🌱 New Faith-Based Addiction Center Opens + Shady Hotel Goes 'Bye Bye'

Hello again! I hope you're having a great weekend. It's been pretty chill here at my house, which is never a bad thing. Let's take a look at some local happenings.

First, today's weather:

A thunderstorm around in the p.m.

High: 86 Low: 70.

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Here are the top five stories today in Roanoke:

1. The Roanoke Greenway is set to get one step (well, technically a lot of steps) closer to being the interconnected, valley-wide walking and biking trail it's envisioned to be as Roanoke County embarks on constructing a new section. The addition will be a ten-foot wide trail running along the east side of the Roanoke River next to the Blue Ridge Parkway near where it crosses over Highland Road. Officials said the project has been in planning for years, but was just recently approved and the grant funding secured. The county is scheduled to begin moving earth in October with a targeted completion time of six months. (Roanoke Times)
2. The former Ramada Inn located at the corners of Franklin Road and Brandon Avenue is coming down piece by piece as crews finally begin the demolition process. Crews spent months removing asbestos from the property before bringing in a machine known as 'The Muncher' to create a pile of rubble where there was once a shady hotel. The city of Roanoke purchased the property earlier in the year with the intention of stabilizing the property, which has been, in part, the cause of flooding in the area in recent years. "I think we’re a little bit ahead of schedule from where we thought we would be. The purchase went quickly. The abatement work was successful. There weren’t any major issues, so we’ve been able to get the project done pretty quickly. The work at this point entails grading the site so it drains properly, stabilizing it, making sure there is grass growing, and essentially just a big clean site," said Marcus Aguilar, a civil engineer with the city's Stormwater Division. (WDBJ)
3. The Eastern Appalachian Adult & Teen Challenge, a faith-based addiction treatment program for men, women and teenagers, hosted its grand opening Saturday at its new office on Colonial Avenue in Roanoke. The new location is one of over two hundred Adult & Teen Challenge centers located across the nation that focus on the body, mind and spirit of recovering addicts. "We help those with life-controlling issues to get help and give them another outlet or have another chance at life if they’ve messed up or anything like that," said Outreach Director Shaquan Roman. (WSLS, Adult & Teen Challenge website)
4. The Roanoke Comedy Fest, a multi-day, multi-venue celebration of live comedy, will return to the Star City for its second year. This year's lineup will include three national acts, Rahmein Mostafavi, Jono Zalay and Brent Blakeney along with several regional and local performers including Melissa Douty and Rob Ruthenberg. The festival is put on by Alternative Arts Inc. who said its mission is to highlight underrepresented art forms in the Roanoke Valley. "Comedy is, beyond a wonderful form of entertainment, an essential tool for social criticism and self-reflection. It’s as necessary as it’s ever been, and our goal is to increase accessibility to live comedy experiences in our region," organizers wrote in a statement. Proceeds from events hosted by Alternative Arts go to fund free and low-cost arts education programs in the area. (WSET, Alternative Arts website)
5. Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, an author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films according to his Wikipedia entry, may have produced as many as six of those films when his company was headquartered on Henry Street in Roanoke in the early to mid 1920s. Micheaux is now featured in "Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971," a major exhibit dedicated to Black Cinema that recently opened in Los Angeles at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. "He’s an artist and a businessman and moviemaking is an art and a business. Micheaux was absolutely critical for thinking about how to get your voice across and to really reach audiences with that work," said Jacqueline Stewart, the museum's president and director. If you're not planning on being in Los Angeles any time soon the museum has created a microsite for the exhibit. (WDBJ, Wikipedia)

Today in Roanoke:

• Bow Wow Brunch to benefit Angels of Assisi at Big Lick Brewing Company (10 a.m.)
• Sycamore Sundays at Sycamore Snacks (Noon)
• The Greater Virginia Bridal Show at the Berglund Center (1 p.m.)
• Racial Truth and Reconciliation Prayer Vigil at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial (4 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "It has been a busy week for Roanoke Fire-EMS! We have had three working fires since Tuesday morning, which resulted in not one, but TWO saves by our personnel at different incidents!" (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Police Department: "Please help us wish a happy National Dog Day to the RPD K-9s! These are some of the best, hardest working pups we know. They all love playing with their toys, snacking on some treats, and spending time with their human partners." (Roanoke Police Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "When we received a call from Rowe Furniture earlier this summer, we were thrilled. They wanted to hold a pet food drive for us among their employees. Pet food is one of the most needed supplies in our shelter!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Roanoke Outside: "Happy National Dog Day! Is your pup ready to participate in the Doggy Cross at this year's Go Cross Race September 17 and 18? Find out how in the link in our profile! Volunteers needed!" (Roanoke Outside via Instagram)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Tickets are now available for our annual fundraising gala! Meet LIVE wild animals in person, bid on awesome and unique auction items, heavy hors d'oeuvres, dance to The Kings, and meet the center's staff and other fellow wildlife enthusiasts!" (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)

Alrighty! You're officially in the loop for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning.

— 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.

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