Sabrina Kramer was awarded 1st place overall in Quick Serve Restaurant Management in the District DECA competition on Tuesday, Jan.26. Sabrina is a senior at Hidden Valley High School and is still deciding on where she will attend college in the fall.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Hurley

Submitted by Alison O’Brien

Ashley Stoneham sends us the results from the North Cross – Lord Botetourt swim meet: Read more »

Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, who represents most of Southwest Roanoke County, shares his weekly newsletter from the General Assembly, which is now in session:

Newsletter for Jan 25 2010
This week, our second, has proven to move quickly as we get into the real crux of the legislative session. Committees begin to move full speed ahead through hundreds of bills, examining and debated each one carefully.
One of the most vigorous debates we had on the floor of the House was over former Governor Kaine’s proposal for a 1% surtax on all taxable income as a means of balancing the budget. Both the minority leader and I agree that now is not the time to raise taxes and accordingly, the proposal was defeated unanimously.
This office has received many letters of concern over the increase of electric utility rates by Appalachian Power. The Delegates and Senators from Southwestern Virginia recently met with representatives of Appalachian Power to relay our constituents’ concerns. I have introduced House Bill 1190 regarding electric utility regulation which I hope will pass and
provide a partial solution to the problem. My bill would return AEP to the same regulatory restraints that existed prior to the deregulation, which I opposed originally. I have also introduced a bill to study the issues related to the regulation of the industry under the Virginia Gas and Oil Act . We are not doing legislative studies this year due to the budget, so I am going to ask that it be sent to the Energy Commission.
I have introduced House Bill 288 which strengthens our stalking law. It states that a person may be convicted of stalking in a single instance if the behavior is accompanied by verbal threats of sexual assault, bodily injury or death.
My House Bill 426 prohibits a local public body from using another local public body’s contract for construction where the cost of the project is in excess of $200,000 and the other local public body is more than 75 miles from the local body procuring the construction. This was a problem which I tried to alleviate last year involving costly construction contracts based in more expensive areas of the state such as Northern Virginia districts.
Among our visitors for this week were James Talliferro, Assistant City Manager for Salem, Lorie McCollum, CEO of the Bradley Free Clinic of Roanoke and Karen Michalski-Karney, President of Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living , also of Roanoke. We had Dana Oliver, who is the Registrar from Salem, and the supporters of TAP, Annette Lewis and Jo Nelson of Roanoke. Michelle Hillis came by for Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education and Thursday, Dr.Mark Finkler of the Roanoke Animal Hospital came to discuss animal bills.

The Roanoke County Public Library announced that author Bruce Bytnar will sign his newest book, A Park Ranger’s Life, at the Tanglewood Mall Barnes & Noble store, on Saturday afternoon, January 30 at 1:00 pm.  Bytnar is the featured speaker in the Friends of the Library Bookfair at the Barnes & Noble store.  This event is open to the public at no cost.

Rockbridge County resident and retired National Park Ranger Bruce W. Bytnar has published his first book, A Park Ranger’s Life: Thirty Two Years Protecting Our National Parks, based on his experiences during more than thirty two year career.  Twenty three years of his career was spent as a District Ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway including the section through Rockbridge County.  According to the publisher, Wheatmark Publishing, the book talks about, among other things, a wild bear who favors Kentucky Fried Chicken, a fugitive wanted in eight states, a dog that saves his owner’s life, wildland firefighters battling nature and fire, a ghost haunting a colonial mansion, and hikers who stay lost because they think searchers calling their names are wild animals

Mr. Bytnar started his career in 1975 as a seasonal park ranger at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland.  He later transferred to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park in Virginia and then worked in two areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  Mr. Bytnar and his family moved to Rockbridge County in 1985 when he accepted the position as James River District on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Mr. Bytnar retired in January 2008.

Submitted Michael Meise

The Roanoke County School Board meets tonight. Here’s the agenda – which includes the previously-reported discussion about whether to close Bent Mountain Elementary.

Kroger’s site plan to build a Kroger fuel center on the corner of Old Cave Spring Road and Brambleton Avenue on a 1.3 acre lot is well underway. Here are a few photos of some of the progress being made.

The new fuel center will be in the old location of Madison’s, a Southwest Roanoke County restaurant that relocated to what used to be Back Creek Grill in October after their lease was terminated unexpectedly.

If you hadn’t noticed already by driving by, the building that stood there for many, many years is gone and lots of red dirt and holes takes it place. We’ll keep you updated on the progress.

In the meantime, if you have photos to share, email them to us at news@swo-co.com.

Loren Wright shares this video that her husband, Craig Wright, made: ” If Clint Eastwood starred in Groundhog Day.”

Give your advice for Valentine’s Day!
We’re looking for couples who’ve had a happy life together to share words of wisdom for Valentine’s Day. Write a little about yourselves, share your advice on the secrets to a successful relationship, up to 500 words, and send a picture, too.
We’ll print a selection of what we receive in the Feb. 12 edition of SWoCo.
Deadline is Feb. 1. Send your submission to news@swo-co.com, and include your names and phone number where you can be reached if there are any questions about a submission.

Congratulations to the following Hidden Valley High School DECA students who competed in District Level Competition on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Tanglewood Mall! These marketing students competed against other Roanoke County, Montgomery County, and Salem students.  Students are judged by responding to  different marketing scenarios in different categories.  Judges are local business leaders and managers. Good luck to Amanda, Karley, Mary Ellen, Sabrina,  and Sam as they advance to State Competition!

Chelsea Lear: 1st place Promotion Roleplay in Sports and Entertainment Marketing

Elyse Ballard: 1st place Communications Roleplay in Business Services Marketing

Karley Arsenault: 2nd place overall in Restaurant and Food Service Management

Mary Ellen Branisteanu: 2nd place overall in Principles of Marketing

Amanda Campbell: 1st place overall in Food Marketing

Sabrina Kramer: 1st place overall in Quick Serve Restaurant Management

Sam Pryse: 1st place overall in Principles of Marketing

Submitted by Katrina Kish

Two students from the Roanoke, VA., area have been inducted into the Bryan College chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, an English honor society. Sigma Tau Delta is open to English students who have distinguished themselves academically and who are interested in promoting interest in literature and the English language. Elijah Ammen, son of David and Elizabeth Ammen of Roanoke; and Stephanie Shields, daughter of Sam and Sherry Shields of Blue Ridge, were inducted into the society. Bryan is a four-year Christian liberal arts college offering bachelor’s degrees in 18 areas. The college has been recognized by U.S News and World Report for 15 consecutive years as being among the Top Tier of Southern liberal arts colleges.

Submitted by Tom Davis