It’s New Year’s Eve, and we’d love to see and share how you mark the occasion. Send your snapshots to news@swo-co.com.

Thanks for following SWoCo this past year.  Happy 2010!

We have a gallery of photos from Tuesday night’s Virginia Tech women’s basketball game. These focus on Abby Redick, Hidden Valley High School graduate who now plays for Tech. They come courtesy of the Church of the Holy Spirit Photo Ministry.

You can view the photos in the slideshow above, or in a different view by clicking here.

Curt Goetsch submitted these photos of the Cave Spring basketball team in the Holiday Hoopla Tournament.

Thanks, Curt!

Stay tuned on The Notebook for more photos from Cave Spring and Hidden Valley’s action on the court at the tournament this week.

Our son, David Schlossberg, is in the University of Cincinnati Bearcat Band. He is in New Orleans attending the Sugar Bowl. (Ironically his mother was in the Sugar Bowl when she played clarinet at the University of Georgia.)

Submitted by Susan and Neil Schlossberg

Roanoke County police are investigating a homicide and are searching for a suspect believed to be armed and dangerous.

Officers were called at 1:05 a.m. to the Villages at Garst Creek in the 4300 block of Garst Mill Road for a disturbance and reports of gunshots, police said.

Police found the body of Tamara Brown, 26, inside an apartment. Brown had been shot at least one time, police said.

For more on this breaking news item by Amanda Codispoti, click here.

Pat Bruce has been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society for 20+ years. During this time, she has served as both a Look Good…Feel Better Facilitator and Trainer.  The Look Good…Feel Better Program is a free program that teaches beauty techniques to women cancer patients in active treatment to help them combat the appearance-related side of effects of cancer treatment.  Pat has received National Training and Distinction in this role.   Pat conducts trainings all over our region averaging 6 trainings a year.   Pat is always willing to adjust her schedule from her full time job at the Salem Virginia Department of Transportation if necessary to make sure a Facilitator training can take place during the work week and even conducted a session on a Saturday of a holiday weekend because that was convenient for the new Facilitators.  Pat has conducted trainings within Alleghany County, Rockbridge County and the Roanoke area.

The American Cancer Society recently held a Relay Leadership Conference at Lewis Gale Medical Center on November 7th.  At this conference, Mrs. Bruce was presented with a Regional Award of Excellence in Mission Delivery for 2009.  The region includes the entire North Western part of Virginia.  The conference was designed to foster enthusiasm and garner ideas for Relay For Life events and volunteers.

In addition to this training role, Pat Bruce is the LGFB Facilitator for the Lewis-Gale Medical Center LGFB program.  This year, she will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of this program in the hospital.  She has been the sole facilitator for this site conducting over 120 sessions and serving hundreds of patients.

Pat always gives of herself and her time to support the American Cancer Society Look Good…Feel Better Program as well as volunteering with the ACS Leadership Council and the Robynn Jaymes Pajama Jam which benefits the American Cancer Society.

In picture, Pat Bruce on left and Andrea Britt, Community Manager with the American Cancer Society on right

Submitted by Loni M. Bier, Staff Assistant, American Cancer Society

The Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority will hold its quarterly meeting on Thursday, January 7, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. at the Western Virginia Regional Jail, 5885 West River Road, Salem, VA 24153. Business will include taking the oath of office by Authority members, election of officers, approval of calendar year 2010 meeting dates, an adjustment to the 2009/2010 fiscal year budget, approval of the 2010/2011 fiscal year budget, and various reports. Questions concerning this meeting may be referred to Sheriff Gerald Holt at 387–6139 or Superintendent Charlie Poff at 378-3701.

Submitted by Mary V. Brandt, Clerk to the Board, Western Virginia Regional Jail

The Hidden Valley Youth Sports Association 10U Girls team won the Vinton Christmas Classic tournament.

Pictured left to right 1st row:

McKenzie Baylor, Emily Kagey, Leigha Matthews, Rachel Massey, Rachel Delaney, Taylor Hampton Jordyn Sadler

Pictured left to right, 2nd row

Coach Kathy Baylor, Elania Corfield, Samar Mahal, Cassidy West, Coach Sam Hampton, Julia Lucktong, Coach Keller Sadler

Submitted by Sam Hampton

Early Christmas morning I was in a deep sleep but then suddenly I heard what sounded like Ho ho ho and Jingle Bells.  I sat on the side of bed wiped my eyes and then wondered to the window to see if someone was outside of my house.  Here are a few shots of what I saw.

