The missing steer

When Salem farmer Doug Nolan realized his 500-pound steer had vanished on Christmas Day 2004, he searched fields and forests for it, and even placed a "lost pet" ad in the Roanoke Times.

THEN: Nearly two weeks after it disappeared, Nolan's friend Kyle Bean found the steer trapped and hidden under a large hay bale in Nolan's barn. It was 100 pounds lighter and exhausted, but alive and extremely thirsty.

NOW: After a brief recovery period, the steer regained its health. Nolan sold the animal to a Bedford farmer in the fall and, the last time he checked, it was up to about 800 pounds. "It'll probably go into beef by next year," Nolan said. "That's what they're raised for. You hate to think that sometimes, but that's their destiny."

-- Neil Harvey

Hokie homes

A set of Virginia Tech-licensed house designs.

THEN: In September, Virginia Tech and a Roanoke architecture firm unveiled the first of several Hokie Home designs. The nation's first line of homes branded by a specific college targets the fan or alum who wants always to be surrounded by Tech's collegiate Gothic architecture -- but not necessarily in Blacksburg. The multiple home series features the towers, gables, archways and, of course, the grayish limestone that covers most Tech buildings.

NOW: Craig Balzer, president of architecture firm Balzer and Associates, said detailed plans for five homes should be available for public viewing and purchase by mid-January. Already, 30 to 40 people have expressed interest in the designs, which come in a range of sizes, from the 12,000- to 15,000-square-foot VT Manor home down to the gazebo-style Pavilion. Balzer said his office has fielded calls from the North, South, East and West, including one from a developer who might want to do an entire Hokie Home development.

--Angela Manese-Lee

Sita Williams

Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist.

THEN: In June, the 31-year-old Blacksburg baker was among the 100 finalists vying for $1 million at the 41st annual Pillsbury Bake-Off, an American tradition since 1949. Selected for her original "Monkey Cereal Bars" recipe -- a no-bake dessert inspired by her husband's love of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream and Cocoa Puffs cereal -- Williams was also one of seven contestants picked for a featured role in the Bravo channel documentary, "Million Dollar Recipe."

NOW: Although she didn't return home a millionaire, Williams will have another shot at the loot in March. Once again, she's a finalist in the 2006 Bake-Off. She'll travel to Orlando, Fla., to compete with her second winning recipe, "Black Bean Chorizo Soup in Tortilla Bowls." One lucky person will have the opportunity to join her. To encourage voting in its "America's Favorite Recipe Award" category, Pillsbury is offering a $1 million sweepstakes prize and a trip to Orlando to watch the Bake-Off. Log on to www.pillsbury.com.

-- Donna Alvis-Banks

Diana and Camilla

The rare twin mules.

THEN: Barbara Wimmer couldn't resist naming the twin molly mules Diana and Camilla when her husband, Ed, found them alive and well after their birth at Double Tree Farm. Used to encountering unusual things on their 150-acre Bland County spread, the Wimmers never thought they'd see twin mules. It was a double whammy.

NOW: Although they had planned to sell the twins when they reached 6 months, Ed Wimmer decided they needed more training time. "Diana was real contrary when he put a halter on her," Barbara Wimmer explained. "He just decided to keep them until they were both broke." The Wimmers plan to sell the twins early this year, provided someone wants them as a team. Diana and Camilla, they noted, are now inseparable.

-- Donna Alvis-Banks

Jermaine "Das" Long

Producer of the controversial DVD "Real Talk."

THEN: Jermaine "Das" Long said he was caught off-guard in August when his DVD, "Real Talk," caused an uproar in the community. The video was for sale in Roanoke and featured people brandishing guns, flashing hand signs, threatening "snitches" and making drug references. It rekindled the debate, too, on whether gangs exist in Roanoke. Police Chief Joe Gaskins denies that they do. Long, for his part, said he hadn't meant to scare Roanoke, and was only showcasing local rap talent.

NOW: These days, Long is writing a script for a sitcom and working on his third DVD, titled "Link Up," which he said will showcase musicians from Roanoke and other areas, including Norfolk, Richmond, Lynchburg and Martinsville. He said the DVD will be tamer than Real Talk. "You won't see a person yelling and screaming," he said. "It's all about talent."

-- Reed Williams

Shaquille O'Neal, part one

Basketball player for the Miami Heat turned Bedford deputy.

THEN: When Shaquille O'Neal visited Bedford County in August for training and to be named officially a county deputy, the sheriff's office lent him a marked sport utility vehicle fitted for his giant frame. The back seat had to be taken out. The driver's seat was moved 14 inches back and 3 inches lower.

NOW: The sheriff's office is using the roughly 5-year-old SUV, with more than 100,000 miles on it, as a spare vehicle, Sheriff Mike Brown said. It's available for deputies whose vehicles are damaged by ill-timed deer crossings or otherwise. The SUV will be at O'Neal's disposal, though, next time he visits -- next summer, according to Brown.

-- Reed Williams

Shaquille O'Neal, part two

Very tall Bedford deputy seeks very big country property.

THEN: Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal surprised many when he said during an August visit to Southwest Virginia that he planned to buy hundreds of acres in Bedford County. He said he wanted to have a horse farm, a man-made lake and one or more houses. O'Neal is a member of Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, the Bedford County Sheriff's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children task force. He was visiting for law enforcement training and to film public service announcements about online predators.

NOW: Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown says he's helping O'Neal by keeping a lookout for suitable properties. O'Neal has talked to a couple of landowners but hasn't negotiated with any, Brown said. "It's progressing," the sheriff said. "His interest hasn't waned since he was here."

-- Reed Williams

Rocky Mount skateboarders

Franklin County grinders with no place to grind.

THEN: One Saturday in March, the Franklin County Parks and Recreation Department brought in a mobile skate park to gauge interest in building a permanent skate park in the county. There was an overwhelming turnout, and fundraising began in order to build the $50,000 skate park.

NOW: Both a contractor and a physical location have been secured, and the 6,000-square-foot skate park is set to open in the spring, said Scott Martin, the county's commerce and leisure services director. A half pipe, a fun box and grinding rails are planned for the park, which will be located next to the YMCA in Rocky Mount.

-- Courtney Cutright

Vinton Mcdonald's extreme makeover

A local hot spot on Hardy Road is razed and rebuilt with all the comforts of home.

THEN: In early July, regulars of this popular fast-food restaurant found themselves temporarily out on the street when the 31-year-old, mom-and-pop-owned franchise closed its doors for a three-month renovation. The owners planned to tear down and rebuild the entire building, stocking it with a new kitchen, an electric fireplace, two leather love seats and plasma-screen televisions, among other upgrades.

NOW: The restaurant reopened in September and regulars quickly settled back into their "unofficial" corners, said co-owner Kevin Lewis. Both plasma-screen TVs came in handy during the football season with customers often flipping back and forth between Virginia Tech and University of Virginia games, he said. And a video game station with both PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Game Cube has become a popular attraction for both parents and children alike. Now customers are clamoring for more parking. "That is the one challenge we continue to have," he said. "If only we could somehow magically have more spots for people to park."

-- Christina Rogers

Storm chasers

New River Valley high school and college students.

THEN: In May, The Roanoke Times followed a team of storm chasing students, led by Pulaski County High School meteorology teacher and veteran storm chaser Dave Carroll to the Great Plains. Despite a weather pattern that produced an unusual lack of spring thunderstorms in the Plains, the students encountered severe storms on three days, including rotating storms on the final day of the trip that did everything but produce a funnel.

NOW: For the nine students, it's another year to hit the books. Seth Price, the group's radio specialist, and Ethan Knocke, the lead forecaster, are in college graduate programs. Students Isaac Sarver and Amanda Worrell are finishing their senior year at Pulaski County High School, with Worrell considering meteorology as a career. The remaining five students -- Anthony Phillips, Jeremy Swink, Erich Dalton, Beth Owens and Jacob Carley -- are in undergraduate programs at a variety of colleges.

