The News & Advance (Lynchburg, VA) articles from August 2007

The News & Advance (Lynchburg, VA) archives from August 2007

2007 prep volleyball team capsule previews.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Ted Allen Aug. 31--Blue Ridge Conference Holy Cross COACH: Alina Sanderson, first season 2006 RECORD: TOP RETURNEES: OH Katelyn Duncan So.; MH Layney Sandifer So.; S Samantha Thacker Jr.; MH Amanda Thacker Jr....

Campbell seeks drought relief.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Sarah Watson Aug. 31--Campbell County officials this week are asking the state to declare the county a disaster area so farmers can apply for federal relief. While the county has had more rain than localities to the south and...

Medicaid reps discuss new program.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Cynthia T. Pegram Aug. 31--Medicaid Managed Care Organizations and state Medicaid office reps will be in the Lynchburg area beginning Tuesday to answer questions about new Medicaid coverage options to the region. Meetings...

BRIEF: Meth investigation nets four suspects.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 31--Four Lynchburg-area residents were arrested Thursday on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine following a year-long investigation, according to a news release from the Virginia State...

Area colleges focus on communication after Tech tragedy.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Christa Desrets Aug. 31--As college officials across the nation work to secure campuses in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, a document released Thursday offers insight into some of the issues that schools must consider....

Bees' Campbell puts volleyball first, for now.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Ted Allen Aug. 31--She's got a full scholarship to Liberty University for basketball, but whatever season Brookville senior Brittany Campbell is playing in is the sport she is most passionate about. That is the case for...

BRIEF: Nelson wreck claims three lives.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 31--A mother and her two daughters were killed after the car they were driving was struck by a box truck in Nelson County. At about 1 p.m. on Thursday, Laura Cavedo, 48, of Afton, was driving a 2005 Honda...

Prep athletes of the week.
August 31, 2007... Aug. 31--Peter Rose SCHOOL: Amherst SPORT: Football POSITION: Quarterback YEAR: Senior THE SKINNY: Rose intercepted Brookville's second pass and scored the Lancers' first three touchdowns in a 42-7 season-opening win...

Lowe's planning Bedford site.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 31--A new Lowe's in Bedford County could break ground as early as this fall, county officials said Thursday. Preliminary site plans call for the 138,900-square-foot store and garden center to be located...

Tech can't afford to overlook East Carolina's defense.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 31--Virginia Tech's offense could have used at least one game to get warmed up before next week's showdown with LSU. It won't have that luxury this Saturday. East Carolina's defense might not be as...

'The best Tech's ever had'.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 31--BLACKSBURG -- Go ahead, make a move. Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall are one step ahead of you. Try to attack the middle and you run the risk of running into Hall, a ferocious hitter with an eye for the...

Healing is Tech's duty.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 31--BLACKSBURG -- Having an entire university community depend on you for comfort and refuge seems like a heavy burden to put on the shoulders of a bunch of college kids. That's what Virginia Tech's...

Parity reigns in wide-open ODAC.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Chris Humphreys Aug. 31--Parity was the big issue discussed by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's seven football coaches at the league's media day in 2006. As it turns out, they were on to something. Washington and Lee...

UVA: A year in the making.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 31--CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Al Groh is a realist. His staff has a saying: "The worst thing a coach can do is fool himself." There was no fooling anyone last season, when the Cavaliers went 5-7, their worst record...

His own man: Chris Long has spent his whole life trying to emerge from his father's shadow.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 31--CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Diane and Howie Long's plan was an ingenious bit of parenting that just so happened to backfire. Feeling some guilt for having moved their sons from their Los Angeles-area home to...

VMI: An impossible dream?
August 31, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 31--LEXINGTON -- Jim Reid bristles at the suggestion that there is no coaching job in Division I's Football Championship Subdivision more difficult than the one he has at VMI. That would insinuate that it's...

Smith's time to shine.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 31--Six games into the 2006 season, something still wasn't right with Liberty quarterback Brock Smith. Dump-offs, screen passes, short hitches. The simplest of passes were difficult for the sophomore to...

in Rocco, LU trusts: Danny Rocco has quickly stamped his identity on Liberty's football program.
August 31, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 31--It's hot. Really hot. And the state-of-the-art FieldTurf at Liberty University's Williams Stadium isn't helping matters. The bits of pulverized rubber in the turf sizzle under the hazy midday sun, heating...

