Our latest issue of SWoCo comes out Friday, destined to reach more than 90 percent of the households in Southwest Roanoke County. (How do we do that? Here’s how: Subscribers to The Roanoke Times get it included in their Friday paper; non-subscribers have it mailed to them as part of the weekly Simply Savings advertising flier. Those two add up to more than 90 percent. Plus, we have some free copies available at these locations.)

In the May 30 issue, you’ll see several places where we direct folks online for more photos or other coverage. Consider this blog post your shepherd to point out where those links are:

SPECIAL ONLINE EXTRAS

* Our special shout-out to graduating seniors

* SWoCo, the video – our trilogy of tongue-in-cheek videos on how to pronounce SWoCo, what it is, and how it’s supposed to make you feel, all starring Southwest Roanoke County students from the Kevin Jones Performing Arts Studio.

* Fan photos from Hidden Valley and Cave Spring softball (You can send your own fan photos to us at news@swo-co.com)
* Southwest County resident travels to China and shares photos
* Cave Spring student Lauren Guzinski receives Volunteer of the Year award
* Photos from the Angels-Twins youth league game
* Registration form for Future Knights Basketball Camp
* Southwest Roanoke County Girl Scouts send cookies to Iraq
* See a video showing the mighty swing of Hidden Valley High School slugger Zack Helgeson

To find out how to get your news and photos in SWoCo, plus a special mystery feature, keep reading:

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We’ve just updated our Roanoke Valley crime map with the latest offenses from Roanoke County — and Roanoke and Salem, as well. The data includes offenses through May 25.

In Southwest Roanoke County last week there were six larcenies, two burglaries and one aggravated assault. Follow the link 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 map.

Also on our Datasphere collection of searchable data: An interactive map that show you how Virginia’s population ages between now and 2030. All that and more . . .

The Virginia Law Enforcement Torch run will pass through Southwest Roanoke County on June 4 at 8 a.m. on Electric Road outside of Tanglewood Mall. The runners will also pass through Brambleton Avenue at 9:30 a.m. and end at the intersection at Spring Road.

The torch run benefits the Special Olympics Virginia and will pass through other parts of the Roanoke Valley beginning on Monday, June 2 through Wednesday, June 4 as the runners make their way to Richmond to kick off the Special Olympics Virginia 2008 Summer Games set for June 6 though 7.

The run will commence on Route 11 in Radford and will pass Christiansburg High School, the Franklin County Courthouse and Longwood Park, ending at the Lynchburg City Line.

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Roma Scriven, who teaches private piano lessons in her own private studio in Southwest Roanoke County recently decided she wanted to do something for the community. After some thought she decided to get her music students involved, too.

“I just thought I’d do a community outreach project outside of my piano studio,” Scriven said.

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Awhile back, we asked graduating high school seniors from Southwest Roanoke County to write their own graduation blurb and we’d use it — and a photo — in an upcoming issue of SWoCo. We’d like to say congrats to Shawna Rena Paige of Cave Spring High School, who was the first to respond, so we’d like to share what she sent us.

My favorite thing about high school would have to be the basketball season. I know it’s not a school subject or anything but it really gave me time to bond with people that i really did love, and I will miss playing for the best coach Jessica Ficarro. In the fall I plan on going to college and taking up Radiology, and hopefully I’d still be with the best boyfriend in the world (David Thomas III) from Northside High School.
– Shawna Rena Paige, Cave Spring High School

If you’re a graduating senior from Southwest Roanoke County, send us your blurb — your favorite part of high school, what you’ll be doing next, and a photo — to news@swo-co.com and we’ll use it in an upcoming issue.

Hallie Stanley, Executive Director of the Spina Bifida Association of the Roanoke Valley has submitted information about a softball tournament coming up in June. If you are interested, read on and make sure you visit their website here.

The Spina Bifida Association of the Roanoke Valley will host its First Annual Softball Tournament on June 7th and 8th at Wasena Park in Roanoke.

Please visit www.sbarv.org or call Hallie Stanley at 342-1231 for details.

Due to the tournament, there will be no support group meeting in June.

The public meeting at Garst Mill in Roanoke County has been rescheduled for June 2, 2008.

The Restoration of Mudlick Creek at Garst Mill Park will focus on controlling the hydrologic regime by restoring natural channel geometry (recreating meanders and accessing the floodplain) to reduce stream bank erosion, restoring the in-stream habitat structure and augmenting the riparian cover through native vegetation plantings.

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Here’s a photo gallery from a Cave Spring American Little League game on Thursday, May 22, between the Angels and the Twins. The teams squared off at Oak Grove Elementary.

An Angels batter makes it safely to first base.
Photo by Scott Craig, special to SWoCo

Facility will be first LEED certified building constructed by Roanoke County

Press release from the Roanoke County Web site.

Sara Reed Houser sends us this request for volunteers for Healing Strides of Virginia, a non-profit group:

We work with special needs kids using horseback riding to develop skills, balance, confidence and just to let them have some fun. We are in constant need of volunteers to help with our lessons . . . Our helpers do not have to have any horse experience and can be as young as 13.

For more information, go to www.healingstridesofva.org or email volunteer@healingstridesofva.org or call Sara at 540-793-0257. She is, by the way, an assistant professor of science at Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

Also — if you’re a non-profit group looking for volunteers — we’d invite you to help populate our listings of volunteer opportunities at www.roanoke.com/lists