🌱 Roanoke Native Officiates Final Four + 23-24 County Budget Proposed

Hello, Roanokers! It's the Roanoke Patch Newsletter here in your inbox per usual to get you up to speed on what's going on in town, including news on...

• Roanoke man sentenced in standoff.
• Area private schools talk security.
• Have a beer while you get your haircut.

Let's go!

But first, today's weather: Sun and some clouds. High: 64 Low: 40.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. The proposed budget for Roanoke County in Fiscal Year 2023-24 is $244.4 million and was presented to the board of supervisors at Tuesday's meeting. County Administrator Richard Caywood made the presentation calling out the reduction in personal property and real estate taxes despite the proposal being nearly $24 million more than the current budget. The rise in costs is cited as being for the school system and employee raises and the tax reduction of $0.02 per $100 in value was said to allow the county to generate needed funds while still cutting taxes due to the rise of assessment values. The board is expected to amend the budget once the state budget is finalized and approve it in the May meeting. (Roanoke Times)
2. A Roanoke man, Demoan Sharrod Townes, 31, was sentenced to serve four years in jail on Tuesday in Roanoke City Circuit Court in connection with an August 2022 shooting and standoff. The incident occurred on the 100 block of Elm Avenue SW when a person fired on officers performing a well-being check after reports of a shooting. People inside the building were evacuated and Townes was arrested several hours later with no one reportedly injured. The Virginia State Police took over the investigation into the incident per Roanoke City policy since at least one officer returned fire. Once he is released, Townes will also do two years of supervised probation. (WDBJ)
3. The recent shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville has Roanoke area private schools assessing their security measures. Roanoke Catholic in particular says the school features a layered access scheme and that they have spent nearly half a million dollars on security upgrades in recent years. "Ultimately, when a tragedy like this strikes, it rises all of our levels of consciousness to make sure that we are doing everything we can do to keep our campus and our community safe,” said the Principal and Head of School at Roanoke Catholic Patrick Patterson. Most area private schools maintain a working relationship with area law enforcement, which includes officers visiting for training for staff and administrators. (WSLS)
4. Roanoke native Roger Ayers will be officiating the NCAA men’s Final Four games in Houston this weekend, which will mark his fourth time as a ref for the series. Ayers has also officiated 95 other games including the ACC Championship game between Virginia and Duke and last year's Final Four in New Orleans. Ayers is a former Roanoke County firefighter who once responded to emergency calls throughout the area after being inspired to do so when his own home was destroyed by fire as a child. Ayers made a career change after responding to over 300 emergency calls and in the many years since has built a reputation as one of the top college basketball referees in the game. (WSLS, Referee Magazine)
5. If you fancy an alcoholic beverage while getting your haircut or styled the new J. Roberts Salon in Downtown Roanoke is the place for you. The salon features a unique approach to the beauty industry in that it embraces cosmetology students fresh out of school and serves adult beverages for customers while they enjoy being pampered. "Our dream was to create a salon where stylists can thrive, grow, and share in a professional team environment, while still expressing individuality and embracing innovative changes in the salon industry and their career,” said owner Jim Roberts. The salon is located at 129 Campbell Ave. SE beneath the famed Dr Pepper sign. You can learn more by visiting their website here. (WFXR)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Leonard Blush & The Camelcals at Big Lick Brewing Co. (5:30 p.m.)
• City Council Special Meeting on Youth Curfew at Patrick Henry High School (6 p.m.)
• The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Downtown Roanoke, Inc.: "This week, we're doing a Downtown Restaurant and Brewery Basket ✨G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y.✨ Make sure you're following us on Facebook and Instagram so you can see more baskets later this week. Keep reading to learn how to enter." (Downtown Roanoke, Inc. via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Ooh, another unusually admitted songbird patient! Although common and easily heard throughout the Roanoke area, we rarely admit Eastern Towhees, an unusually large but striking species of sparrow found in dense shrubs and overgrown fields." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: "Nestled in the Crystal Spring neighborhood of Roanoke is the cutest shop and cafe — Crystal Spring Grocery Co. 😍With lunch served daily Monday through Saturday and brunch on Sundays, it's a quick and delicious spot to relax." (Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge via Facebook)
• Roanoke Sheriff's Office: "The Roanoke City Sheriff's Office attended Gov. Glenn Youngkin's visit to Round Hill Elementary School yesterday. It was there that he signed into law three new bills, one of which will assist families with children experiencing developmental delays. During the visit, our very own Deputy McRae made Governor Youngkin a junior sheriff deputy for the day!" (Roanoke Sheriff's Office via Facebook)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow morning for another update and don't forget to follow us on Facebook!

— 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