Local Government, Civic Affairs and Education
For the first time since 2019 the City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority is accepting applications for its “housing choice voucher program.” There’s only a 5-day window to sign up on line, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
Roanoke City Manager Bob Cowell has high hopes for the shared wet/dry lab space that will be established in downtown Roanoke, after an existing building is renovated. Live in studio this morning Cowell said the lab space will be a joint effort. Hear the complete conversation on that and other topics below:
For a 15th year our sister station Star Country 94.9 is teaming up with Children’s Miracle Network today for the “Cure Kids Cancer” radiothon until 6-pm. The goal is $170,000; including sponsorships. They were about halfway there by 8am this morning. Tune in to Star Country or see the information below for more on how to make a donation until 6pm today – to help Cure Kids Cancer. Star Country has helped raise more than 3 million dollars over the past 15 years for CMN. Macy Ware is the Southwest Virginia program director for Children’s Miracle Network:
How to give:
Image from Roanoke City Website
National Night Out events will be held all over Roanoke tonight, and a new neighborhood will be joining the City’s festivities. The annual National Night Out campaign will have events all over Roanoke this evening, and this year Williamson road will be joining in. WFIR’s Emma Thomas with more:
Click here for a full list of National Night Out events in Roanoke
For the first time, all students at six Roanoke County public schools will receive free school meals, regardless of their families’ income. The schools are Burlington, Horn, Masons Cove, Mount Pleasant, Mountain View and Cundiff. The schools meet federal economically disadvantaged status requirements. County schools spokesperson Chuck Lionberger:
For all other Roanoke County schools, it’s back to pre-COVID school meal programs, where free meal eligibility is based on a family’s income. Parents wishing to apply should fill out an application on the school system’s web site.
NEWS RELEASE: ROANOKE – Students attending Title I schools in Roanoke County will receive free school meals this year as part of the federal Community Eligibility Provision meal program. These six schools met the requirements based on the school’s economically disadvantaged status.
- Burlington Elementary School
- Herman L. Horn Elementary School
- Masons Cove Elementary School
- Mount Pleasant Elementary School
- Mountain View Elementary School
- W.E. Cundiff Elementary School
Parents with children attending these schools do not need to apply for free meals.
All other schools will resume the regular school meals program. Daily lunch for students will be $3.00 and breakfast will be $1.50. Milk will cost $0.50.
Parents wanting to apply for free meals should submit an application online athttps://family.titank12.com/application/new?identifier=9XRGHE. A link to this page is available on the Roanoke County Public Schools website atwww.rcps.us under “Quick Links.”
The final state budget provided funding to eliminate reduced co-pays for students eligible for reduced-price meals. Therefore, both free and reduced students will receive free meals.
Roanoke County Public Schools has transitioned to a new online meal payment system called Titan. Any school lunch funds that remained in previous accounts through MySchoolBucks have been rolled into Titan. Parents can create their online school payment accounts by going online tohttps://family.titank12.com.
School lunch menus are available online athttps://family.titank12.com. Parents can print monthly menus from this site.
Roanoke, VA – This Saturday and Sunday, July 16th and 17th, Angels of Assisi is teaming up with PetSmart and the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection. Dogs will be available for adoption Saturday from
11 am-3 pm and Sunday from 12 pm-4 pm at PetSmart 220.
Applications will be available and can be approved on the spot, meaning you could go home with your new, loving family member today. Adoption fees are discounted to $50. All local shelters and rescues are at capacity, and animals everywhere need the community to help.
PetSmart 220 is located at 4210L Franklin Road SW, Roanoke, VA 24014.
Angels of Assisi and the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection hope you stop by to meet some incredible dogs; you may even find a new family member. The organizations asks that the community come together to help find loving homes for these amazing animals. Note: While Angels of Assisi is a no-kill facility, freeing up kennel space allows the organization to pull directly from the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection. Any adoptions will help save lives.
MGN
The Roanoke City School Board has approved spending about $1.7 million for a number of safety-related measures. They include purchase of panic alarms, buttons and fobs along with more security cameras in school buildings. On the personnel side, the increased spending includes hiring more school resource officers so they can be present in all city schools. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Lee Clark (L) and Natalie Kline from Rescue Mission. G Marrano photo
The Rescue Mission of Roanoke can turn a $125,000 matching grant challenge into twice that amount if donors come through by the end of July – the same way they did last summer, and a number of its programs would benefit. WFIR’s Gene Marrano with that story:
hear the complete studio interview below: