Gene Marrano
*(from City News Release) Effective Sept. 16, 2020, at 5 p.m., Councilwoman Djuna Osborne will be resigning from Roanoke City Council. Ms. Osborne joined Roanoke City Council on July 1, 2018, and her term was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2022. “It is with a heavy heart that I tender my resignation as a Roanoke City Council Member. I want to be completely transparent with the residents of Roanoke. Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19 I, along with each of you, have had to make significant adjustments to accommodate the needs of my family. As a result, I am no longer in a position to meet the full obligation of my Council duties while also meeting my new obligation as a full-time stay-at-home mom and educator, along with the ongoing responsibilities of my private practice. I have to focus on my family’s education and health, so I have made the difficult decision to step down as a Roanoke City Council Member effective Sept. 16, 2020, at 5 p.m. I have the deepest respect for my colleagues on Roanoke City Council and am confident that they will work with City Administration to fully discuss options on how to fill the vacancy. I am so incredibly grateful for the two years I have been able to serve the citizens of our City. Thank you for what we have accomplished together, and for your support and understanding.” – Djuna Osborne
Roanoke City Council will participate in a special meeting on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, to discuss next steps in filling Ms. Osborne’s vacancy. If you have any questions, please contact the Roanoke City Attorney’s Office at 540-853-2431.
For the past 14 years, the Rescue Mission’s Drumstick DASH fundraiser has been held in Downtown Roanoke on Thanksgiving morning but due to concerns over COVID-19, it was announced today that race will be fully virtual this year – and does not have to be run or walked on Thanksgiving.
(full release from Rescue Mission) First, we want to thank you for your support for the Drumstick DASH and the thousands of meals we serve every year because of your enthusiasm towards helping others. “Move your feet so others can eat” may be the tag line but what it really means is “Move your feet so a child can focus in school”, “Move your feet so the elderly can get a full meal” or “Move your feet so a mother doesn’t have to make a choice between a mortgage or a month worth or groceries”. Your support has helped thousands rise out of poverty, and with your support this year, that won’t change.
Andy Frasco & the UN- courtesy Roanoke Outside
Tickets are on sale as of noon today for two concerts featuring blues rock band Andy Frasco & the U.N. on October 16 and 17. Its a fundraiser for Project Outside, which is looking to raise $100,000 initially for outdoor parks upkeep. Andy Frasco was scheduled to appear at Go Fest on the same weekend in October but that outdoor festival was canceled due to COVID-19 safety precautions over crowd sizes. Julia Boas with the Roanoke Outside Foundation says individual tickets cannot be purchased – instead there are socially-distanced “party pods” starting at 125 dollars. See Ticketmaster online to purchase a pod.
What does a retired Virginia Western Community College American History Professor do now in his leisure time? Jim Sargent writes historical fiction novels in the World War 2 era. The latest two in the Mickey Mathews Mystery series are just out, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports “In Depth.”
On a day when many are remembering the hundreds of first responders who lost their lives at the World Trade Center on 9/11, State Amusement Company in Roanoke enlisted several local restaurants to send free meals to 13 local Fire & Rescue stations. Danny Switzer says Queen of Virginia Skill & Entertainment – State Amusement is the local distributor for their gaming machines – is paying for those first responder meals, from Buffalo Wild Wings, Don Ho’s Restaurant, W.R. Brews and Bob’s Restaurant in Vinton.
Pam Northam/G Marrano photos
A former teacher herself, Virginia First Lady Pam Northam is in Roanoke today, visiting schools and childcare centers – something she has done for the past three years. The first stop this morning was at Burlington Elementary School in Roanoke County: