🌱 Family Of Missing Man Ask For Help + Morningside Garden Spaces Open

Good morning, everyone! It's time of the Tuesday edition of the Roanoke Patch newsletter with everything fit to print about what's happening in town. Today's briefing includes...

• Two area mom organizations team up for new support center
• Two community reach out organizations become one
• The Best of Roanoke Instagram

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather: Partly sunny and breezy. High: 69 Low: 44.

Here's to the wonderful local business who sponsors this newsletter. Check out what they can do for you:

Are you or a loved one looking to move or downsize during your golden years? Crowning Touch Senior Moving Services is a one-stop-shop for any senior planning a move, and the only company that handles every aspect of downsizing — packing, loading and unloading, storing, and even selling unwanted items in their consignment shop or auction house. People who are moving, downsizing or need cleanouts agree that working with Crowning Touch is well worth it! Visit here to learn more.

Want to see your business featured in this spot? Click here to get started.

Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project) has announced there are few plots left in its Morningside Community Garden. The nonprofit's mission is to create an equitable food and farming system and one of its several initiatives are community gardens of which there are currently three: Hurt Park, Mountain View, and Morningside. There are approximately 25 open spaces in Morningside as of this writing with a variety of sizes and beginning at $30 a year. "Having a place to come see food growing, I think is really good for the community. It’s a beautiful way to landscape and it makes the community food system stronger and more resilient. For a small plot it’s $30 for the whole year; and that includes one load of mulch in the spring, access to all the hand tools, irrigation equipment, and donated seeds. For the larger plots they range according to their size," said Hannah Patrick, LEAP Community Gardens Manager. You can find out more and download a rental application here. (WDBJ)
2. Family members of a Salem man who checked himself out of the hospital almost two weeks ago and hasn't been seen since are asking for the public's help finding him. John Krippendorf, 57, was in the hospital for pneumonia, but checked himself out of LewisGale Medical Center on Feb. 8 after being there since Jan. 28 when he was brought in by the rescue squad. He did not have his cell phone with him when he left the hospital, and his car was found at home. "We’re just about horrified about the whole situation. He was a homebody and he always checked in on the sibling chat and then he would call me," said his sister, Mary Keene, who lives in Roanoke County. Keene and the family are offering a $1,000 reward for information on Krippendorf's whereabouts and can be contacted at 540-588-0701. (Roanoke Times)
3. The Best of Roanoke is a popular Instagram account featuring all kinds of things to do, see, and taste here in the Star City. Genya Kalinina started the blog in February 2o20 after moving from the Carolinas and following similar blogs in those areas for interesting things to do. But finding no such account dedicated to Roanoke, she decided to start her own and has since gathered over 16,000 followers. With the account having grown so explosively over the last few years, Kalinina has begun collaborating with area businesses. "Businesses really appreciate a page like mine. It gets their name out there and gets them more business. And I’ve met some great business owners," she said. You can follow Best of Roanoke here. (WSLS, Roanoker Magazine)
4. Two Roanoke area community center organizations have announced that they're becoming one with the hope of extending their reach and impact on the community. Restoring Hope Roanoke and Friendship House Roanoke said the move just made sense in light of current times. "You don’t often see people coming together. And we really feel like we’re better together as two organizations becoming one and so we’re thrilled about the opportunity," said Aaron Dowdy, executive director of Friendship House. Dowdy went on the explain how both organizations have a similar function in empowering local churches and residents by reaching out and providing emergency services, refugee housing, and English classes among other services and that the two organizations becoming one will not take away from that, but instead expand it. (WDBJ)
5. Huddle Up Moms and Postpartum Support Virginia, two Roanoke-based organizations dedicated to helping parents before and after the birth of their child, have teamed up to open The Haven on 5th, a support center located at 808 5th St. SW between Elm Avenue SW and Mountain Avenue SW. "We envision this as a place where the community can offer educational programs, opportunities to connect moms to resources, hold events such as yoga and other wellness offerings, and much more," said Jaclyn Nunziato, the executive director for Huddle Up Moms. The Haven on 5th officially opened its doors on Feb. 18 and will feature groups and classes dedicated to infant feeding and breastfeeding support, birthing cycles, postpartum support, and mother/baby education, mental health, physical therapy, self-advocacy, and more. You can learn more on the center's social media page here. (WFXR)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Roanoke Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99 percent of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Roanoke Patch newsletter possible.

Today in Roanoke:

• Wake Up, Roanoke by Tech Squared at the Roanoke Regional Chamber Office (8 a.m.)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (8:30 a.m.)
• Trivia Night at Twisted Track Brewpub (6:30 p.m.)
• Music Bingo at Big Lick Brewing Company (6:30 p.m.)
• Steve Hofstetter: Me, Myself, and Id at the Grandin Theatre (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "This red-tailed hawk cannot stand or feed herself on her own, so she needs some hand-feeding assistance from us! In this video the hawk has already made major improvements and can sit up on her own, but she's still a little uncoordinated." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "If you've visited our shelter, you may have seen us carrying puppies around. We don't carry them simply because they are cute and cuddly (although they really are). We actually carry them because they aren't considered fully vaccinated yet. Until they are 6 months old and have all of their booster vaccines, they are still considered susceptible to disease. So, although we sanitize multiple times daily, we take all precautions to keep our puppies and all pets safe. We carry puppies through our hallways, and don't take them for walks where our adult dogs walk." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges: "That’s right! We have ✌️ show announcements this week! Rock fans, we heard you! We’re announcing a rock #FlashbackRewind tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.! (And lots more coming soon!)" (Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges via Facebook)
• City of Roanoke Government: "Black History Month Day 19: Rev. Raymond R. Wilkinson. In 1958, Rev. Raymond R. Wilkinson became the pastor of Hill Street Baptist and served the church for 33 years. He fought for equal rights by challenging segregation laws in Roanoke and battled urban renewal projects that threatened the neighborhoods of Gainsboro and Northeast. In 1963, Rev. Wilkinson and other Black community leaders worked to close a dangerous and smelly open dump in Washington Park." (City of Roanoke Government via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (February 21)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for the Hump Day 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