Gene Marrano
MGN
The mental wellness of young people has been in the spotlight perhaps as never before over the past few years and it is again in February, during “Youth Mental Health Awareness Month, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
Botetourt County Supervisor Dr. Richard Bailey delivered the State of the County Address this morning at the Greenfield Center, when he said more broadband installation underway with the help of state grants will be a key to future growth. A new circuit courthouse and history museum in Fincastle, enhanced library & recreation programs and a new 26-mile scenic trail that has one end in Eagle Rock are among the upcoming highlights for Botetourt County in 2023.
You may not equate riding the public transit system in Roanoke’s urban core with short stories, poetry, essays and the like – but that’s been the idea behind “Writer by Bus,” for almost a decade. The program returns this spring as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
The Virginia ABC store in downtown Roanoke on Campbell Avenue we told you about last week cut the ribbon today – without any City Council members present. Some Roanokers have expressed concerns about locating an ABC store in closer proximity to the area’s homeless population and others who may appear to be intoxicated downtown. Travis Hill is the CEO for Virginia ABC – the state operated liquor stores – as to concerns about locating its 98th outlet in a more urban setting; he also says employees are trained to look for those they should not be selling liquor to :
Annette Patterson The Advancement Foundation. Clark Palmer photo.
The Advancement Foundation’s 9th Annual GAUNTLET, Virginia’s largest business program and competition, is set to get underway on February 7th … that’s when virtual classes will begin – and there is still time to sign up. Advancement Foundation President Annette Patterson was live in studio this morning; hear the complete conversation below. You can also watch it on the WFIR Facebook page.
Virginia’s biennial budget that was finalized in June included funds for a 26-mile long gravel surface trail that will run from New Castle in Craig County to Eagle Rock in Botetourt. Pete Eshelman is the senior director of creative strategies for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. Eshelman says the “Craig-Botetourt Scenic Trail” is largely along VDOT right-of-way and a former railroad bed. The Commonwealth Transportation Board has also authorized one million dollars for pre-construction planning. Eshelman says the scenic trail could be open in less than two years.
(News release) A new rail trail running through Botetourt and Craig counties—the Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail is one of five priority trails identified by the General Assembly to receive support from the appropriation.
The Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail will parallel Craig Creek and run 26 miles from New Castle in Craig County to Eagle Rock in Botetourt County. It is anticipated to be a gravel trail that utilizes existing railbeds and some shared roadways. Funding will go toward bridge repairs and preparing the trail surface; a multi-use trail for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding, that provides opportunities for residents and visitors to engage with the scenic beauty of Craig and Botetourt counties and Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
“People will be able to enjoy this unique and historical scenic trail with ease,” says Jessie Spence, chairman of Craig County Board of Supervisors. “The Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail will be an outstanding asset to Craig County, Botetourt County, and the region. It will be one of the most scenic, if not the most scenic, trails in the commonwealth.”
“The Virginia Creeper Trail, a similar trail to the proposed Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail, generates $2.3 million annually for its rural local economy when adjusted for inflation,” says Delegate Terry Austin, who was instrumental in securing funding for the Craig Botetourt Scenic Trail. “I very much look forward to how this trail will benefit the community and will open the door for more business opportunities like bike shops, coffee shops, restaurants, and lodging—all these ventures and more will be possible with the influx of trail users.”
“Craig and Botetourt counties are home to some of the most beautiful natural assets in all of Virginia, and the trail will give people the opportunity to experience it firsthand,” says Pete Eshelman, director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “This is truly a transformational project that will have direct economic benefit for the communities while also adding to the region’s growing list of outdoor assets that make it a desirable place for businesses and talent to locate.”
The stories in Penny Edwards Blue’s book, “A Time to Protest”: Leadership Lessons from My Father Who Survived the Segregated South for 99 Years” help shape her and her 10 siblings lives. She is hoping they will inspire a new generation to work for change by demanding respect in their daily lived. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.