From left, Bob Clark, Althea McDaniels, and Greg Davies with Life Care in Salem.

The Life Care office in Salem took its turn with the company’s pink ambulance in February to support breast cancer awareness.

Drivers of the vehicle even wore pink medical gloves and handed out pink cancer awareness gear at the medical facilities they visited.

Life Care’s central office is located in Fredericksburg. The company shuttles patients between and to hospitals, nursing homes, and other emergency medical transport. The Salem location at 1236 West Main Street has four ambulances, three wheelchair vans, and over a dozen employees.

For more information about Life Care, visit their website at www.lifecare94.com

-Miranda Beck

The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its 78th Annual Awards Dinner on March 22, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Roanoke Hotel and Conference Center. The Chamber is proud to have Commander Paul Galanti, United States Navy (Retired) as the keynote speaker for this year’s event.

Raised around the world as an Army brat, Paul Galanti graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in 1957 and the U. S. Naval Academy in 1962. Completing Navy jet flight training in November 1963, he served as a flight instructor in Pensacola before joining Navy Light Jet Attack Squadron 216 (VA-216) based aboard the carrier, USS Hancock, which departed for Southeast Asia in November 1965.

Galanti flew 97 combat missions in his A-4 Skyhawk before being shot down and captured on June 17, 1966. He remained a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for nearly seven years and was released on February 12, 1973.

Galanti’s personal decorations include the Silver Star, combat awards of two Legions of Merit and the Bronze Star, nine combat Air Medals and two Purple Hearts. Galanti appeared on the covers of Life (October 20, 1967) and Newsweek (February 26, 1973) and in the August 19, 1999 issue of Time. Selling Power highlighted his success story in a six page motivation section, Never Give Up, Never Give In, in its May/June 1996 issue. That national sales journal chose him as one of the twelve outstanding motivators in the United States in September 1996.

Recognized for his speaking ability Galanti’s inspirational message has been delivered to more than 1,300 groups ranging from school children to groups of physicians.

Please make reservations now for the 78th Annual Chamber Dinner.

For reservation information please call 540-387-0267 or email info@s-rcchamber.org

Where: Salem Civic Center, 1001 Roanoke Blvd. Salem, Virginia 24153

When: Sunday, March 11th, 1:00, 3:30, and 6:00.

What: Piccadilly Circus celebrates 25 years of entertaining families across North America. Some attractions include: Elephant Extravaganza- an elephant stands on one foot, Motorcycle Madness- daredevils somersault and spin in the Globe of Doom, Katunga- the giant jungle monster, Mongolian Angels- fabulous contortionists, White Tiger Spectacular, Circus Clowns, A Model T with a mind of its own, Aerialists, Cirque artists, and more. It’s 1 1/2 hours of excitement and fun at Piccadilly Circus.

Free children’s tickets have been distributed at all elementary schools, pre-schools, day care centers and churches. The Free Tickets are also available at sponsoring businesses in the area. Special “Buy One Get One Free” adult tickets are available on-line at www.TheFunCircus.com. It is a limited time offer.

PICCADILLY CIRCUS is a production of ICE CAPADES producers and plays mostly 1 or 2 days in each city and travels throughout North America. Watch for a new twist with the old time circus posters when our Circus Street Team Parade comes to town prior to the circus.

Get tickets online at: www.TheFunCircus.com.

Submitted by Miranda Schlake

Ridgewood Baptist Church will be selling Easter eggs for $3.50 each. The varieties will include peanut butter, coconut, and butter creme. Please call 589-8310 or 556-2132 to order.

Submitted by Margaret Ratcliff

It’s time for our Annual Middle and High School Sports Physicals! This is a community service offered to ALL students entering grades 7-12 for the 2012-13 academic year and living in the Roanoke, Salem and surrounding areas.  The physicals are very comprehensive, low cost – $17.00 per student, and surpass sports physical requirements.  This event will take place at Northside High School on Saturday, May 19.  Sports participation not required.  Schools will not be appointed individual time slots.  All students can arrive between 8:30am – 11:30am.