Submitted by Kevin Lewis

A Honor Roll

GRADE 9

Eric Culbertson, Byung Kim, Dorothy Nguyen, Alexander Poff, McKenzie Prillaman, Colin Rooney, Ebony Ruffin, Caroline Whisnant

GRADE 10

Brandon Bradford, Macy Kinder, Ryan McDowell, Morgan Shannon, Anna Smith, Nicole Smith, Elizabeth Williams

GRADE 11

Grace Ball, Taylor Baumann, Jessee Bowers, Hannah Caplinger, Rachel Capps, Michael Cole, Jessica Fortner, Erin Fothergill, Rachel Kennedy, Melina Mercier, Brittney Meyers, Christopher Millehan, Justine Olsen, Courtney Tamaro, Devon Wells

GRADE 12

Ashley Anderson, Reema Azar, Brooke Carr, Adam Hager, Sterling Jones, Emily Lawrence, Nicholas MacFarland, Mark Overstreet, Ethan Scott, Allison White, Sarah Zillioux, Colleen Zimmerman

A / B Honor Roll

Grade 9

Marvi Ali, Maya Azar, Connor Baker, Andrew Board, Jacqueline Bryant, Cody Burchett, Stuart Burke, Madelyn Burton, Kathryn Butler, Lauren Butler, Emily Chrisman, Michael Colozza, Andrew Crane, Kerri Dalton, Weston Dean, Emily Drinkwater, Jessica Dwyer, Lauren Fariss, Hailey Fitzwater, Adam Foutz, Matthew Gladfelter, Elvera Gurevich, Anna Henshaw, Hunter Hickam, Clive Hillyard, Janos Horvath, Jenna Jones, Remington Jones, Jerilowe Lim, Marsha Line, Julia Lowen, Adair McCabe, Alyssa McKinley, Philip Mollica, James Olsen, Sarah Penny, Allison Reese, Morgan Rowe, Jacob Schuyler, Brett Smith, Victoria Thomas, Colleen Truskey, Andrea Vankerckhove, Jennifer Vigh, John Vitello, Mark Webb

Grade 10

Eric Anderson, Kohava Blount, Corbin Boodee, Brittany Boughal, Mary Britt, Matthew Brunstetter, Carrie Burke, Clare Burton, Cody Bushman, Anna Canale, Mackenzie Chance, Daniel Cloeter, Dylan Cohan, Kathryn Cotter, Alexander Couture, Shannon Craighead, Clare Crawford, Jacqueline Crawford, Jennifer Dehart, Danielle Duff, Anthony D’Alelio, Taylor Early, William Gerhardt, Ryan Gladfelter, Lindsey Goetsch, Adam Guyes, Lea Hamilton, Kyle Harris, Madeline Kennedy, McKenzie Kostura, Zachary Lacy, Melissa Moody, Jessica Nguyen, Melissa Oviedo, Tatiana Rosa, Erick Salinas, Kathleen Searl, Jason Snebold, Alexander Snodgrass, Riley Snyder, Jacob Sortore, Danielle Stump, Devon Tanner, Casey Taylor, Alexander Thomas, Brianna Thomas, Dylan Tokotch, Benjamin Walker, Ottilia Walker, Jessica Wells, Adam Witham, Zev Woodstock, Michael Zhang

Grade 11

Anna Allen, Juliet Anderson, William Ball, Rana Bocanegra, Alexander Bond, Meredith Brammer, Evan Cameron, Isabel Cardenas, Sara Clark, Rebecca Cotter, Oliver DeLotto, Nathanial Dillon, Ethan Edghill, Zachary Foutz, Ashley Funk, Andrew George, Rachel Gilbert, John Griffith, Leslie Grimes, Megan Gulliford, Rebekah Henderson, Rebekah Henshaw, Alexandria Horn, Jake Hosterman, Drew Hudson, Sarah Iler, Evan Johnson, David Kegley, Brian Kluge, Kasia Luzynski, Andre Miranda, Samuel Mitchell, Sarah Murphy, Bryan Painter, Michael Paone, Alice Perrin, Jamie Phlegar, Matthew Reyer, Zachary Semones, Rachel Shelton, Rebecca Siar, Robyn Siner, Joshua Slakman, Jade Smith, Michelle Spitz, Hayley Steele, Lauren Stiles, Michael Todd, Richard Webster, Charlotte Welch, Leah Wilkes, Joshua Woodrum, Matthew Young

Grade 12

Patrick Anderson, Courtney Beasley, Christopher Bernitt, Alexander Berry, Laura Blades, Taylor Bohon, Ryan Boughal, Malinda Britt, Timothy Brown, Joseph Carleno, Brooke Carr, Samuel Cooley, Bethany Crane, Cory D’Orazio, Kristina Eichblatt, Logan Emery, Nathan Ewoldt, Luke Feldenzer, Steven Ferguson, Kayla Funk, Elliot George, Dillon Gibson, Piper Hagan, Edward Harriman, Benjamin Harris, Joshua Henderson, Timothy Henderson, Frazier Howes, Angela Huang, Alecx Hunter, Grant Kelley, Jocelyn Kellinger, Ahmad Khan, Richard Kim, Katelyn Kittinger, Clayton Lacy, Charles Legg, Carlee Loftus, Patricia Longmire, Ara Mardoyan, Todd Mick, Pratik Mody, Idorenyin Ndem, Brittany Palmer, Morgan Poff, Patrick Russo, Sarah Sharp, Caleb Sigmon, Sydney Smith, Nicholas Socky, Mariah Stump, Christopher Talevi, Jacob Walters, Ann Wheelock, Justin White, Jack Wilkes, Nathan Wimmer, Tyler Wiseman, Thomas Witten

Submitted by Nancy E. Zimmerman, Guidance Secretary, Cave Spring High School.