Awhile back, we asked graduating high school seniors from Salem and western Roanoke County to write their own graduation blurb and we’d use it — and a photo — in an upcoming issue of So Salem. We’d like to say congrats to Jorden Herald of Glenvar High School, who was the first to respond, so we’d like to share what she sent us.

I want to say “THANK YOU” to all my friends, teachers and parents. My early decision to come to Glenvar in the 8th grade was right.
GHS has a special way of accepting people and its like a family inside a community. My desire was to come and play basketball in which I did for 2 years as well as volleyball. But I found my place on the softball team. That experience from making it to states, being honored as a captain, and spending time hashing out conflicts and sharing our hurts has left me with a sense of pride I will never forget.
Being a student here gave me confidence and support in areas of education and sports. My coaches and teachers have confided in me and I in them as well as reeling me in when I needed them.
I have learned so much being here about myself and staying true to who I am. I will miss my classmates, friends, and teachers but I hope to return after playing softball @ Bluefield College to comeback and teach. It will be nice to “come back home”.
BE Blessed Class of 08, we did it!
Jorden Herald

If you’re a graduating senior from Salem or Glenvar (or live in zip code 24153 and attend a private school or are home-schooled) , send us your blurb — your favorite part of high school, what you’ll be doing next, and a photo — to news@sosalem.com and we’ll use it in an upcoming issue.

Fort Lewis Elementary celebrated the end of the school year yesterday, May 28, with the well-known tradition of field day. With SOLs finished and nine days of school left, what better to do?

Does your school have a field day or special end-of-year event coming up? Call our community journalist, Miranda Adkins, at 981-3342 with the date or send pictures of your students after the fact to news@sosalem.com!

Photo: Adam Mitchell, left, and Paige Stinson, right, take a quick break while fellow fifth-graders spend the last few minutes of field day frolicking on the inflatable maze.

Our last post about Fort Lewis Elementary was April 28.

JaLeesa Osborne, Robin Yerkes, Tiffany France, and Kate Mason made Roanoke College history with their second place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this past weekend in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The women’s team earned 27 points and placed fifth overall, with top-notch performances by Yerkes in the 200-meter dash and long jump, and Osborn’s performance in the long jump.

RC assistant coach Shelli Sayers was named the South/Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the year.

Click here to go to the Maroons’ athletic page.

The Pamplin Leader is a one-year, $1,000 tuition scholarship to Virginia Tech. It is presented annually to a top student from each public high school in Virginia.

It was established by Robert B. Pamplin Sr. (VT, Class of ’33) and Robert B. Pamplin Jr., to acknowledge students with a record of outstanding achievement that is balanced with a commitment to community service and leadership experience.

Photo courtesy of Ben Chester.

Our last post about Glenvar High School was May 20.

About 2500 guests showed up to Fellowship Community’s “Community Celebration Day” on Sunday, May 25. That figure will be updated a little bit later, once they finish the count, but they ran out of 1800 hot dogs at 1:30.

Carnival games, inflatables, and facepainting weren’t the only fun attractions. A free money pit, racy models from local car dealerships, truckers, bikers, and local fire and police departments made appearances, too!

Free food, snow cones, and cupcakes from local businesses and the church kept everybody watered and well fed for Memorial Day weekend.

Above: Cody McGlothlin holds little sister Alyssa Cosko on Alan Ward’s Harley Davidson Street Glider.

Click here to visit So Salem’s flickr account for more pictures of the event.

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We have fan photos from Salem High School’s softball victory over Hidden Valley in the district tournament Thursday. They were taken by a Hidden Valley fan, Quigg Lawrence, but he recognizes a good photo when he sees one. Here, of course, is the victory celebration.

Below, Ellen Weaver is greeted at home plate after smacking a home run in her first at-bat. Quigg says: “She’s the real deal!” Bottom: Salem’s second baseman fields a pop-up.

Do you have photos from youth sports events around Salem? If so, you can send them to us at news@sosalem.com. That’s what Quigg Lawrence did, and he’s not even a Salemite!

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Hello again. Our latest issue of So Salem hits the streets Friday. As you may have figured out by now, we often use the print edition to refer to things online where we have more photos or more coverage. Well, you’ve found The Notebook, where all those things are. This is our news blog which we update multiple times each day — so to make things easy for you, here are the links to some of the things we’re talking up this week in print:

SPECIAL ONLINE EXTRAS

* Photos from our ice cream party at the Lakeside Kroger

* Dickey’s BBQ closing, temporarily, to change owners

* Webcast praises Megan Marsico of Glenvar High School

* Fan photos of Salem High School softball

* Fan photos of Salem lacrosse

* People with Salem license plates

* National College sets graduation date

To find out how to get your news and photos in So Salem, keep reading:

Read more »

If you’re seeing a lot of motorcycles around Salem today, here’s why: The annual Run for the Wall motorcycle ride, which includes a stop at the Virginia Veterans’ Care Center. For more, see this report by Cathy Benson over on our Botetourt County news site (don’t worry, she mentions Salem.)

First United Methodist Daycare and Preschool director Jane Butto and teachers Tracy Lintner, Vivien MacMahan, Susan Turner, and Debbie Holly shared a mixture of pride and sadness with parents and grandparents as 39 children graduated from preschool Wednesday, May 21.

Photo, from left to right, starting with the back row: Blake Custer, Jayden Edgell, Meridth Moran, Zabien Grochowski, Madi Givens, Isaiah Deweese, Cecilia Fraticelli, Megan Painter, Giancarlo Marletta; Third Row: Adam Warren, Joseph Hall, Morgan Becker, Taylor Schoonover, Grace Snyder, Cameron Wiley, Juwan Jackson, Taylor Bolen; Second Row: Payten Richardson, Elli Underwood, Jordan Gearhart, Ethan Morrell, Greyson Bane, Conner Fletcher, Ashlie Maynard, Jack Routt, Devyn Crisco, Alida Schreuders; First Row: Catherine Chisum, Katie Robertson, Gracie Pickle, Ethan Justice, Spencer Cross, Loretta Dredger, Cheyanne Huffman-Hippensteel, Emma Robarge, Jake Miller, Kaitlyn Carter. Not pictured- Grace Ferris, Caroline Bryant. Photo courtesy of First United Methodist Preschool.

We’ve just updated our Roanoke Valley crime map with the latest offenses from Salem and Roanoke County — and Roanoke, as well. The data includes offenses through May 18.

In Salem last week, there were four larcenies and one robbery, and when you map them, well, you see a definitely pattern.

Also, the Salem Police Department provides more detailed information than other localities — so in addition to the Roanoke Valley crime map, we have a more detailed Salem crime map you can search, as well.

Follow the links above and you can see where they were and what they were. Our data delivery editor, Matt Chittum, has more information how you can use the searchable crime maps.

Also on our Datasphere collection of searchable data: What’s the biggest fish caught in the Roanoke River? Has there been a bear sighted in your neck of the woods? Who’s giving to which political candidate? All that and more.