The Virginia Department of Transportation has extended the time of the green light at the bridge repair job on U.S. 221 near the intersection with Franklin Pike north of Floyd.

We had passed on concerns about the short (15 seconds) of time of the light which controls the single-lane traffic each way through the construction zone. Resident Highway Engineer Bob Beasley investigated the matter and the time has been extended, which lets more cars get through.

Thanks Bob.

Psssst! Got a secret for you. Don’t tell anyone. We don’t want the whole world to know.

The secret? It’s almost impossible to get a parking ticket in the town of Floyd, Virginia.

Yeah, we know. There are signs on Main and Locust Sreets limiting parking to two hours. But what happens if you park all day?

 Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Enforcement of Floyd’s parking ordinances falls under the jurisdiction of the Town Constable.

The what?

Town Constable.  Only problem is, Floyd hasn’t had a Town Constable for a long, long time.

FloydFest 6 concluded Sunday with a rousing concert by Railroad Earth. Four days of festival are now in the books.

UPDATE: 07/30: Talked with Congressman Rick Boucher twice this afternoon. He is very upset over the way the Park Rangers treated festival goers and promises to call in the head of the Parkway and make it clear "that nothing like this can ever be allowed to happen again."  I’ve worked with Boucher enough to know that when he gets mad, heads roll. Stay tuned.  More to follow.

After a number of complaints about the short green light at the bridge construction project on U.S. 221 north of Floyd, I visited the site and timed the light.  Sure enough, the green each ways is on for only 15 seconds.

That allows three, maybe four cars to get through before the light changes. On Friday night, as many cars headed into town for the Jamboree, the backup at the construction site at 221 and Franklin Pike numbers a dozen or more cars and trucks backed up each way. Those in the rear needed two, sometimes three, cycles of the light to get through.

I was saddened Friday to read that New River Free Press, an alternative monthly published in Blacksburg for the past 24 years, printed its last issue with the July edition.

"Elvis has left the building," read an email from Kim Kipling to the staff of volunteers who worked the paper.

For the second time in 10 days, a young life has been lost in our area.

Young Kassidy Foster, a 12 year old want to be a gymnist before bone cancer took her leg, lost her battle with that disase Monday.

She recently returned from Los Angeles, a visit courtesy of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Kassidy joins Chance Harman, who died July 6, and Joshua Cantrell (Feb. 12): Two young boys who died from a rare form of cancer.  The stories on all three can be found at samefight.org. When three so young die one is left with an empty feeling and an enternal question:

Why?

Four-year-old Chance Harman, son of Floyd County High School boys’ basketball coach Brian Harman, lost his long battle with brain cancer Friday, dying at Duke Medical Center.

The sad reality of the newspaper business is hitting The Roanoke Times. The paper is offering buyouts to 21 longtime employees.

Reports today’s Times:

"Like the media industry as a whole, we’re taking steps to reinvent our company to remain relevant to our existing customers and to seek out new customers in new markets," said Debbie Meade, president and publisher, in an email announcement to employees. "We’re dealing with business conditions unprecedented in our long history."

Advertising revenue at The Roanoke Times, similar to newspapers across the country, has declined. It’s due mainly to competition from other news and media sources, such as the Internet, said Nan Mahone, marketing director at The Roanoke Times.

"We’re spending more than what we see we will be making in the future," Mahone said.

Landmark Communications, based in Norfolk, owns The Roanoke Times.

The Roanoke Times already has eliminated or frozen 27 jobs in the last year, said interim human resources director, Jean Lamkin. The incentives are being offered to 21 full-time employees who are older than 58 and have at least 15 years of service. Their incentives package includes six months compensation based on 2006 wages, a bridge benefit for Social Security payable at age 62 and a $2,400 benefit enhancement. These incentives are an addition to the employees’ regular pension benefits.

All have been notified by mail and will have until Aug. 23 to decide whether to accept the offer, Lamkin said. The majority of the people eligible for the early retirement option work in the company’s production departments, such as the press room, she said.

The sign on the door at Dinos on U.S. 221 north of Willis says "A Hillbilly Greek Restaurant."

It is.

Dinos is Floyd County’s newest eatery, a diner-like spot right on the road near Willis Elementary School that offers a mix of old-fashioned American food (hamburgers, cheesburgers, steak sandwiches) with Greek fare (gyros, etc.).

Run by a Greek immigrant who lived in Chicago before moving to the area, Dinos is unpretentious, straightforward and serves good, well-prepared and tasty dishes.

I stopped there with a client Wednesday and my Italian beef sandwich was large, juicy and delicious. Our schedule didn’t permit time to talk at length with the owner or take photos but I plan to go back soon, sample more of his fare and learn what brought him to our corner of the world.