Today's News

Following a two-hour preliminary work session on the upcoming fiscal year budget, Bedford City Council heard proposals at its Tuesday night meeting from several local agencies on their request for funding in that budget.

"We have a real challenge in front of us," Bedford Mayor Skip Tharp said about work on the budget.

Among the agencies that requested funds from Bedford at last week's meeting:

I caught a small item in the sports pages of the Roanoke Times the other day. Instead of being buried in the bowels of the sports page, I feel it should have been front page news.

In anticipation of playing host to the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Chinese government is claiming that it can control the weather. Reportedly, they are able to prevent rain when dry conditions are desired and create rain when wet conditions are preferred. This is no joke.

Bedford County's sizable contingent that headed to the state wrestling tournament returned with four medals for its efforts. The group's four seniors were the ones that brought home the hardware. The younger bucks came away with a learning experience that should benefit them as they progress in their careers.

Jefferson Forest's Chris Bowyer led the way, taking second in the state at 189 pounds. Teammate Brandon Beemer fought his way back from a semifinal defeat to nab a third place at 215.

The Liberty Minettes start the season with enough pieces of the puzzle already in place that they have to be considered among the favorites for the Seminole softball crown. "Our goal is to win the District," said Head Coach Sherry Storey. "But nobody's going to hand us anything. We have to work hard."

The Minettes' hard work paid off last year when they won the District tournament. The many returning players are hungry for more.