The Roanoke Times: Home page

The government is us - roanoke.com

Slate Hill owner awaits Roanoke County's aid - roanoke.com

Jim Smith wants a development authority to finance a parking garage and water service at the site.

The owner of Slate Hill is re-branding the controversial development and said he's ready to start building, if he can get some assistance from Roanoke County.

Jim Smith has chosen "South Peak" as the new name for his project on the prominent knob at the intersection of Virginia 419 and U.S. 220 -- and he said a parking garage is essential to the development.

Short Hills tall issue - roanoke.com

The state is proposing to pay $6 million for a Rockbridge County wildlife and hunting area, but some say the price and problems outweigh the benefits.

RAPPS MILL -- Short Hills, a 10-mile stretch of steep, boulder-capped mountain in Rockbridge County where bears roam, is as inaccessible to most Virginians as any snowy Tibetan peak. But a plan now in the works would put the mountaintop into state hands, giving the public -- and hunters -- sudden access to thousands of rugged acres.

Clemson holds off wildcatting Cavs - roanoke.com

Virginia goes with an offensive switch that works well until it loses Mikell Simpson to injury.

CLEMSON, S.C. -- There was a wildcat on the loose Saturday, and for a while, it threatened to put a damper on Clemson's division-clinching celebration.

Actually, the Tigers had clinched a spot in the ACC championship game before taking the field at Memorial Stadium, but an anticipated walkover did not materialize.

Wildcat set suits Simpson - roanoke.com

CLEMSON -- Mikell Simpson's legacy as a Virginia running back will be his knack for producing memorable moments when least expected.

That was certainly the case Saturday, when Simpson had 127 all-purpose yards in the first half and had UVa within three points of 18th-ranked Clemson in a game the Cavaliers would lose 34-21.

Johns Hopkins eliminates Tigers - roanoke.com

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY -- Johns Hopkins controlled possession of the ball for more than 26 minutes in the second half and eliminated Hampden-Sydney 23-7 in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Keydets' big offensive day not enough - roanoke.com

VMI finishes with 444 yards, but first-year team Old Dominion holds on in a high-scoring victory.

LEXINGTON -- On film, the trouble at VMI is clear.

Linebacker Emilio Calvin said that on every Monday this season when the Keydets settle in to watch game film with their coaches, they never get docked for lack of effort.

Roanoker to launch online bird-hunting venture - roanoke.com

Northern Virginia native Jason Kosmann has hunted for his own business venture since his senior year in college at Georgia Tech, where he studied business and engineering.

Now, several years later, the 24-year-old believes that he has found his calling.

Holiday layaway - roanoke.com

More stores are setting up the service all year or for the season.

The concept of paying for Christmas gifts over a period of time, without using a credit card, appealed to the Ingram family for the first time ever this holiday season.

Anthony Ingram was laid off from his job at Walmart in January, and now he's working as a crew manager at McDonald's in Roanoke. His hours are unpredictable, so the Vinton resident does not know how much money he will earn weekly.

Region's leaders want to increase recycling - roanoke.com

2008's recycling rates ranged from 48 percent in Salem to 13 percent for Botetourt County.

For every six-pack of beer or soda downed in the Roanoke region, two of the empty aluminum cans get tossed in a recycling bin and the other four wind up in the trash.

That's a simplistic way of looking at the area's recycling rate, which last year was 33.3 percent.

Adoption ceremony makes it official - roanoke.com

The National Adoption Day event in Roanoke County marked several new beginnings.

Robin Allen and the two young boys she and her husband fostered had been to court many times before.

The boys' birth mother had fought to keep them, and every time there was a court hearing, Allen feared the babies would be taken from her.

Kaine requests federal aid to assist victims of nor'easter - roanoke.com

NORFOLK -- Gov. Tim Kaine has requested money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and low-interest loans from the government to help people who were victims of last week's nor'easter.

