🌱 Gainsboro Library Historical Marker + Hollins Awarded STEM Grant

Hello fellow Roanokers! It's time for the Roanoke Patch Newsletter, all about what's happening in the community today. In today's issue, you'll find news about...

• New all abilities playground at Glenvar Elementary.
• Roanoke man accused of deadly Blacksburg hookah lounge shooting found guilty.
• LOA Secures $440000 Towards Transportation Services for Seniors.

Let's motor! 🏎

But first, today's weather: Sunny and pleasant. High: 79 Low: 54.

Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Glenvar Elementary School has a brand-new all-abilities accessible playground. School board chairman Brent Hudson spearheaded the $80,000 project to replace the antiquated equipment and dirt/wood chips with a rubber surface and wheelchair-friendly equipment, allowing kids with disabilities to play independently. This is part of a broader effort by the school board to update all of the 25-plus-year-old playgrounds in Roanoke County to be ADA compliant and inclusive. (WDBJ)
2. On Tuesday, a Montgomery County jury found Jamel Flint guilty of first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and other felonies for the 2022 shooting at a Blacksburg hookah lounge that killed Patrick Henry high schooler Isiah Robinson and injured four others. The prosecution argued Flint was seeking revenge after being shot himself in Roanoke, while Flint claimed he fired in self-defense after seeing someone outside the lounge with a gun. Despite Flint's testimony, the jury rejected his self-defense claim and convicted him of Robinson's murder and the malicious wounding of the other victims. Flint is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 16. (WSLS)
3. The Gainsboro Branch Library in Roanoke, the first public library for African Americans in western Virginia when it opened in 1921, now houses the city's largest Black history collection thanks to librarian Virginia Y. Lee. Lee petitioned for a new library building in the 1930s and arranged land from a local church when funding was insufficient. When officials later demanded she remove Black history books, Lee bravely hid them in the basement, preserving materials that made the library a hub for Roanoke's African American community. Lee's impact is recognized in a new state historical marker, approved after extensive research and advocacy by historian Nelson Harris, that will be unveiled at the library on Thursday. (Cardinal News)
4. The Local Office on Aging was recently granted $440,000 to support more environmentally sustainable transportation services for seniors in Roanoke, expanding access and mobility. The funds enabled the purchase of three new passenger vans to provide non-emergency medical transportation to doctors' visits, pharmacies, and grocery stores in Roanoke, Roanoke County, Craig County, and for the first time, Botetourt County. Implemented in August 2023, the expanded services helped reduce a 96-person waiting list and, according to LOA President Ron Boyd, are a "game changer" in fulfilling LOA's mission of helping seniors remain independent, especially for new Botetourt County residents now able to utilize these vital resources. Overall, the program added 1278 new non-emergency medical rides and 3,000 additional one-way trips. (Roanoke Star)
5. Hollins University received a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund the Artemis Scholarship Program for Women in STEM. The program aims to support undergraduates in biology, environmental science, chemistry, and math in achieving higher education and landing the first woman and person of color on the moon. According to Assistant Professor Mary Jane Carmichael, current Hollins students were actively involved in designing the student-centered initiative to provide resources and mentorship to help scholars navigate from college to graduation to the workforce. Starting in 2024-25, the potentially transformative scholarships will build a network of support at Hollins and prepare strong, diverse leaders in the STEM fields. (WDBJ)

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Today in Roanoke:

Thursday, September 14

• Gainsboro Library Historical Marker Unveiling at 15 Patton Ave. NW in Roanoke (4 p.m.)
• Gaymer Night at the Roanoke Diversity Center (4 p.m.)
• Part Time Party Time Band and Countryman Jamaican Grill at Elmwood Park (5:30 p.m.)
• Life with the Afterlife: True tales of the Paranormal at the Berglund Center (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Botetourt County Sheriff's Office: "Sheriff Ward and Cloverdale Elementary School Resource Officer Hamilton recently joined Cloverdale Elementary School Principal Mrs. Rooney and her staff to celebrate Grandparents Day." (Botetourt County Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• PLAY Roanoke: "Please join us in congratulating our very own Samantha Matson on winning the Outstanding New Professional Award at this year's VRPS: Virginia Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference! ⁠ 👏👏👏👏👏⁠" (PLAY Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Pinball Museum: "Evan’s confident look isn’t just for show. He smashed the competition at GET TILTED! last Saturday night and took home the miniature Julie machine… which is fun for kids and adults alike, no foolin’!" (Roanoke Pinball Museum via Facebook)
• Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges: "You don't have to dream on for a great show. Just walk this way to Dr Pepper Park Sept. 29 for all the sweet emotion from RagDolls Aerosmith Tribute! They will have you not wanting to miss a thing and going crazy!" (Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Our Community Cat Crew works hard to keep local community cat populations cared for. These cats are trapped, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, checked over by a veterinarian, and returned back into their home territory." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Instagram)

You're all caught up for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early 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