As for Carroll, May is always circled on the calendar for another trip to the Plains. A new wrinkle in the 2006 trip is that some students will take it as a for-credit course through Virginia Tech.

-- Kevin Myatt

Patrick Karnwie

High school soccer player and West African refugee.

THEN: Patrick was a freshman at Patrick Henry High School after escaping war-torn Liberia and the Ivory Coast with his family in 2004.

NOW: His fortunes continue to improve. With the help of a full financial-aid package, Patrick, 16, transferred in February to North Cross School, where he has found better academic and athletic opportunities. "I think it's really helped," said his mother, Priscilla Karnwie.

-- Jim Reedy

Boris Zhukov

Burnt Chimney wrestler.

THEN: Boris Zhukov reminisced on his career in the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation as he prepared for a memorial show to celebrate the life of Roy Bradbury, aka Major Joe Powers.

Zhukov had met Bradbury during an independent match booked in New Castle shortly after they started their careers. In the time since, Zhukov wrestled as both a patriotic Marine and a hard-line Russian.

NOW: Zhukov lost both his matches during the Joe Powers Memorial Cup wrestling show. He was tossed over the top rope during a battle royale, and he was disqualified during his match against Superstar Scotty Rocker. He's had several matches against Rocker since, matching the Cobra Clutch -- which he learned during his NWA tenure with Sgt. Slaughter -- against Rocker's sleeper hold.

Zhukov continues to drive a tractor-trailer during the week. He's currently working to bring a Legends show, in which big-name wrestling stars of the past mingle with fans, to the Roanoke Valley.

-- Mason Adams

Star City Playhouse

New Jersey couple renovates Williamson Road building for a theater.

THEN: Marlow and Karen Sue Semones Ferguson, who ran a theater in New Jersey for 10 years before they say taxes got the better of them, were working to turn a Williamson Road warehouse into a venue for live theater.

NOW: The Fergusons have rented out five upstairs apartments -- part of their plan to generate revenue for the project. They predict the theater will open this fall.

-- Kevin Kittredge

Family takes on selective service law

THEN: Blacksburg parents Catherine Snyder and Christopher Beattie filed a lawsuit in July challenging a 3-year-old state law requiring parents to preregister their sons for the military draft before they can obtain a driver's license.

The couple refused to sign the paperwork for their 16-year-old son, Andrew Beattie, who had not been able to get his license.

NOW: The lawsuit was thrown out of Montgomery County Circuit Court in September because Andrew Beattie had not actually applied for a driver's license so had suffered no harm, said Bill Gavin of the Center on Conscience and War, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit organization representing the family in the lawsuit. Beattie then applied for a driver's license and state identification and was denied. The family has refiled the suit.

-- Joe Eaton

Susan Powers

Owner of Botetourt Gymnastic Academy.

THEN: Powers avoided bank foreclosure by making public her battle with the Virginia Department of Transportation over her property near Interstate 81. She filed a $4.5 million lawsuit, alleging that VDOT unlawfully took and damaged her Daleville property without compensating her. Parents and students rallied, but enrollment still took a dip.

NOW: While awaiting a court date, Powers is taking gymnastics programs to preschool centers. Enrollment is up in the academy's preschool gymnastic classes and in the gymnastic and cheerleading classes for students in the seventh grade and above.

-- JoAnne Poindexter

Inn at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech's new $43.6 million deluxe hotel and conference center.

THEN: The 147-room hotel opened in July, billing itself as a site for large conferences and fine dining, as well as a place for high-rolling alumni to spend a game weekend.

NOW: The hotel has operated at about 75 percent capacity, said general manager Gary Walton. That's about what he expected, but the restaurant has greatly exceeded expectations, he said. Business transitioned from orientation programs in the summer to football crowds in the fall. A gala was planned for New Year's Eve.

-- Greg Esposito