Henri Gendreau - The Roanoke Rambler (Page 5)

Roanoke Changes School Funding Policy, Which District Fears Could Cost It Millions

City Council said the change will allow for flexibility in spending taxpayer money, while school officials decried it as harmful.

City Hall

Roanoke City Council Decides To Keep Property Taxes Steady After Vice Mayor Floats Rate Cut

City Council members on Monday rebuffed any effort to reduce property taxes this year, but expressed sympathy with exploring that option in the future.

Investigation

Roanoke City Council Told That Assistant City Manager Verbally Attacked, Physically Threatened Employee, Emails Show

After the employee quit, a senior official urged Council to fire Assistant City Manager Brent Robertson and City Manager Bob Cowell.

Housing

Roanoke Homeowners Sue City Over Policy Ending Exclusively Single-Family Zoning

A mayoral candidate and a former city attorney are among the dozen plaintiffs asking a Roanoke judge to invalidate the law.

Education

Roanoke School Board Appears Receptive To Restricting Student Cell Phone Use

Superintendent Verletta White said she would convene a working group that will come up with more concrete recommendations.

Environment

Roanoke Valley Municipalities Have Room To Grow Tree Canopies, Study Finds

While the city has a goal of a 40 percent tree canopy coverage, a new study estimated Roanoke's tree canopy at 33 percent.

City Hall

Roanoke Treasurer Postpones Retirement To Avoid Potential Special Election This Year

Tasha Burkett, who became chief deputy in March, says she intends to run for the office next year as an independent.

City Hall

Roanoke Demotes Assistant City Manager. Officials Won't Say Why.

Brent Robertson, who also served as finance director, was stripped of his titles just as city leaders are finalizing a $379-million budget.

Business

Roanoke-Based Credit Union's New Checking Accounts Spark Concerns Over Fees

Freedom First Federal Credit Union says new accounts will offer perks, including the potential to save on insurance.

Politics

Republicans Enter Roanoke City Council Races As Priddy Stuns Party Leaders By Bowing Out

Luke Priddy won't seek reelection, while Nick Hagen and Jim Garrett are vying to become the first Republicans on Council in decades.

Neighborhoods

Ownership of Historic Gainsboro Property Fraught with Legal Claims of Fraud, Defamation

Two Roanoke community advocates are asking a judge to decide who’s the proper owner of a building recently eyed by city officials for rehabilitation.

Food Access

Northwest Roanoke Residents See Glimmer of Hope As Grocery Store Plans Take Shape

The Market on Melrose is slated to open in November in the heart of a food desert. The store will create up to 70 jobs in its first year.

Transportation

'A Perfect Storm': Roanoke Bus System Has Major Financial Control Issues, Audits Find

An auditor described one finding that Valley Metro failed to pay contractors who built the new transit center on time as 'a big deal.'

Education

Roanoke Has Long Given 40 Percent of Local Taxes to Schools. That Could Change.

Roanoke City Council members say the city has pressing needs that could benefit from more flexibility with any end-of-year surplus.

Housing

Roanoke Ends Single-Family-Only Zoning in Bid for More Housing, Diversity

Roanoke joins cities in Virginia and across the country that are rolling back single-family-only zoning in favor of more dense housing.

Politics

Roanoke Mayor’s Race Gets Crowded As Moon Reynolds, Bowers Challenge Cobb

A victory for any would be historic — Moon Reynolds as Roanoke's first female mayor, Cobb as its first openly gay mayor and Bowers for the sheer precedent of a fifth term.

Housing

Roanoke Planning Commission Advances End to Single-Family Zoning in Bid for More Housing

City Council is expected to vote Monday on reforms staff say is aimed at increasing housing and decreasing racial and economic inequities.

Education

Roanoke School Board To Gain New Faces As Leaders Step Off

School board members Mark Cathey and Diane Casola are stepping off this June, while incumbent Michael Cherry II is seeking another term.