Bedford officials: Lowe's plans new store for county.
August 30, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 30--A new Lowe's in Bedford County could break ground as early as this fall, county officials said Thursday. Preliminary site plans for the 138,900-square-foot store and garden center locate it on U.S....

UVa Notebook: Peerman, Pearman tops on depth chart at running back.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 29--CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As expected, Cedric Peerman sits atop Virginia's depth chart at tailback as it prepares for the season opener at Wyoming this Saturday. How many carries the former William Campbell star...

Area attorney top American finisher in marathon in Iceland.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Ted Allen Aug. 29--Imagine running in your first marathon at the age of 41 and placing eighth overall, and first among Americans, out of an international field of 500. Now dream of doing it in the capital city of Iceland,...

Tech Notebook: Graham earns starting nod at left guard.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 29--BLACKSBURG -- Richard Graham didn't exactly come out of nowhere to snag Virginia Tech's starting left guard job, but his appointment was a little bit of a surprise. As late as Friday, Hokies offensive...

LU Notebook: Broken toe may sideline Pinigis.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 29--Liberty right tackle Eddie Pinigis suffered a broken toe in practice last week and will probably miss Saturday's season opener against Tusculum. Pinigis said he injured the big toe in practice last...

Tech finalizes pregame plans for Saturday.
August 29, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 29--BLACKSBURG -- On a typical college football Saturday in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech's football team takes the field to the deafening sounds of Metallica and a loud roar of the Lane Stadium crowd. The...

People & Places of River Road: Splash Dance.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Aaron Lee Aug. 28--Editor's note: This is the seventh in a series of scenes from Amherst County's River Road. Sixth in the series: The Rock and Roll life Fifth in the series: Man of the Howse Fourth in the series: A...

Campbell planners move Crossroads Colonnade forward.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Sarah Watson Aug. 28--Crossroads Colonnade developers cleared the first public hurdle as Campbell County planning commissioners unanimously voted to recommend rezoning more than 200 acres of land. The rezoning request will go...

Sixth-graders lacking vaccine sent home.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 28--More than 60 area sixth-graders were unable to attend the first day of class Monday because they didn't have the required Tdap vaccine, which protects students from tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. ...

United Way pitches '08 fundraising campaign.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 28--The United Way of Central Virginia kicked off its annual fundraising drive Monday, marking the 86th year for the event. Monday night's Lynchburg Hillcats game at City Stadium, dubbed "United Way Night,"...

Campbell County School Board appoints new member.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 28--Campbell County School Board members unanimously voted Monday evening to appoint a local attorney as its newest school board member. Frederick Watson, a lawyer at the Lynchburg-based Caskie & Frost...

Goodlatte lauds community health centers.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Cynthia T. Pegram Aug. 28--Boosters of the community health center concept won't be getting an argument about the value of the clinics from Congressman Bob Goodlatte. The federal dollar for the community health center goes...

Bedford board delays decision on phone tower.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 28--A two-for-one deal in terms of a wireless cell phone tower in Vinton will have to wait, Bedford County officials decided Monday. The Board of Supervisors voted to delay making a land-use decision for...

One big musical family.
August 28, 2007... Byline: Casey Gillis Aug. 28--Ask anyone involved in Cantate, and they're bound to tell you that the children's choir and its volunteer staff are like family. Pooja Usgaonkar, who has been singing with Cantate for nine years, says...

BRIEF: Bedford County selling property.
August 27, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 27--Bedford City Council is selling property at 207 East Depot St. that once served as the city's electric department. Council has scheduled for Tuesday night a public hearing on the sale and approval of...

LC students ride out Hurricane Dean.
August 27, 2007... Byline: Christa Desrets Aug. 27--Jacqueline Thompson watched in awe out her window Aug. 17 as the nearly 100 mph winds of Hurricane Dean claimed a neighbor's roof. It was her first storm, and she hadn't yet realized that her home also...

BRIEF: Public hearing on Bedford tower tonight.
August 27, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 27--The Bedford County Board of Supervisors is meeting tonight at 7:30. Postponed until September is the rezoning review of 486 acres off Hendricks Store Road in Moneta for Sunset Cay. On tonight's...

The hitters have a big night, but the Hillcats still lose.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 26--How can a baseball team get a season-high 20 hits and still come up short? How can it hammer around the best pitching staff in the Carolina League and still not walk away a winner? How can a team get...

BRIEF: Trailer overturns on U.S. 501.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 26--A tractor-trailer accident on Saturday afternoon shut down the southbound lane of U.S. 501 near Eagle Eyrie Drive for more than four hours. The tractor-trailer, loaded with Campbell's soup, overturned...

City schools dispute dropout rate.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 26--Graduation rates at Lynchburg's two public high schools are in the spotlight following the release Thursday of preliminary data that showed Lynchburg City Schools not meeting requirements of the federal No...

Izaak Walton League spreads word with open house.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 26--The Izaak Walton League of Lynchburg, once a thriving outdoorsman's club, has seen a significant decrease in its membership since its peak in the 1970s. The few hundred visitors that showed up for its...

Hospital tower on track.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Cynthia T. Pegram Aug. 26--Even in its unfinished, unfurnished state, the interior of the new East Tower at Lynchburg General Hospital gives insight into building for health care -- a hospital can't just look good, it has to...

All in a day's work: 24 hours with Lynchburg Fire and Rescue.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Aaron Lee and Carrie J. Sidener Aug. 26--Click here for the first in this series: 24 hours with the Lynchburg Police It's a love, a passion and a job. It's heartache and laughs. It's 24 hours at a time working a job...

Sunset Cay rezoning postponed until September.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 26--Rezoning for Sunset Cay, a major mixed residential and commercial development set for Moneta, will have to wait until September. The zoning change from two levels of residential and general...

Hillcats Notebook: Pitcher copes with the death of his father.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 26--Derek Hankins prepared to take the mound for the Hillcats on Aug. 15 at City Stadium, shut-ting out the world like he nor-mally does, finding his sanctuary on the field, away from the stresses and worries of...

The News & Advance goes across the pond with Casey Gillis.
August 26, 2007... Byline: Casey Gillis Aug. 26--EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Thirty-four pounds. In the weeks leading up to my very own British invasion, that was the main thing on my mind. Thirty-four pounds is the maximum baggage weight that was...

UVa, Tech release men's hoops slates.
August 25, 2007... Aug. 25--Virginia and Virginia Tech released their 2007-08 men's basketball schedules on Thursday. The Cavaliers open Nov. 11 at home against Vermont before a Nov. 17 trip to Arizona. The highlights of UVa's non-conference slate include...

Blue Rocks pummel punchless Hillcats.
August 25, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 25--The Hillcats didn't think it could get much worse than the 12-1 drubbing doled out by Wilmington in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night. That was before they almost got no-hit in the nightcap....

Area dentists give international choir reason to smile.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Cynthia T. Pegram Aug. 24--The dental office on Timberlake Road was filled with children. Some sat quietly, eyes fixed on the TV, others scooted on the floor while playing with toys, and a few had grins that revealed bits of...

Demolition to ease traffic at New London Academy.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 24--A few days from the start of a new school year, demolition began Thursday and continues today on a storage building behind New London Academy. It's the first step in a project to improve traffic...

Lynchburg middle schools ease first-day jitters.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 24--In an effort to ease the anxiety that comes with the unknown, Lynchburg City middle schools have opened their doors early to soon-to-be sixth-graders. Jitters abound when students enter middle school,...

City updates public on Fifth Street, Mid-town projects.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Matt Busse Aug. 24--Lynchburg city officials held a public information meeting Thursday evening to update residents on five projects connected to the city's Fifth Street and Midtown areas. The projects overall are designed to...

Most area schools make AYP in preliminary report.
August 24, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 24--While most Lynchburg-area schools met math and reading benchmarks under the No Child Left Behind Act in 2006-07, two divisions dispute preliminary findings released Thursday that show they did not meet all...

Bloom's change-up gopher pitch for Warthogs.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 23--Command. Command. Command. "With a capital C," Hillcats manager Jeff Branson said. Any conversation about Lynchburg starter Kyle Bloom begins with that word, and Wednesday's 10-2 Hillcats loss to...

