Starr Anderson
All four LewisGale Regional Health System hospitals were named as one of the nation’s 2013 Top Performers on Key Quality Measures® by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of healthcare organizations in America. The Joint Commission singles out hospitals based on their performance related to accountability measures on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, stroke, venous thromboembolism, perinatal care, immunizations, children’s asthma and inpatient psychiatric care.
The old Haverty’s store is near Valley View Mall in Roanoke. Plans have been submitted to the Roanoke Planning Commission to break the former furniture store into a space where smaller tenants can come in. The proposal also involves tearing down the overhang to create a more welcoming entrance. A meeting is scheduled next month to hear the proposal. You can click here to see the full proposal.
Property owners in Montgomery County made it clear again last night, they do not want the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline running through their community. The companies trying to build the pipeline, the EQT Corporation and NextEra Energy, held a public forum last night to answer questions about the pipeline that would run through five counties in Virginia: Giles, Montgomery, Roanoke, Franklin and Pittsylvania. Mountain Valley officials plan to hold another open house for county residents in December. Property owners will be able to meet one-on-one to discuss individual concerns.
The Roanoke County Planning Commission voted to not recommend the approval for re-zoning and a special use permit for the proposed mental health facility that could come to Airport Road. Intercept Youth Services wants to build the facility, for at-risk youths ages 5 to 17, in the former Advance Auto Parts building. Residents have also expressed their concerns saying they do not want the facility to be in their backyards. The final decision as to whether or not the requests will be approved will be made by the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors in two weeks.
Roanoke’s new Krispy Kreme opens next Tuesday. If you’re one of the first 100 customers in line you get free doughnuts for a year. The first guest in line will receive one free dozen Original Glazed doughnuts every week for a year. Customers 2 through 100 will receive one free dozen Original Glazed doughnuts every month for a year. The first 150 customers in line will receive a commemorative grand opening T-shirt. The new store on Hershberger will be open Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. The drive-thru will be open 24 hours.
Canstruction, a creative and competitive event featuring massive sculptures built entirely from cans of food, returns to Southwest Virginia for the second year with an exhibition at Roanoke’s Taubman Museum of Art. This year’s exhibit is extended from one to two weeks, with canned food sculptures—called cansculptures—on display from Friday, November 7 through Saturday, November 22. All day Friday, November 7, the public is encouraged to vote for their favorite cansculpture by bringing $1 or one can, per vote, to the Taubman Museum. Opening Night festivities begin at 5:30 p.m., with winning cansculptures revealed during an awards ceremony at 6:00 p.m. The “People’s Choice” winner will be announced at 7:00 p.m. When the exhibit closes, sculptures will be dismantled and all cans will go directly to the Feeding America Southwest Virginia food bank for distribution.
The Roanoke Valley SPCA urges pet owners to be on the lookout after a Roanoke woman’s dog ate what looked like rat poison left in Highland Park. The woman asked not to be identified but she did report the incident. An SPCA spokesperson says it doesn’t happen often, but some people will leave poisons in parks on purpose, and dogs will sometimes mistake rat poison for treats. An animal control officer canvassed the area near the Highland Dog Park but did not find any rat poison pellets. The woman took her dog to the emergency vet and the animal got the help it needed.
Local Colors founder Pearl Fu is stepping down. She has been executive director of the organization for the past 25 years. She will be passing on leadership of Local Colors to Beth Lutjen and Taylor Willis. There will be a presentation honoring Fu at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Jefferson Center atrium in Roanoke. The public is invited to attend. Local Colors is preparing for its 25th festival in May.
VDOT has its initial budgets, materials, equipment and staffing in place across the state in preparation for whatever this year’s weather brings to keep your roads clear. Last winter proved that weather patterns pay no attention to the calendar, with snow on the ground in various parts of the state from late October into early April. VDOT’s estimated snow-removal budget is $145.5 million for the winter of 2014-2015.
Last winter, VDOT’s preseason snow-removal budget for 2013-2014 was $157 million, a figure based on the average expenditures from the previous five winters. The agency spent approximately $350 million by the end of the season.
Much like residents in Roanoke County, homeowners in Montgomery County do not want the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline running through their community. But despite the resistance from residents the company trying to build the pipeline, E-Q-T, has pre-filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to move forward. Now the commission will start speaking to people along the pipeline route for feedback. The final decision of whether or not the pipeline will happen is made at a federal level.