An annual report forecasts an enhanced holiday
purchasing period regardless of the sluggish economy. But there will be
fewer bodies in the stores. Meanwhile, the retail industry has taken
charge in its' own political pursuits. Source for this article: Retail industry gets political as it anticipates improved shopping season

Yearly income comes during holidays  read more »

The NewVa Corridor Technology Council, in conjunction with the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the Roanoke Robotics Club, is organizing an indoor Robot Parade with seminars and table-top exhibits at Roanoke Center in the Square and the Science Museum from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 21st.
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By Grace Hayes
December 19, 2010

In the Sunday morning light, Billy Rose’s black-rimmed glasses reflect a winter sky crisscrossed with airplane trails. As the greeter stands at the church doors, few realize that although his feet may be rooted to the ground, his dreams once soared much higher.

Born in eastern Kentucky, Rose and his family moved to Coalwood, W.Va., when he was just 2 years old. During the late 1950s, the Coalwood area was composed of about five different mining communities situated around the coal mine.

By Audra Norris
December 19, 2010

Iona Parks can change her hairstyle at a speed most girls would kill for. If you were to see her around Virginia Tech’s campus during the day, chances are her hair would look drastically different at dinner that night. Some would admire her versatility, but the wigs she wears tell a much more sobering truth: at just 19 years old, she is a survivor of ovarian cancer.

By Tyler Daly

December 12, 2010

The economic struggles that the United States has been experiencing are now affecting areas of society that once seemed secure.

By Roland Lazenby
December 15, 2010

The military helicopter peels sideways through the broad blue sky as the crowd roars, and soon enough Frank Beamer appears at the mouth of the tunnel here at Lane Stadium. He's about to lead his team onto the field, but as usual he pauses as he allows the fervor to gather, all the while surveying the world he has built from what was once the quaint mediocrity of Virginia Tech Football.

Continue reading the full article at TheRoanoker.com

By James Beale

December 9, 2010

Near the end of "Inside Job," the Dean of Columbia's Graduate School of Business, Glenn Hubbard, angrily says, "This interview is over in three minutes...give it your best shot."

"Inside Job" responds: okay. Over two hours, the documentary posits that the global economic meltdown of 2008 was precipitated partially by deregulation throughout the 1980s and '90s, but the most important factor was corruption from the inside out.

by Brittany Gropp

November 13, 2010

The matchup between Virginia Tech (7-2, 5-0 ACC) and Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3 ACC)
on Thursday was a thriller. But thanks to a kickoff return touchdown by David
Wilson and an interception by Rashad Carmichael with eight seconds left, the Hokies
secured a 28-21 win and remain the only undefeated team in conference play.

Ironically enough, this week the Hokies will be cheering for the Yellow Jackets.
That's because with a Virginia Tech win at North Carolina (6-3, 3-2 ACC) and a
Georgia Tech win over Miami, the Hokies can clinch the Coastal Division.

By Amber Ross
November 11, 2010

Tad Dickens is a music journalist and critic for The Roanoke Times. He was born in Colonial Heights Tenn., and he comes from a journalism background. His duties include the "Inside Out" section music coverage that appears in the Roanoke newspaper each Thursday, plus blogging and keeping up with social media on the music scene in Roanoke and the New River valleys.

He has had a tremendous amount of experience with the music business, and he has been on both sides of the industry. From playing and performing music, to writing about music, Dickens works to bring readers the latest information on the local music scene.  read more »

By Molly Binion
November 9, 2010

By Laura Brown
November 4, 2010

Ryan Thursby and a group of Radford University ROTC cadets are up before the sun and enduring grueling workouts while many students are still warm in their beds.

They've been training for a competition that will test both their mental and physical strength and push them farther than they’ve ever gone before.

This weekend 11 Army ROTC cadets will travel over 17 rough miles through the mountains near Fort Knox, Ky., to participate in challenging events along the way. The time has come for the annual Sandhurst ROTC competition that will take place Nov. 5-7.

By Amber Ross
November 4, 2010

Angry circus owners lynched an old female elephant in front of a mob of 500 in 1916.

This is one of the factual, key aspects New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb uses in one of her recent novels, “The Devil Amongst the Lawyers.”

“The Devil Amongst the Lawyers” is a fictional tale following the life and career of a reporter in Wise County, Va., who grew up knowing the stories about, Mary, the circus elephant that was lynched in Johnson City, Tenn., for trampling her trainer.

by Brittany Gropp
November 3, 2010

The Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2, 4-0 ACC) are all set to face off against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-3, 3-2 ACC) on Thursday. And once again, the matchup is a highly anticipated one.

"Georgia Tech is a team that I was looking forward to playing going into the season," said quarterback Tyrod Taylor. "I feel like it's a rivalry between us and them. We always play like it and Thursday night is no better time to play them."

Gay Saudi Royal prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud has been convicted within the U.K. of killing his manservant, which carries a life sentence. In Saudi Arabia, however, he'd be executed for being homosexual, so the Saudi royal prince is leaning away from extradition. The 34-year-old Saudi prince and 32-year-old slave Bandar Abdulaziz had shared a suite at London's Landmark Hotel, where the murder occurred. Alcoholic beverages and intense torture of a sexual nature were reportedly involved within the deadly confrontation. Witnesses claimed that the Saudi royal prince openly debased Bandar Abdulaziz with gleeful regularity. Yet hotel security cameras indicated that Bandar Abdulaziz did not resist, even during his final beating.


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By Tyler Daly

October 22, 2010

Sean Bielawski, 24, hosts The Sean Bielawski Show on ESPN Radio Blacksburg. The charismatic and well-spoken host from Roanoke, Va. has had an interesting journey to the job he has today.

By Dave Ruffo

October 22, 2010

Fifty-two points and 605 yards are what the Hokies offense gets to build off when they host Duke (1-5, 0-3) on Saturday in Lane Stadium.

By James Beale

October 17, 2010

Film adaptations of novels are always difficult because a simplified plot is the only thing that can really transfer easily. Everything else, including the language, syntax and character development is usually lost.

By James Beale

October 16, 2010

On Oct. 14, Jack's Mannequin played at Burruss Hall after a summer touring with Something Corporate. Planet Blacksburg sat with him just before the show and asked about the next album, his progression as a songwriter and a recent shakeup with the lineup of Jack's Mannequin.

By Ashleigh Lanza

October 16, 2010

In the midst of Sustainability Week, Virginia Tech received a couple visitors from a small town an hour and a half south of the Blacksburg campus. Barabara Kingsolver and her husband, Steven Hopp, entertained a full Burruss Auditorium on Sept. 14. The pair read excerpts of their book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life," and answered audience questions.

By James Beale

October 16, 2010

To me, CBS has two types of shows: Crime shows and character driven comedies. The comedies are all very similar and the material itself might not be that funny. The humor often relies on lazy stereotyping. Despite these drawbacks, the characters are enjoyable enough for 30 minutes a week. That's why "Mike and Molly" ultimately shows promise.