🌱 City Councilman's Appeal Dismissed + Olympic Medalist Visits

Good morning everyone! It's time for the Thursday edition of the Roanoke Daily! I don't know about all of you, but this week seems to be flying by so far. What are your plans for the weekend? I hear there's a Pink Floyd tribute band coming to Dr. Pepper Park and a Bigfoot (the big ape not the truck) show in Salem.

In this edition:

• The firefighter who saved a dog.
• Rainbow fentanyl in the 'noke.
• And higher personal property tax bills in Botetourt.

Let's get to it!

But first, today's weather:

A shower; breezy in the p.m.

High: 82 Low: 51.

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Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. Authorities in Roanoke are concerned about the presence of a new form of fentanyl that may be being marketed directly to teens and children. Appropriately known as Rainbow Fentanyl, the drug appears in the form of pink, green, yellow, and blue powdery blocks that can easily be mistaken for chalk or candy. Nancy Hans, executive director of the Prevention Council of Roanoke County, said, "We are just concerned that parents really pay attention to what these things are, what they look like. There are so many kids and young adults, college kids that say ‘I just need something to take the edge off my anxiety. I just need something, and they can easily get it through Snapchat." First Sergeant Joe Crowder with the Virginia State Police added, "What’s dangerous about that now is all these things are pressed with fentanyl. Some of the fentanyl analogs, other synthetics, Adderall, some of our stimulants are being pressed with crystal methamphetamine." To read more about rainbow fentanyl and see pictures of it visit the DEA's website. (WDBJ)
2. Roanoke Fire and EMS crews were dispatched to the scenes of two fires on Tuesday. The first was a house fire on the 2100 block of Denniston Avenue Tuesday afternoon and upon arriving, the crew was informed by the homeowner that their dog was still inside. The crew quickly went to work finding and extinguishing the fire, which was in the kitchen, and Firefighter Zach Saunders rescued Maggie, a cute little pooch who gratefully agreed to let Zach to pet her in a picture after he saved her life. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. The second fire happened Tuesday evening at the Stratford Village Apartments near the corner of Brandon Avenue and Peters Creek Road. Crews had to force many of the doors in the facility open in order to let residents out. One person died, four were taken to the hospital, and about 100 people displaced pending investigation into the cause of the blaze. Of the four injured, three are in critical condition. (WSET, WDBJ)
3. Roanoke City Circuit Court Judge Onzlee Ware ruled Tuesday that former Roanoke City Councilman Robert Jeffrey's attempt to legally challenge his removal from office after being charged and convicted of embezzlement will not go forward. Ware dismissed the case and confirmed that Virginia law expels office public officials who become convicted felons. Jeffrey was elected to the city council in 2020 for a four-year term, but only served a little more than a year before being convicted of stealing over $200,000 dollars from a neighborhood environmental group and obtaining false paycheck protection loans from the City of Roanoke. Earlier this year he was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution. (Roanoke Times)
4. Many Botetourt County residents have begun receiving personal property tax bills, which are due Nov. 5, and Botetourt Commissioner of the Revenue Chris Booth said the phones have been ringing off the hook with calls from people on fixed incomes. "So, they still have roughly the same income, but all their bills are more expensive. Electric bills, gas bills, grocery bills, and now tax bills have gone up," he said. "I’ve heard many stories today where their taxes went up 50 to a 100 percent year over year for the same vehicle. I definitely understand that. Mine went up as well, and it’s quite a drastic increase." The county's Board of Supervisors issued a statement saying they added an extra $250,000 in tax relief because they knew the bills would be higher on the backs of increasing vehicle values and that it's important that citizens realize that while the bills are higher the actual tax rate has not been changed. (WFXR)
5. Meb Keflezghi, an Olympic silver medalist and the winner of both the Boston and New York marathons, visited Roanoke Tuesday evening as part of a partnership with CEP Compression, a company that produces compression socks and sleeves for runners and hikers. Roanokers were invited to join Keflezghi for a run and to get copies of his book '26 Marathons,' which he was on hand to autograph before the event. Matt Thompson, the general manager of Fleet Feet in Roanoke, said in a press release, "It’s a huge honor for CEP to choose Roanoke as the place for this event." (WSLS, Wikipedia's Meb Keflezghi page, CEP website)

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Today in Roanoke:

• “You Write the Bill” workshop by Delegate Sam Rasoul at the Roanoke Public Library's Gainsboro Branch (5:30 p.m.)
• The Kings at the Party in Elmwood Park (5:30 p.m.)
• Author reading at Hollins University — “Fugitive Atlas" by Khaled Mattawa (7:30 p.m.)
• Jaded Ravins at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke College: "In its home-opener on Saturday, the Roanoke College field hockey team collected its third-straight shutout victory with a 3-0 win over the visiting Blazers of Hood College!" (Roanoke College via Instagram)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Congratulations to Hurt Park Elementary Social Worker La’Shay Foreman, the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross’ 2022 Education Hero!" (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Happy Birthday, Sydney! Sydney is an awesome friend of the shelter who chose to celebrate her 9th birthday at the Roanoke Valley SPCA. She and her friends got a behind-the-scenes tour of our shelter, made some animal-related crafts, and spent time with our animals!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Virginia Children's Theatre: "Just two more weeks until 'THE SECRET GARDEN' takes the stage at the Jefferson Center! Enjoy this performance from Brynn Scozzari singing 'No One Else' from Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812." (Virginia Children's Theatre via Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Don't forget to visit the regional college fair tonight at the Salem Civic Center! High school students will have the opportunity to meet with college and CTE representatives from across the country. The fair will be held from 6 to 8 p.m." (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're in the loop and ready to start this Thursday off right. See you all tomorrow morning!

— 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