Arts, Leisure and Sports

ROANOKE, VA. – The Rail Yard Dawgs came alive in the second period on Friday night, rattling off three unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 Opening Night win over the Fayetteville Marksmen at Berglund Center. Mac Jansen, Nick DeVito, Josh Nenadal, and Travis Broughman scored for Roanoke. The announced paid crowd was almost 5000.

Roanoke’s Brody Claeys stopped 20-of-22 shots, while Jason Pawloski made 33 saves on 37 shots faced. The Dawgs were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Marksmen went 0-for-3.

The Rail Yard Dawgs will travel to Fayetteville tonight to play the second half of a home-and-home to open the season.

Image from Open Studios website

Botetourt County’s Open Studios Event returns, allowing visitors into the workrooms of local artists and providing scenic views of the county in between each stop. Organizers say more than 16 local artists will be available in 8 locations to talk visitors through their artistic processes. WFIR’s Emma Thomas with more:

Click here for more information about the event

 

 

From West End Center Facebook page

The West End Center will be hosting its Spooky Sprint 5k next weekend. Organizers say this years event will offer more for participants. Executive Director of the West End Center, Karen Pillis, says that the Spooky Sprint is a crucial source of funding. WFIR’s Emma Thomas with details:

Click here to register for the Spooky Spectacular

 

 

Mickey Gray (L) and Jamie McGinn (C)

The Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs open the new SPHL campaign versus Fayetteville tomorrow night.  Rail Yard Dawgs president Mickey Gray and the new chairman of the board, Jamie McGinn – also a principal owner of the franchise – were live in studio this morning.

The puck drops tomorrow night on the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs first home game of the season. WFIR’s Ian Price has more.

Hear the complete in-studio conversation below.

Dan Bremner Dawgs head coach

We are just two days away from the start of the Southern Professional Hockey League season in Roanoke and the Rail Yard Dawgs will welcome Fayetteville to town Friday night at the Berglund Center to kick things off.  Live by phone this morning. Rail Yard Dawgs head coach Dan Bremner, who led his team to the SPHL Championship series last season, gave us a preview:

photos courtesy Jon Murrill

Neighbors, volunteers and greenway users are encouraged to attend a public celebration of three new murals located in Roanoke’s southeast portion of the Roanoke River Greenway this Saturday, October 22. There’s an 11am ribbon cutting underneath the 13th Street SE bridge near the parking lot. Local artist Jon Murrill  created the large public works with help from Patrick Henry High School students – where Murrill is an art teacher. Local residents from the “I Heart SE” community group also pitched in to paint the public murals under the 13th St and 9th SE bridges. Besides the ribbon cutting with Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea on hand Murrill says other festivities are planned for Saturday morning at 11.

 

Mac Jansen. G Marrano photo

The ice is down and training camp for the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs is underway. The season opener for the Dawgs is this Friday at the Berglund Center versus Fayetteville. There are some new faces of course but around a dozen players who were with the Rail Yard Dawgs at some point last season are expected back when the puck drops on Friday night. Forward Mac Jansen is one of the veterans coming back from a late season run to the SPHL championship series: