Virginia Tech players take the field against Syracuse last month at Lane Stadium.
Virginia Tech players take the field against Syracuse last month at Lane Stadium.
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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
What a quiet Memorial Day weekend at Smith Mountain Lake means for summer
Smith Mountain Lake saw very few boaters over the usually bustling holiday weekend. Wet weather and low lake levels kept most boats docked and off the water.
"There wasn't a whole lot happening," said 1st Sgt. Kenneth Williams with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
The low water levels at Smith Mountain Lake, seen May 19, have left some docks without enough water to get their boats out.
Rain soaked the area for much of the weekend, Williams said, letting up briefly Sunday, which led to some traffic on the lake.
It was on Sunday when DWR officers stopped a boater who was later found to be operating under the influence, Williams said. The individual was taken into custody.
No boating incidents were reported on the lake over the weekend. Recent concerns of boaters possibly running aground or hitting shoals due to the low lake level did not occur, possibly due to rainy weather keeping boaters away.
Smith Mountain Lake is currently nearly five feet below normal lake level. Heavy rain on several days over the weekend may have helped a small amount in refilling the lake, but Appalachian Power Co. has said it will take much more significant rainfall to bring lake levels back up to normal.
Many residents around Smith Mountain Lake are unable to even get their boats out at the moment, said SML Marine Volunteer Fire Department Chief Todd Ohlerich. Some residents have no water at their docks, while others who have boats on lifts are currently unable to get them to the water because the lift cables are not long enough.
A dock and two boats at a home in the area of Anthony Home Road in Huddleston were destroyed in a fire on Saturday evening.
A dock fire at a home near Anthony Home Road in Huddleston is still under investigation. The fire occurred Saturday just before 6 p.m., destroying a dock as well as two boats.
"By the time they got there, it had already progressed to the dock," Ohlerich said.
The fire continued to spread to another boat on a lift on the dock. Ohlerich said it took nearly an hour to get the fire under control due to gasoline in the boats that continued igniting and kept the fire burning.
"It was good teamwork by all to get the fire under control," Ohlerich said. Four fire departments responded to the call.
No injuries were reported.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer when Smith Mountain Lake sees its busiest boating traffic. Williams expects that traffic to remain low as long as lake levels continue to remain far below normal.
"If Memorial Day is any indication," Williams said, "then we're going to have a long, hot and slow summer."
Jason Dunovant (540) 981-3324
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Events
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BOOKER T. WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT
Booker T. Washington National Monument to commemorate Juneteenth
Jim Bailey, superintendent of Booker T. Washington National Monument near Westlake, gives a tour of the historic core of the park during Juneteenth commemorations last year.
New Vizion was one of several Gospel acts that performed on Juneteenth in 2022 at the Booker T. Washington National Monument.
Booker T. Washington National Monument will commemorate the 161st anniversary of the emancipation of Booker T. Washington with special anniversary programming, musical performances and activities on June 19-21.
This commemorative event begins on Friday, June 19, with a series of guided programs and activities that highlight Washington’s enslaved childhood on the Burroughs plantation and the importance of emancipation to Washington and to the nation.
On Saturday, June 20, bring lawn chairs and blankets for the day-long Celebration of Freedom Gospel Concert, which will begin at 11 a.m. Performers include Michael Boone, Sonny Brown Xperience, The Napper Singers, Perkins & EnVision, Larnell Starkey & The Spiritual Seven Gospel Singers, Pastor Milton Hardy Jr., and the Joy Bells. Food vendors and family-friendly activities will also be available.
The event concludes on Sunday, June 21, with a series of guided programs and presentations that discuss the importance of freedom and honor Washington's life and legacy.
All programs are free and open to the public but may be subject to change. For a detailed schedule of events and additional information, visit www.nps.gov/bowa or contact Booker T. Washington National Monument at (540) 682-0173.
Music
THE HARVESTER
Sounds of Compassion 2026 brings SML Boomer Band to The Harvester to benefit local nonprofits
The SML Boomer Band will be performing at The Harvester on Aug. 2. The event benefits local nonprofits.
The Harvester will host Sounds of Compassion 2026, a charity concert featuring the local favorite SML Boomer Band, on Sunday, Aug. 2, at 3 p.m.
The event benefits three local nonprofits: Helping Hands of Franklin County, The Warming Shelter of Franklin County, and Stepping Stone Mission soup kitchen.
Doors open at 2 p.m. for socializing, raffle browsing and refreshments. The SML Boomer Band takes the stage at 3 p.m. for a two-hour set. An intermission will feature raffle drawings and an opportunity to learn more about the nonprofits behind Sounds of Compassion. All proceeds from the event, including raffle contributions, go directly to support the three organizations.
The SML Boomer Band is a group of eight musicians performing songs from the 1960s and '70s, drawing from artists including The Temptations, Wilson Pickett, The Four Tops, Santana, and The Eagles. The band features five vocalists delivering the harmonies of the era, backed by a full complement of instrumentalists.
Formed in 2019, the SML Boomer Band donates all proceeds from its performances to local charities and nonprofits, and performs more than 10 shows a year throughout the region.
Tickets are on sale now at harvester-music.com.
VIRGINIA TECH
Gov. Spanberger removes Virginia Tech rector from board of visitors (copy)
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, left, and now-former Board of Visitors Rector John Rocovich, center, are pictured during a meeting in April.
BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech Board of Visitors Rector John Rocovich was removed from the board Wednesday by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who cited violations of ethics and conduct codes and said he acted against the university’s best interests.
Rocovich
A copy of a letter sent by Spanberger to Rocovich circulated online Thursday. In the letter, the governor said Rocovich violated the Code of Conduct for Commonwealth Appointees to Boards, Authorities and Commissions, the university’s Code of Ethics and governing statutes requiring board members to act in Virginia Tech’s best interests.
“You are hereby removed from the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, effective immediately,” Spanberger wrote.
The letter did not specify what actions led to Rocovich’s removal. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A copy of the letter sent by Gov. Abigail Spanberger to Rector John Rocovich.
Governors have the authority to appoint and remove members of Virginia’s public university governing boards.
Rocovich, 81, was serving an unprecedented third term as rector after board members voted last year to create an exception to bylaws limiting rectors to two terms.
Rocovich recently drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers after university President Tim Sands announced he would step down. U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and others alleged the predominantly Republican-appointed board had forced out Sands in an effort to install a new president before Spanberger, a Democrat, could influence the search process.
However, tensions between Rocovich and Spanberger appeared to ease after the rector allowed the governor’s four incoming board appointees to serve on the presidential search committee.
The committee met for the first time earlier this month. It is chaired by board member Nancy Dye and includes 22 other members appointed by Rocovich. The search for a new president is ongoing.
Virginia Tech has not indicated whether Rocovich’s removal will affect the presidential search process.
Rocovich first joined the board in 1997. During his tenure, he oversaw a period of rapid growth in campus size and enrollment. Last year, he led the board in approving a $229 million investment in the university’s athletics programs that resulted in the hiring of football coach James Franklin.
Rocovich’s current term on the Board of Visitors was set to expire this year.
Ethan Hunt (540) 381-1678
