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Joshua Rubongoya

Published: June 22

International politics professor at Roanoke College

Kyle Green | The Roanoke Times

THEN: Joshua Rubongoya left his native Uganda for the United States in 1984. He received a Fulbright Scholarship and planned to complete his master's degree and pursue a doctorate at the University of Denver. His pursuit of an education, however, put him at odds with Uganda's government.

Fast forward 23 years. Rubongoya is a professor at Roanoke College and has published a book on Uganda's political development since President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni took power in 1986. Museveni came into power after dictators Idi Amin and Milton Obote.

Rubongoya's book, "Regime Hegemony in Museveni's Uganda: Pax Musevenica," was published in January. Rubongoya uses Uganda as a representation of Africa, and he challenges African political elites' means of gaining political power or political legitimacy.

NOW: Rubongoya's book, "Regime Hegemony in Museveni's Uganda: Pax Musevenica," won the 2006 African Politics Conference Group's Best Book Award. The African Politics Conference Group is an organization of political scientists interested in African political processes. The group recognizes political scientists whose work or interests involve sub-Saharan Africa, according to the group's Web site.

-- Marquita Brown

Brittney Howell

Published: Sept. 7

Botetourt County student's career takes off

Jared Soares | The Roanoke Times

THEN: Brittney Howell was accelerating in the classroom, repairing autos when she was elected state president of Skills USA, a high school organization for students on a career and technical education track, in April.

NOW: Brittney is still traveling the state, promoting and seeking funding for career and technical programs, formerly referred to as vocational education.

Brittney is only one of three females of the 60 or so students enrolled in automotive program at the Botetourt Technical Education Center. She also takes college-level courses through Virginia Western Community College at the Greenfield Education Center in addition to traditional classes at Lord Botetourt.

As a senior Brittney has started visiting such colleges as Radford University and Berea University. She's been too busy, she said, to overhaul the motor of her 1995 Ford Mustang.

-- JoAnne Poindexter

Bill Atkins and Emerson Lamb

Published: June 1

Friendship spans many decades

Joanne Poindexter | The Roanoke Times

THEN: Two elderly and ailing gentlemen credit their interests in God for their 66-year-old friendship that started at a Southeast Roanoke junior high school. They both once worked for the Norfolk and Western Railway; both lived in Botetourt County; and they were attending the same Botetourt County church. Since their health became fragile, they had maintained contact via telephone and visits when their children could coordinate schedules. Lamb, a widower, lives at Our Lady of the Valley.

NOW: Bill Atkins died July 4, a month and three days after the story ran, recalled Emerson Lamb.

"I miss him very much. I've got the story on the wall and look at it every day," said Lamb, who maintains contact with Atkins' widow, Patsy, and others via telephone.

Noting that Atkins had talked about death, Lamb said, "He was ready because we talked about it."

Atkins also talked about their parting in one of the poems he penned about his friendship with Lamb: "Some day, though, maybe not long, the earthly path will fade, the trail grow cold. Our savior then will lead us into his heavenly fold."

-- JoAnne Poindexter

The Rug Rats

Published: July 27

Group of women who gather to make rugs

Tim Gruber | The Roanoke Times

THEN: The Rug Rats -- with a base membership of seven -- have been holding weekly rug-making gatherings nearly two years, lugging bags and baskets of sheet strips, hooks and rugs from home to home and even the front porch of a Troutville convenience store.

There's no initiation fee, no planning and nothing special about the gathering. The women have the opportunity to talk about a bunch of nothing and nurture one anothers' egos while crocheting strips of old sheets, draperies and clothing into rugs.

NOW: "We continue to rug, mostly on Thursdays, and enjoy the fellowship and the chance to be creative," said Judy Deel.

Four women from Franklin County and others from Fincastle and Buchanan have joined the Botetourt County rug-making group. It's become a three-generation group, including one of Deel's former third-grade students.

Attendance at meetings varies because of schedules, but Deel keeps in touch with the Rug Rats via e-mail.

Three of the handmade rugs were donated to a raffle and earned $140 for a Dominican Republic Mission Team fundraiser at Mill Creek Baptist Church, where many of the members attend.

-- JoAnne Poindexter

Larry Nash

Published: Sept. 21

Volunteer at the Lions Club Eye Bank and the Roanoke County and Salem Food Pantry

Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times

THEN: After a series of health complications including heart attacks and strokes, Larry Nash recovered from his illnesses and began to volunteer around the Roanoke Valley. Nash had residual health effects, but he did not allow his health to deter him from volunteering through different organizations.

