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There's still time!!!! The fun keeps growing! Give aways, free food from Roanoke County Sheriff's Office and Roanoke County Police Department. Texas Roadhouse prizes and giveaways. Chris's Custard. Come on out and enjoy the family fun. Hope to see you there.
*All proceeds benefit our 1932 Seagrave for repairs. This is the first fire engine bought by Roanoke County.
Pride and Honor since 1955
Congratulations to Ian Sigmon and Bricen Lancaster from William Byrd who have been named to the 2024 All-Timesland Boys Soccer Team (Honorable Mention). (file photos)
District VII DAR holds wreath-laying ceremony at Vinton War Memorial...
By Debbie Adams The Vinton War Memorial hosted the annual meeting of Virginia DAR District VII on July 13. The meeting began outside at the High Ground Monument with the presentation of American flags by the VFW Post 1264 Honor Guard. The posting of the colors was followed DAR members and guests rec...
New vendor at the Vinton Farmers' Market on July 20!
Margaret Helmintoller with Adrain Michael Farms will be at the Vinton Farmers' Market on July 20. Stop by and see what they have for sale.
Check out their page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561584879130.
Congratulations Deputy Mullins and Mrs. Jordan of WBMS!
By Debbie Adams Youth of Virginia Speak Out (YOVASO) is a youth leadership organization focused on saving the lives of teenage drivers through empowering them to be traffic safety advocates in their schools and communities. YOVASO helps students and school administrators set up a YOVASO Club in thei...
The Farm Shoppe--A Marketplace of Virginia's Entrepreneurs in downtown Vinton accepting vendor applications...
Town Council approves The Farm Shoppe--A Marketplace for Virginia's Entrepreneurs in downtown Vinton...
By Debbie Adams Vinton Town Council adopted an ordinance at their meeting on July 16 approving the petition of The Advancement Foundation (TAF) for a Special Use Permit (SUP) for a proposed marketplace to be located at 301 South Pollard Street. The Planning Commission held its public hearing on the....
William Byrd freshman, Conley Serreno advances with Gator Boxing...
By Debbie Adams Conley Serreno is a rising freshman at William Byrd High School. In May, at the William Byrd Middle School Awards Assembly for eighth graders, he was recognized with the President’s Award for Educational Excellence for maintaining a 3.5 GPA in middle school from sixth grade through...
RCPS seeks input on mobile device usage in high school classrooms; will restrict student access to social media on RCPS-issued laptops
In recent days, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Executive Order 33, which raises concerns about student health related to the pervasive use of mobile devices by students and directs school divisions to create policies concerning the use of mobile devices (phones, watches, tablets, earphones, etc.) during school hours, with the aim to create mobile device-free education in Virginia.
The Roanoke County School Board proactively adopted a strong policy in the 2022-2023 school year but is considering making further adjustments at the high school level to this policy, in consideration of the concerns expressed in the governor’s executive order.
Currently, Roanoke County Public School policy states that elementary and middle school students may possess a mobile device provided the device is off, or on airplane mode, and put away out of sight during the entire school day.
At the high school level, students may have a mobile device in the classroom provided it is off or on airplane mode and put away out of sight. Students may use mobile devices in the classroom only if permitted by a teacher for specific instructional purposes. Students may use mobile devices while in the hallways and during lunch.
In Executive Order 33, Governor Youngkin noted statistics from the Centers for Disease Control about the significant physical and mental health concerns for children who use social media extensively and are distracted and disconnected from personal social interactions due to constant communication through mobile devices. Research conducted by the Thomas Fordham Institute noted that mobile devices and social media are contributing to increased depression and anxiety in students, resulting in lower academic performance.
Following the governor’s executive order, the Roanoke County School Board is considering some potential changes to the current mobile device policy related to use in high schools. The school board is looking at three options:
• No changes – keep the current policy as is.
• Prohibit all use of personal mobile devices during class for high schools, but continue to allow use between classes and during lunch.
• Mirror the elementary and middle school policy – high school students would not be allowed to use mobile devices during the entire school day.
The school division has released a survey and is asking all Roanoke County Public School parents, high school students and high school staff to share their thoughts on these options by July 28 at https://www.rcps.us/post-details/~board/district-front-page-news/post/school-board-seeks-input-from-parents-students-and-staff-on-mobile-devise-usage-in-high-school-classrooms.
“This is a serious matter that affects the safety and wellbeing of our students as well as their ability to succeed in the classroom,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, Superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools. “There are many strong opinions on this topic, and we need to hear what parents, students and staff think about what steps we should take moving forward. We encourage our parents, students and staff to share their thoughts on this survey.”
In an effort to further curtail the negative impacts of social media on students, the school district will prohibit all RCPS-issued laptops from accessing social media sites at any time (at school or home).
“As a recent CDC study showed, constant social media use has been clearly linked to increased su***de rates nationally among students. We are going to take whatever measures we can to protect our students and help them become Opportunity Ready,” said Dr. Nicely.
Submitted by Roanoke County Public Schools
Pine Spur Hunt Club Horse Show coming up this Saturday, July 13, at 5 p.m. in Vinton
By Debbie Adams The Pine Spur Hunt Club will be hosting its 71st Annual Horse Show this weekend on Saturday, July 13, beginning at 5 p.m. This is an all-breed horse show which attracts exhibitors from this area, surrounding states, and, in 2024, as far away as Tennessee and Myrtle Beach. The club is...
Three Oaks Fellowship United Methodist Church is hosting a Back to School Bash this Saturday, July 13, from 10 a.m. until noon.
Stop by for a morning of fun with school supply giveaways, a Bounce House, food, games, activities, and fellowship!
Three Oaks is located at 1026 Gravel Hill Road off Hardy Road just outside Vinton.
