🌱 City Police Chief Finalist Named + Run For Refugees Returns

Hello again, everybody! It's time for the Wednesday edition of the Roanoke Patch Newsletter, full of all the community news you need to know, including updates on:

• Amazon seized $21,000 and 48,000 items of Roanoke merchant's inventory.
• Local businesses help with Kiwanis Nature Park expansion.
• Large warehouse proposed in Glenvar area.

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather: Times of clouds and sun. High: 86 Low: 62.

Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Neil Aneja is a Roanoke area entrepreneur who built several successful businesses including renting out apartments on Airbnb and selling various products on Amazon. However, Amazon suddenly deactivated his seller account in July 2022 after he sold a "Tesla Steering Wheel Glass Breaker," which was criticized in the media for enabling hands-free driving. This resulted in Amazon holding $1.2 million of his inventory and $21,000 in his account while refusing to reactivate him despite his insistence that he never marketed it for hands-free driving. Aneja has tried appealing to Amazon but has so far been unable to get reinstated, costing him an estimated $175,000 in lost profits. (Subscription: Roanoke Times)
2. The Roanoke Police Department has named Scott Booth, the current Danville police chief, as the finalist for its open chief of police position. Booth will meet with community members on Wednesday at the Berglund Center to allow the public to ask him questions and speak with city leaders. Booth was nationally recognized this summer for his efforts to reduce crime in Danville, including a 40 percent drop in firearm homicides in 2018 and transitioning the city from having the highest per capita violent crime rate in 2017 to a 35-year low in overall crime by 2020. The public meet and greet with Booth will be held on Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Berglund Hall. (WSLS)
3. The third annual Roanoke Run for Refugees 5K will take place on Friday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. at Wasena Park to raise funds for Blue Ridge Literacy and kick off Welcoming Week in Roanoke. The race, organized by the Roanoke City Public Libraries, costs $30 to register for the 5K and $15 for the Kids Fun Run 1K. All proceeds will go to Blue Ridge Literacy to support their work in helping area refugees learn English and strengthen literacy skills. People can get more information and register by contacting the libraries at 540-853-2955. (WDBJ)
4. The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke is continuing Phase II of its Centennial Playground project by creating the Kiwanis Nature Park, which will include walkways, gardens, benches, bridges, and educational programs once completed over the next 5 years. On Aug. 27, they cleared the way for expansion by having local tree companies AAA Tree Works and Hoppe's Tree Service voluntarily remove a large dead tree. The club will work with the city to plant new trees and aims to eventually clean up the polluted Horton's branch stream that runs through the park to increase the population of the endangered Roanoke Logperch fish. The project has received funds from organizations like the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and relies on support from community donors. (WFXR)
5. SunCap Property Group has proposed building a 90,000-square-foot, $35 million warehouse facility that would employ 80-100 people on vacant land in the Roanoke Center for Research and Technology industrial park off Interstate 81 in Glenvar. The Charlotte developer has applied for a rezoning to allow the warehouse, which would generate 56 truck and 125 other vehicle trips per day, on Glenmary Drive in the 480-acre park currently home to tenants like Novozymes Biologicals and Tecton Products. The Roanoke County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will consider the rezoning application in October, though the identity of the warehouse user has not yet been disclosed to county officials. (Subscription: Roanoke Times)

Are you a real estate agent in Roanoke struggling to get leads in the current housing market? It's tough out there, but there is a way to stand out from the crowd and attract new clients. Our exclusive sponsorship in the Roanoke newsletter can help you do just that. Click here to learn more and discover how you can take your business to the next level today.

Today in Roanoke:

Wednesday, August 30

• Lecture: “Using Expressive Arts as a Daily Self-Care Practice” at the Virginia Tech Roanoke Center (Noon)
• Ben Trout Band at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke College: "Roanoke College 🤝 Roanoke City. Thankful to the Star City for giving our new students an incredible welcome! One of our favorite parts of Welcome Week is showing off everything Virginia's Blue Ridge region has to offer." (Roanoke College via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Mark your calendars! Our annual fall gala is back again this year with a twist! Since our event is so close to Halloween, we've decided to have some fun with it and encourage everyone to dress up, for our costume contest! Join us!" (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Have you checked out our rehoming gallery lately? By using the rehoming gallery, we keep these pets out of the shelter. They simply go from one loving home to another. This saves space in the shelter for animals who truly need it." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• The Journey Within - Meditation and Wisdom with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (August 31)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next 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. He doesn't bite. Except on full moons.

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