THE ROANOKE REGION OF VIRGINIA

It may still be chilly but it’s almost time for the pros to prep the tackle.

The Bassmaster Elite Series returns April 15-18 to Smith Mountain Lake, one of the finest bass lakes anywhere.

The 20,000-acre lake offers more than 500 miles of winding shoreline along its 40-mile length. That means it’s full of coves, cuts and drainages, with plenty of shallows where largemouth bass love to hide.

The Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl will lure dozens of pro anglers and thousands of spectators to the Roanoke, Virginia Region.

And many of those will be on the lake to watch.

While the number of boat registrations grew by just 0.4 percent in Virginia from 2006-2008, the Roanoke Region outpaced that growth. Franklin County, which borders the lake with continued residential development, saw a 4 percent increase, with the region as a whole gaining 2.2 percent.

Maybe it’s the Roanoke, Virginia Region’s proximity to the roots of Appalachian music. Perhaps it’s the area’s many colleges drawing new acts. Or it’s new venues attracting musicians.

Whatever the reason, we sure like to get a groove on.

From intimate nightclubs with up-and-coming talent to large venues featuring international stars -- and music festivals thrown in -- the Roanoke Region is establishing itself as a music destination with more variety and places to listen than ever.

The burgeoning scene is punctuated by Kirk Avenue Music Hall, newly renovated space in downtown Roanoke akin to being in a musician’s living room. Chairs and tables are arranged depending on the genre, and there’s nary a bad seat in the house. Kirk Avenue features traveling acts, regional bands – even a regular songwriter showcase to give rising starts a chance to shine.

A few blocks away, the Jefferson Center hosts the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Opera Roanoke and touring acts of all genres, from Los Lobos and Bryan Adams to jazz, blues and funk.

It’s also home to the Music Lab, where students can learn how to perform, record and engineer music in a rigorous program that stresses community service. And if you’re ready to step to the mike, the Music Lab provides studios, instruments and recording equipment so you can create the next great song without a record label.

Larger venues in the region, including the Roanoke Civic Center and Salem Civic Center attract touring acts in country, rock, folk, Broadway and more. (Celtic Woman, the internationally renowned quintet, liked Roanoke so much they kicked off their North American tour there after spending more than a week in town rehearsing.)

For those who care for more intimate locations, dozens of restaurants and bars – from upscale to down-home – host a slew of bands every week. And when the weather warms, the region kicks into festival season. Among them: Big Lick Blues Festival Festival in the Park and First Fridays, featuring acts performing on top of an old flatbed rail car.

New this year is the Down by Downtown Festival, a four-day celebration of music spread across multiple venues.

If you prefer lawn chairs over bar stools, the city of Covington’s River Rock Amphitheater offers mountain tunes set in the Alleghany Highlands.

If that’s not enough, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, one of its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. The Crooked Road is a scenic drive that blends small-town charm with the Appalachian region’s musical heritage along 300 miles ending in Franklin County. Sites along the route play tribute to bluegrass, old time and traditional country music.

To keep up on the region’s music scene, check out the cutNscratch Blog.

--2010 Business Wire

Today, Indianapolis-based appliance and electronics leader hhgregg HGG announced it is looking to fill approximately 100 positions for two new stores scheduled to open in Roanoke and Colonial Heights, VA this spring. The Roanoke store will be located at 1900 Valley View Blvd. NW and the Colonial Heights store will be located at 820 Southpark Blvd. hhgregg expects to hire about 50 employees for each new store.

Individuals interested in applying for the open positions are encouraged to visit the "Careers" section on hhgregg’s website, http://www.hhgregg-jobs.com/, beginning on 1/25/2010. An online application and assessment must be completed in order to secure an interview with the company.

“As we continue our expansion in Virginia, we are actively seeking talented members of the local community to be part of the hhgregg team,” said Andrew Eaton, regional manager, hhgregg. “There are many exciting opportunities at hhgregg for motivated individuals looking to grow with our company. We encourage those with a friendly attitude and customer service focus to apply.”

Online applications for commissioned sales associates, warehouse staff, customer service merchandisers and manager- in-training positions will be accepted. Sales experience is preferred, but retail experience is not required. hhgregg has a comprehensive training program, which provides more than 200 hours of training for each sales associate. To apply online, please visit http://www.hhgregg-jobs.com/

CORPORATE OVERVIEW

hhgregg HGG is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, home appliances, mattresses and related services operating under the names hhgregg® and Fine Lines®. hhgregg currently operates 127 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

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Like the old saying goes, “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.” The bad news would be the sharp drop in the number of homes sold from November to December – in both the local and national markets, though both are up from December 2008.

The good news is the strength of the Roanoke Region’s December home prices from a year ago compared to the national average. Roanoke home prices rose 15.4% from $171,332 to $197,748, while still remaining an affordable 12.3% below the national average. Nationally, home prices rose 3.6%.