🌱 Wasena Skate Park's Future + Nearby Counties Rank In Digital Survey

Hello and good morning, fellow 'nokers! I'm glad to be with you here on this fine Tuesday morning.

First, today's weather:

Very warm and humid.

High: 89 Low: 68.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. With the threat a new school year looming for most, it's a great time to go for a drive and get some ice cream! Plenty of area residents seem to be of the same mindset according to Homestead Creamery. Located in Burnt Chimney just off the end of Rt. 116, the family owned and operated Farm Market specializes in fresh milk, ice cream, and lemonade. "Here at our Farm Market we have a ton of ice cream flavors. We have everything from classic flavors like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate, to fruity flavors such as our lemon crunch and black raspberry, and we also have exclusive Farm Market flavors, such as our key lime ice cream and moo tracks,” said Claudia Pick, Homestead Creamery Marketing Representative. (WDBJ)
2. A long overlooked feature in the City of Roanoke is slated for demise before long. As the Wasena Bridge reaches the end of its usable lifespan and plans to replace it are about to go into motion, the Wasena Skate Park underneath it -- one of a kind in Roanoke City -- will be demolished along with the depression era structure above it. The city has plans to move the newest edition to the park, a halfpipe installed in 2020, to a new location, but the older features are set to go. But the news is only temporarily grim. The city has allocated $1 million dollars for the construction of a brand new skate park beneath the bridge when construction is complete in about two and a half years. (Roanoke Times)
3. Franklin County and Bedford County officials have announced that their counties have both placed in the Annual Digital Counties Survey for communities with populations less than 150k. Franklin County placed fourth in the nation and Bedford County placed eighth. The rankings are issued by a partnership of the Center for Digital Government (CDG) and the National Association of Counties (NACO) and are intended to recognizes counties that are leading the way in using information and communications technology. (Smith Mountain Eagle)
4. A controversial new convenience store to be located in the northern part of Buchanan along Interstate 81 has been approved by the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors. The board placed several conditions on its approval including a limit to signage, no clearing of growth in a flood plain on the property, limited business hours, and a limit to parking, including a ban on any overnight parking. A few area residents had previously voiced their concerns after saying they had no been told about the project as required by law, but a search of county websites and a local newspaper found that the board complied with those rules as required. (Botetourt Bee)
5. Gas prices continue to fall in the Roanoke area according to the most recent survey by gas tracking app GasBuddy. The survey is based on 155 stations across the Roanoke area and shows a 62.4 cents per gallon fall from a month ago, but still 88.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. "We continue to see average gas prices falling in every state, with the national average down for the seventh straight week. Even better, nearly 20 states have also seen their average decline to $3.99 or less, with over 70,000 stations now at that level or below," said GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis, Patrick De Haan. (WDBJ)
6. Downtown Roanoke's designated Outdoor Refreshment zone came to an end Sunday night so Roanokers will no longer be able to walk from place to place with their alcoholic beverages in hand. Both patrons and businesses seem to agree that they would like to see the zone expanded in terms of hours, territory, and permanency. "It seems like something that would work well definitely in the area. You know we have, there’s a lot of young people here that like to enjoy being outside with and hanging out with friends and whatnot. But you know it seems like something good for the city and the community, said patron Nick Olski. (WDBJ)

Today in Roanoke:

• Free Yoga for the People at the main Roanoke Public Library (7:30 a.m.)
• National Night Out in Wasena at The Green Goat (6 p.m.)
• The Summer Music Games presented by Drum Corps International at the Salem Football Stadium (7 p.m.)
• Seph Custer & The Flatbreaks at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Hey, what's going on out there? This young Eastern Cottontail is curious about the outside world. A cat bit this baby and carried him to his rescuers, who took him from the cat and brought him to us." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "On the last day of RCPS+, our middle school students launched their final rockets! This annual project gives students the opportunity to learn about science while having fun." (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "We had such a good time yesterday at Love SE Fest! Thanks for having us out, and for letting us put Chief Hoback in the dunking booth!" (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Every day at the shelter we work to incorporate some type of enrichment for our dogs. Our most popular and easiest form of enrichment is play time! Play time allows our dogs to get some energy out and socialize with a variety of humans." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority: "It's always a great month when we get to celebrate our residents! This month we celebrated our hardworking resident of the month who just graduated from our Family-Self Sufficiency program." (City of Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority via Facebook)

There you have it -- 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. 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