Looking back: Area history, September 2

1988 (25 years ago)

• "Percy Keeling guesses he's seen close to 100,000 youngsters come through the doors of the YMCA Family Center in Northwest Roanoke. After working 34 years at the Y - 30 as executive director - he figures that's enough. Keeling, 60, worked his last day Thursday."

• "Practically every time one of Patrick Henry's quarterbacks dropped back to pass Friday night, something good happened. For William Fleming." Fleming won 20-0.

• "Century Communications Corp. of New Canaan, Conn., has bought the Roanoke Valley Cellular Telephone Co. for $15 million and it plans to expand the operation and enlarge the service area."

• "A robber who couldn't open a Roanoke restaurant's cash register Tuesday night fled with the register - minus the cash. Overall, it wasn't a particularly successful crime, at least from the robber's viewpoint."

1963 (50 years ago)

• "During the last fiscal year more than 43 percent of the able-bodied young men who tried to enlist in the Army at the main recruiting center for Southwest Virginia were turned down because they failed a relatively simple multiple-choice test."

• "Lost any teeth, crutches, glasses, kittens, etc., lately? If so, don't feel too badly about it. People all over Roanoke are leaving strange things in bus stations, train stations, and in mail boxes scattered throughout the city."

• "Daylight Saving Time - loved by some and loathed by others - is now out of circulation for the remainder of 1963."

• "Oren Roanoke Corp. has shipped a special crash trailer believed to be the largest piece of mobile fire equipment ever built."

• "City Manager Arthur S. Owens won't comment directly on the matter himself. But some of Owens' associates say he still has hope that council will decide to install a system of ‘meter maids' and women crossing guards to make more uniformed officers available for ordinary police duties."

• "William Fleming's Colonels got Coach Fred Smith's 25th year of coaching off to a good start here last night with a 20-7 victory over Richlands' Blue Tornado."

1938 (75 years ago)

• "Upward of 600 families in Roanoke County, numbering about 3,000 individuals, will receive more than eight tons of food during this month under the program of the federal surplus commodities corporation."

• Two granite monuments fashioned here in Roanoke will be shipped halfway around the word to mark the graves of two Southern Baptist missionaries who died from yellow fever in Nigeria, West Africa."

• "In order to further the development of the Virginia news report, the Virginia newspapers holding membership in the Associated Press ... have opened a bureau in the building of The Roanoke Times and World-News."

• "The folks who sit by their radios through chilly Saturday afternoons this fall will be able to tune in to Station WDBJ for the most ambitious schedule of regional football games ever attempted by the hook-up of Virginia stations."

• "Lured by the promise of thrills, the persuasive ‘come on' of the barkers and by the exhibits of various organizations and individuals, thousands of Roanokers turned Labor Day into Fair Day yesterday and last night."

• "Nathaniel Jackson, once co-holder of the national colored men's doubles title, teamed with Dr. E.D. Downing, of Roanoke, to beat Frank Jackson and Dr. Walter Johnson, of Lynchburg, ... to win the class A doubles of the Olympian Tennis club's invitation tournament at the hospital courts yesterday afternoon."

• "Suicide Bob Hayes yesterday carved his own particular brand of thrills into the emotions of a record crowd of some 9,000 to 10,000 as the highlight of Thrill Day as the Roanoke Fair opened at Maher field."

• "One hundred years ago today [Sept. 7] the first unit of what is now the Norfolk and Western Railway was placed in operation between Petersburg and City Point."

• "Charlie Miller, local Western Union messenger boy, recently completed a 1,580-mile trip on his bicycle. He went as far north as the Canadian side of Niagara Falls."

1913 (100 years ago)

• "Yesterday, Labor Day, was fittingly observed in Roanoke, practically all the people in the city observing the holiday. While there was no set program or exercises for the day, it was turned into one of genuine pleasure."

• "Newport News and Roanoke battled twenty-four innings today before an issue could be gained in the Labor Day double-header."

• "With a docket of thirty-two names, several of which were brought over from previous days, the post Labor Day session of police court promised to be interesting, but failed; even the gathering of spectators being unusually small."

• "The new Roanoke city directory is being delivered by the publishers, Hill Directory Company. The work contains six hundred and eighty-four pages, which is eighty-nine pages increase over the last issue."

• "In spite of the heavy rains of yesterday and last night the crowd at Mountain Park was there."

• "To the misfortune of ended holidays, prospective students in the public schools are facing another trial in the matter of clear vaccination record."

• "A.J. Campbell, of Luray, is visiting his son, Bramhall Campbell, of this city. Mr. Campbell is the original explorer or discoverer of the famous Luray caverns, and talks very entertainingly of his experiences."

• "Playing poor ball, while the visitors put up the real article, lost the ball game for Our Boys."
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Weather Journal

2 hours ago

1. Defense heeds the call as Virginia Tech squeaks out win over ECU 

2. One person injured in Friday night shooting in Roanoke

3. William Byrd stuns Salem in football win

4. Lowe's tapes may hold clues to Roanoke woman's death

5. Britney Spears spotted at Lynchburg restaurant

6. East Carolina poses new challenge for Virginia Tech football 

7. Concert review: Timeless Willie Nelson plays to appreciative crowd

8. Blacksburg lawyer Painter’s bond revoked

9. History says this one will matter for Virginia Tech

10. Principal who guided Patrick Henry through integration dies