🌱 Vinton Celebrates Beloved Pharmacist + Roanoke Greenway Murals

Hello, neighbors! It's me, Ian, host of the Roanoke Daily. Here's the lowdown.

First, today's weather:

Humid with a thunderstorm.

High: 87 Low: 74.

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Here are the top five stories in Roanoke today:

1. Dawn Sandoval, founder of The Least of These Ministry in Roanoke, said TLOT is seeing a large increase in the amount of people in need. The ministry operates year round to help those who are homeless and is presently in need of t-shirts, boxers for men, non-perishable food, water and body wipes. For more information, you can find the organizations website here. "I think that it’s from multiple facets. I think number one, many people are losing their housing, there are property owners that are selling their investment properties because of the housing market, there’s no access to affordable housing for our folks who are living on disability. I unfortunately think that it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Sandoval said. (WDBJ)
2. Jon Murrill, a Roanoke based artist, was selected to paint two murals according to a recent press release from the Roanoke Arts Commission. The murals are located along the Southeast Roanoke greenway beneath the 13th and 9th street bridges. The murals are intended to show off the beauty of the Roanoke area and to discourage graffiti by filling the blank space. "As a local artist I see the greenway as a symbol of our community. The beauty seen along our Roanoke River Greenway is shared and celebrated by such a diverse range of people in our area. In this project, we will have the opportunity to further inspire our community through a series of murals along the waterfront celebrating both our local wildlife and imagery from Southeast Roanoke," Murrill said. (WSLS 10)
3. Eileen Filler-Corn, Delegate for Fairfax County, recently visited the Roanoke Valley to meet with political allies and see successful programs such as Total Action Against Poverty's Raleigh Court Head Start Center. "My focus and my philosophy has always been from cradle to credentialing to careers. And you see that here. You see what TAP’s able to do," she said. The visit comes ahead of critical elections scheduled to happen both this November and next. (WDBJ)
4. The Vinton community showed up en masse to surprise beloved pharmacist Sam Cundiff as he retires this week and his long time staple business, Cundiff Drug Store, closes. Invitations to the surprise party were circulated to friends, customers and colleagues via email and Vinton Police Sgt. Chris Froeschel was sent into the store as they were about to close to lure Cundiff outside. "As many of you know, I have had my health challenges during the past ten plus years, being away for extended periods of time. I wish I could thank each one of you personally for staying with me and my staff through these times. There does, however, come a time to step back from the operation of this business and retire. Please know that I care for each and every one of you. You are my extended family," Cundiff said. (Vinton Messenger)
5. Former Public Information Officer, Director of General Services and Director of Human Resources for Roanoke County, Anne Marie Green, has decided to run for Salem City Council. She will be in the running for one of two available council seats and will be running against three others, two of whom are incumbents. Green cites the example set by her late husband, Mac Green, who served as vice mayor for two decades. (WFIR News Talk Radio)

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Today in Roanoke:

• "Curious George: The Golden Meatball" at the Williamson Road Branch Library (10:30 a.m.)
• Live music: Kidd G & Chase Matthew at Dr. Pepper Park at the Bridges (6 p.m.)
• Live music: Solacoustix at Fork in the Alley (6 p.m.)
• The Grandin Get Down at Village Grill (6 p.m.)
• Live music: Paul Thorn with Corey Hunley at The Coves at Smith Mountain Lake (6:15 p.m.)
• Salsa Night at 2 Chill (9 p.m.)
• No Shame Theatre at Hollins University (11 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke College: "It's official! WE HAVE A CAMPUS DOG!!! Maple is here! Maroons, please give Maple a big warm Facebook welcome and please give her some pats when you see her on campus." (Roanoke College via Facebook)
• City of Roanoke Government: "We want to give a shout out to Timothy Dixon and Dwight Marshall of DICK’S Sporting Goods for the donation to our Youth & Gang Violence Prevention Unit!" (City of Roanoke Government via Facebook)
• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "Recently, Station 5B facilitated all our Northside stations participating in forcible entry training using three forcible entry doors. They started with the basics and fundamentals, and worked up to limited space and reach with big challenges." (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "How do you check for broken bones? Sometimes the only way is to take an x-ray! Katie assisted in x-raying this Eastern gray squirrel who was hit by a car and had no use of his back legs." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Every morning our dogs are greeted with "good morning" and given a treat, and every night they are told "good night" and given a treat. We also use treats to reward our dogs when they sit and perform other desirable behaviors!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Many of our dedicated building operations staff recently participated in a professional development opportunity and made RCPS proud! All participants scored 80% or higher on their exams and were awarded both the basic and advanced certificates." (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Sheriff's Office: "We are always committed to servicing the citizens of Roanoke with understanding and respect and we are proud to be a part of an All-America City." (Roanoke Sheriff's Office via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Purcellville Wine and Food Festival (July 16)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll be back tomorrow with your next update!

— Ian

About me: Ian Graham is a novelist, screenwriter, and freelance contributing writer. His interests are in politics, history, and religion and the stories and characters he writes about are centered on the explosive conflicts created when the three intersect. He is a firm believer in being yourself… unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roanoke Daily? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com