Good morning, Blacksburg.

Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s independence day. Today is. On September 16, 1810, a priest named Miguel Hidalgo rang his church bell in the town of Dolores and called on his parishioners to revolt against Spanish rule. 216 years later, the Mexican president still rings the exact same bell to celebrate.

In today's Blacksburg Connect:

The National Weather Service in Blacksburg says an upper-level ridge is bringing the heat: highs run 5 degrees above normal on Tuesday, 10 above on Wednesday, and peak 10 to 15 degrees warmer than normal on Thursday.

Q99 brings New York, NY Dueling Pianos to the Lyric tonight at 6:00 p.m. Two performers work two pianos and build the set from what the room asks for, so the night runs on requests, clapping and whoever gets up to dance. The act tours internationally and the format leaves room for things to go sideways, which is the appeal.

Down the street, The Maroon Door hosts the monthly Stern Army pinball tournament. Signups open at 5:45 p.m. and play starts at 6:30 sharp, or sooner if the field fills. Entry runs $20, half of which goes into the prize pool, and the machines are set to free play for the night.

The format is five rounds of group match play scored 7, 5, 3 and 1, after which the top half moves into a single-elimination head-to-head playoff. Cash goes to the top four at 50, 25, 15 and 10 percent of the pool. Because this is a sanctioned Stern Army event, Stern also supplies prizes that get handed out by random drawing, so everyone who plays has a shot at something.

The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors and the Planning Commission meet jointly tomorrow at the Government Center, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting at 7:00. Data centers are the subject.

The county has already put its position in writing. The draft 2027 legislative priorities the board reviewed Monday ask the General Assembly to leave siting decisions with local government. Two lines address data centers directly. One asks to maintain local authority over siting them and over reviewing high-energy-use applications. The other opposes any state mandate that would reduce that authority. Two more lines cover energy facilities generally, opposing limits on local regulation of their size, density and siting, and opposing state-level approval that bypasses local governing bodies.

Thursday's meeting is a special joint session of the two bodies rather than a hearing, however what comes out of it likely shapes how the county will form its definitions and zoning rules.

Three lanes on I-81. VDOT says three travel lanes are now open in each direction on I-81 between exits 137 and 141, as the Salem District widening project nears completion. Your commute just got a little less interesting.

Head Start gets a boost. Rep. Morgan Griffith announced a $69,434 federal grant to New River Community Action for Head Start programs in the NRV.

Trouble in Radford. The owners of Brick House Pizza in Radford have been charged with multiple counts of felony embezzlement, bad-check fraud, and tax-law misdemeanors, according to WSLS. Both were released on bond. Charges are allegations, not convictions.

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