🌱 Gun Violence Prevention Commission Audit + Meet Teacher 'Ms. Q'

Good morning, Roanokers! It's time for the Roanoke Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with what's happening locally, including news on:

• Roanoke College's memorial to area slaves making progress
• City on track with FY 2023 budget
• New rooftop restaurant coming to downtown

Let's go!

But first, today's weather: Cooler with rain and drizzle. High: 48 Low: 38.

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Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. A teacher at the Roanoke Minnick School in Roanoke County is flourishing as a leader at a school where she used to rebel. Quanesha Moyer grew up moving from foster home to foster home and even did time in Coyner Springs Juvenile Detention Center, but that was before an encounter with one teacher changed her forever. "He didn’t care that I just sprayed the whole entire school with a fire extinguisher. He didn’t care that I cussed him out. He didn’t care that I went to the store and stole a soda because I was thirsty. He was just like whatever it takes I’m just going to be here," Moyer said. Moyer's students now know her as Ms. Q and she is thriving as a teacher because of her ability to connect with many of the students on their level — a level she's been at herself. "When they ask, ‘I can’t make it one more day,’ I’m like ‘but look this is what one more day looks like.’ This is like what one more chance of hope looks like. You can make it one more day. Because those one more day turns into one more month and then those one more months turn into years." (WSLS)
2. Roanoke College is moving towards an on-campus memorial for the enslaved individuals who helped build both the college and the county that surrounds it. The Community Vision Committee will soon be reviewing proposals and concepts from six artists. The project is the result of two years of research into campus and county history. Jesse Bucher, the college's historian and head of the Center for Studying Structures of Race said, "We took our time going through college and county archives and collections to ensure we knew as much as we possibly could about the history of enslavement at the college and the surrounding region. Having a large scale piece of public art dedicated to telling the history of enslavement at the college is a really important gesture to indicate that we want to know more about this topic, that we want to make it part of the story we tell about ourselves." The project is expected to be completed in spring 2025. (WFIR)
3. In the wake of much criticism from citizens and organizers of other nonprofits, the City of Roanoke has announced an internal audit into the Gun Violence Prevention Commission. The city says the audit was already scheduled ahead of Tuesday night's city council meeting in which several people spoke out about their concerns over how the commission awarded funds from a $5000,000 grant last year. "It’s not a ‘gotcha’ kind of audit. It’s a, ‘Hey, this is what you didn’t do, this is what we need to do, and here are some recommendations,’" said Mayor Sherman Lea. The commission has been given a total of just over $1.5 million dollars in funds combined from the city budget, from grants, and from the American Rescue Plan Act. Officials said a deeper look at what the money has been spent on is what the audit is all about. "Who is getting the funding? Why are they getting the funding? What was the process? I’m glad that the chairman of the audit committee went to the auditor and said, ‘We need to audit this now,’” said Councilwoman Stephanie Moon Reynolds. (WSLS)
4. City council members were told at Tuesday's meeting that the city is just past the halfway point in Fiscal Year 2023, that things are on track with the budget, and that officials expect there to be a surplus. Appeals of city tax assessments are up for the year after an almost 10 percent adjustment from previous years. At the city manager's office talk has turned towards the capital improvement projects on the slate for FY 2024 with City Manager Bob Cowell sharing a brief update on the Wasena Kayak Park project. "I just today, actually, signed off on the Army Corps of Engineers permitting process. That will be the longest part of that process, is to go through the permitting portion." Additionally, the city says they have earned nearly $500,000 dollars in interest on unspent American Rescue Act funds. (Roanoke Times)
5. A new restaurant is set to be joining the Roanoke city skyline on the 6th and 7th floors of Center In The Square. Six and Sky Rooftop Grille is the latest in the Parry Restaurant Group's portfolio of Virginia eateries that already include Beamer's 25 and Tuco's Taqueria in the Star City. "We’ve always talked about different restaurants, fried chicken, burgers and barbeque, and all these are different, but we had to think about what was something that was different in the market,” said JD Sutphin, who co-owns the restaurant along with Jo Jo Soprano, Brian Brady, and the Parry Restaurant Group. Brady is an avid fisherman and said, "I obviously wanted the menu to be heavily weighted toward seafood. I think it’s desperately needed in Roanoke. If I’ve caught a 400-pound bluefin tuna or a swordfish, I want to figure out how to get that on the menu." Other menu features are expected to be top-quality cuts of meat and food grown in a planned onsite hydroponic garden. (WDBJ)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Views and Brews E-Bike Tours at Roanoke Mountain Adventures (2 p.m.)
• Southern Cities at Big Lick Brewing Company (6:30 p.m.)
• Old Crow Medicine Show at the Berglund Center (7 p.m.)
• Monster Atlantic and Omega Wolfe at The Spot on Kirk (8 p.m.)
• Florencia & The Feeling at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke College: "Theatre Roanoke College presents 'The Importance of Being Earnest.' Performances are at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Feb. 23) through Saturday, Feb. 25 in the Olin Theater. Tickets are $7 for general admission or $5 for seniors/students." (Roanoke College - Salem, VA via Instagram)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Martin, our educational ambassador Barred Owl, sat pretty on his weighing perch earlier this week! Just like our patients, the non-releasable animals we use in our educational programs get checkups, too." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Sheriff's Office: "Last week, The Roanoke City Sheriff's Office had the great pleasure of participating in the Spring Career Quest hosted by the Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board. We had an opportunity to engage with over 3000 students!" (Roanoke Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• Roanoke Police Department: "Chief Roman and staff were at Downtown Roanoke, Inc’s Retail and Restaurant meeting yesterday morning to talk about any issues and concerns business owners in the downtown area have. Thank you for inviting us to your meeting!" (Roanoke Police Department - VA via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Nala, Blue, Little Lou, and Poncho have all been in our shelter longer than normal and we just don't understand why. These cats are playful, spunky, loving, and highly entertaining! For more info and to schedule a meet and greet with any of these fun felines, visit: https://rvspca.org/availability/adopt/" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to go out and enjoy this Saturday — if the crazy weather cooperates. 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