🌱 Parole Board Under Fire + Shooting At Area Grocery Store

Hello again, friends! It's time for another Roanoke PATCH newsletter. Here's what's happening in town, including updates on...

• Vice Mayor Joe Cobb issues call to action
• Virtual hiring event later today
• Medal of Honor found and returned

Ready? Let's motor! 🚓💨

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But first, today's weather:

Intervals of clouds and sun. High: 58 Low: 45.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Roanoke Police were called to the scene of a shooting at the Food Lion on Peters Creek Road NW on Sunday night around 8:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found a man and a woman who had been shot. Both were taken to the hospital for treatment. The woman's injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening, but the man's injuries were said to be serious. Another man was found at the scene, questioned, and later released from police custody. Supposed witnesses reported on social media that the man released had shot at least one of the other two in self-defense, but those reports remain unsubstantiated as of writing. As always, police are asking for anyone with any information to please come forward. Calls and texts can be made anonymously. (WSET)
2. A virtual hiring event is being hosted by the Greater Roanoke Workforce Development office today from 2-6 p.m. Attendees can log in to a site called Premiere Virtual and will be able to chat with employers with job openings ranging from health care to manufacturing and skilled trades to hospitality, and more. The event is free for jobseekers and is being billed as a great way to connect with companies in the greater Roanoke area that are hiring now. For those who do not have a computer the event can also be access by going to the Virginia Career Works Roanoke Center on Thirlane Road. (WDBJ)
3. The son of a U.S. Army Corporal who was an integral part of breaking Germany's Siegfried Line — a defensive line along the western border of Nazi Germany during World War II — has spent the last several decades trying to locate the Medal of Honor awarded his father. Robert Wilkin was only 7 years old when he was presented with his father's medal. "I remember the ceremony, General Omar Bradley presenting it to me, but what it really meant, what it represented, I never really understood it until I got older of course," said Wilkins, whose father was later killed in the war. Wilkins lost track of the medal in his moving around over the years and feared it was lost forever. But Roanoke congressional representative Ben Cline's office was able to help him locate it at the Longmeadow Historical Society in Massachusetts. Cline re-presented the medal to Wilkins saying it was an honor to be able to do so. (WSLS)
4. Roanoke city Vice Mayor Joe Cobb is calling on the community to take action after a shooting inside Food Lion on Peters Creek Road. "We've got to take ownership of our own lives, and the lives of those we care about. Until we are active in doing that, we aren't going to see a reduction in the violence that we are seeing," he said. He pointed out the many resources the city is investing in from mental health initiatives to the Street Prevention and Intervention Team and the Star City Safe Initiative all of which are holding regular events to address the issue of gun violence in the Star City. "We're gonna see ourselves through this, but it's truly going to continue to take a full-on community effort," said Cobb. (WFXR)
5. The former members of the Virginia Parole Board, including Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea, are under fire for what a report recently issued by the state attorney general's office says is a failure "to abide by the laws governing its operations." In the spring of 2020 while COVID-19 was gobbling up nearly all of the headlines around the world, the five-person parole board appointed by then Gov. Ralph Northam released dozens of parolees in what one area news outlet is calling an "an unprecedented, illegal releasing spree." The investigation "discovered that [releases] included four capital murderers, 31 first-degree murderers, 11 rapists, and 33 offenders convicted of robbery" and that many of the victims' families were not notified as is required by the state code. The entire 69-page report can be viewed here. (Roanoke Star)

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From our sponsor:

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Today in Roanoke:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (8:30 a.m.)
• Black Family Health presented by Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (5:30 p.m.)
• L'eroica (Roanoke's Friendliest Group Road Ride) at Cardinal Bicycle Grandin (5:45 p.m.)
• Fleet Feet Pub Run & Walk at Big Lick Brewing Co. (6 p.m.)
• Line Dance Night at Sidewinders Saloon (6 p.m.)

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From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Tuskegee, our non-releasable educational ambassador Red-tailed Hawk, was having a great time playing with sticks in his mew today! Tuskegee could not be returned to the wild because he was illegally kept by a human for too long." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is clear on the subject of cosmetic tail docking. They state, 'The only benefit that appears to be derived from cosmetic tail docking of dogs is the owner's impression of a pleasing appearance. In the opinion of the AVMA, this is insufficient justification for performing a surgical procedure.'" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Third-grade students from Hurt Park Elementary participated in a #blackhistory Wax Museum at Roanoke College last week. They dressed as historical figures and spoke to Roanoke College students about who they each chose to represent." (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: "🌊Poll closes tomorrow! Vote the Roanoke River for USA TODAY's 'Best Urban Kayaking Spot for 2023' in their 10Best Contest! The Roanoke River is a nominee and we're hoping to win the award for the 2nd straight year 🎉" (Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge via Facebook)
• The Rescue Mission of Roanoke: "🎙New podcast alert! Take some time today to listen to our newest episode of Rescue Recorded. It's 15 minutes full of hope!" (The Rescue Mission of Roanoke via Facebook)

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• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (February 7)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door today. I'll see you at the same bat time and same bat channel tomorrow morning! 🦇

— Ian

About me: Ian Graham is a novelist, screenwriter, and freelance contributing writer. He is a firm believer in being yourself… unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman. To connect with Ian, you can visit him on Facebook and Instagram. He doesn't bite. Except on full moons.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roanoke Patch newsletter? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com