Henri Gendreau - The Roanoke Rambler (Page 15)

Ramblings

Ramblings: Fire Department Staff Shortages; Back-to-School Vaccine Clinics; Volosin Not Only Candidate Facing Complaint

What are Ramblings? Ramblings are a collection of short items that have caught our attention for one reason or another.

City Hall

Roanoke Parks Nonprofit Seeks To Raise Funds That City Can’t

Through private philanthropy, the Roanoke Parks Foundation is intended to enhance the city’s parks, centers and trails.

Education

Roanoke School Board Welcomes SROs In Every School, Punts On Student ID Badge In Approving $1.7 Million Safety Package

As part of safety improvements, the district would also add counselors and establish a 24/7 safety tip line.

Labor

Roanoke Starbucks Unionizes In Unanimous Vote, Becoming First Such Store In Southwest Virginia

Employees of The Bridges Roanoke store this week voted 14-0 to join the Workers United union.

Education

Artificial Intelligence, Clear Bags, Counselors Among Roanoke City Schools' Ideas To Keep Kids Safe

Roanoke's school board is weighing how to spend more than half a million dollars to improve safety for 13,000 students.

Politics

Among The Contenders For Roanoke City Council: Three Openly Gay Men.

If Democrats sweep the general election, Roanoke's city council would have the most gay members among any single Virginia locality.

Politics

Cobb, Sanchez-Jones and Volosin Picked As Roanoke's Democratic City Council Nominees — But Not Before A Rare Party Rebuke.

The trio will make up the Democratic ticket for four-year City Council seats in the Nov. 8 general election.

Development

Modern-Looking Boutique Hotel Proposed For South Roanoke's Crystal Spring Village Center

The hotel and an adjoining restaurant would replace a hair salon and former Famous Anthony's.

Transportation

Williamson Road Is Roanoke's Deadliest For Pedestrians. A New Project Seeks To Fix That.

A proposal for the Northeast Roanoke corridor would add bike lanes and convert four traffic lanes to two with a center turn lane.

Politics

Roanoke Voter Registrar Filed Police Report Over Vandalism, Harassment As Primaries Loom

Campaign signs were damaged and passing drivers have been harassing election staff and would-be voters.

Policing

Roanoke Police Lose Top Leaders As Department Faces Lawsuits Alleging Discrimination, Retaliation

It's not clear whether the litigation played any role in the recent departures of the department's two deputy chiefs.

Development

City Takes Another Look At Development of Northwest Roanoke's Evans Spring Area

City Council stressed no specific plans exist for Evans Spring, where a controversial development proposal fell through in 2020.

Investigation

The Kionte Spencer Records

A 2016 shooting of a teenager in Roanoke County carrying a BB gun galvanized community members. No police records have been made public — until now.

Feature

For Roanoke's Forgotten Dead, City Makes Final Arrangements

When a person dies in Roanoke and officials can’t find the person’s family, it becomes the city's responsibility to arrange for a cremation.

City Hall

Roanoke Mulls Sale of Fishburn Park Cottage for Coffee Shop

Roanoke City Council is mulling a sale of the house after an effort to sell the property five years ago fell through.

Neighborhoods

Survey of Gainsboro Residents Marks Roanoke's First Step Exploring Neighborhood Centers

The effort marks a shift in city thinking from a focus on downtown to revitalizing neighborhood centers across Roanoke.

Abortion

Roanoke Valley Republicans Stay Mum on Abortion As Democrats Warn of Civil Rights Rollbacks

“Virginian women should be glad that the Democrats are still in charge of the General Assembly,” Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, said.

Development

For Brandon Avenue Residents, Possible Fralin Project Emerges As Key Issue in City Council Election

Southwest Roanoke residents have rallied around fears that developer Robert Fralin will pitch again before City Council a twice-rejected proposal.