The Salem City Council met for a regularly scheduled meeting Monday night. Under old business, the council unanimously approved an ordinance on second reading adopting the city’s budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year that included some amendments related to employee compensation. Previously, an extensive pay study for the city...

Nothing says summer like riding the rides and eating fair food at the Salem Fair. The 35th Salem Fair is in town and since I live right next to the Salem Civic Center, I get the fun of traffic and noise for the 12 days of the fair. Betsy walks around with her nose in the air, so I know she smells the food cooking (or the racing pigs). The Salem Fair is the largest free fair in Virginia and is a beloved tradition for many. In 1988, the first fair came to Salem, with exhibitions inside the civic center, rides, and a midway with food and games. The Salem Fair has all the classic fair foods including cotton candy, funnel cakes, hamburgers, corn dogs, popcorn, and lemonade. From deep fried butter to spaghetti on a stick, fair concessions are always thinking up new ways to deep fry everything and put things on sticks. If it is exotic and/or weird you can find it at a fair. At the fair, I like getting food I can’t or don’t fix at home. One thing I can make is air fried Oreos. This recipe calls for double stuffed Oreos but there are so many Oreo varieties you can experiment with. Even if the air fryer makes them warm and gooey without the oil, covered in powder sugar they are still an indulgence.

Rebecca Bryan, Famed Indian Hunter’ Wife, Supposed To Have Descended From Family Who Migrated Here From New Jersey. From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register. Daniel Boone, the greatest Indian fighter of all time, is one of the most romantic and picturesque figures in the early history of this country. Around Boone’s name have grown up legends and tales which will make the hair stand up on the back of any man’s neck, and around his personality are many claims of identification.

Last Tuesday, June 20 primary elections were held in the commonwealth. Several elections of interest to Salem and Roanoke County residents were on the ballot. A total of 3,740 votes were cast in the Republican primary in Roanoke County. For the Catawba Magisterial District seat on the Roanoke County Board...

Salem School Division Superintendent Dr. Curtis Hicks announced last week that three veteran educators are taking on new administrative responsibilities. Andrea Johnson and Kenya Motley will assume the roles of assistant principals at Andrew Lewis Middle School, while Chris Wilkes will return to Salem High School to serve as an assistant principal.

Roanoke County– Roanoke County’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and Planning Departments have been recognized with Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. Roanoke County’s Communication and Information Technology Department won four awards: GIS...

Long before any European people set foot in the Roanoke Valley, Native Americans called this area home. They lived along the Roanoke River, building villages where they would grow their crops and return to after a day of hunting. Today, we know where some of these villages were found thanks...

Salem Fair: The Salem fair will be at the Salem Civic Center June 28-July 9. It will be open from 4-11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. Food Truck Thursday: Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism will hold a food truck event at...

Garrison Coward, Youngkin administration senior advisor for external affairs, Gary Duerk, a Boy Scout with Troop 129 and Mac McCadden are pictured in front of Salem Red Sox stadium on June 14. On June 14, the Roanoke Valley celebrated Flag Day at the Salem Red Sox baseball game. June 14 is also the 248.

Bluegrass aficionado Junior Sisk is headed back to Salem’s annual Pickin’ In The Park concert this summer. This marks the third straight year that Sisk and his group of talented players and singers have filled the night air at the Longwood Park Amphitheater with their tight harmonies. This...

While not often used for combat, many soldiers, especially officers, were issued swords during the Civil War. Pictured here is a M1840 musician or noncommissioned officer sword. These were given to musicians as a defensive weapon or to officers as a weapon of last resort. For officers they were more honorary than practical, and today this style of swords is purely used for ceremonial purposes. One of their main uses, as with any straight blade during the Civil War, was to give marching commands to soldiers in line formations.

These hot days have me feeling thirsty. To counteract dehydration in hot or humid weather, regardless of your activity level you should drink water. Drinking water helps lower your body temperature and replace the fluid you lose through sweating. You should drink it before you get thirsty. The USDA explains, “Whether drunk from the tap or a bottle or eaten in foods, water has important health benefits. Insufficient consumption can lead to muscle spasm, renal dysfunction, increased risk of bladder cancer, and even death.” I have always struggled with consuming enough water daily. I have multiple water bottles and I still have a hard time drinking just plain water. As my mother got older, she just did not feel thirsty, so she was often dehydrated. A friend I used to work with used fresh mint in her water. She bragged that this infusion made her drink more. Renaissance era books prove that the popularity of flavored and infused water dates back several centuries. Today, there are recommendations from all kinds of sources. The UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center recommended infused water to my mother and I during her treatment as a healthy alternative to plain water. TikTok has #watertok with 100s of influencers showing recipes to flavor water. Yes, you can buy infused water and add ins, but these types of flavorings generally contain some calories, sugars and carbs because extra ingredients are added during manufacturing. By infusing tasty flavors, many people tend to drink more water. Infusion can thus be a way to make water more appealing. Keep a pitcher of infused water in the refrigerator so you reach for it instead of a soda or sweet sports drink. Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. Treat yourself to a new pretty water bottle or an infused water bottle. Make pretty fruit flavored ice cubes to add to your water. Choose sparkling mineral water over carbonated sodas. Every time you finish drinking a glass of water, fill the glass back up.

