🌱 Do You Want To Help Name A Squirrel? + 'Major' Evans Spring Meeting

Hello and happy Saturday! Hopefully you had a chance to get out and enjoy some of what was going on last night or will today. Are you ready for the Roanoke Patch newsletter all about what's happening around town today? In today's issue, we'll touch on...

• Roanoke teen murder trial
• Poll concludes Virginians support governor for 2024
• Man charged with knife attack identified

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather: Mostly sunny and windy. High: 59 Low: 38.

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Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. A Roanoke teenager is facing the possibility of 20 years to life in prison in connection with an October 2021 shooting outside the McDonald's in Vinton. Jeremiah Unique Pannell, 17, is charged as a principal in the second degree to aggravated murder in the death of Gary Lamont McMiller, 38, of Vinton, whom Pannell and two unidentified accomplices arranged to buy an ounce of marijuana from, and one accomplice then tried to rob and shot dead. McMiller was the manager of the restaurant and died at Roanoke Memorial Hospital of a single gunshot wound suffered in the altercation. Pannell, who was 15 at the time, has maintained his innocence and is also charged with taking part in a robbery that resulted in a death and using a firearm to commit a felony. The jury trial was expected to wrap up yesterday afternoon. (Roanoke Times)
2. The community engagement team hired by Roanoke City Council to organize and direct the relay of information on the Evans Spring Development Project to the public has announced a "major community meeting" is to be held on the project on March 9. The meeting will be held at Williams Memorial Baptist Church at 2105 Carroll Ave. at 6:30 p.m. Chuck D’Aprix, a noted community revitalization expert employed by the city's chosen contractors, said, "Too often lip service is given to community engagement. The City Council has made engagement a priority, and we intend to follow that mandate. We will leave no stone unturned when it comes to hearing from the residents of Roanoke with respect to Evans Spring." More information on the development can be found here. (Roanoke Star)
3. A new poll conducted by Roanoke College found that Virginians favored Gov. Glenn Youngkin over President Joe Biden in the 2024 Presidential Race by a margin of 16 points. The results of the poll were released Thursday morning and showed the questions asked to people across the state were about their feelings on a variety of issues. "Whether they think things are moving in the right direction or the wrong direction in Virginia, the percentage of respondents who said right direction is up 8 points from November," said Dr. Bryan Parsons, senior political analyst for Roanoke College. Parson went on to caution people not to emphasize the 2024 election results too much as it is still very early. (WSET)
4. A man who allegedly threatened a police officer with a knife and was shot by police at the LeeHy Apartments on Jan. 25 has been identified as Frank Distefano. Distefano is being held in the Roanoke City Jail after being treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and has a hearing scheduled for March 6 in the Roanoke City Circuit Court for charges of assault and battery on a law enforcement officer. The police officer in the incident was uninjured, but repeatedly warned Distefano as he approached him with a knife. (WDBJ)
5. The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center, located in southern Roanoke County, has chosen a new wildlife ambassador — an Eastern Gray squirrel diagnosed with dwarfism. The center uses their ambassador animal to educate the public about conservation and care of wild animals throughout the area in schools and other settings. The squirrel was brought to the center last year as a baby and cannot be released into the wild because of his condition. Now, the center would like area residents to help them name the little guy. The center asked on its social media pages for name ideas and have settled on four final names to be voted on — Pecan, Peanut, Nutter Butter, and Baldwin. Each vote is $5, all proceeds will go to support the SWVA Wildlife Center’s mission of saving wildlife, and are open until 9 p.m. on March 7. Votes can be cast on the center's website here. (WSLS)

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Today in Roanoke:

• 5th Annual Peakwood & Pancakes at RunAbout Sports (9:30 a.m.)
• Annual Roanoke Youth Summit at William Fleming High School (10 a.m.)
• Views and Brews E-Bike Tours at Roanoke Mountain Adventures (2 p.m.)
• Carry Wimbish Band at Big Lick Brewing Company (6:30 p.m.)
• 'Echoes' by N. Richard Nash at Showtimers Community Theatre (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke College: "Roanoke College ushered in Women's History Month on March 1 with an early celebration of International Women's Day, which will take place next week during Spring Break. Students from International Student Services set up in front of the Colket Center and invited passersby to sign a banner in appreciation of female figures in their lives." (Roanoke College via Instagram)
• Botetourt County Sheriff's Office: "Please join us in wishing Deputy K9 Rico a happy retirement as he switches gears to pursue other canine interests. We are grateful for his service to Botetourt and wish him happiness in his retirement from the physically demanding duty assignments he has performed exceptionally and with distinction over the past 6 years." (Botetourt County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• Roanoke Outside: "WHO THE HECK IS THIS?!😮 Local photographer Jeff Heveron sent us some photos he captured of this person powered paragliding over Roanoke on Feb. 23. And we are compelled to not only share them but to track down this brave adventurer!" (Roanoke Outside via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "What Bow-Wow-Wonderful kids we have in our community! The students at Clearbrook Elementary school held a Valentine's Day donation drive for our shelter pets and collected ALL these goodies for the animals!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)

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Happy weekend again folks! Thanks for following. I will 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. 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