Kaine asked for FEMA assistance to cover costs of damage to public infrastructure and debris removal in Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and the counties of Halifax, Isle of Wight, King and Queen, Northampton and Surry, a governor's office statement said.

Upcoming business events - roanoke.com

Information on public events of interest to businesspeople can be sent to Upcoming, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke VA 24010, e-mailed to upcoming@roanoke.com or faxed to 981-3346. Deadline for submissions is two weeks before the event. For more information, call Heather Brush Froeschl at 981-3340.

Dec. 1

Meeting

National Association of Retired and Veteran Railway Employees Unit 130 meeting.

When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: Plantation Creations, 7342 Plantation Road, Roanoke

Realty transfers - roanoke.com

The Roanoke Times publishes realty transfers from the Roanoke Valley as a matter of public record. Go online at http://www.roanoke.com/realty/ to search for recent land transfers as part of the homes.roanoke.com site.

ROANOKE

Over $300,000

Foster, Susan A. and others to Susie V. Jamison, 613 Avenham Ave. Roanoke VA 24014, $340,000 10/23/2009.

$200,000 to $300,000

Names and changes - roanoke.com

Please submit only color photographs. Other guidelines available at www.roanoke.com/business/wb/xp-namesandchanges

EDUCATION

MALCOLM POTTS, professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the professor emeritus title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Roanoke fire was deliberate - roanoke.com

A Roanoke house fire that sent one person to the hospital Saturday was "intentionally set," an official said.

Crews were called to a house in the 1100 block of 12th Street Southeast about 8:30 a.m., spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury said.

For Martin, a career in the rearview mirror - roanoke.com

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Mark Martin chases a championship he doesn't need. He refuses to define himself based on titles won even if many others do.

Championships, though, once consumed him, ate at him and caused sleepless nights. No matter how hard he worked, how focused he was and how much he inspired his team, he couldn't win a championship in NASCAR's top series.

Chargers fall in final to Gate City - roanoke.com

Bath County, winners of 24 straight, loses the final game 15-10 after taking a 9-8 lead.

RICHMOND -- Bath County's magic carpet ride met some anticipated turbulence at the Siegel Center on Saturday in the form of defending Group A champion Gate City.

Playing inspired volleyball in a two-hour test, the upstart Chargers extended the Blue Devils to the limit before bowing 21-25, 28-26, 23-25, 25-17, 15-10.

Demons even score with Titans - roanoke.com

Christiansburg avenges its regular-season loss to Hidden Valley and heads on to the region finals.

The difference in the two football games played this season between Christiansburg and Hidden Valley was like ... night and day.

Beaten by a touchdown the first time on a rainy October night, Christiansburg had its day in the sun Saturday, as the Blue Demons drubbed Hidden Valley 28-3 in a Region IV Division 4 semifinal at Dwight Bogle Stadium.

Anderson Rhodes winner - roanoke.com

At some point, Jordan Anderson might be able to gauge the response to his selection as a Rhodes Scholarship winner.

That was a little difficult Saturday.

Well-wishers trying to get in touch with Anderson by cellphone were quickly shifted to voice mail.

On the path to stardom - roanoke.com

Transferring to UVa re-energizes former Timesland great Catherine White.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Jason Vigilante was vacationing in Colorado -- or, maybe it was Oregon -- when he got word that Catherine White was interested in transferring to Virginia.

Vigilante, who serves as director for all of UVa's track-and-field and cross-country programs, hesitates when asked about his reaction.

Season ends for Tech soccer - roanoke.com

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Virginia Tech's best women's soccer season ever ended thousands of miles away late Friday night.

Danielle Foxhoven and Kendra Chandhoke each scored twice and Portland beat the Hokies 4-1 in the third round of the NCAA soccer tournament.

Include victims' message in safety class - roanoke.com

Ralph Graybill got the news midday Wednesday when he called his wife to check in from his deer camp in Botetourt County.

The evening before a hunter in Franklin County had shot at three Ferrum students after mistaking them for deer, killing one student and injuring another.

