO Mike Mills to Sergeant
Mike joined the department on November 9, 1998, after spending approximately 2 years with the Martinsville Police Department. Mike was promoted to Senior Police Officer in April 2002 and held assignments as a General Investigator. He is currently assigned to patrol and serves as a field training officer. Mike graduated from Salem High School and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Radford University. Mike resides in Salem.

SPO Derek Weeks to Sergeant
Derek joined the department January 8, 2001, after serving 4 years at the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office.

Derek was promoted to Senior Police Officer March 2005 and has spent the last 3and a half years in the Detective Division as a General Investigator. Derek was selected by his peers as Officer of the Year 2007.

Derek graduated from Glenvar High School and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Radford University. Derek resides in Salem with his wife, Brenda, and sons, Conner and Dylan.