Christiansburg is taking its Flock cameras down, Sports, Sports, Sports!, Free adoptions at the county shelter this weekend

Good morning, Blacksburg.

It's Friday and there's BHS football under the lights. Clear eyes, full cup of coffee. Can’t lose.

Enjoy yourself this weekend and see y’all Monday!

In today's Blacksburg Connect:

Let’s get to it.

Christiansburg Town Council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to end the town's contract with Flock Safety and remove its license plate reader cameras at the earliest date the contract allows. Councilwoman Kim Bowman made the motion; Councilwoman Johana Hicks seconded it.

WSLS reports the vote came after a long public comment period and a statement from Police Chief Chris Ramsey, who defended the cameras as an effective investigative tool with more safeguards on the data than most systems his officers use. Hicks drew the line somewhere else: it's not about the officers, she said — "we don't trust the data collection, we don't trust the system."

The town runs six cameras, which photograph the plates of passing vehicles. One of them, on North Franklin Street near Kroger, was vandalized earlier this month — the wiring cut. Ramsey brought a presentation to council's Aug. 19 work session partly to correct what he called misinformation driving that kind of thing.

Two things the vote doesn't cover: private businesses in Christiansburg own and operate their own Flock cameras, and those aren't affected. And no removal date has been announced.

Christiansburg isn't alone. Lynchburg paused its 15 cameras last week and votes on three Flock resolutions Sept. 8.

Volleyball at Cassell. Virginia Tech hosts the Hokie Invitational today and tomorrow, bringing in Kent State, William & Mary and Coppin State for six matches across two days. Tech opens against Kent State this morning and plays William & Mary tonight; both are on ACCNX. Home volleyball at Cassell is free.

Soccer gets a first tonight. The Hokies host Kentucky at 6 at Thompson Field — the first time the two have met in Blacksburg in the series' history, and only the third meeting ever. Tech is coming off a 7-4-5 season that started with an upset of then-No. 3 Ohio State, and this is the back half of a home stand that began with Howard on Sunday.

And Blacksburg High School plays at 7 under first-year head coach Phillip Reese, who was promoted from within in June after Zack Leonard left for William Fleming. He'd been the defensive line and strength coach, and the school picked continuity over an outside search. Elsewhere at 7: Christiansburg opens at Carroll County, Auburn hosts James River, Eastern Montgomery hosts Holston.

Schedules: volleyball · men's soccer · Blacksburg High

The Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center is waiving adoption fees this weekend as part of Clear the Shelters, the national adoption campaign NBC stations run every August. The center is at 480 Cinnabar Rd. in Christiansburg.

Current hours and the full list of available animals are at montva.com/acac.

Roanoke's Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection is waiving its fees through the end of the month as well.