🌱 Police Rescue Great Horned Owl + Court Appearance Scam Calls

Good morning, everybody! We had some sort of weird glitch yesterday and the system sent out the St. Patrick's Day edition again — I guess we'll blame it on too much partying over the holiday. But fear not, glitches willing, here's the Tuesday edition of the Roanoke Patch Newsletter with all the important things happening in town. Including news on:

• Hollins house fire reported.
• LEAP's Farm subscription program.
• State Rehousing Grant.

Ready?

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 61 Low: 41.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Roanoke City police officers discovered a baby Great Horned Owl on the front porch of a residence after some recent high winds. The fluffy little fellow was taken to Southwest Virginia Wildlife Rescue for assessment and staff there said the owlet has likely been displaced, meaning he's not been fed by his parents for at least two days. A thorough exam revealed that despite being a baby he's strong and powerful and healthy. "Finding baby raptors on the ground CAN be normal, but it also can be a sign of concern — always call us so we can troubleshoot on what to do in these situations," the center said. (WSET, WDBJ)
2. The Farm Share program from The Local Environmental Agriculture Project is helping area residents enjoy food from different area farmers. Residents can buy a subscription and receive a delivery of locally grown fruits and vegetables. "It lets farmers be farmers, and we handle the rest for them. It used to be just a couple stops. Now we have four stops. It used to be serviced out of the back of our cars and now we have an electric delivery vehicle that we get to take it around town, which is an awesome growth," said Kyra Crawford, Food Hub manager for LEAP. For more information about the program and subscriptions click here. (WDBJ)
3. Roanoke County Fire and Rescue were called to the scene of a fire on the 100 block of Plymouth Drive in the Hollins area of the county shortly before 8:30 a.m. Crews found heavy smoke coming from a brick home but reported no injuries despite the home being occupied at the time of the fire. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated and later reported that the fire originated in the kitchen and damages were estimated at $60,000. The family of three who lived at the home were displaced but are staying with family in the area. (WFIR)
4. Roanoke County Police Department is warning citizens of current phone scams targeting the area. Scammers are calling people pretending to be sergeants with the police and telling them they have to pay a fee for a missed court appearance. The department says officers and court representatives will never ask for a digital payment and if you're required to appear in court, you will be notified by mail and in person either by a police officer or court summons delivery contractor. The department says people who have experienced these scam calls should call the Emergency Communication Center at 540-562‐3265 to report it. (WFXR)
5. The Roanoke region has been awarded a $203,610 dollar grant out of $12 million in Virginia Housing Trust Fund Homeless Reduction Grants, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced. The recipient of the grant is the Council of Community Services Rapid Rehousing 2023 program that serves Alleghany, Botetourt, Roanoke, and Craig counties as well as the cities within those boundaries. "A critical element of our pursuit of new businesses in the Commonwealth is the housing needed to support these economic development efforts. This funding will help us protect our most vulnerable populations, address Virginia’s housing supply problem and ensure that homelessness in the Commonwealth is rare, brief and nonrecurring," said Youngkin. (Roanoke Star)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Roanoke:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Free Stuff And Great Perks Every Week (8:30 a.m.)
• Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Employer Certification (10 a.m.)
• Fair Housing Board Meeting — Roanoke City Council (4 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "This is WHY you bring window-strike birds into rehab! These are two photos of the same bird (Dark-eyed Junco), but the first photo is before treatment and the second photo is several days after treatment." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "We've had many pets come through our shelter who are partially or fully blind. Sometimes they are born that way, or they may have an injury or disease that can cause vision loss, or they may be getting cataracts as they age. Whatever the cause, vision-impaired cats and dogs can live very happy healthy lives!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: "We love our 'Jewel of the Blue Ridge'! From sunrise to sunset, views of Smith Mountain Lake are always breathtaking. Enjoy boating, swimming, kayaking, and more! We'd love to know, how would you spend a day on the lake?" (Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge via Facebook)
• Roanoke Symphony Orchestra: "Purchase tickets for Wimmer's Blue Ridge Parkway Violin. The first violin to have 100 tickets sold will have $200 donated to their charity of choice. Wimmer has chosen the SixtyForty Corporation. Visit www.rso.com/raffle for a chance to win!" (Roanoke Symphony Orchestra via Facebook)
• 3rd Street Coffeehouse: "Here’s what’s going on at 3rd Street Coffeehouse for the week of March 19! Please like and share to help us get the word out!" (3rd Street Coffeehouse via Facebook)

That's it for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com