Gene Marrano
(from Roanoke PD) The Family Dollar in the 3200 block of Williamson Road NW had a breaking and entering on September 25th. Officers were called out there due to an alarm at 3:59 a.m. Once on scene they found the back door had been pried open in order to gain entry. No one was inside. The store is in the process of getting an inventory of anything stolen. Attached are pictures of the two suspects, both white males who appear to be in their mid to late 30s in age. One is wearing the darker colored shirt and the other the lighter colored one. Anyone with information is encouraged to call our tip line at 540-344-8500. Callers can choose to remain anonymous. The investigation is ongoing.
Living in the present as a better way to help make life decisions – that’s the concept behind “Mindfulness” and the subject of a conference at Mill Mountain Theatre today. Guest speaker George Mumford taught Mindfulness techniques to former NBA greats like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant; yesterday he spoke to young people at Patrick Henry High School and Roanoke College. Several hundred people attended today’s 4th annual Mindfulness Conference at Mill Mountain Theatre.
One of Roanoke’s best known Chefs is headed to Michigan this weekend to help facilitate testing for a rigorous “master chef” certification. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
You may have seen that the outdoor signage is in place and the lights are on inside. WFIR’s Gene Marrano with an update on the new Earth Fare store on Franklin Road:
Transitional Options for Women – the “halfway house” on Patterson Avenue that helps female ex-inmates as they return to mainstream society – received a ten thousand dollar grant that will be used to renovate another building on 13th Street in the West End. Royal Neighbors insurance company presented Executive director Dorothy Owsley with that “Big Check” today. Transitional Options for Women has also made the short list of nominees vying for larger grants from the Roanoke Women’s Foundation; those will be announced in November. Owsley says that space will generate revenue for the shelter with a full-service coffee shop, a thrift store and several apartments.
Local outdoor enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies who have enjoyed the “Radical Reels” event will find a new wrinkle if they attend tonight – as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
More than 60,000 football fans watched Virginia Tech trounce Old Dominion on Saturday; meanwhile about twenty protestors outside the stadium had a message-and it wasn’t about the game as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
Clean Valley Council is gearing up again to host the Fall Waterway Cleanup. Its the first one for Mary Ann Brenchick as the new executive director. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
Click below to hear an extended conversation with Mary Ann Brenchick from Clean Valley Council:
As a young man in New Jersey Jon D’Amore got drawn by accident into a Las Vegas mob scam that funneled millions of dollars out of casinos there. Years later D’Amore wrote a memoir about it, “The Boss Always Sits in the Back.” Now he returns with a mob-flavored novel, “Deadfellas.” D’Amore will talk about his new book and sign copies from 3 to 5-pm tomorrow at Altus Chocolate on Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke. He lightens the mood in Deadfellas by adding Zombies to the plot. D’Amore is related to the old Genovese crime family in New York – but also notes that the “Mafia” is pretty much extinct at this point.
The 10th anniversary season for Roanoke Children’s Theatre debuts tonight with a play based on the beloved “Goosebumps” book series. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano