Gene Marrano
Our sister station Q99 teams up with local Bojangles franchise owner Stan Seymour for the “3 wishes” program and today they surprised 4-year old Meg Burrow with an “adaptive tricycle” that will allow her to ride a bike like her two sisters and parents – overcoming her cerebral palsy. Meredith Burrow is Meg’s mother. She wrote an essay about daughter’s condition – and her wish for a bike – for the “Q99-Bojangles 3 Wishes” program. She says the special pink tricycle will also help strengthen Meg’s legs – and calls her “the happiest kid in the world.”
There’s the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown – but we have our own version right here in the Valley and five more members will be inducted on Thursday. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has the story:
The RAMP business accelerator on South Jefferson Street is looking for its next set of high-tech tenants – those with big ideas and “scaleability.” More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
The tourism numbers were up again in 2017 in the Roanoke Valley – an 8th consecutive year of growth according to Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Overall hotel room revenue in the Blue Ridge region was up almost 4 percent over 2016 and a near-three percent increase in the number of rooms sold was another record. Virginia’s Blue Ridge is defined as localities in the Greater Roanoke Valley, including Botetourt and Franklin Counties. More than 1.2 million hotel rooms were sold in the region last year. Landon Howard is President of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge:
Shawn Hunter with The Peacemakers and Grover Price from the Hope Center on 11th Street are coming together for a “Peace and Hope” community meeting on Monday night. Its all about making northwest Roanoke a better and safer place to live. Meanwhile they have issues with Roanoke City Councilman and developer John Garland. WFIR has been out in front on this issue. Shawn Hunter and Grover Price sat down with WFIR’s Gene Marrano recently; here is an extender version of the “Longer Listen” heard this morning:
The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs are home at the Berglund Center tonight to face the Fayetteville Marksmen. Dawgs center Steve Mele is one of the top scorers in the Southern Professional Hockey League – he also likes where things are headed under new coach Dan Bremner. But Mele says he has nothing but respect for fired head coach Sam Ftorek, who was let go about a month ago. The two played minor league hockey together before Ftorek went into coaching. You can hear more from Steve Mele by clicking below.
You don’t have to march, protest or get arrested – like she has – but a speaker at the women’s in Roanoke tomorrow says those attending should find their passion. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
Jefferson College of Health Sciences in downtown Roanoke will become part of Radford University. Those merger plans were formally announced today. The Carilion-owned college and Radford expect to take up to two years to complete the process, one that will combine a private college with a public university. The two schools have a long history of collaboration dating back about three decades. Current Jefferson College president N.L. Bishop looks forward to leading the new joint venture.
Once again Hollins University and Mill Mountain Theatre are teaming up for the next few weeks – more on the “Winter Festival of New Works” from WFIR’s Gene Marrano: