It’s tournament time for high school sports.

And we have lots of photos — far more than we could ever hope to fit into print.

Such as this one of Salem softball players Kelsey Bradshaw, left, and Samantha Gravely, right, finding out what it feels like to hold the River Ridge District trophy after the team won last week’s tournament.

We like to think of ourselves as Salem’s digital daily newspaper. Each day, we’re posting upwards of a dozen new items from Salem and western Roanoke County. Then, in each week’s print edition, we let readers know about all the online “extras” we have.

Here’s this week’s guide to what we have:

* Weekly report of what’s on the Farmer’s Market (Well, um, we could send you to last week’s, but you’re probably better off checking in Friday morning when we post this week’s, eh? But if you’d stopped in Tuesday, you could have found out about a special one-day only deal on strawberries.)
* ShrimpFest tickets now on sale
* Croquet tournament will be held Sunday at Roanoke College
* More on former Salem resident Pam Hartle on HGTV
* More photos from the East Salem Elementary Talent Show
* More prom photos
* More paparazzi photos from Local Colors

AND IN SPORTS . . .
* Photos of Salem Sabres soccer plays at Virginia Tech tournament
* Photos of Salem Dirt Diva’s vs. Glenvar Slammers
* ESPN praises Andrew Lewis student at Nike basketball camp
* More photos from Glenvar baseball
* More photos from Glenvar girls soccer
* More photos from Salem softball
* More photos from Salem girls soccer
* More photos from Salem JV girls soccer
* More on Salem lacrosse

So how can you get your news and photos in So Salem? Easy! You can share at news@sosalem.com. (And a special request this week: Be sure to send us your holiday photos!)

For more information on us — and how to advertise and reach more than 90 percent of the households in Salem and western Roanoke County -- see below:

Read more »

Here is a photo of Emily Chitwood of Salem playing in the firemans foam at Festival in the Park 2009.

Did you go to Festival in the Park? If so, send your photos to news@sosalem.com.

Submitted by Tammy Chitwood

Adecco Employment Services and Roanoke College have worked together to create a “Social Group” series for the unemployment market in and around the Valley. This will allow the unemployed the opportunity to network, as well as communicate their difficulties that they are facing. They will also be able to learn and improve job/career searching skills through various topics and guest speakers presented during each meeting.

This series will begin on June 16, 2009 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Roanoke College’s Massengill Auditorium and will continue on the third Tuesday of each month through September 2009.

Submitted by Manisha Hall

Susan Geary sent this information into us:

Remember the Skate-A-Drome in Salem? (it burned down). If you skated there, or at any other Roanoke Valley roller rink during the 40s, 50s, 60s, or 70s, you’re invited to an upcoming reunion.

Date: Sunday, June 28

Noon to 5 p.m.

Place: Skate Center of Roanoke Valley at 4121 Brandon Avenue (on Lee Highway between Peters Creek Road and 419).

You must call to get on the invitation list by June 26. Call 989-2000 for details.

Here are a few photos that Theresa Patterson sent into us.

Joseph Patterson sharing a moment with his dog, Daisy on Memorial Day Weekend. Joseph and Daisy belong to Roy Patterson of Salem.

Cousins Alissa Mabry and Haley Patterson enjoy a canoe ride with Haley

What did you do on Memorial Day? Let us know at news@sosalem.com.

The eighth-graders at Glenvar Middle escaped the school and the rigors of SOL testing to strike up some fun at Hilltop Lanes in North Roanoke on the morning of May 27. The AMF-affiliated bowling center gave the group a good rate on shoes and two games and let the students keep on bowling.

“We try to give the schools a break and give the kids a break,” manager Jerry Foutz said. “If kids don’t get into bowling, in a few years there won’t be any adults in bowling.”

AMF is encouraging youth bowling this summer by offering a “Kids Bowl Free” pass this summer for children under 13 years old. It entitles each kid to two free games every day all summer. Registrating for the pass is online at www.kidsbowlfree.com. The pass also allows adults in the family to purchase an accompanying pass for under $25 that entitles them to two free games per day all summer, too.

Interstate 81 northbound — which had been closed at Elliston due to a tractor-trailer accident — has reopened, according to state police.

That should mean the traffic congestion on U.S. 460 — which has been used as a detour — should ease soon.

We have more details here.

Drivers on U.S. 460 eastbound through western Roanoke County and Salem already know this, but the road is pretty heavily congested this morning.

A tractor-trailer wreck on Interstate 81 near Elliston has blocked both lanes of I-81 northbound, so traffic is being diverted onto U.S. 460.

So if you see a lot of traffic rumbling through town this morning, that’s why.

Do you have a first-hand report of the traffic situation? You can share by leaving a comment below.

We have details here.

Although most of them aren’t even five years old yet, the students at Salem Montessori School are taking big steps to help kids on the other side of the world. They collected $472.57 for the “Pennies for Peace” campaign based on the books “Three Cups of Tea” and “Listen to the Wind” by Greg Mortenson.

“That book told us that in the other countries they didn’t have any money to buy the things that we have here,” said Alex Smith. Mortenson’s work is based on a promise he made to a group of children in Korphe, Pakistan while he was recovering from climbing K2, one of the highest peaks in the world. According to the website, he found them writing with sticks in the sand instead of going to school. He promised to build them one.

The idea of the campaign is that for every penny, a pencil can be bought in Pakistan or in Afghanistan, where Mortenson has dedicated his life to helping build schools in rural areas, especially for girls who wouldn’t normally have any opportunity. According to Salem Montessori mom Connie Parsell, the money that the school raised is enough to provide a teacher’s salary for one year.

Here are the websites for Pennies for Peace and Three Cups of Tea:

www.penniesforpeace.org

www.threecupsoftea.com

At the May 26 meeting of the Salem City Council, there were nearly 20 more occupied seats than usual. No, while there were adult citizen visitors, no one appeared too disgruntled, and most of the underage visitors got extra credit in Theresa LaRocco’s dual-enrollment IB class.

Civic field trips for the class this year have also included hearing D-Day veterans speak, working on political campaigns during the election, and attending the Roanoke College Fowler lectures.

“We try to make as many things available as we can,” said LaRocco. The class, made up of mostly sophomores, also had the opportunity to attend the Virginia General Assembly in February.

And an even younger visitor earned his communications badge in scouting. Chad Seibert, a boy scout with troop #51, is in sixth grade at Andrew Lewis, and while he is second class right now, he’s almost attained first class status, he said. (Seibert was not in scout attire because he attended the Salem Sports Foundation banquet earlier that night.)