Glass to showcase new facilities, athletes.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Ted Allen Aug. 23--E.C. Glass will showcase its newly renovated Vince Bradford Stadium tonight at its free Fall Sports Jubilee. The event, which will showcase all of its fall sports except golf, starts with a 5 p.m. JV...

UVa kicker hopes to be golden from 40 and out.
August 23, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 23--Forty-one yards is not a terribly long distance, not for an ACC-caliber kicker. But miss a few field goals and you'll re-think that position. Suddenly the crowd gets a little more distracting. The laces...

BRIEF: Citizen's police academy seeks new recruits.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Carrie J. Sidener Aug. 22--The Lynchburg Police Department is taking applications for its 19th Citizen's Police Academy, set to begin Sept. 4. The academy is designed to give the public in-depth information about the police...

Police seek two robbery supects.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Carrie J. Sidener Aug. 22--Police are looking for two men believed to have broken into a Lynchburg apartment and robbed its residents at gunpoint. The robbery was reported Saturday at 220 McConville Road, Apt. 58, according...

Veterinarian finds mission in Caribbean nation.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 22--Dr. Kelly Crowdis is a lifesaver. An entire community of people and animals relies on her for much of its well-being. As an American in Haiti, Crowdis finds herself in an unusual situation. But as...

Potter ponders appeal.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Sarah Watson Aug. 22--Almost two weeks after a judge ruled she lived in the wrong district, Seneca district supervisor candidate Lorraine Potter has yet to decide if she'll appeal the decision. "I really don't think I'm going...

Police search for suspect who might have stayed in Lynchburg.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Dave Thompson Aug. 22--Lynchburg police are searching for a man wanted on a kidnapping charge. The Lynchburg Police Department received a call that Delmartis Bryant, who is wanted in Virginia Beach, might have been in the...

Easygoing retired BWXT employee loved family, fishing.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Matt Busse Aug. 22--Garland "Chip" Holt Jr. wasn't a complicated man, his wife said. One of his favorite hobbies was fishing -- "any kind of fishing," said his wife, Kay Holt. In the Holts' backyard, in a garden spotted...

BRIEF: Bedford finds funds for Staunton River High renovation.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 22--Bedford County officials are using a $500,000 bond from the Virginia Public Service Authority to help fund renovations slated to begin this year at Staunton River High School. The work will include a...

Falwell brothers lauded for aviation achievements.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Chris Dumond Aug. 22--Who would've known in 1946 that a sod landing strip built beside Richmond Highway could have blossomed into a two-airport operation with 55 employees, nine charter aircraft and nonstop service to Europe...

BRIEF: Amherst gears up for National Night Out.
August 22, 2007... Byline: Aaron Lee Aug. 22--Local bluegrass pickers the Deer Creek Boys will again headline the Amherst County Sheriff's Office National Night Out on Saturday. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held in the Amherst County...

Private schools grow to fit demand.
August 18, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 18--Dust covers newly installed black and white tile floors. Ceiling tiles are missing and debris lines the hallway of New Covenant Schools' newest wing. Headmaster John Heaton asks Director of Development...

BRIEF: DMV to close for repairs.
August 18, 2007... Byline: Matt Busse Aug. 18--Lynchburg's Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office on Odd Fellows Road will close Aug. 27 for renovations and reopen Sept. 20, the DMV said Friday. Crews will replace the customer service center's...

Leading the green revolution.
August 18, 2007... Byline: Christa Desrets Aug. 18--One by one, 13 first-year Lynchburg College students walk blindfolded along a maze of rope tied from tree to tree in a wooded area near campus. They each use their right hand to follow the rope and...

Rally keeps Hillcats playoff hopes alive.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 17--Of all the players in the Hillcats clubhouse, it figures that veteran first baseman Ron Davenport has a pennant race comeback tale to speak of. One year when he was in the Florida State League, Davenport...

Tech searches for fifth starter on the offensive line.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 17--BLACKSBURG -- Barring injury, Duane Brown and Sergio Render will line up at left tackle and right guard, respectively, when Virginia Tech's football team hosts East Carolina in the season-opener Sept. 1....

