Evan Jones
Bob Clark
1941-2023
A Roanoke broadcast legend has passed away. Bob Clark died at age 82. His radio career began in 1962 and spanned close to 60 years, the last 35 of them at WFIR, and he loved them all. Bob was one of the most-heard radio voices in Roanoke history, but as Evan Jones reports, he will be remembered for far more:
Bob’s family says a memorial service will be scheduled for a later time.
Bob with Fuzzy Zoeller in the 1990’s
Bob and Mary Lu Clark
Contractors are nearing the end of a lengthy process to bring Glo Fiber internet service to much of the the Roanoke Valley, but in areas with underground utility lines, the work to restore affected front lawns goes on. Parent Company Shentel says it has installed about 850 miles of fiber optic cable in the Roanoke Valley. About 250 miles of that is underground, much of it in front yards, and lawn restoration efforts sometimes continue well after the installers are gone. Because many parts of Roanoke County have underground utilities, installation contractors have faced sharply different situations than in Roanoke or Salem. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
If you have had your lawn damaged by Glo Fiber installation and you do not believe restoration has been satisfactory, you can call Shentel at (866) 997-6474.
NEWS RELEASE: Today Sheetz, a major Mid-Atlantic restaurant and convenience chain, announced it will celebrate Independence Day by reducing its gas prices to $1.776 a gallon. This reduced pricing commemorates the year when the Declaration of Independence was signed.
This limited time promotion will begin at 12:01am on July 4th and will last all day, or while promotional gallons last. The discounted price will apply to regular, E85 (flex fuel), Unleaded 88, mid-grade and premium fuel grades at all of Sheetz 675+ locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. It will not apply to any diesel or Ethanol Free (E0) fuel offerings.
“Sheetz is a family owned and operated company and we are always looking for ways to assist the communities and customers that we serve,” said Travis Sheetz, President and CEO of Sheetz. “We hope this discount helps our customers keep a little more change in their wallets as they travel to celebrate the 4th of July with friends and family, with an obvious nod to our nation’s birthday.”
Customers can check if their local Sheetz sells a particular grade through the Sheetz mobile app or website.
Half-way through 2023, Roanoke Valley home sales are lower in number than the year before — but the average sales price keeps rising. For the first five months of the year, the number of valley homes sold was down about 19% from 2022 while the average sales price rose about 5%. Realtors say while the June numbers are not yet in, those trends continued through last month. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
Many workers in Virginia who lost their jobs after citing religious grounds in refusing COVID vaccines may now have stronger grounds to seek legal recourse, the result of a unanimously ruling Thursday from the U.S. Supreme Court. The case in question has nothing directly to do with COVID; the justices ruled in favor of a postal worker disciplined for refusing to work Sundays citing religious reasons, a decision that cheered Attorney Josh Hetzler with the Founding Freedoms Law Center in Richmond. He represents UVA Health Systems workers who say they were disciplined after citing religious grounds for refusing COVID vaccines. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
State health and environmental officials say all that smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to pose real health threats to many people across the Roanoke Valley. The air pollution levels often vary by the hour, but at times, they remain more than 10 times higher than World Health Organization standards for what is called particulate matter pollution — and the highest in more than two decades. The latest from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
Family photo
A popular Roanoke nightspot is set to honor a local musical mainstay who recently passed away. Martin’s Downtown will hold a special show Thursday honoring Joey Feazell. He played numerous shows at Martin’s and elsewhere over the last 12 years or so, first with the Riverbank Ramblers and later with J.E. Feazell & th’ Dive Bar Stars. He died over the weekend at age 36. Jason Martin is Director of Operations at Martin’s:
The special show remembering Feazell begins Thursday night at 9:30. Any local musicians wishing to pay tribute are invited to perform. There is no admission charge, but Martin says all proceeds from a donation jar will help Feazell’s family meet final expenses.
Mill Mountain Zoo opens a new playground Thursday, one aimed at helping children learn the value of insects. The zoo and Carilion Children’s have teamed up to create the playground called “Curiosity Corner”. Among other things, it includes large insect sculptures children can play on, along with interactive games and informational signage. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Photo: DRI
A sure sign of spring in Roanoke is now just over three weeks away. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set to head through downtown on March 11. Roanoke’s Parade has been recognized in the past as one of the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Organizers say it is an important day for downtown businesses when many people who come downtown for the parade also eat and shop there. It is also the day the Roanoke Farmer’s Market comes to life for another year. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
CLICK HERE for full Roanoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Shamrock Festival information.
Residents in many newer Roanoke Valley neighborhoods have been surprised in recent months to find broadband internet installation crews digging into their front yards or causing other damage to their lawns. Glo Fiber contractors must sometimes install new fiber optic cables in neighborhoods where the utilities are underground, and they are generally permitted to do so on your property anywhere within 10 feet of the roadway. Roanoke County has heard from some residents who aren’t happy with the end result, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
We have contacted Glo Fiber seeking their perspective.