🌱 Water Authority Expects Line Breaks + Daleville Apartments Flooded

Hi there, Roanoke! Happy not Hump Day since most of our weeks just began. I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you up to speed with the Roanoke Daily. Today you'll find news about:

• Crews still working to repair Illuminights
• A tearful reunion after November crash
• Rescue Mission Christmas Feast a huge success

Ready to motor?

But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine.

High: 52 Low: 26.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. A spike in temperatures coming up later this week has Western Virginia Water Authority officials concerned about an increase in water line breaks. As of the latest reports available WVWA crews had only been called out to three such breaks, but with temperatures expected to suddenly rise into the 50s that's expected to increase. WVWA spokesperson Sarah Baumgartner said, "At this point, the ground is frozen; however, with the rather dramatic forecasted warm-up and potential for rain, the ground will thaw rapidly. As the ground thaws, it will move and put pressure on the rigid pipes. This tends to result in an increase in the number of breaks." If you see such a break you can notify the WVWA using this online form. (NBC 29)
2. Carilion Clinic nurse and veteran Allison Jones was driving home last month when she came across a serious car crash and something told her to stop and help. So she did, arriving at the car just as the occupants began calling for help. She stayed with them, holding one of their hands until EMS arrived, and this past week she got to meet the couple again when they came to thank her personally. Sharon Boot and her husband were on the way to go bowling when the crash occurred. "I felt the car getting hit and spinning around and next thing I know I’m laying in the back seat in pain," she said. The couple shared a photo of Jones on social media hoping to locate her and Jones' friends and family started tagging her, leading to the reunion. (WDBJ)
3. Apartments in the Daleville Town Center complex were found to have significant damage from flooding after a frozen pipe in the sprinkler system burst Monday night. The building with the damages is located at the corner of Shenandoah Avenue and Town Center Street inside the development, which is catty corner to the Lewis Gale Physicians building. The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department responded to calls initially believing there was a fire after residents reported smoke, but additional calls indicating there was water a smoke. Further investigation revealed the third floor pipe. No estimate of the damages is available yet, but water is said to have leaked from the third floor down to the first and some apartments are not inhabitable. (WFXR)
4. Employees of Roanoke County Parks Recreation and Tourism are working to repair the wind damage and re-open the Illuminights display at Explore Park. Crews were working to cut up the debris from fallen trees, rewire the damaged displays, and make sure everything is safe for the reopening of the event. "Everybody worked really hard so far today, just to get it to the state you see it now. And we’re incredibly fortunate we didn’t sustain more damage, given the severity of the weather, but things are progressing nicely, and I think we’ll be up and running," said Eric Kohler, Roanoke County's Parks Administrator. Those who have had reservation while the display was closed have received refunds and reservations for future dates can be found here. (WDBJ)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Public Ice Skating at Berglund Center Coliseum (1 p.m.)
• Yoga at the Taubman Museum of Art (5:15 p.m.)
• Roanoke Old Time & Americana Jam at Golden Cactus Brewing (6 p.m.)
• Wednesday's Themed Trivia at Twisted Track (7 p.m.)
• Ben Trout Band at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (9:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke College: "2022 Top Ten (#2 of 10): Roanoke College moved up in the U.S. News Best Colleges National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking to the highest spot in many years." (Roanoke College via Facebook)
• The Rescue Mission of Roanoke: "Our Christmas Feast was a huge success! We served hundreds of individuals and families both on site and to go! Thank you to all those who volunteered, baked, and donated to make sure this meal was special to all those we serve." (The Rescue Mission of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Before Winter Break, RAMS Assistant Principal Dr. Lange surprised students with a special storytime! We loved hearing her read The Grinch!" (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Anyone else feel like this...on a Monday...after Christmas? It looks like foster pup Harvey has settled in for a long winter's nap! 😴" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Roanoke Sheriff's Office: "During the week of December 19-21st, we celebrated the holiday season. Plaques were given to twenty-three deputies of various ranks for their committed years of service." (Roanoke Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• Roanoke Outside: "Winter hikes can provide an amazing experience. If you have friends and family visiting this holiday season, they can use our "Create an Adventure" tool to get started!" (Roanoke Outside via Instagram)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll see you tomorrow morning with a new update!

— 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