NOW: Larry Nash said everything is going well for him and his wife, Martha Nash. He is still volunteering at the Salem and Roanoke County Community Food Pantry as well as the Lions Club Eye Bank.

Besides his volunteer work, the Nashes are still Virginia Tech football fanatics and have not missed a game. The couple plans to attend the Orange Bowl in January. Larry Nash said this year has been a little hectic. But despite even a recent rapid heartbeat situation, everything is going well, he said.

-- Marvin Anderson

House On Main

Published: July 6

New tearoom in Buchanan

Tim Gruber | The Roanoke Times

THEN: A landmark in Buchanan has become a tearoom and is slated to house a bed and breakfast. The brick Greek Revival house was Buchanan's newest downtown venture. It was heavily promoted mainly to attract customers, especially those who were familiar with the landmark being a funeral home, for lunch and dinner.

NOW: The gift shop to the tearoom opened after Thanksgiving and now diners can purchase teas and all the "accessories you would need at home," said owner Maggi George.

Business has been brisk, and "I am very happy," said George. Work on the inn took a back seat to the gift shop, she said, but the first room should be completed by March.

The lunchtime group keeps George and her staff busy, she said.

Although chicken Parmesan, grilled salmon and shrimp scampi remain the signature favorites, the restaurant has changed its dinner fare from Italian to German, and George has been able to prepare recipes passed through her family.

The House on Main also is promoting dinner during two sittings for New Year's Eve.

-- JoAnne Poindexter

Brittany Crawford

Published: Sept. 28

Young female football player

Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

THEN: The 60-pound, 7-year-old was the only girl on any of the 12 teams in her age group in the Roanoke Valley. She painted her fingernails to match her orange and white uniform and often had to take off her earrings before putting on her helmet.

Brittany, who usually played as a defensive end, was among the smallest players on her team of 22, whose players weigh between 52 and 110 pounds. Few, however, could tell she was a girl unless she would shed the helmet and her blonde locks would drop free.

NOW: Brittany said she's not sure about playing football next fall, but she had fun. The best part of football was "I got to tackle," she said.

The worst part was "me getting tackled!" Brittany said.

-- JoAnne Poindexter

Air Force JROTC

Published: June 15

Franklin County High School's Air Force JROTC program

Submitted photo

THEN: Troutville native Maj. Paul Willard established Franklin County High School's Air Force JROTC program and later, the school's Scouting Venture program. Since then, the program has won a number of awards. It has been recognized as a Distinguished Unit six times, placing it as one of the top units in the Air Force and in Virginia. Willard also worked with the cadets, encouraging them to apply for scholarships, apply to colleges, or to pursue service academy appointments. Many cadets also have enlisted in branches of the military.

NOW: Willard announced in June that he was leaving Franklin County to lead the Air Force JROTC program for Hampton City Public Schools. And as soon as he heard the position was opening, Master Sgt. Kevin Fuccella said he "made a beeline for it."

The timing was ideal for Fuccella, who officially started as the unit commander of VA 20011 on Nov. 8, shortly after retiring from the Air Force at age 39.

Fuccella is a native of Urbanna, a town near Richmond. He served in the Air Force for 20 years after enlisting, and he has been an Air Force recruiter in the Roanoke Valley for eight years. Recruiting led Fuccella to many area schools, including Franklin County High. He said he was impressed with the program.

Now that he's leading the JROTC program, Fuccella said he plans to maintain what Willard set in place.

The program "is like a well-oiled machine already," he said.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he said. "I'm just going to continue on his legacy."

The cadets already are maintaining the program's success. The unit placed first in the Franklin County Christmas parade, Fuccella said.

-- Marquita Brown

Mary Noble and Angie Goodson

Published Oct. 26

Granddaughter praised grandmother in essay

Jeanna Duerscherl | The Roanoke Times

THEN: Mary Noble was one of the first-place winners in a National Thank You Day competition sponsored by merci Finest Assortment of European Chocolates and the Emily Post Institute. Her granddaughter, Angie Goodson, nominated Noble, writing, "Gigi has been the stability of our family, the bank teller, the confessional, the seamstress, the voice of reason when we were all in need. She nursed me through sickness, school and college, trials and tribulations with my parents, the death of my brother, and too many other things to include in a 150-word essay. I cannot thank her enough for all of the years of financial sacrifices, late nights, tears, and joy she has given for me."

NOW: Both women received candy from merci, and Noble also received an autographed copy of an etiquette book by Peggy Post, best-selling author for the institute.

The book, Noble said, "is interesting. It tells you what you should do and shouldn't, such as jumping line."

Several people from her former church, Oak Grove Church of the Brethren, also contacted her after the article.

-- JoAnne Poindexter