Fire damaged a unit in an Old Southwest apartment building early Sunday night, though no one was hurt, Roanoke authorities said.

The incident began about 8:05 p.m. in the six-unit building on the northwest corner of Franklin Road and Albemarle Avenue Southwest. Flames were visible at a second-floor window when firefighters arrived, Roanoke Fire-EMS Battalion Chief Dale Barker said.

Spinning tops did battle on Sunday at Garst Mill Park; it's a new spin on an ancient toy that many kids are getting into.

Garst Mill Park in Roanoke County is home to basketball and tennis courts, a playground, a creek and swings. But on Sunday afternoon, one group of kids instead spun tops in a plastic stadium set in the grass.

Roanoke City Council

When: 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. today

Where: Council chamber, Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building, 215 Church Ave. S.W.

Looking for ways to raise revenue, Montgomery County officials are eyeing allowing liquor to be sold by the drink in unincorporated areas.

CHRISTIANSBURG -- Montgomery County officials are looking to the bottle after a fractious budget season.

Sale of liquor by the drink, something that's allowed in the towns of Christiansburg and Blacksburg but not in the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County, has been mentioned repeatedly in recent months as the county's board of supervisors and school board grappled with gaps between the county's income and expenses.

The Crescendo Campaign aims to raise at least $250,000 by Oct. 1, the start of the 2012-13 season.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra already was facing funding issues when it learned in April that it would not receive a Taubman Foundation Sustainability Grant.

That development, compounded by reduced government funding and tighter grant restrictions, will leave the Roanoke nonprofit in the red for the first time in recent memory.

A fire broke out early Saturday morning in a house in the 200 block of 13th Street Southeast, according to Roanoke Fire-EMS spokeswoman Tiffany Bradbury.

Crews arrived on the scene at 2:39 a.m. to see heavy smoke and flames coming from the first floor, Bradbury said. No one was at home and there were no injuries, she said.

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More than 75 countries were represented at the annual festival, the featured country being Poland.

An annual downtown Roanoke favorite Saturday afternoon dished out culture, music and no shortage of food.

Mary Ellen Apgar, the daughter of a Roanoke judge, bottomed out as an alcoholic five years ago. She hasn't had a drink since. Today she graduates from Hollins University.

Cracking open her eyes, she saw the toilet first.