🌱 More Info On Officer-Involved Shooting + Troutville Dentist Fire

It's Friday! Hello and good morning everyone! It's time for the Roanoke Daily, fresh off my keyboard and straight to your inbox as promised. Here are all the things you need to know about what's happening in town, including:

• New owner for downtown indoor gardening business
• A new old location for Virginia ABC
• An update on the Star City Works program

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 43 Low: 32.

Business owners and marketers in Roanoke:

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Blue Ridge Hydroponics, a store dedicated to providing indoor, year-round gardening and hydroponic supplies, has a new owner in Brennan Byerly. Byerly is a former Roanoker who has recently returned to the Star City and is the new sole owner of the store. She is hoping to bring classes that last longer than a single day including some six-week courses on how to grow and how hydroponics work. She said, "We really, really want to bring our own soil into the store and do compost for the community where people can bring their compost here and we can turn it into soil." The store is located on 5th Street near the intersection with Marshall Avenue. (WFIR)
2. More information has become available on the officer-involved shooting that happened early Wednesday morning at the Leehy Manor Apartments off Brandon Avenue. Roanoke City Police said they received a call about a trespasser and a fight and when they responded, they found a man on the sidewalk near the laundry facility. When an officer tried to speak with the man, he became aggressive, made threats to kill the officer, and pulled out a knife, moving towards the officer. RCPD Police Chief Sam Roman said the man ignored officers' warnings to stop and forced an officer to use his firearm to prevent the oncoming threat. "It just seems like the world has done lost their mind. The police did what he had to do. He had to shoot him," said nearby resident Harry Eggleston. (WSLS)
3. A new Virginia ABC store will be moving into downtown Roanoke at 121 Campbell Ave. SE. The location has a historic significance in that it once housed a Virginia ABC store for 31 years from 1952 - 1983 before that store moved to a new location on Williamson Road. "Returning to our original downtown location here in Roanoke allows us to better serve our customers. This is an especially convenient stop for commuters, residents, and visitors to the beautiful heart of the city," said Virginia ABC CEO Travis Hill. A grand opening will be held on Jan. 30 and will feature a ribbon cutting, brief remarks from area officials, and longer than normal store hours. Regular hours and more information can be found at the Virginia ABC website. (WFIR, WSLS)
4. The Star City Works program from the Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board launched six months ago with the intent of helping area businesses fill staffing shortages. Since then, in addition to helping make the connection between companies and workers, it has offered classes to help current employees increase their skills. "We’re working with Roanoke City residents on an individual level to address some barriers that are preventing them from being able to reenter the workforce. Those are things like child care, transportation, and housing, and we’re actually able to provide support services to folks for those things," said Danielle Hart, the board’s special projects director. The board hopes to expand the program further by offering new job seeking activities in the near future. (WDBJ)
5. The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene of a fire on the evening of Jan. 24 and found flames coming from the offices of Dr. Scott K. Miller, a dentist located at the corner of Lee Highway and Maple Avenue in Troutville. Firefighters were able to get the flames under control and save parts of the building. Fire officials are investigating the cause of the fire and no injuries were reported. The fire started shortly before 5:30 p.m. according to Fire Chief Zach Backner. "No one was there, it was locked up for the day. So that’s why we did have to force entry into that front door to make our way to the fire. But the fire was really contained to the one kind of lab room," he said. Damages are estimated at $50,000. (WFXR, WSLS)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Roanoke:

• Joyce Waugh Retirement Celebration Happy Hour at The Shenandoah Club (2 p.m.)
• Concert for the Human Family with Kory Caudill + Wordsmith at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center (7 p.m.)
• Line Dancing with Ashton at Corned Beef & Co. (7 p.m.)
• Crawford & Power with Will Overman at 5 Points Music Sanctuary (8 p.m.)
• The Snozzberries at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "A-tisket a-tasket, a opossum in a basket! This Virginia Opossum was confiscated by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources from someone who had illegally kept this opossum as a pet. Wildlife are NOT pets and should not be taken from their habitats!" (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges: "🚨 Breaking News! 🚨 The Northwest Ace Hardware Summer Concert Series is officially back for 2023! Keep an eye out for national act announcements coming soon! Who do you want to see this year at Dr Pepper Park? Let us know below!" (Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges via Facebook)
• Roanoke Public Libraries: "It might be #NationalShelfieDay but we were busy unloading over 17,000 books this morning at the Main Library. These books will be used for festivals, fairs, and the incredible Star City Reads program. A huge thank you to our wonderful staff who moved, labeled, and shelved all of these books today. You are our shining stars!" (Roanoke Public Libraries via Facebook)
• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "Staff from Station 5 recently helped the Compress & Shock Foundation facilitate a community CPR and AED training. Knowing how to respond during sudden cardiac arrest can save a life! For more information about how you can participate in a training like this, visit compressandshock.org." (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Downtown Roanoke, Inc.: "Unleashed Dog Bakery & Boutique is supporting Downtown Roanoke Restaurant Week by giving away a free bakery case treat to individuals who present their Restaurant Week meal receipts! 🐕 Stop by now through Saturday to get your pup a treat!" (Downtown Roanoke, Inc. via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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There you have it — you're all caught up for today. I'll be back tomorrow morning with a new update and that's a promise ... or is it a threat? Oh, I'm not sure. It depends on how much you like me, I guess.

— 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