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Cave Spring volleyball came up short after a valiant effort against Loudoun County in the state semi-finals Friday.

Clement Britt supplies this photo gallery of the action.

You can view his photos in the slideshow above or in this gallery format.

As always, do you have photos involving people or events from Southwest Roanoke County? If so, you can share at news@swo-co.com.

OTHER RECENT COVERAGE OF CAVE SPRING HIGH SCHOOL:
* Nov. 18: More photos of Cave Spring volleyball's victory in state quarterfinals
* Nov. 18: Photos of Cave Spring volleyball's victory in state quarterfinals
* Nov. 18: Photos of Cave Spring cross country at state meet
* Nov. 17: Cave Spring collects 4,000 cans for food bank
* Nov. 16: Video: Cave Spring - Hidden Valley PSA for prevention council
* Nov. 16: Photos of Cave Spring vs. Hidden Valley in regional volleyball championship
* Nov. 12: Photos of send-off for Cave Spring cross-country runners
* Nov. 12: Photos of Cave Spring's volleyball victory in regional semi-finals
* Nov. 11: Photos from Josh Henderson signing with Vanderbilt
* Nov. 9: Paparazzi photos from Cave Spring - Hidden Valley football
* Nov. 9: Even more photos of Cave Spring - Hidden Valley football
* Nov. 9: More photos of Cave Spring - Hidden Valley football
* Nov. 8: Photos of Cave Spring - Hidden Valley football

This just in from Richmond: Cave Spring's volleyball team took Loudoun County to the limit but fell in the fifth game in today's state semi-finals.

We'll be posting photos from the game when we get them, so check back.

If you have photos from the game to share -- or anything, for that matter -- involving people or events in Southwest Roanoke County, you can share at news@swo-co.com.

November is Premature Awareness Month and in the March of Dimes 2009 Premature Birth Report Card, Virginia scored a D in preventing premature births. The March of Dimes conducts this report each year and ranks each state according to the number of premature births in the U.S. Check out Virginia's report card here: VA.

Premature babies are born before 37 weeks of gestation and being born premature can sometimes result in death and risk of cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

The March of Dimes states that one in eight babies is born prematurely in the U.S. and prematurity has grown  over the decades. In 2003 they launched a campaign to raise funds to help research why babies are born prematurely, as well as ways to prevent it from happening. The campaign's goals are to raise public awareness of the problems of prematurity and to decrease the rate of preterm birth in the U.S.

To help the March of Dimes campaign click here and make a band to celebrate, honor or remember
a baby in your life and help fight for preemies.

For more information about Premature Awareness Month visit their website here.

Check out this press release about the U.S. scoring a D on the Premature Birth Rate Report Card.

The South County Community Action Team met on Friday, Nov. 13 at Oak Grove Elementary School in the  library.

During their meeting the action team discussed how their schools prepared for and celebrated Red Ribbon Week during October.

They also discussed a new project, called 'Silence Isn't Golden'. Silence isn't Golden is a project that the prevention council has been working on for the last year with healthcare providers to reach out to students and parents before they reach middle school. The prevention council is working with pediatricians in the county to talk about how to speak to your children about drugs, alcohol, rules and expectations. This is being made possible through a United Way Grant. Pamphlets have been designed with helpful information that will be distributed to parents by doctors and nurses.

Also discussed was a 6th-grade survey that was included in school registration packets. 700 responses to the survey were compiles.

The Prevention Council has also partnered with 17 CVS stores in the area to distribute 10,000 copies of information about prescription drug abuse and how to prevent use from your child. Nancy Hans, Council Coordinator, said that prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing problem in our area. She also said that South County is above the average in the state as far as prescription drug abuse goes.

Lastly, the Community Action team discussed 'It's My Prom' Fashion Show, which will be held Jan. 16, 2010 at Northside High School. During the fashion show, speakers will discuss ways of prevention.

The South County Community Action Team gets parents and teens involved and to work together to help teens make good choices and to help parents understand what their teens are up against. These actions teams are available, not only in South County, but also in East County, Glenvar, and North County.

The teams were designed as part of The Roanoke County Prevention Council to foster the healthy development of Roanoke County's youth. The council is a group of parents, youth, school, business, faith, and other community leaders and was started in 2001. They work closely with RAYSAC.

