🌱Officials Prep For Vaccine Distribution + Nonprofit In Need

Good morning, Roanoke! It's Wednesday, so let's get you started with everything you need to know going on today in Roanoke.

---

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and milder. High: 69 Low: 47.

---

Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. Roanoke health officials are preparing for kids' vaccinations as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available for 5-11-year-olds. Dr. Cynthia Morrow, director of the Roanoke City Health District, talked about how the new Community Vaccination Center at the Valley View Mall is equipped and designed for this scenario. Morrow said the site will receive the majority of the kid doses. The rest will be funneled to federally qualified health facilities and large pediatric providers. (WSET)
2. A Roanoke nonprofit, the Local Office on Aging, is calling on the community for help to keep the elderly well fed. The nonprofit is asking for canned goods, microwaveable meals, and boxed food to fill up their adult food pantry. At the height of the pandemic, nearly 200 people cleaned out the pantry, but now the service is starting to notice an uptick in need this season. (WSLS 10)
3. All fixed-route service and STAR paratransit service from Valley Metro will be fare-free on Election Day (Nov. 2). (WDBJ7)
4. Macaroni Kid Roanoke is hosting the Downtown Candy Crawl this Saturday, Oct. 30.
   Families can stop by businesses in downtown Roanoke and trick-or-treat in costume from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. (WDBJ7)
5. A Martinsville barber is giving out free haircuts to boost the homeless community's confidence in Roanoke. (WSLS 10)

---

Today's Roanoke Daily is brought to you by our friends at GoodRx — the best way to save money on your prescriptions. GoodRx helps you locate the lowest prices for medications at local pharmacies, so you're not overpaying. Works for pet medications too! To see how much you can save, go to GoodRx.com.

---

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Add your business here

Events:

• Save 15 Percent On Boo-tiful Flowers This Halloween! (October 31)
• Add your event

---

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update. If you're into these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— 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.