🌱 VWCC Chef To Europe For Competition + City Homelessness Forum

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Ian, here with the Thursday edition of the Roanoke Daily. Today you'll find news about...

• Roanoke City considering fire alarm ordinance
• Fleet Feet owners retiring
• Salem Rescue Squad turns 90

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather:

Cold with periods of sun.

High: 44 Low: 29.

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Here are the top stories today in Roanoke:

1. Roanoke City leaders hosted a community forum Tuesday night to discuss and to get ideas on area homelessness and specifically to hear what the community thinks should be done with the $2.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding the city will be receiving in 2023 that has to be used for affordable housing. Concerns and ideas abounded including staying the destruction of several area hotels where homeless people are known to stay and building a tiny house community. The ultimate goal of the community forum and future forums is to help the city come up with a plan to submit to both the city council and Housing and Urban Development. (WDBJ)
2. At its Nov. 21 meeting, Roanoke City Council will be considering the adoption of a smoke alarm ordinance to require installation in rental properties. The move comes after several area fires at rental developments, including Stratford Park in which more than 100 residents were displaced. The Virginia Landlord Tenant Act already requires the installation of such devices, but the new ordinance, if adopted, will add an enforcement element for the city that will be shared by Roanoke Fire EMS, the Roanoke Fire Marshal's Office and Code Enforcement. (WSET)
3. The owners of popular Roanoke retailer Fleet Feet have announced their retirement but said not to worry as the store isn't going anywhere. Ownership will be taken over by the current general manager, Matt Thompson. Longtime owners Robin and Blaine Lewis said they didn't plan on retiring and thought that they had several years left in them, but their communication and preparations with Thompson just made the timing of the move ideal. "We talked about us working together with him to get our business ready to sell in a few years and it just evolved into our communication and our relationship that he figured out that this is his new why,” Robin said. The Lewis' plan to continue working in the community to support the Roanoke running scene. (WSLS)
4. The Salem Rescue Squad has been serving the Roanoke Valley since 1932 and will be celebrating its 90th Anniversary on Saturday with a banquet at the South Broad Street station house. Mike Moore, one of the squad’s life and senior members, said of the squad's beginnings, "There were no paid career staff around, so local volunteer rescue squads, they were the only people who could respond to medical emergencies or any kind of emergency. It gets in your blood, and it gets to be a habit and you get to be a family." (WDBJ)
5. Virginia Western Community College chef and professor Ted Polfelt is preparing for a unique experience as a competitor in The Culinary World Cup, which will take place on Nov. 25 - 30 in Luxembourg. Polfelt is part of the American Culinary Federation’s Culinary Team USA and has been training with other team members in sessions around the country for four years to prepare, including one at Virginia Western last spring. Several VWCC students will be travelling to Europe with Polfelt to support the team and he said he is excited to bring the lessons he learns there back to his students in Roanoke. (WDBJ)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Night Howls presented by the Mill Mountain Zoo (5 p.m.)
• Orange Culture — Roanoke’s own eclectic alternative rock band — live at the Grandin Theatre (7 p.m.)
• Alton Brown Live: Beyond The Eats - The Holiday Variant at the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre (7:30 p.m.)
• Brews and Burlesque comedy edition at Golden Cactus Brewing (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Lincoln Terrace Elementary School and Roanoke Academy for Math & Science had some special visitors last week! Thank you to the Fayetteville State University and Chowan University football teams for taking time to meet with our students!" (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Outside: "We want to say thank you to Blaine and Robin Lewis of Fleet Feet Roanoke for everything they have done for Roanoke Outside and our community as a whole. We wish them all the best in their retirement!" (Roanoke Outside via Facebook)
• Virginia Children's Theatre: "MEET THE VCT LEADERSHIP TEAM! Brett J. Roden, producing artistic director and Jeanne M. Bollendorf, managing director. Brett is thrilled to be entering his 6th season with VCT as we celebrate our 15th year of award-winning, professional theatre!" (Virginia Children's Theatre via Facebook)
• Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge: "Illuminights opens for the 2022 holiday season this weekend at Explore Park! It's a 1/2 mile walk through the woods that features over 650,000 dazzling lights and unique displays. The event also includes an Artisan Christmas Market." (Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge via Facebook)
• Downtown Roanoke, Inc.: "We thought we would share a progress picture from the ice rink construction on this dreary day. WDBJ7's Elmwood on Ice opens on Wednesday, Nov. 23! ❄⛸ Learn more at ElmwoodOnIce.com or click the link in our bio 🔗" (Downtown Roanoke, Inc. via Instagram)

There you go! You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you tomorrow.

— 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