Please call 540-444-2925 ext. 200 or 202 with any questions.  Students must have a completed and signed (by parent or guardian) VHSL Physical Examination Form along with their $17.00 (cash or check).   The form is available by calling (434)977-8475, online at www.vhsl.org (under Forms, Admin/Order Forms, SMAC) or www.healthfocusswva.org (under Events & Activities, Annual Events).   Students will be removing shirts, so females should wear a bathing suit top, sports bra or other suitable attire.  This is a one day event only!

Submitted by Cindy Hannah

Smart Beginnings of Roanoke Valley held a seminar on Saturday in Roanoke, where early childhood educators and day care providers from all over the region gathered to learn new strategies for providing successful early childhood education. Smart Beginnings consist of community leaders from businesses, non-profit organizations, school systems and private individuals who work together to prepare every child in our area with the appropriate skills
necessary to succeed in school upon entering kindergarten.

Our paparazzi photo crew was there, and here are the people from Salem who stepped onto the red carpet:

* Tonya Hall
* Kimberly Holt and Michelle Leavelle
* Keisha Bratton
* Kimberly Holt
*  Misty Jewell
* Michelle Leavelle

You can see the entire gallery here.

Members of the East Salem Rebels 10U basketball team had the opportunity to play an abbreviated game against the North Salem Vipers during halftime of the ODAC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Salem Civic Center on Saturday, February 25.  The Rebels also had the opportunity to be ball girls during the college game.

For a different view of the photos with captions, click here.

– Submitted by Kym Tennant

Roanoke College spokesperson Teresa Gereaux shares these photos from college’s campus of the snow on Feb. 19 and 20.

MORE SALEM SNOW PHOTOS:
* Pamela Lucas’ great-grandson enjoys the snow
* Thirty-One promotional snowman
* Snow photos from Tom and Wanda Crickenberger
* Mike Hamlin shares snow photo
* The snow atop McAfee’s Knob
* Brent Woodford’s dog checks out his first snow
* Morgan Beckner plays in the snow
* Jennifer Kaufman shares photos of snow around 12 O’Clock Knob
* A snowy Salem at night
* Ann Mendes shares photo of snowy railroad trestle
* Throwing snowballs with the Smiths
* Roanoke College men’s lacrosse team plays in the snow
* Teresa Howell shares photos of Goodwin Avenue in the snow at 2 a.m.
* Jennifer Kaufman shares snow photos
* The Shumates have snow fun in Longwood Park
* M.K. Ratcliff shares photos of snowy treetops
* George Hening’s first snow
* The Shumates say Wahoo for snow!
* The Delbys enjoy the snow
* Snorkling in the snow!
* Laura Tucker shares snow photos from around Salem
* Steve and Michelle Pagans show off their daughter’s snowman
*Snow photos from Betsy D. Light (a smiley-faced snowscape on a porch chair)
*Rylee Maxey builds her first snowman
*Cardinal in the snow in West Salem from Delores Farmer

Robin Sampson of Salem shares these photos of the Salem High Indoor Track team at the VHSL AA State Meet at Liberty University.

Photos include Hunter Sampson, Matt West, and Ryan Dent.

Courtesy of Roanoke County Police

The following news release and photos were submitted by Teresa Hamilton Hall, Director of Public Information for Roanoke County:

The Roanoke County Police Department is asking for the public’s help solving a stolen credit card case.

Police have obtained images from surveillance video, which show a female subject using a local woman’s stolen credit card to make more than $1,000 in purchases at the Walmart at Valley View around noon on February 18, 2012.

The female subject in possession of the stolen credit card has also used it to make other purchases. In all, she’s charged more than $2,000 on the stolen credit card.

Courtesy of Roanoke County Police

If you know the identity of this woman or have other information pertaining to this case, please contact Officer A. Morris with the Roanoke County Police Department at 540-562-3265.