www.roanoke.com

1999 (10 years ago)

n "The Roanoke Valley's defunct regional landfill has a bad case of gas. And Roanoke Valley Resource Authority officials are doing what your Scout leader always warned you not to do: They're igniting it."

n "Clouds may have dampened the fireworks at the 50th birthday party for the Mill Mountain Star Wednesday, but they didn't dampen the big news announced at the event -- the Star is now on the National Register of Historic Places, one of about 1,500 such landmarks in Virginia."

1984 (25 years ago)

n "Roanoke City Council, which recently rejected a $75,000 bid on the old Jefferson High School, will seek new bids in an effort to lease or sell the building, which has stood vacant for nearly a decade."

n "U. S. District Judge James C. Turk agreed Wednesday to move the Rev. Jerry Falwell's $45 million libel suit against Hustler magazine and publisher Larry Flynt from Lynchburg to Roanoke."

1959 (50 years ago)

n "Roanoke's meat inspection center opened last year. ... Yesterday the center was open for the first time on Saturday because the volume of business has increased more than four times since last year."

n "Forty-one Roanoke and Salem men have organized a Roanoke Male Chorus that rehearses Monday nights at Greene Memorial Methodist. Mrs. Eula Transou Ligon, minister of music at the church, is chorus conductor."

n "An ice skating rink, the Holiday Ice Arena, will open for business this week in Roanoke County, just north of the Roanoke city limits."

n "A military pilot died at Woodrum Airport today when his Navy attack bomber fell out of the air and exploded at 10:41 a.m. some 100 precious yards short of the runway he was approaching for an emergency landing."

n "An award in honor of Sam Elliot, city sandlot football coach, was announced last night by the Exchange Club, sponsor of the team Elliott coached this season."

n "Coach Buddy Hackman is preparing himself for a long, cold winter. His Roanoke College basketball team seems doomed to another losing season."

n "Roanoke traffic police today girded for an anticipated 100 percent jump in downtown traffic during the Christmas shopping rush."

1934 (75 years ago)

n "Can you imagine a pile of books 605 times as high as Mill mountain? If so, you can get some idea as to the number of books circulated by the Roanoke public library during the 13 years of its existence."

n "Roanoke's 463 school teachers, white and colored, received degrees leading to their certification from 57 institutions of higher learning."

n "The Haskell Indians squad of 32 players and Gus Welch, the braves' coach, are to arrive at Salem at 6 p.m. today, completing a 1,700-mile trek from Lawrenceville, Kansas, to meet the Roanoke College Maroons here Saturday afternoon."

n "A total of 39.82 inches of rain has fallen in Roanoke this year, exceeding the rainfall for the first eleven months of last year by 12.61 inches."

n "Lucy Addison High, winner of the western district championship for colored high schools, will meet the eastern champion, probably Booker T. Washington High, of Norfolk, for the State crown."

n "Virginia Tech Vs. V. M. I.! Or, if you prefer, V. M. I. Vs. Virginia Tech! Either way you take it, the fact remains that the turf of ancient and historical Maher Field for the 22nd straight year will feel the cruel cleats from 22 pairs of shoes Thursday afternoon when the orange and maroon from Blacksburg and the red, white and yellow from Lexington clash in their military gridiron classic of the South."

1909 (100 years ago)

n "Another case of cruelty to animals was tried in police court this morning."

n "Roanoke High School was defeated by Troutville High School last Saturday by a score of 16 to 6. This was a contest between the strength of the farmer boys and activity of the town lads. The Troutville boys had never seen a basketball until one month ago and they made a fine showing."

n "E. T. Kindred and E. H. Kabler, well-known residents of Roanoke, had a personal difficulty this morning on the corner of Jefferson street and Campbell avenue."

n "Messrs. Clyde and Talbert Ferguson are here at work on the telephone lines which are being rapidly established over our little town [Vinton]. This will be found a great convenience."

n "Rythm is a characteristic and pleasing feature of 'The Red Mill,' which yesterday afternoon and last night attracted the biggest audiences of the season at the Academy of Music."