Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Could Roanoke’s grocery tax finally disappear next General Assembly session?

Happening soon: KIDZ BOP LIVE: The Concert Movie - Roanoke on the Roanoke Patch calendar

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Good morning to you Roanoke! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Could Roanoke’s grocery tax finally disappear next General Assembly session?
  • How will Roanoke families handle Virginia’s new youth social media limits?
  • How Roanoke helped launch a lifeline for Virginia’s most vulnerable kids

Also on today's calendar: KIDZ BOP LIVE: The Concert Movie - Roanoke and 3 more events.

Find out what's happening in Roanokefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Sara W.!

Today's riddle: The world champion tongue twister just got arrested! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Find out what's happening in Roanokefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Weather forecast:

  • Tuesday: Turning sunny; windy, colder, with a high of 34 and low of 25 degrees.
  • Wednesday: Breezy and not as cold, temps: high: 42, low: 33.
  • Thursday: Turning cloudy; breezy, with a high of 38 and low of 29 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. State lawmakers prepare for General Assembly session (wdbj7.com) — Roanoke-area lawmakers David Suetterlein and Joe McNamara are heading into the upcoming General Assembly session pushing to eliminate the remaining 1% local sales tax on groceries and hygiene items, which would directly lower Roanoke families’ everyday costs. Their proposals face uncertain prospects in a Democrat-controlled legislature, but they’re putting food-tax relief squarely on the agenda.
   

2. Mental health experts weigh in on new law that puts restrictions on social media for minors (wdbj7.com) — Roanoke mental health experts are reacting to Virginia’s new law limiting social media use for kids under 16 to one hour a day starting January 1. Local wellness advisor Niles Comer supports the move but stresses families need real-world alternatives, like community programs and face-to-face connection, to make it work. He’s urging lawmakers to pair restrictions with resources so Roanoke families aren’t left struggling alone.
   

3. Inside an overburdened system: CASA advocates protect vulnerable children (pilotonline.com) — Roanoke plays a quiet but pivotal role here as the Virginia gateway for CASA, the volunteer program that supports abused and neglected children in juvenile courts. The story follows Virginia Beach and Norfolk advocates who spend hours each week visiting kids, compiling reports for judges, and offering the kind of steady adult presence that overburdened systems often can’t provide.
   

4. Scientists Say Ozempic Could Change How You Feel After Drinking Alcohol (scitechdaily.com) — Roanoke-area volunteers helped Virginia Tech researchers uncover how popular GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic may slow alcohol’s entry into the bloodstream and make people feel less drunk. The small Fralin Biomedical Research Institute study suggests these medications could someday support new treatments for alcohol use, though larger clinical trials are still needed to confirm the early results.
   

📸 Around Roanoke

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📸 Seen on a walk in Penn Forest area —Sara W. Like

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Roanoke

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Recently re-opened under new ownership!
    The inside has been redone and it is a huge improvement! Food is wonderful, prices are comparable and the portions can easily be divided for another… (Nextdoor Garden City)
  • Cleaning business owners have you been in this situation and what you would do?
    I recently had a client reach out and want me to provide a deep clean of their 2500 sqft home with 3 bathrooms, they were moving into. We set a date… (Nextdoor Sugar Loaf Hills)
  • Radford University posted a job opening for Instructor/Assistant Professor, Special Purpose - Nursing in Roanoke. Apply here.
  • Thread True posted a job opening for Team Member in Roanoke. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Roanoke here.

Ok Roanoke! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I hear they’re giving him a really tough sentence.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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