Last night at the Vinton Wilco

For those of you curious about the incident at Wilco last night..

From the Vinton Police Department

"I can tell you that officers approached a vehicle parked on the lot of the Wilco station last evening at approximately 8:44pm, and took both occupants into custody. There was a large ...amount of marijuana and cash located in the vehicle. Both were charged with Possession with the Intent of Distributing Marijuana, which are felonies."

It's official...

It is official, the Vinton Voice has launched. We had our ribbon cutting today and we went ahead and released issue #1 early to those who wanted to pick it up. Had a great turnout at our ribbon cutting/cover unveiling and a massive amount of people showed up at our "early release."

Tomorrow, starting at 10 am, you too can come by and pick up a copy of the "Voice" or at any of our 75 pickup locations around town, stop by our office, or just go ahead and subscribe and make sure you get it at your house.

Special thanks to everyone who participated, subscribed, showed up to the ribbon cutting and came by the office to share words of encouragment.

More soon, keep checking back.

Mr. Deeds goes to Vinton

Creigh Deeds, Democratic Candidate for Governor, was on hand this morning with Dick Cranwell at the McDonald's in Vinton shaking hands and answering questions.

Today's accident at Vinton Vet Hospital

Vinton Police have charged Vickie Dooley of Vinton with failure to maintain control of her vehicle. Dooley sustained minor injuries however, no one inside the building was hurt.

Welcome to a familiar face.

The Vinton Voice is very proud to announce the addition of our local columnist. This lady is one of the most (if not the most) familiar faces in Vinton. Bootie Chewning will be taking us to "Bootie's Place" every Wednesday in the "Voice" starting August 26th. We're thrilled, as is she!

Gene Marrano joins the Voice.

The Vinton Voice is pleased to announce the addition of a person who has won awards for his work here in Vinton. He was the longtime Editor for several local papers and you can currently see his work all over the Roanoke Valley in print, on the radio and on TV. We are proud to welcome Gene Marrano as Senior Contributor to the Vinton Voice. Look for "Gene's Notebook" every Wednesday, starting August 26th!

Vinton Native Realizes Her Dream

Published author, Kelly Abell is a native of Vinton. She grew up here, attended Vinton Baptist Church and draws upon those experiences in her writing. She realized the achievement of her lifelong dream when she published her first novel Sealed In Lies in May of 2009. Released by Hearts on Fire books Sealed In Lies is a thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Her second book, Haunted Destiny, just released this month, is a chilling ghost story that will thrill adults and teens alike. Kelly started writing in William Byrd High School in Vinton, Virginia and was first published in her school magazine called Sketches. By day she is a Sales Consultant for a major insurance company and has a Master's Degree in Adult Education. By night she is a writer of romantic suspense and paranormal novels with plots that will keep the pages turning. She now lives in Florida with her husband and two teenagers.
“This has been a life long dream for me and I am thrilled to have my books out there being read by the public. It is so exciting when someone reads something you’ve written and it gives them joy.” It was not an easy road to travel though as Kelly suffered through many rejections along the way. Her advice for other authors is, “Remain true to your writing, be patient, and don’t stop submitting your work. Make sure it is as good as it possibly can be and then keep submitting. You never know when you will hit that agent or editor on the right day.”

Sealed In Lies is a thriller/romantic suspense full of sinister characters, a plot to assassinate the President-Elect of the United States, a SEAL team gone bad, and an unlikely love between two people who find themselves in very extraordinary circumstances.
Coffee Time Romance says Sealed In Lies is “…s a very exciting roller coaster ride of a story. The author creates a situation where the reader is never sure who exactly is a good guy or a bad one for the most part. Warren and Jack have a long and not always pleasant history. Revenge is a recurring theme in this tale and the author really knows how to build tension and suspense. Any fan of this genre is going to have a great time reading this novel.” –Maura—

Haunted Destiny, just released on August 3, is a chiller of a ghost story. Destiny Dove learns she can talk to ghosts and is not very happy about it as it sets her up to be the town freak. When the one rich girl in town, that Destiny has a dispute with over a guy, needs her help with some particularly nasty spirits will she have what it takes to bring them down? Join Destiny as she takes this chilling journey into the spirit world.
To learn more about Kelly Abell visit her website at www.kellyabellbooks.com. Her books are available for sale through many booksellers such as www.heartsonfirebooks.com, www.amazon.com, www.fictionwise.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and www.coffeetimeromance.com.

Submitted by Kelly Abell