diff --git a/WHATSNEW.txt b/WHATSNEW.txt
index 4d7de6a..a1c53e0 100644
--- a/WHATSNEW.txt
+++ b/WHATSNEW.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
-WHATSNEW For 'tsshbatch' 1.316    (Fri Oct 14 14:44:47 CDT 2016)
+WHATSNEW For 'tsshbatch' 1.317    (Sat Oct 15 16:12:34 CDT 2016)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+  - It is now possible to define local variables with the
+    .local directive.  These have visibilty and scope only
+    with the file where they are defined, but otherwise work
+    the same as globally defined variables.  Local variables
+    also support "execution variable" style definition.
+
   - Hostfile names must now be passed using the -i option.  The
     argument can be the name of a single file or a quoted list of
     files.  The option can appear on the command line more than once.
diff --git a/tsshbatch.py b/tsshbatch.py
index 0009821..d552ef5 100755
--- a/tsshbatch.py
+++ b/tsshbatch.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 # Version Information - Overwritten by makefile during release process
 #####
 
-GITID      = '0c4840a tundra Sat Oct 15 15:29:02 2016 -0500'
+GITID      = '345a9ed tundra Sat Oct 15 16:12:01 2016 -0500'
 VERSION    = '1.317'
 
 
diff --git a/tsshbatch.rst b/tsshbatch.rst
index 8193e54..8a7a2e8 100644
--- a/tsshbatch.rst
+++ b/tsshbatch.rst
@@ -1511,7 +1511,7 @@
 
 ::
 
-  $Id: '0c4840a tundra Sat Oct 15 15:29:02 2016 -0500'
+  $Id: '345a9ed tundra Sat Oct 15 16:12:01 2016 -0500'
 
 This document was produced with ``emacs``, ``RestructuredText``, and ``TeX Live``.