🌱 COVID Milestone Reached + Unidentified Soldier Laid To Rest

Hello! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh copy of the Roanoke Daily. Let's get this Thursday started off with a quick guide to things happening around the 'noke.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy and humid with an afternoon thunderstorm possible.

High: 72 Low: 66.

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Here are the top five stories today in Roanoke:

1. WDBJ anchor Leanna Scachetti and editor Ben Riquelmy have won the regional Murrow Award presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association for an episode of their podcast titled "Bridging the Great Health Divide" about strokes. The episode is part of their "Hometown Stories" series and as regional winners they will now move on to a nationwide competition. (WDBJ)
2. Dr. Cynthia Morrow, head of The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, said our area has passed a terrible milestone and recorded 1,000 COVID-19 related deaths. The record comes as hospitalizations due to the virus have increased in recent weeks and Dr. Morrow fears that's a trend likely to continue into the summer months. (WFIR)
3. A third year student at the Grandin Theater's Film Lab , Reese Robers of Patrick Henry High School, has learned that the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has awarded her its prestigious Trustees Scholarship. "I am beyond stoked to have received this scholarship that will support me as I pursue my education, but it’s especially significant for me because of who it’s coming from," said Robers. She plans to use the $20,000 scholarship in her studies at the University of Virginia this fall. (The Roanoke Star)
4. A Roanoke parent, Catherine Cable, says the city is "leading the way" in getting the gun safety message out by offering free gun locks through Carilion Clinic. Cable, a grant writer for the Groceries Not Guns event, says gun locks can go a long way in preventing school shootings like the one in Uvalde, Texas because "the number one place where children get guns is in their homes." (WFIR)
5. A Roanoke native and World War II soldier left unidentified after a Japanese airstrike on an American air base in the South Pacific has finally been laid to rest after 77 years. Edward Hewitt ‘Pete’ Benson Jr., a private first class, was buried in his family’s plot at Evergreen Burial Park. A company of drill sergeant trainees from Salem’s U.S. Army Reserve Center along with members of the area VFW post stood at attention as Benson’s casket arrived at the cemetery. (Roanoke Times)

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Today in the 'noke:

• Towing Advisory Board Meeting - Roanoke City Council (10 a.m.)
• Party in Elmwood - Roanoke City Special Events (5:30 p.m.)
• Legacy Motown Revue - Downtown Roanoke, Inc. (5:30 p.m.)
• School Board Regular Meeting - Roanoke County (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke says "Whether you know them as whistle pigs, Canada marmots, land beavers, woodchucks or groundhogs, we’re sure you’ve seen them before — but maybe not a baby one! We only get a few orphaned groundhogs a year but their antics make them fun!" (Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools says "Our hearts are with Uvalde, Texas. Tuesday's events have many of us feeling uneasy and uncertain, including our students. We want to remind families that we have resources on our website to help parents and guardians have conversations." (Facebook)
• Roanoke College "would you like to learn about math through gambling and games? That's what this May term course is doing, providing students with both hands-on and computational analysis of the probabilities involved when gambling and playing games." (Instagram)
• Virginia Children's Theatre announces "Youth Professional Ensemble Auditions! Youth Professional Ensemble is an audition-only, educational offering for advanced students who are looking to strengthen their performance skills from top professionals in the industry." (Instagram)
• Downtown Roanoke, Inc. is having a giveaway! "✨ GIVEAWAY ALERT!! ✨ This week, @millmountaintheatre is giving away 10 tickets (5 sets of 2) to see Boy Bands Through the Ages! Today, they're giving away 2 pairs of tickets to the May 28 evening performance. To be entered, comment on the post." (Instagram)
• Tiffany Bradbury, director of communications for Botetourt County says "input is needed for Envision Botetourt to update the county's comprehensive plan. Envision Botetourt 2040 is the most important document for guiding future land development, growth and policy." (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday Jr. See you all tomorrow morning for another update! Oh, and happy first day of summer break to many area students!

— Ian

About me: Ian Graham is a novelist, screenwriter, and freelance contributing writer. His interests are in politics, history, and religion and the stories and characters he writes about are centered on the explosive conflicts created when the three intersect. He is a firm believer in being yourself… unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roanoke Daily? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com