"Talk to kids early," Hans said. "It can make a difference. And keep talking to them and you can prevent these things."

For more information about the Roanoke County Prevention Council and the South County Community Action Teams, visit their website here email nhans@ fsrv.org

The Greater Roanoke Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® invites people to register to participate in the area’s first 5K run/walk and one-mile fun run.  The Race for the Cure event, which takes place April 10, 2010, is designed to raise awareness about breast cancer and funds for research, and will be held at Green Hill Park in Roanoke County.

“We invite women, men and their families and friends to sign up on our Affiliate website,” says race organizer Wendi Schultz.  “Registering is simple.  To learn more and to register, just go to http://www.komenroanoke.org and click on the Race for the Cure heading and click on the word register.”

“You may register yourself, start a team or join a team and even start your own personal fundraising program using our online registration system,” Schultz adds.  Schultz says there will also be a one-mile walk/fun run, and that people of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate in Race for the Cure on April 10.

The Komen for the Cure races are the largest series of runs/walks in the world, and have grown to attract more than 1.5 million participants annually across the U.S.  The event is designed to promote positive awareness, education and early detection of breast cancer.

Participants will also raise money to fight the disease.  Seventy-five percent of the net income stays in the communities where the event is held.  The remaining 25 percent is used to fund groundbreaking breast cancer research, meritorious awards and educational and scientific conferences around the world.

For more information, please visit http://www.komenroanoke.org.

About the Greater Roanoke Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure: The Greater Roanoke Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in our community. We join more than 100,000 breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Through fundraising events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we will invest dollars in local breast health and breast cancer awareness projects in our 19 county service area.
The Greater Roanoke Valley Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure includes the following counties:  Alleghany, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles,  Grayson, Henry, Montgomery,  Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Roanoke, Rockbridge and Wythe.

Submitted by Wendi Schultz, Race Chair (540) 387-6078, ext 251.

Representatives from the United States Naval Academy will be hosting an information seminar for interested High School Advisors, Counselors, Teachers, Parents, Sophomores and Juniors. Blue & Gold Officers will be available to discuss college opportunities and the U.S. Naval Academy admission process.
Highlights:
- College Opportunities
- Career Opportunities
- Question & Answer Session
- Meet a Midshipmen

Location:
Church Of The Holy Spirit
6011 Merriman Road
Roanoke, VA 24018

For questions contact:
Quigg Lawrence
540-772-4915
quigg.lawrence@gmail.com

Information
Seminar
Monday, November 23, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Submitted by Quigg Lawrence.

Here you will find a Public Service Announcement, starring two students from Southwest Roanoke County, one from Hidden Valley High School and the other from Cave Spring High School.

The PSA's are part of the It's My Prom.org Organization, a prevention campaign to spread the message of safe proms and smart choices. Over time it has become a time to educate everyone in the community, not just students and parents about underage drinking, risky behaviors, and poor choices.

This PSA is one of about 24 that the Roanoke County Prevention Council, It's My Prom.org Organization and WDBJ7 put together. The PSA's have been played during the Friday Football Extra Program on WDBJ7 and other times during the week. The PSA's were phase one of the program.

The next phase consisted of a banner contest. The contest started on Sept. 4 and is open to all students and clubs from schools in the WDBJ7 viewing area.

The finale will a fashion show held on Jan. 16, 2010 at 1 p.m. at Northside High School where students themselves will serve as the models. There will also be an essay contest.

For more information, visit the Roanoke County Prevention Council's website at www.preventioncouncil4youth.org.

And of course, if you didn't get a chance to see the PSA, check it by clicking the link at the beginning of this post or click here.

For other PSA's and stories about these PSA's check out these links below:

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeGp87dOPUc

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYFJdWo3U8E

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHAFiCY9bm4

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrs5k3VqRhc

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkjRZ92NsQQ

Once again, The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com are offering our readers a searchable map and database of holiday lights displays in the Roanoke and New River Valleys -- and beyond. And we need you folks with the lighting displays to populate it for us.

Data dude Matt Chittum tells you how to do this in this entry on his Datasphere blog.

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.

These photos of North Cross winning the VISAA State Championship in volleyball Saturday were sent to us by Chris Caveness and Heather Donaho.

Do you have photos involving teams or players from Southwest Roanoke County? If so, you can share at news@swo-co.com.