🌱 Chuck E. Cheese Reopens + Welcoming Week Naturalization Event

Good morning! I've been an overachiever this morning and have already gone and come back from my morning exercise. I guess it's time to sit down and write for a while. Let's start with some news ...

First, today's weather:

Sunny to partly cloudy.

High: 84 Low: 60.

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Here are the top five stories today in Roanoke:

1. The Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition (RAYSAC) recently held an online roundtable discussion in part to sound the alarm about new data from the Centers for Disease Control that reveals drug overdoses are now the number one killer of young adults across the nation. The discussion included topics such as law enforcement and working with local drug courts, but mainly focused on fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, said to be 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Joseph Carucci, the DEA agent in charge in Roanoke, said as he pointed to a picture of the drug, "It takes just a little bit less than two of those grains to kill a person. So, think about that for a moment. What you’re seeing and hearing in the news is only the tip of the iceberg. It is here. It’s in the Roanoke Valley. It’s everywhere in our entire areas of responsibility." He went on to say that fentanyl is particularly dangerous because cartels are lacing their drugs with it to make them more addicting and that most times users don't know they're ingesting fentanyl. (WDBJ)
2. The city of Roanoke, as part of Welcoming Week, held a naturalization celebration Friday morning in downtown. The mayor and city council members were on hand to shake hands and offer words of encouragement to those who have become United States citizens in the last year. "Obviously anyone that has gained U.S. citizenship is new to the country so it works well with our theme of Welcoming Week. The theme this year is ‘Where we belong.’ So they belong here in Roanoke, they belong here in the U.S. and we just want to express that through this celebration," said Roanoke City Community Inclusion Coordinator Katie Hedrick. Today is National Citizenship Day making the celebration a timely one for the new arrivals. (WSLS)
3. North Carolina based Parks Automotive Group announced its entry into the Roanoke market with the grand opening of Parks Luxury of Roanoke which includes the Acura, BMW and Audi brands at the dealership located on Peters Creek Road, the former home of Duncan Acura. "We are excited to provide locals with a world-class experience that exceeds expectations. My family has been doing just that throughout the Carolinas for over 50 years, and I can’t wait to establish our legacy here in Roanoke," said Adam Parks, president of Parks Automotive Group. Parks dealerships advertise a clearly marked, no stress, no haggling price for the luxury cars on its lot. (WSET)
4. A year has passed since the shooting death of Lindsey Shook at a gas station on Melrose Avenue. Police have made no arrests in the case. Shortly after midnight on September 15, 2021, police arrived on the scene and found Shook in a car dead of multiple gunshot wounds. Shook was with a man who had gunshot wounds. "As always, we encourage our community to come to us with any and all information regarding open investigations. Nothing is too small for us to look into, and something that they might think is insignificant could lead to an arrest. This remains an active, ongoing homicide investigation. RPD Detectives have not stopped working on this case. Our hearts are with Lindsey Shook’s family and loved ones this week and every day since her death," said a statement from the Roanoke Police Department. (WDBJ)
5. Now for some good news, at least for us professional eaters in the crowd. Chuck E. Cheese has reopened in Roanoke with a newly remodeled restaurant. It held a special red carpet event to mark the occasion on Saturday. The location includes fifteen new games, an interactive dance floor, video wall and updated seating to accommodate large crowds. The event featured Touch-a-Truck, which allows children fascinated by a variety of police, construction and emergency trucks to get up close and personal with their favorites and 20% of the proceeds earned during the event went to the Roanoke County Police Foundation. (WSET)

Today in Roanoke:

• Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross Cyclocross Race at Fallon Park (8 a.m.)
• Autumn Equinox Restore and Renew Retreat at Uttara Yoga Studios (10 a.m.)
• Artist Reception: David Blanchard at Lackey Studio and Art Gallery (2 p.m.)
• 5th Birthday Party at Starr Hill Brewery & Side Stage (2 p.m.)
• Night of Worship presented by Straight Street at Market Square (6:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke Police Department: "An officer wrote not one, not two, but THREE tickets for cars failing to stop for school buses today. Three individuals disregarded three different buses’ lights/stop signs and drove around them this afternoon as kids were heading home." (Roanoke Police Department via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Ever seen a sleeping hawk? This red-shouldered hawk looks rather goofy without his head but tucking your head between your shoulders is actually a common sleeping position for most birds. In fact, preserved dinosaurs have been discovered that way." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Outside: "Time to sneak out of your hidey hole this weekend because there's TONS of activities at the @gocrossrace. Doggie Cross, Lil' Belgians, Tailgating, Beer Mile and of course some killer cyclists hitting the cyclocross course. Don't miss it!" (Roanoke Outside via Instagram)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "The Roanoke Valley SPCA's annual SPAYghetti fundraiser is just around the corner and we are in need of volunteers to help make this annual event a pasta-tively successful day! SPAYghetti takes place on Tuesday October 18!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Roanoke County Public Schools: "Halftime Live! returns for the 2022 season this week with the Highlanders from Glenvar High School! Streaming will begin just as the first half comes to a close. Watch live at http://www.rcps.us/halftimelive." (Roanoke County Public Schools via Facebook)

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Events:

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Ian

About me: Ian Graham is a novelist, screenwriter, and freelance contributing writer. He is a firm believer in being yourself… unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman. To connect with Ian you can visit him on Facebook and Instagram.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roanoke Daily? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com