Dale Jr. pines for more racing - roanoke.com

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Today ends what has been one of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s most frustrating seasons. Although he comes into today's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway 24th in the points, he's not ready for the season to end.

Duke crushes Radford - roanoke.com

The Blue Devils make a school-record 18 3-pointers to overwhelm Radford.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Of the college basketball teams who might be susceptible to a zone defense, Duke's not usually among them.

Radford, making a first trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, was forced into the zone because of a shortage of big men. In response, the Blue Devils shot 56.3 percent from 3-point range to score more than half their points from distance while dismissing the Highlanders 104-67 before 9,314 fans.

Sene's return benefits UVa - roanoke.com

The center sets a new high after his 3-game suspension as the Cavs down Oral Roberts.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Assane Sene looked good in his season debut Saturday.

The Virginia center, who had been suspended for his team's first three games, scored a career-high eight points in the Cavaliers' 76-55 win over Oral Roberts at John Paul Jones Arena.

Liberty wins on big 'pick 6' - roanoke.com

Anthony Reynolds returns an interception 101 yards for a TD to give Liberty the lead.

BEDFORD -- Folks at Liberty High School labored long and hard to attempt to dry 100 yards worth of soggy football field this week.

So, Anthony Reynolds figured why not use it all?

And then some.

A year later, First & Main's promise still largely unfilled - roanoke.com

About a quarter of the Blacksburg center is unoccupied, and major traffic-drivers remain absent.

| Jeff Sturgeon

jeff.sturgeon@roanoke.com, 381-1661

BLACKSBURG -- At First & Main one morning, women toted bags out of upscale clothing shops. Inside a sweet-smelling shop, a chocolatier poured truffles.

Baptists might leave downtown Blacksburg - roanoke.com

Blacksburg Baptist Church has been a fixture at the north end of downtown for more than five decades.

It might be gone before another decade passes if the town maintains the integrity of its historic district. The growing church needs town permission to demolish historic homes they own on Progress Street and to move the public alley that divides the block.

Affordable, quality health care for all - roanoke.com

Robert Barnes

Barnes is a native of Roanoke and lives in Sweden.

I am a Roanoke native who has been living in Sweden for the past 10 years. Observing the debate over health care in the U.S., I have heard characterizations of reform as potentially turning us into Sweden. I'd never try to talk us into adopting a Swedish-style system in the U.S., but it is important to point out that this is not even close to what is on offer in the reform that is being considered in Congress. However, I would like to dispel some myths and raise some questions for consideration.

To live and die on your own terms - roanoke.com

Don H. Bivins, M.D.

Bivins is medical director of the Good Samaritan Hospice. He is also an associate professor of neurosciences at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Just a few months ago, President Obama addressed our nation and a joint session of Congress on his ideas for health care reform; tens of thousands of people marched on Washington to voice their concern regarding the health care reform legislation; and three Roanoke physicians and one Roanoke insurance executive had op-eds printed in The Roanoke Times regarding the anticipated legislation.

For those who have too little - roanoke.com

The teenagers didn't seem disrespectful -- just oblivious, standing in a cast bronze bread line, posing with statues of gaunt men waiting for food in the depths of America's Great Depression.

Some towered a good head above the figures, products of excellent nutrition all their young lives; one girl draped herself over the top of a statue in a smiling, goofy embrace.

An insurers' code of conduct is vital - roanoke.com

Robert B. Hansen

Hansen works at the MD Center for Pain Management in Portsmouth. He is also the associate clinical professor of neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical School of Virginia.

Let me go with dignity - roanoke.com

Tommy Jordan

Jordan, of Roanoke, is retired from Norfolk Southern and is active in Democratic politics.

I know everyone has thought about death, and not so much about the cost associated with dying. My wife died last year after a five-year battle with cancer. My wife and I had never thought about either of us dying before age 60. But I want to share some of the things people need to consider.