Caroline To help compensate for a $2.7 million shortfall in budget projections, the Caroline County Board of Supervisors has asked for 15 percent cuts in most county operations. The cuts will include schools, but not at the full 15 percent rate because that would push the county below the state’s minimum level of school funding. An exact cut in school funding is still under discussion. The county has also imposed a hiring freeze and is prepared to put off capital purchases until after 2010.

As expected, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team signed four players yesterday to national letters of intent: Cadarian Raines, a 6-8 forward from Petersburg High School, 6-7 wing Manny Atkins, 6-4 shooting guard Ben Boggs and 6-2 point guard Erick Green. All four had previously committed to Tech. The Hokies will lose two seniors after this season: wing A.D. Vassallo and forward Cheick Diakite. They will need another player to leave with eligibility remaining. Tech coach Seth Greenberg declined to comment yesterday on how the scholarship math would work out. But one possibility is that fourth-year junior forward Terrance Vinson will move on after graduating in May. Tech begins its season at 8 p.m. tomorrow against Gardner-Webb at Cassell Coliseum.