🌱 'Glory Denied' Opera Coming + Troutville Area Shooting

Good morning, Roanoke! It's time for the Saturday edition of the Roanoke Daily. Let's get this weekend started off right with a quick look at what's happening in town, including updates on...

• Suspect identified in Wednesday night shooting
• Local lawmakers file bills to help protect water supply
• Roanoke natives chosen for national basketball team

Ready to motor?

But first, today's weather:

Decreasing clouds and breezy.

High: 42 Low: 26.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke) and Sen. John Edwards (D-Roanoke) have both filed new bills with the Virginia General Assembly aimed at preventing the pollution of community water sources by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly known as PFAs. The new bills come after the revelation last year that a local chemical company, ProChem, Inc., is allegedly responsible for introducing a “forever chemical” known as GenX into Roanoke's public water supply by releasing the potentially dangerous contaminant in its wastewater in the form of a solution used to clean equipment. PFAs are the subject of growing public health concerns and there are no current regulations that limit the discharge of such chemicals. Both Rasoul's HB2189 and Edward's SB103 would change that. (Roanoke Times)
2. The Botetourt County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting that took place in the area of Westview Road in Troutville on Thursday afternoon. Sheriff Matt Ward shared a Facebook Live video with followers informing them that the Botetourt County E-911 Center received a call about a domestic incident that had elevated to a shooting at 1:21 p.m. One person was taken to the hospital with apparent life-threatening injuries, and another was detained by Botetourt County Detectives for questioning. No arrest has been announced, but the sheriff said the incident was isolated and there is no threat to the general public. Westview Road is located in downtown Troutville near the fire department and the water tower. (WSET)
3. Roanoke City Police identified the suspect in a shooting that occurred around 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday night in the 2300 block of Delaware Avenue NW. 51-year-old Marcus Williamson was taken into custody after getting in a fight with police. Police have not said how they came to suspect Williamson or what lead to the fight with him and his ultimate arrest. The victim in the case was a male but has yet to be identified pending the notification of his family. Williamson was taken to the Roanoke City Police Department to speak with detectives and was charged with second degree murder. (WDBJ)
4. The 2023 McDonald's All-American Games have selected four Roanoke natives to be among the 24 players on the boys basketball team. The players are Joshua Holloway, Drayton Jones, Elijah Mitchell, and Jeremiah Whitmore, who all attend Oak Hill Academy, a boarding school in Grayson County near the border with North Carolina. The four boys were among the over 700 high school basketball players selected for the games that will happen around the country on teams divided into east and west. Former players in the games include Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neil, and LeBron James. (WSLS)
5. Opera Roanoke has announced that they are a recipient of a $15,000 dollar grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The grant will help the Opera begin a new collaboration with producers from Knoxville, Tennessee on a production called "Glory Denied," an opera written about America’s longest-held prisoner of the Vietnam war, Col. Jim Thompson. Brook Tolley, Opera Roanoke's general director, said, "We love doing new operas because one of the great things about them is that generally they are portraying a topic that's really relevant to people. This one, being on the Vietnam War, many people in our community lived through the Vietnam War or served in the Vietnam War. The opera is sung in English and will be on stage at Jefferson Center Feb. 24 and 26. (WFIR)

Today in Roanoke:

• Fun Furniture Painting Classes at Black Dog Salvage (9 a.m.)
• Corey Hunley and Kyle Forry at Starr Hill Pilot Brewery & Side Stage (6 p.m.)
• Salem Mayhem vs. Charlotte Bootleggers at the Salem Civic Center (7 p.m.)
• WWE: “Saturday Night’s Main Event” at Berglund Center Coliseum (7:30 p.m.)
• Big Lick Conspiracy at The Spot on Kirk (8 p.m.)
• Gasoline Alley at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke Police Department: "Roanoke Police Officers were working hard last year to keep you safe — the team answered 83,744 calls for service* in the year 2022! Thank you to the men and women of RPD who bravely served the City of Roanoke in 2022!" (Roanoke Police Department - VA via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Hammer away! This Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is one of many we have gotten this winter. Sapsuckers are a type of woodpecker, which means they like to hammer, and this patient has TONS of wood in his cage to drill into!" (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Peek-a-boo, Alice sees you! And she wants you to take her home! This tuxedo kitty has seen all of her kittens get adopted and now it's time for her to have a home of her own, too. Her foster family says that she is a sweet, social and friendly." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• The Rescue Mission of Roanoke: "This week at Chapel, a guest came forward and accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Thank God for all His good works and blessings at this Mission! ♥️" (The Rescue Mission of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport: "Whether you're connecting flights or looking to explore #NOVA, our daily flights to Washington Dulles International Airport can get you where you need to be! Plan your next adventure on our website: https://www.flyroa.com/ 🛫" (Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport via Facebook)
• Roanoke STARCADE: "DID YOU KNOW we have a back lounge area FULL of all of your favorite retro game consoles loaded with all your favorites from the past? What was YOUR favorite childhood video game?? Come check us out!! Unlimited game play for the price of admission!" (Roanoke STARCADE via Facebook)

There you have it — the Saturday edition! Thanks for following along. I'll see you back 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 Daily? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com