William Byrd Middle School is hosting Middle School Volleyball Tryout Prep Camp on July 30 and 31, led by Next Revolution Volleyball coaches. You do not need to be a Byrd student to participate in the camp. Follow the link on the flyer to register.
The Town of Vinton hosted another remarkable fireworks show on July 4, 2024.
The crowd was not only oohing and aahing, but actually gasping in amazement at some of the pyrotechnics. A huge crowd turned out once again this year, despite afternoon showers and thunderstorms which threatened to cancel the show.
The kids, and some adults, thoroughly enjoyed the foam cannon activity, and the Fourth of July themed gifts from the town.
Food vendors were also amazed at the turn-out beyond their expectations; many sold out.
Thrasher Memorial gave away free ice cream. Downtown restaurants--Pok-E-Joe's, Pollard 107 South, and Twin Creeks brewing provided great entertainment and menus in a block party atmosphere.
Thanks to the town's administration, community programs staff, public works, and police departments who gave up their holidays to entertain the community and who spent months planning the event.
Super night, once again!
(photos by Debbie Adams)
The Town of Vinton celebrated the Fourth of July from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in 2024. It all began with the Four on the Fourth race at 8:00, which benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia.
472 runners participated--378 in the traditional four mile run and another 94 in the family Fun Run.
Vinton Mayor Brad Grose welcomed the runners to Vinton. Samaryia Napper performed the National Anthem--and then the runners were off. George Tolton of Salem came in first, running the course in 21:17.5 minutes.
Thanks especially to the Boys and Girls Clubs, Fleet Feet, Vinton's Community Programs Dept., Vinton Public Works, and the Vinton Police, for another spectacular event in Vinton.
Town of Vinton says the Fourth of July Celebration remains on for 7 p.m. tonight!!!!
⛈⛈ Weather Delay ⛈⛈
Please note we are going to DELAY the start of the Vinton 4th of July Celebration until 7:00 P.M. We are actively monitoring the weather. Please check back for updates throughout the afternoon.
https://vintonmessenger.com/vinton-prepares-for-another-spectacular-fourth-of-july-celebration/
The Town of Vinton is making plans to celebrate the Fourth of July 2024 all day and most of the night. Events will begin with the 13th annual Four on the 4th Race, which traditionally attracts hundreds of runners from across the valley. The four-mile run kicks-off from the Vinton War Memorial at 8 a...
HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!! Who's ready for the Fireworks and a Block Party!??! We're excited to team up with Pollard 107 South to bring you Vintons first July 4th Block Party!! Come join us starting at 5pm. We will have Three Notch'd Brewing Company new Rocket Pop Vodka Craft Cocktail on Ice as well as many others in our outdoor bar areas.
The first 50 patrons in will receive a free Pok-E-Joe's can Koozie.
We will also be raffling off a Brim Box Guitars 1776 Cigar Box Guitar. Raffle Tickets can be purchased starting tommorow!!
We can't wait for the festivities to begin!!
Come spend the 4th with us and hangout at our Party on Pollard!
We hope you have a wonderful July 4th!
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https://vintonmessenger.com/remembering-willie-mays-and-vintons-richard-thrasher/
By Sports Editor Brian Hoffman A celebration to honor Willie Mays turned into a wake last week when one of baseball’s all-time greats died two days before the big event. Mays passed on Tuesday, June 18th , with his Giants set to play the Cardinals at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama ...
Upcoming Town Office Holiday Closure and Refuse/Bulk Pickup Schedule
Town offices will be closed for the upcoming holiday Independence Day on Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5, 2024. The refuse and bulk pickup schedule will be altered as follows:
Independence Day-Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, 2024:
-Town offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024, and Friday, July 5, 2024.
-Monday July 1st refuse and bulk routes will be collected on Monday, July 1, 2024.
Tuesday, July 2nd and Wednesday, July 3rd refuse and bulk routes will be collected
on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
Thursday, July 4th and Friday, July 5th refuse and bulk routes will be collected on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
We hope everyone has a great summer and happy Independence Day!
MISS VIRGINIA 2024, CARLEHR SWANSON
https://vintonmessenger.com/miss-virginia-contestants-bring-sparkle-and-charm-to-pageant-week/
By Debbie Adams It’s Miss Virginia Pageant competition week in Roanoke. The first Miss Virginia Pageant was held at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach in 1926 as a business outreach event. In 1953, the program was officially established in Roanoke after Elizabeth Bowles, a member of the Valley J...
https://vintonmessenger.com/sigmon-lancaster-on-class-3-all-state-soccer-team/
Virginia High School League all-state teams have been announced and William Byrd has two representatives in Class 3. Byrd had many athletes named to Region 3D and Blue Ridge District teams. Byrd’s all-state players are both from the boys’ soccer team. Junior Ian Sigmon was named to the first tea...
https://vintonmessenger.com/meet-the-contestants-for-miss-virginia-2024/
Next week, June 24-29, marks Miss Virginia Week 2024 in Roanoke. The pageant has been held in the Star City since 1953—at first in the ballroom at the Hotel Roanoke, later at the American Theatre, and now at the Berglund Center. The Miss Virginia organization is a scholarship organization, awardin...
It’s almost officially summer - Summer Solstice is this Thursday, the 21st!
Enjoy and subscribe to keep up with local news ☀️
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Rosie's Gaming Emporium continues its generous donations to the community. On June 14, Rosie's presented a check for $5000 to the local Lions Clubs for their fundraiser which will provide furnishings for the third-floor pediatric multi-purpose room at the Carilion Pediatric Cancer Center to be built on Reserve Avenue.
1633 West Main Street
Salem, VA
24153
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