www.roanoke.com

1998 (10 years ago)

n "Roanoke's native ACC coach started in the right direction with Florida State last season. Now, he's continuing the construction job. Steve Robinson began last season with a splash. This season, it's more like sticking a toe in the water."

n "Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer declined comment Monday night on his Sunday meeting with Clemson officials about the Tigers' coaching vacancy."

n "Catawba residents critical of a proposed public-private land swap on North Mountain have prompted high-ranking officials to question the U.S. Forest Service's archaeological and biological surveys of the land."

1983 (25 years ago)

n "While the government is operating billions of dollars in the red, the U.S. attorney's office in Roanoke is turning a profit."

n "Roanoke was Virginia's only metropolitan area to escape an increase in the unemployment rate in October, holding at 5.3 percent."

n "The near sellout performance by Israel's Batsheva Dance Company in Olin Hall Wednesday night was a fine -- and lucky -- feather in Roanoke College's cultural hat."

n "You can't make people go to museums or theaters, but you can bring museums and theaters to the people and hope they'll take the hint. That's the basic principle behind Center in the Square."

n "Dominion Bankshares Corp will spend $2 million for new signs when it changes the names of First National Exchange and all its banks and subsidiaries next year."

1958 (50 years ago)

n "Under new head coach Irvin Cannaday Jr., Addison will open its basketball season Wednesday."

n "Roanoke City has received what amounts to an ultimatum from the Virginia Department of Highways on routing of a controversial interstate access road into Roanoke."

n "Santa Claus got a big welcome in Roanoke last night. Thirty-five to 40,000 'children,' including their sons and daughters, packed downtown streets to watch him and his friends parade through the downtown." The parade was over a mile long.

n "A 36-year-old Negro today became the first of his race to qualify and register as a voter in Roanoke County since the new registration requirements went into effect."

n "A new Torah scroll will be presented Sunday night at Beth Israel Synagogue."

1933 (75 years ago)

n "Deeds transferring the 445-acre Parrott-Obenchain site for a veterans' hospital to the United States government were recorded yesterday afternoon in Roanoke county circuit court."

n "If a scoreless tie brings any football team consolation, the V.M.I. Flying Squadron from historic Lexington, outweighed by the Gobbler eleven from Virginia Tech, should be flying its tri-color from the masthead today."

n "The day of accounting for Thanksgiving Day's reckless abandon came in Police Court today for a number of persons and those who failed to get continuances either had 'to pay the piper' or go to jail to grieve over their being caught in the act of violating the law."

n "Teachers in Roanoke's public schools -- subject to heavy cuts in pay -- will not have to wait until after New Year's for their salary checks for 13 teaching days in December, as once was suggested."

n "The second annual festival of negro music heard by more than two thousand people last night, will be repeated at the Roanoke auditorium tomorrow afternoon."

n "Dogs gain their freedom here tomorrow. The 45-day quarantine enacted by City Council as a safety measure against the spread of rabies is to be lifted."

n "In an effort to cope with the criminal and the prowler, the police department has asked for four new automobiles in its 1934 budget."

n "A gigantic parade and pageant lit the candle of the spirit of Christmas, 1933, here this afternoon. Approximately 40,000 people ... lined the city streets to pay official welcome to Santa Claus himself, the jovial representative of Christmas generosity."

1908 (100 years ago)

n "Charles Henry Rhodenheiser is considerably fretted because he missed a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving day ... he had the misfortune to get in jail, and had to be satisfied with beans and bacon and corn plunk." "All the Northeast section of Roanoke was brilliantly illuminated early Sunday morning by a fierce blaze at the [Roanoke Machine] shops."

n "If some of the Roanoke police force would visit the upper part of this [Northwest] section more after dark, probably more peace could be had among the residents."

n "It seems that Roanoke hotels, as well as those of Bluefield, have suffered from the operations of a clever swindler. At least two forged checked were cashed here a few days ago."

n "Roanoke is being visited by a spell of genuine wintry weather. On Tuesday the temperature was like that of last spring. It was almost sultry. Yesterday heavy overcoats were worn with comfort."

n "The manager of the Harvard baseball club was in the city Tuesday making arrangements for his team to practice."