🌱 RCPS Debuts New Safety App + Suspect In Road Rage Incident Guilty

Hey, everybody! I hope you're having a good, relaxing weekend so far. Here's the Sunday edition of the Roanoke Daily with what's happening in the community we call home. Today you'll learn about these stories and more...

• Another roundabout is coming to town
• Woman sentenced in church kidnapping case
• Something big, green, and hilarious coming to Mill Mountain

Lessgo!!!

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and warmer.

High: 52 Low: 26.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. A Roanoke man, Keandra S. Smith, 30, was charged with second degree murder in the June shooting death Grover W. Edwards III, 40, after the two exchanged words and got in a fight after Edwards pulled out in front of Smith on Williamson Road. The fight escalated when Smith obtained a firearm from his car and shot Edwards in the head and leg. Friday afternoon in Roanoke Circuit Court, Smith pled guilty in exchange for the charges being downgraded to voluntary manslaughter. Multiple people, including a nurse who tried to save Edwards' life after he'd been shot, were called as witnesses and Smith's sentencing has been scheduled for April 14th. (Roanoke Times)
2. Plans for a roundabout at the intersection of Main Street, Elm Avenue, and Ferdinand Avenuehave been added to the upcoming Wasena Bridge project. The construction is expected to start in the spring and take about two years to complete. An engineer with Roanoke City said they plan to offer the old log cabin that once housed B&D Comics as city surplus in hopes that someone will apply to move the structure to another location, but if that doesn't happen the old building will be demolished. (WSLS)
3. A Giles County woman, Nancy Fridley, was sentenced January 9th to 25 years in prison with 10 years suspended for charges that included child abduction and child neglect. Fridley pled guilty to kidnapping a two-year-old boy from a church in Giles County in May 2021 and was spotted near the nurseries of several other area churches in Roanoke and Clifton Forge before the incident occurred. Witnesses testified to her continuing mental health issues and said she was not taking her medication at the time, but prosecutors still pushed the court for a sentence above the recommended sentence of three years and seven months. The judge agreed. Fridley will have five years of probation once she is released from prison. (WDBJ)
4. Roanoke City Public Schools debuted one of 25 new safety measures the district is working to implement on Friday, an app called SchoolGuard designed to notify police when an active threat may be occurring. "Post Columbine, post-Parkland, post-Uvalde and now in Newport News, we have this and we’re pleased to have this and roll this out to our staff because I think we can improve response times which can save lives,” Chris Perkins, Chief Operations Manager for Roanoke City Schools, said. The app will improve response times by allowing teachers and other staff to directly alert police to an incident rather than having to notify a supervisor and wait as the notification travels up the chain of command. (WSLS)
5. Mill Mountain Theatre has announced one of its 2023 winter holiday shows will be Elf The Musical, based on the 2003 film starring SNL comedian Will Ferrell. "We were so excited to get the call, confirming our eligibility to produce Elf the Musical. This heartwarming and family-centric musical will be a great way to dive into the 2023 holiday season and is the perfect finale to our Season of Song," said Said Ginger Poole, Producing Artistic Director. The show will launch on November 29th, 2023 and run through December 23rd on the Trinkle Main Stage. Both local and professional performers will be featured. (WFIR)

Today in Roanoke:

• Hollins-Mill Mountain Winter Festival of New Works at Hollins University (2 p.m.)
• Star City Cruise E-Bike Tour at Roanoke Mountain Adventures (3 p.m.)
• Double Elimination Pinball Tournament at the Roanoke Pinball Museum (6 p.m.)
• Open Mic Coffey Jams at 5 Points Music Sanctuary (5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Not the usual patient at our friends Veterinarians to Cats! One of our patients, an American Beaver needed to get a vaccination that we normally don't have on hand. While beavers are nothing like cats (one is a rodent and one is a carnivore) both are mammals and some similar physiology and needs and some vaccines work across species." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Police Department: "Please welcome the newest Roanoke Police Officers – Officer Matheson, Officer Sanchez, and Officer Veal! All three were sworn in today and are ready to join the Patrol Bureau. These three certified officers came to Roanoke from other agencies. They’d served their communities in other states, but wanted to continue working as a law enforcement officer here in Virginia." (Roanoke Police Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "Say hello to our very first Fire Station Foster, Caiden! 🐶 Caiden spent the day getting lots of love at Admin and Station 1. We heard he is a lab/pit mix, but a very careful analysis revealed that he is 100% good boy!" (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Have you ever slipped in the tub and had your life flash before your eyes? Well just as that can be scary for us humans, bath time can be a little scary for our furry friends too! But there are ways to make bath time - fun time! Check out this Fear Free guide to bathing your canine companion!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Downtown Roanoke, Inc.: "Get your green shirts, hats, and accessories ready for the Freedom First St. Patrick's Day Parade and Shamrock Festival on March 11, 2023! 🍀 We are now accepting parade and vendor applications." (Downtown Roanoke, Inc. via Facebook)

There you have it! That's it for today. I'll see you tomorrow morning for the dreaded Monday edition! 😱😱😱

— 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