🌱 Brush Fire Contained + New Panda Express + Student In Custody

Hello again, Roanoke! Important update: You all, as readers, have made the Roanoke Daily so successful that it is my honor to announce the next stage of the newsletter. Patch is looking for a local writer and entrepreneur to take the helm of the Roanoke Daily. Although I have loved getting to know this community, we want to pass the torch to someone truly local to write about Roanoke long term. So if you're interested in earning extra income while making this newsletter a more valuable resource for your neighbors, learn more and apply here.

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First, today's weather:

Cloudy with a thunderstorm. High: 72 Low: 49.

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Here are the top three stories in Roanoke today:

1. Crews contained a large Roanoke County brush fire on Wednesday morning. The fire stretched 67 acres — most of which was in a pine grove planted in 2006. Approximately 80 firefighters and two bulldozers from the Department of Forestry were involved in the firefight at its climax. Investigators believe the start of the fire was accidental. (WBDJ7)
2. A new Panda Express location opened in Roanoke this week. The new location at 4458 Electric Rd., Ste. A held a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to celebrate the opening. A representative from Panda Express thanked the community, citing how excited the new team was to provide new jobs, support local organizations through food donations and fundraising opportunities, and share the chain's world-famous Original Orange Chicken® with a new neighborhood. (TheRoanoker)
3. A student is in custody after firing a handgun at their school. The Roanoke Police Department responded to a call around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday when Lucy Addison Middle School's resource officers informed them a gun was fired in a restroom on school grounds. No students were hurt and RPD affirms there are no additional security threats to Roanoke city schools. The student in question was charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds and discharging a firearm on school grounds. (WSLS)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Historic Roanoke City Market - Roanoke City Market (8:00 AM)
• Wacoal Fit for the Cure Event on Mar. 31st - Tanglewood Mall (9:00 AM)
• Edgar Meyer and the Scottish Ensemble - Moss Arts Center (7:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Lynchburg Humane Society is begging for the community's help to find a stolen puppy. Cameras malfunctioned and it appears a 2-month-old male puppy weighing around 4.5 pounds was taken. Anyone with info is encouraged to step forward! (Facebook)
• The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke offers hands-on 12-week wildlife rehabilitation internships from April-September. Interested students are encouraged to apply now as positions fill up quickly! (Facebook)
• Congratulations Captain Jeremy Bennington on his retirement from Roanoke Fire-EMS! Capt. Bennington spent over 23 years with the department — and the department is grateful for his many years of leadership and dedication! (Facebook)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.