Gene Marrano
Giant puppets, floats featuring huge paper mache heads – all sorts of pageantry with an artistic twist. A local art teacher is organizing a first-time unique parade next month, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
ROANOKE, Va. (March 13, 2023) — The Budweiser Summer Series returns to Downtown Roanoke’s Elmwood Park with our first announcement of the season. We’re excited to welcome three-time GRAMMY Award-winner Darius Rucker on June 15, 2023! Downtown Roanoke Incorporated is partnering with The Life Ring Foundation to raise money for its Fighting Kids’ Cancer initiative, whose goal is to include a world-class pediatric cancer treatment center within Carilion’s new cancer center.
General Admission tickets to see Darius Rucker [also formerly of Hootier and the Blowfish] are $60 with $8 from each ticket sold going directly to Fighting Kids’ Cancer. “We are on a mission to improve survival rates for our kids with cancer in the Roanoke Valley. We are so moved that Downtown Roanoke Inc has given us an incredible opportunity to raise money and awareness for this critical cause,” stated Kelly Woolwine, cofounder of The Life Ring Foundation. “We are thrilled to bring another national act to Elmwood Park while helping raise funds for a much-needed cancer facility to be built downtown and serve the entire community,” said Tina Workman, President and CEO of Downtown Roanoke Incorporated.
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 17th at 10:00am through ticketing agent, Etix. Full details and ticketing link can be found at www.DowntownSummerSeries.com.
The Budweiser Summer Series is sponsored by Budweiser, Freedom First Credit Union, Amtrak, 94.9 Star Country, WDBJ7, and Coca-Cola. For more information, please visit www.DowntownSummerSeries.com.
UVA :: DUKE ACC TOURNAMENT FOLLOWby Doug Doughty
GREENSBORO, N.C. — After leaving Virginia in February with a sour taste in its mouth, the Duke men’s basketball team could say it had payback Saturday night if that was a consideration. The Blue Devils did not trail at any point in a 59-49 victory in the ACC championship game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Freshman guard Isaac McKneely gave the Cavaliers a spark with two late 3-pointers, but by then a victory was out of reach. McNeely and Reece Beekman were a combined 8-for-16 and the rest of the team was 8-for-32.
Senior guard Kihei Clark, who was shooting 41.2 percent from the field for the season, was one for nine Saturday night and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. In a regular-season meeting between the teams, Virginia had beaten Duke 69-62 in overtime in Charlottesville in a game that had a disputed finish.
The Blue Devils thought that freshman Kyle Filopowski was fouled and should have had two free throws at the end of regulation. “I’m angry still,” first-year Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said at the time.
Duke had won eight straight games going into Saturday night’s affair, including a Friday win over Miami, 85-78. “They’re [the Blue Devils] playing at a high clip,]”; said Bennett after the Cavaliers’ semifinal victory over Clemson. “Our game was a battle with them at our place.” Bennett said his team’s performance Saturday night was “uncharacteristic”; although UVa kept the Blue Devils’; well under their 72.5 points-per-game; average.
Amanda Livingston (L)
C Palmer photo
The Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Business Awards Breakfast next Friday morning at the Salem Civic Center. Livingston joined the Chamber as executive director last October. She was live in-studio on WFIR this morning to talk about her vision for the business support non-profit; hear the complete conversation on the link below; watch it on Facebook.