This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
Already a subscriber? Login or Activate your account.
You've reached the end of the standard E-Edition.
This content is unavailable. Please contact customer service for more information.
VetFest set for Salem VA
The Salem VA Health Care System will hold a Summer VetFest Veteran Enrollment Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Salem VA Medical Center, 1970 Roanoke Blvd, Salem.
The event, open to all veterans, their family members and caregivers, will be a one-stop shop for all major VA services and resources – connecting Veterans to VA care and benefits with same-day services.
At VetFest, Veterans can enroll in VA health care on the spot. Then, after enrolling they can receive an initial Primary Care appointment with a VA Doctor on the same day. To enroll, Veterans should bring their DD-214, a valid photo ID, and any insurance information.
VetFest is also an opportunity for Veterans to file a Veteran benefits claim, or to check on the status of an existing claim. Local Veteran Benefits Administration representatives will be on-site to offer one-on-one claims counseling.
Other services offered at VetFest include toxic exposure screenings, one-on-one private mental health support and the opportunity to connect and learn more about a large variety of VA programs. Featured Veteran programs include Women’s Health, Homeless Care/Housing, Suicide Prevention, Caregiver Support, Social Work, Whole Health, Roanoke VET Center Support, and VA volunteering opportunities.
“A key part of fulfilling our mission is ensuring that Veterans within our community receive the health care they have earned for serving our nation,” said Tammy Snyder, executive director of the Salem VA Health Care System. “This engaging, accessible event allows Veterans to easily connect with our team to access the care and benefits they deserve. They served us, now it’s our duty and honor to serve them.”
For a head start on enrolling in VA health care, Veterans can complete an online form before the event. There is no requirement to complete this form, but its completion will assist with the enrollment process.
Complimentary summer picnic food, snacks, and drinks will be available to attendees.
Page A3
Page A3
Page A3
Existing drought advisories continued (copy)
Despite significant rainfall, the Drought Monitoring Task Force (DMTF) has continued the existing drought advisory statuses for Virginia.
The recent rain has prevented drought conditions from worsening; however drought continues in many parts of Virginia, especially in the Roanoke River drought evaluation region.
A drought emergency advisory was maintained for the Roanoke River region.
Drought warning advisories were kept in place for the Chowan, Eastern Shore, Middle James, Northern Coastal Plain, Northern Piedmont, Northern Virginia, Shenandoah, and Upper James regions.
This area, which includes the Big Sandy and New River regions, remains under drought watch advisories along with the Middle James, York James, and Southeast Virginia regions.
The DMTF considered the following information in its advisory recommendations:
• Streamflows were largely normal, with below-normal flow observed in portions of the James, Roanoke, and Shenandoah watersheds.
• Soil moisture in shallower soils shows improvement, with near-normal conditions in most areas of the state. Drier-than-normal soils persist in southern portions of the Chowan, Roanoke, and Shenandoah drought evaluation regions.
• Groundwater levels continue to be much below normal, with indicator wells in northern and south-central areas of the state at or near historic record-low water levels.
• Reservoir levels across the Commonwealth were all within normal ranges, except for Smith Mountain Lake and John Kerr Reservoir, which remain much below normal for this time of year.
• Precipitation over the past seven days was near or above normal across much of the Commonwealth. Precipitation over the past 30 days has been above normal for a majority of the state except for portions of the Chowan, Shenandoah, and Roanoke Drought Evaluation Regions. While the past several months have seen a shift toward above-normal precipitation for portions of the Commonwealth, areas around Danville, Lynchburg, and Staunton remain drier than normal.
Agricultural producers report improvement in crop conditions throughout the Commonwealth as a result of recent rain; however, the eastern portion of Franklin County and Campbell, Pittsylvania, Culpeper, Madison, and Greene counties remain dry.
In response to these conditions, Governor Abigail Spanberger is encouraging Virginians to conserve water during this drought.
The seven-day forecast calls for near-to-above-normal totals of 2 to 5 inches in areas east of I-95. Precipitation amounts taper off moving west, as central areas are expected to receive normal-to-above-normal totals of 0.5 to 2 inches. Far southwest areas are expected to receive between 0.1 and 0.5 inches.
Additional information on the current drought status is available on the DEQ drought webpage and Drought Dashboard, which includes interactive data on stream gages, groundwater wells, soil moisture, and precipitation.
Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print.
You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it.
When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue.
