A large crowd of artists and art admirers gathered on Aug. 1 in the community room of the Westlake Library in Hardy for the Bald Knob Artists’ Best Pick Art Show. Mimi McHale was awarded Best in Show for her acrylic painting, “The Silk Road.” The night kicked off with an opening ceremony and awards presentation.
A man who is believed to have drowned Aug. 2 while sailing a Sunfish was remembered by his family as someone who was in good physical shape and at ease on the water. “He was so fit.
Brenda Smith has been named president and chief executive officer of MainStreet BankShares Inc., headquartered in Martinsville, and Franklin Community Bank, N.A, headquartered in Rocky Mount. She also has been named a director of Franklin Community Bank, N.A., which has two of its three branches in the SML area. Smith has served as acting president and CEO since December 2012 when she took over after the death of president and
Jefferson College of Health Sciences awarded the inaugural John Echternach Jr. Memorial Scholarships to Morgan Colomb and Brandon McKee, Bachelor of Science in nursing students, at the Boones Mill Fire Department in Boones Mill on July 23. The scholarship was established in honor of John Echternach Jr., D.P.T., academic coordinator of Clinical Education and assistant professor in the JCHS Physical Therapist Assistant Program and a volunteer at the Boones Mill
A new international -themed event highlighting different cultures in the Smith Mountain Lake area is coming to Downtown Moneta. The community festival, Celebration of Nations, will be held from 2 until 8 p.m. on Aug. 24. The event was inspired by the long-running Roanoke festival, Local Colors, according to Susan Brown, director of special events and communications at the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce. “We want to make sure we
Trinity Preschool is adding two new teachers for the 2013-14 school year. Amy Morrison will teach the Now I’m Three class, which meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Tanya Hahn will lead the Toddlers, the class for 2-year-olds, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The school year at Trinity Preschool, which is Virginia Star Quality rated, begins after Labor Day. There are openings, including in the Pre-K class for 4-year-olds. For
Do you like being outdoors? Do you like trees, birds, fish butterflies and a walk in the woods? Have you ever wondered how old the Blue Ridge Mountains are? Do you cherish our state parks, our national forests, Booker T. Washington National Monument, the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Appalachian Trail? Do you think our natural resources should be preserved? If so, you can enjoy and preserve the natural resources in
Aspiring authors can learn the ins and outs of the self-publishing process by attending a panel discussion with local authors at the Westlake Library on Aug. 29 . “As self-publishing becomes an increasingly popular avenue, we’ve received many questions from patrons asking about how the process works,” said Joesephine Clarke, Westlake’s branch librarian. “If authors have written a book, they want to know where to go to get started.” The
A new 12-unit wing under construction at Smith Mountain Lake Retirement Village at Westlake is expected to open by the end of the month. “The facility is close to at‑capacity, and we need more room to grow,” said administrator Eric Hayes. Hayes said the new assisted-living units are larger than others that are available. He compared the rooms, which have a kitchenette, handicapped-accessible bathrooms, walk-in shower with built-in bench and
There are reoccurring indications of E. coli at levels that exceed Virginia Department of Health standards in the headwaters of both the Blackwater and Roanoke rivers feeding into Smith Mountain Lake, but a water-quality expert said lake residents don’t need to be overly concerned about the bacteria. According to Larry Iceman, water quality monitoring program chairman for Smith Mountain Lake Association, the initial data was compiled in early July after
James Hall, editor of Bassmaster magazine, has included Smith Mountain Lake in his list of 10 Great Places to go Bass Fishing, which was recently published in USA Today. Hall said that in the past few years, the number of fishing licenses has increased. Bass fishing also is reeling in new fans, he said. “There’s a huge influx of young blood,” said Hall, citing high schools and colleges that are
Members of the Bedford International Alliance will travel to France in June 2014 to join the celebration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The group has made the trip several times for similar celebrations and found the residents of the region hospitable and grateful for the sacrifices made by liberating U.S. service members. To date, 75 percent of the trip’s capacity is filled. The limit is determined by the size
Several members of the Moneta Lions Club gave up a Saturday morning recently to spruce up Moneta Community Park. The park came about as a joint venture between the Bedford County Parks and Recreation Department and the Moneta Lions Club as a memorial to Lion Curtis Fitzgerald. Located next to Moneta Elementary School, the park includes a playground area, picnic pavilion and a multi-purpose ball field. Fitzgerald served four terms
Tickets for the 23rd-annual Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour are for sale at area ticket outlets . Admission prices for the 2013 tour, which will be held Columbus Day weekend, Oct. 11–13, are the same as last year: $20 in advance and $25 on tour days. Tour officials are offering a new option for ticket purchasers this year. Tickets purchased online at www.smlcharityhometour.com using a credit card or PayPal
On Saturday, a 27-year-old woman was injured when she fell off a personal watercraft not far from Lake Forest Drive near Craddock Creek at C2A in Huddleston. The incident occurred about 5:45 p.m. when three people fell off a personal watercraft after hitting a wake. The impact resulted in one of the riders fracturing her left shoulder, said Sgt. Bryan Young with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Members of the SML Lions and their guests celebrated at their annual picnic on Aug. 1 another successful year of serving the SML community. The social hour was followed by a meal prepared by David Cuff and his cooking team of Debbie Farthing and Joanna Hudzik. Among the 80 people attending were Jim Newman, first vice district governor, and members of the Ferrum Lions Club. Two special awards were presented.
Franklin County will hold a special election in conjunction with the general election on Nov. 5 to fill the position of treasurer. The State Board of Elections, which approved the addition to the ballot, has set Aug. 16 as the deadline to submit petitions in order for the candidate’s name to be listed on the ballot. Treasurer Lynda Messenger, who was elected to a four-year term in 2011, will resign
Longtime boating safety advocate Randy Stow was awarded the Golden Life Jacket Award from Sea Tow Smith Mountain Lake at a Smith Mountain Lake Water Safety Council meeting Wednesday. The former council chairman was nominated for the award by Capt s. Rick and Nancy Ellett, co-owners of Sea Tow, for his efforts in the community promoting boating safety and life jacket use. “Every time we show up to participate in
Bill Piatt was inducted into the Rotary Club of SML at the club’s April 11 meeting. Piatt has an extensive background in the field of information technology. He has held top-level management positions in several large consulting firms in the private sector such as Unisys Corporation and Booz, Allen & Hamilton. He has also served in the federal sector with the General Services Administration as Chief Information Officer. Piatt continues
While the parents are away ... During Parents Night Out at Trinity Ecumenical Parish in Moneta, children were blindfolded as they placed animals onto Noah’s ark two by two. On another night, they designed lamb masks as a reminder that they are part of God’s little flock. Trinity offers a Parents Night Out on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 until 7:30 P.M. It provides an opportunity for
Following are results of the Franklin County Parks and Recreation Department’s Kids Drive, Pitch & Putt contest. Overall: 1: Brice Arrington, 2: Trent Cooper, 3: Tanner Sage; Girls 7 and younger: 1: Mia Potter; Boys 7 and younger: 1: Haden Johnston, 2: Carson Moore, 3: Jackson Sherrard; Girls 8-10: 1: Ariana Holbrook; Boys 8-10: 1: Jonathan Stump 2: Nicholas Meyer, 3: Samuel Fansler; Girls 11-14: 1: Katelyn Craghead; Boys 11-14: