🌱 Revitalization In Gainsboro Hits A Snag + CROP Walk For Hunger

Hello, everybody! We've made it through Monday and I'm here with the Tuesday edition of the Roanoke Daily. Today I'll cover these stories and more:

• Area gas prices on the rise again.
• A local bank joins a nationwide awareness campaign.
• Area farmers struggling.

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny and comfortable.

High: 70 Low: 51.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. First the bad news again. As I'm sure you've noticed the prices posted outside the gas station are going up again. According to Gas Buddy, prices have risen 20.6 cents over the past week alone to an average of $3.44 a gallon. That means prices are over 15 percent higher than they were this time last month and Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said it's the third week of nationwide increases. "With OPEC+ deciding to cut oil production by two million barrels a day, we’ve seen oil prices surge 20 percent, which is the primary factor in the national average rising for the third straight week." He went on to say that he expects the rise to be between 10 and 30 cents a gallon and that "for now, I don’t expect much improvement in prices for most of the country." (WDBJ)
2. First Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Roanoke was the site of this year's CROP Walk for Hunger, which coordinators say is a walk to end food insecurity in Southwest Virginia and beyond. The event has raised $13,000 so far, but organizer Janet Chisom said it's not just about raising money. "Walking in solidarity with others... getting a bunch of other organizations and churches together to walk together on behalf of others that walk to get food, to get health care, to get to school, to get to a job, to get food, we walk on behalf of them." Wes Childress, director of marketing and communications at Feeding Southwest VA said, "140,000 people are food insecure in our area, which is about one in eight people. It comes in different shapes and sizes. People think it’s the person that is really struggling, really out on their luck, but a lot of times it’s just their neighbor." (WSLS)
3. In its ongoing efforts to revitalize the Gainboro Neighborhood, Roanoke City set aside $5 million in Pandemic Relief Funds for the creation and construction of a brand-new business development and health care center. The proposed location for the new endeavor was a roughly one-acre parcel of land on the corner of N. Jefferson Street and Patton Avenue NE, which was the former home of Claytor Memorial Clinic, and is now a decrepit, boarded up building visible from the Gainsboro Branch Library. But City Manager Bob Cowell said negotiations to purchase that property have fallen through due to the complicated nature of the ownership structure and that the city is now looking at other parcels in the area. (WFIR, Roanoke Rambler, Google Maps)
4. Area farmers continue to be affected by the high cost of diesel fuel, which is over a dollar more than regular gasoline in most cases. James Bryant, president of Bryant Orchards in Fincastle said, "All of our tractors we use in production and harvest run on diesel. Our farm vehicles run on diesel fuel. The tractor-trailers that take our product to market run on diesel, so that is an obvious added expense." To curtail the expenditure farmers are having to make cuts in other areas or raise prices, but Bryant said that's not an option for them as they provide fruits to large companies who set dictate their own purchase prices. "We are on the bottom of the food chain. We deal with large companies that tell us what the commodity price level is. It is not in our power to set those prices." (WFXR)
5. The Bank of Botetourt recently joined the American Bankers Association for an awareness campaign on phishing scams, which continue to be a large problem for many customers. Such scams have risen to costing consumers $5.8 billion in 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commision. "We are pleased to partner with the ABA on this campaign to help bring awareness to customers regarding the threats of identity theft. Protecting our customers and equipping them with the information to help protect themselves is extremely important," said Lyn Hayth, president & CEO of the Bank of Botetourt. The campaign's primary message to consumers is that banks will never ask you to verify your username, password, or social security number. Never. (Botetourt Bee)

Today in Roanoke:

• Fleet Feet Pub Run & Walk at Big Lick Brewing Co. (6 p.m.)
• School Board Meeting — Roanoke City School District (6:30 p.m.)
• “Roanoke Civil War Roundtable” at Friendship Retirement Community (7 p.m.)
• “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre (7:30 p.m.)
• Seph Custer & the Flatbreaks at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Remember Tyree? Last month, he scored a special touchdown at the Colonels’ first home game. This caught the eye of national journalists, and last night, Tyree and William Fleming High School were featured on NBC Nightly News!" (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "We often talk about how important it is to engage your pet with enrichment and training, but it's also important to take some time off and relax." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• City of Roanoke Government: "Do you have your escape plan ready yet? 📝Whether you live in a house or apartment, alone or with others, you need one!" (City of Roanoke Government via Facebook)
• Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges: "Hello everyone!! Our box office will be closed until Thursday at 12 p.m. We apologize for any inconvenience! To purchase tickets, visit DrPepperPark.com. If you are having any ticket purchasing issues, please call eTix at 1-800-514-3849." (Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges via Facebook)

That's it for today. See you all tomorrow morning! And don't forget to like the Roanoke PATCH Facebook page!

— 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