Barker will join South Boston's list of legends.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 17--SOUTH BOSTON -- Some day, Adam Barker will be considered one of the greats. He may not think so now, but it will happen. He'll be mentioned in the same conversation as Elliott Sadler, Jeff Burton,...

Protests slow state plan.
August 17, 2007... Byline: Chris Dumond Aug. 17--The movement from Richmond to consolidate the state's 16 Workforce Investment Areas hit a speed bump, thanks to protests like those coming out of Region 2000, local Workforce Investment Board Executive...

UVa's offensive front lines up with experience.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 16--CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A year ago at this time, Virginia's offensive line was just getting acquainted. The group the Cavaliers put together in the preseason bore no resemblance to the spring crew. Eugene...

Powell's bunt goes a long way in Hillcats' victory.
August 16, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 16--Pedro Powell's speed is often measured in stolen bases. He effortlessly swiped three more bags Wednesday night at City Stadium -- not surprising considering he's on pace to crush his own single-season Hillcats...

LU Notebook: New rules forces Flames to alter kicking strategy.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 15--Five yards doesn't seem like much. It's five ticks of white on a football field, ten steps, or a little bit less than the average length of one of Liberty running back Rashad Jennings' carries last season. ...

Tech Notebook: Ore returns to top of depth chart at RB.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Nathan Warters Aug. 15--BLACKSBURG -- It didn't take long for Virginia Tech running back Branden Ore to move back up the depth chart. The 2006 first-team All-ACC pick was demoted to third-string when he showed up to camp out...

LU snares spurned wide receiver.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 15--Chris Summers' brothers, Larry and John, had already been through the college football recruiting game, so Chris knew what to expect. The endless phone calls and text messages. The promises of playing...

Myrtle Beach cools off Hillcats.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 15--The Hillcats waved goodbye to their four-game winning streak Tuesday night, then did the same to a fixture in their starting rotation afterward. Roberto Alvarez's two-run home run in the 11th inning gave...

Clarke finds her niche on baseball field.
August 15, 2007... Byline: Ted Allen Aug. 15--Madison Clarke has been living out her baseball dreams over the past two summers as a member of the Bedford Metro all-stars in Dixie Youth Baseball's AAA and Majors divisions. "I think you get more of a...

Nothing-to-lose Hillcats win fourth in a row.
August 14, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 14--Brad Corley has an interesting theory that the Hillcats' most recent road trip -- which ended with a 1-6 record -- actually helped spur on the team's recent success. "I think we lost so many games late,"...

Raiders' Bradshaw runner-up at Heritage Invitational.
August 14, 2007... Byline: Ted Allen Aug. 14--NEW LONDON -- Northside won both of the tiebreakers that mattered most at Monday's Heritage Invitational at London Downs Golf Course. The Vikings finished tied for first with defending champion Salem in...

Tech men's basketball heads to Canada on Sept. 1.
August 14, 2007... Aug. 14--Virginia Tech's men's basketball team will play a three-game exhibition schedule Sept. 1-2 in Windsor, Ontario. The Hokies are scheduled to play two games against Canadian all-star teams and one game against the host University of...

Bedford board expected to vote on fire, rescue program.
August 13, 2007... Byline: Justin Faulconer Aug. 13--Bedford County officials are expected to put the finishing touches tonight on the funding for a new paid fire and rescue services program. The Board of Supervisors will vote on a resolution to...

BRIEF: Tree blocks Rivermont Ave. for more than 6 hours.
August 13, 2007... Byline: Annie Mccallum Aug. 13--A downed tree on the 2900 block of Rivermont Avenue closed the roadway to traffic for hours Sunday evening. The tree completely blocked the eastbound lane, with the westbound lane partially blocked by...

Peering at the Top: Cedric Peerman is listed as the No. 1 tailback at Virginia.
August 13, 2007... Byline: Andy Bitter Aug. 13--CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Every time he found the football in his hands the last two years, Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman had a vision of how the play should end. It most likely resembled his best runs at William...

Hillcats record rare sweep of Indians.
August 13, 2007... Byline: Chris Lang Aug. 13--Hillcats manager Jeff Branson had his beliefs, but they were often contradicted by reality. He believed his team was as good as any in the Carolina League. But it spent much of the year...