🌱 Local Ties To Oscar Nomination + Famous Anthony's Settlement

Welcome back, Roanoke! It's the Saturday edition of the Roanoke Daily to get you up to speed on what's going on in town, including news about...

• LOA's Soup For Seniors update
• USPS problems for some area residents
• City jail being investigated

Let's motair!

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and not as cool.

High: 55 Low: 34.

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Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. A settlement has been reached in the Hepatitis A lawsuit against Famous Anthony's. During a hearing in Roanoke's federal court the details of the settlement were made public, and the amount revealed to be $14 million. But the settlement isn't the end of the road for the lawsuits or those involved. Because the two Famous Anthony's locations filed for bankruptcy, the case will now return to bankruptcy court where it will be decided who will get what from the settlement amount. The process is expected to take a while as it will involve a medical claims examiner. U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski said he hopes the settlement will "bring some resolution to this tragic situation." (Roanoke Times)
2. Some Roanoke residents have been reporting sporadic mail service from the U.S. Postal Service in recent months. The USPS says this is because of the same staffing issues being faced by many businesses across the area and the country. Martin Morrison, a small business owner in Roanoke City, said, "I was having this conversation with this client. I don’t have your check. You need to make sure you sent it. You need to make sure it got to the mailbox and everything else. Five weeks later that check showed up, postmarked on the date he said he sent it. There’s been times in the past where we get mail two days a week. And the other days are missed." A representative for the USPS, Philip Bogenberger, said they're doing everything they can to make sure mail is delivered every day and have been setting up a table regularly at the Virginia Career Works Roanoke Center each week in hopes of attracting more employees. If you know anyone in need of a stable job, more information on USPS hiring can be found here. (WDBJ)
3. A woman with ties to Roanoke has been nominated (again) for an Academy Award in the category of Costume Design. Ruth E. Carter has been a costume designer in Hollywood for over 30 years and has worked on films including 'Malcolm X,' 'Shaft,' and 'Black Panther.' Her most recent nomination stems from the 2,100 costumes she designed for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.' She has won seven previous awards including an Oscar for the first 'Black Panther' in 2018. In 2021-22, Carter's designs were featured in an exhibition titled 'Afrofuturism in Costume Design' at the Taubman Museum of Art. Executive Director of the Taubman Museum of Art Cindy Petersen said, "It was just fabulous having her costumes, her story, that visual communication, storytelling, and those narratives of culture race, and politics." (WSLS)
4. The Local Office On Aging's annual Soup for Seniors program is preparing to take up area collections on Jan. 30 to deliver to 2,750 area senior citizens. The program's goal this year is to collect 45,000 pounds of soup and the LOA committee has targeted the 500 homebound seniors in the Meals On Wheels program for the top of the list. LOA President & CEO Ron Boyd said that for many of the seniors in their program, the meals provided by LOA may be the only meal they have all day and can be a good reminder in the cold winter months that their community has not forgotten about them. Donations don't have to be soup, but can be any non-perishable item deemed "shelf stable" or monetary. A list of collection sites and links to donate can be found here. (WDBJ)
5. The Virginia State Police are investigating a case of possible deputy misconduct at the Roanoke City Jail in downtown Roanoke. Details of the incident are being kept under wraps until the investigation is concluded, but the Sheriff's Office wants to be clear that there is no threat to the facility or its residents. The matter is said to be an isolated incident and the results of the investigation will be forwarded to the Roanoke City Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for further legal action if warranted. (WFXR)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Fun Furniture Painting Classes at Black Dog Salvage (9 a.m.)
• 10 Year Anniversary Party at Parkway Brewing Company (Noon)
• Introductory Camera Class at the History Museum of Western Virginia (1 p.m.)
• Guns and Hoses Hockey Game at the Berglund Center Coliseum (6 p.m.)
• Goldings Bernstein Stewart Jazz Trio at the Jefferson Center (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "We are thrilled to announce that our first Fire Station Foster, Caiden, has officially been ADOPTED! 🥳 As if that weren't good news enough, he went home with one of our staff! Caiden went to his forever home with Firefighter/Paramedic Nick Rice after spending the morning with his new friends in our admin office." (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Police Department: "Our friends at Mission BBQ donated a great meal to the staff and recruits at the Roanoke Police Academy today! We’re so grateful to have kind, supportive community partners. #RPDpride" (Roanoke Police Department via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Watch Captain Jack Sparrowhawk, our educational ambassador American Kestrel, come to the glove for food during a training session in slow motion!" (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Virginia Museum of Transportation: "Our new mural: Who is excited to see the finished product? 🖌🎨 We want to give a special thank you to the students of Patrick Henry for dedicating their time to helping in the creation of this masterpiece. These students are each creatively talented, have fine attention to detail, and played such a valuable role in bringing this mural to life!" (Virginia Museum of Transportation via Instagram)
• Roanoke STARCADE: "🚨 2 NEW GAMES! 🚨 We got Deadstorm Pirates and a new Alpine Ski game! Come check it out today and be the first to give 'em a whirl! 🤩 #roanokestarcade #arcade #videogames #videogamemuseum #arcademuseum #arcadegames #centerinthesquare" (Roanoke STARCADE via Facebook)

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That's it for today! I'll be back tomorrow with a new update. Enjoy your Saturday!

— 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