Three Thriving Store At Cave Spring When Big Lick Had Only Two Small Shops-Evidences Remain. From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register. Roanoke will have nothing on Cave Spring when folks get to reminiscing on the history of Roanoke County at the Centennial celebration, for there are those still living who remember a time when there were three thriving stores at Cave Spring and only two “small shops” at Big Lick.

INTERSTATE 81 LANE WIDENING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT EXIT 137 TO EXIT 141 – A $179 million design-build project to widen both directions of I-81 between mile markers 136.6 and 141.8 from two to three lanes is set to begin. Starting in February and continuing into the early summer, work will be performed on the inside and outside shoulders along a five-mile section of both northbound and southbound Interstate 81 in Roanoke County and the city of Salem. The shoulders will be built up before barrier wall can be installed for road crews to work behind. Barrier wall will be installed along the shoulders in the spring and summer. Two lanes of I-81 traffic in each direction will remain open during the project with periodic lane closures scheduled during nighttime hours or outside of peak travel times as needed. Drivers can expect the following lane closures and upcoming impacts on northbound and southbound I-81:

For the first time since 1989, Roanoke College has a new athletic director. The college named Curtis Campbell to succeed long-time AD Scott Allison on Tuesday, effective July 1. Campbell, who was one of four finalists interviewed for the position, has 23 years of experience working in intercollegiate athletics. He is currently the director of athletics at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, a role he’s held since 2020. Previously, he served as director of athletics at Western Oregon University, Tuskegee University and Stillman College. Roanoke College is a charter member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), and the Roanoke Maroons athletics program has 20 NCAA Division III teams that compete in the ODAC. Campbell will report to the president and serve as a member of the president’s cabinet, providing visionary, strategic and student-centered leadership for Roanoke College’s comprehensive NCAA Division III athletics program. “After conducting a thorough national search, we are thrilled to welcome Curtis as our new athletic director,” said RC President Frank Shushok Jr. “I am confident that Curtis will bring further excellence to Roanoke College, enhance our teams and our school spirit, and build on the Maroon pride felt throughout our community.” Campbell’s experience includes managing NCAA athletic departments at both DII and DIII programs. He has also served on several NCAA committees.

The Salem School Division announced last week that it will have three new principals for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. The Salem City School Board formally approved the appointments at the June 13 scheduled meeting, and all will officially take effect on July 1, 2023. Kelly Linkenhoker has been named...

Roanoke College announced last week it has named Brian D. Reed as the inaugural vice president for student success and the Roanoke experience following what the college characterized as a “robust national search.” He will begin his service on August 14. “I am excited to begin my Roanoke...

Salem Educational Foundation & Alumni Association held its annual Community Scholarship Night on the evening of June 6. SEFAA awarded 130 scholarships totaling $200,000 to Salem High School graduates from the Class of 2023. The program began with a brief reception, catering provided by the culinary arts program at Salem High School and a number of community members, donors, students and parents attended the event to celebrate the students’ achievements. Community organizations Salem Rotary Club, Salem Sports Foundation and Chance Crawford Foundation also awarded scholarships to several students at the event.

Salem High School held its 2023 commencement ceremony last Friday, June 9 at the Salem Civic Center. During the ceremony, 303 graduates crossed the stage. “This is a class you couldn’t hold down…COVID sent them home during their freshman year, only let them come a couple of days sophomore year, made them wear masks their junior year but here they are as seniors together after a superb year ready to celebrate with all of you this outstanding day,” Scott Habeeb, principal, said. “We’re here to celebrate them collectively. We’re here to celebrate them individually. But this is more than just a celebration of students because they did not get here today on their own. This is a celebration for the entire community.”

Dual-enrollment program to target at-risk students. Roanoke College and Salem City Schools held a joint press conference Monday morning at the college’s Cregger Center to announce that they will be partnering to design a dual-enrollment lab school program for at-risk high school students. The effort is made possible through a $192,541 Lab School Planning Grant the college was awarded by the Virginia Department of Education.