🌱 Northside Middle School Teachers Honored + Moyer Complex Upgrade

Hello again, everybody! It's Wednesday and I'm back as promised. Are you ready to take a look at what's going on as we begin the arduous journey up and over on this Hump Day?

This edition includes news on...

• Advice from the American Red Cross on hurricane prep.
• A specialty lamination company is opening in Roanoke.
• And a local entrepreneur is honored at the state level!

Here we go!

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny.

High: 68 Low: 46.

Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. With Hurricane Ian bearing down on Florida and likely to make landfall as a Category 3 storm WDBJ 7 and the American Red Cross teamed up to offer some advice on whatever may come our way as the storm moves north. Jackie Grant with the American Red Cross said the organization is already preparing for the storm and has teams deploying to Florida, but that people here at home in Roanoke can get ready by having an emergency kit on hand that includes things like water, prescription medications, and a first aid kit. "Before this rain comes, or whatever we have in the next few days, think about making a [blood] donation early because the blood that is already on the shelf is what people are going to need for emergency situations. We don’t want to wait," she added. (WDBJ)
2. Northside Middle School teachers Amber Benson and Ruby Voss were recognized Monday by the Association of Middle-Level Education when they received the National Educator of the Year Award! The two eighth grade co-teachers, nicknamed The Dynamic Duo, were honored in a ceremony at their school where they heard from current students as well as former students and parents in a videotaped message. "We love what we do, and we know that teaching eighth-grade math is not for everyone, but to say look we are really awesome at this thing that we do is incredible,” said Benson. The pair will next be recognized at the annual conference of the Association of Middle-Level Education this November. (WSLS)
3. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced recently that North American Specialty Laminations, a lamination solutions company serving the window, door, cabinet, furniture, and other building industries, has chosen Roanoke County as the site of its newest operations center. The new center will create 44 jobs and will invest $2 million in a facility located on Benois Road in the Cave Spring area. "North American Specialty Laminations’ decision to establish its mid-Atlantic operation here confirms Roanoke’s building industry sector, the strength of our transportation logistics, and the reliability of a skilled workforce. We are pleased to welcome NASL to the valley’s diverse manufacturing community,” said Paul Mahoney, chairman of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. The state funded Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Roanoke County to secure the project. (Roanoke Star)
4. Virginia's junior senator Tim Kaine is hosting an event in Richmond next Monday to honor and recognize people who have done extraordinary work in Virginia over the last year. One of those people is Roanoke's own Karyna Nevarez, Carilion's inclusion coordinator at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and the co-owner of Delicias Boricuas, a catering business and restaurant in Downtown Roanoke she opened with her husband, Carlos, that features Puerto Rican dishes. In a statement, Kaine's office said that in addition to her role as a business owner, "Nevares also works to enhance cultural competence for [VTCM's] students, staff, and faculty by designing and presenting workshops and trainings through the school’s identity-focused student organization." (WSLS, Delicias Boricuas, Senator Kaine's website)
5. The Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, which opened in April of 1992 and has hosted more than 250,000 guests a year for each of its 30 years since, is beginning a multimillion-dollar renovation project. "Whenever you use a facility 7 days a week for about 10 months out of the year it shows wear,” said John Shaner, Salem’s director of Parks and Recreation. Artist renderings show the $27.5 million renovation will improve parking, add a new playground and a skate park, and three new pickleball courts in an effort to keep the facility on the cutting edge and a destination for teams and tournaments across Virginia. Salem City leaders said they hope the project will be completed by September 2024 and that the fields will be back in use by February 2024. (WSLS, Moyer Complex website)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Easton Corbin Live presented by Star-B-Q at the Salem Farmers Market (5 p.m.)
• Views and Brews presented by Roanoke Mountain Adventures (6 p.m.)
• Ben Trout Band at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

This Weekend in Roanoke:

• Brett Young at the 2022 Budweiser Summer Series at Elmwood Park (Friday, 7 p.m.)
• Fall Waterways Cleanup sponsored by Clean Valley Council (Saturday, All Day)
• Mountain Magic In Fall Festival in Buchanan Town Park (Saturday, opens at 10 a.m.)
• Wicked Acres 2nd Annual Fall Festival at Garrett Farms in Salem (Saturday, Noon)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Happy tails to all of the pets who found new loving homes this past week, Sept. 19 - 24. Congratulations adopters for bringing home your new best friends! Pictured are a few of the pets who went home last week! 💜" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Roanoke Outside: "Meet people... ride bikes. Our friends at @cardinalbicycle have group rides five days a week if you're interested in finding a crew to ride with!" (Roanoke Outside via Instagram)
• Downtown Roanoke, Inc.: "It's hard to believe that The Roanoke Times Dickens of a Christmas is just 67 days away. 🎄 We are accepting vendor applications for Dickens! Download the application, complete the form, and email it to us now!" (Downtown Roanoke, Inc. via Instagram)
• City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority: "We are excited to announce that effective today, Lansdowne Park's waitlist is opening for 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom size. Call 540-983-9282 for more information!" (City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority via Facebook)
• The Rescue Mission of Roanoke: "Every Saturday, hundreds of our neighbors, friends, and family members drive through the Manna Food Pantry food box line because they are in need of food. Many of these families have homes, they just need a bit of help with putting food on the table. Can you help? A $150 donation to the Rescue Mission will ensure 30 Manna boxes for families in need." (The Rescue Mission of Roanoke via Facebook)

There we go. You're all set for this Wednesday. I'll see 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. To connect with Ian you can visit him on Facebook and Instagram. He doesn't bite. Usually.

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