🌱 A White Christmas Possible + A Nightmare Dressed Up For Christmas

Happy Sunday, fellow 'nokers! Here's the Sunday edition of the Roanoke Daily to impart great knowledge and wisdom — wait, wrong project — news! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in our community. Today you'll find news about...

• Christmas pet costume contest
• Lacks statue more than funded!
• Grandin Lights Extravaganza

Ready?

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny; breezy, colder.

High: 39 Low: 26.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Area meteorologists are normally quick to dismiss the chances of Roanoke having a white Christmas, but not this year. Decades of climate data show the region experiencing snow on or shortly before Christmas sits between 6 - 11%, but this year we're looking at an "odds in our favor" kind of scenario according to Meteorologist Brent Watts. For the area to get snow we need to have just the right combination of colder than normal temperatures and a low pressure system and just such a mixture seems to have a better than average chance of occurring 5 - 7 days from now. Temperatures are expected to dip into the 20s by next weekend at the same time that a low pressure system moves up the eastern seaboard. (WDBJ)
2. The team behind Blue Ridge Nightmares is hosting a Christmas event this weekend called Miracle on 9th Street, a Blue Ridge Christmas, which is billed as a walking tour of the set built for the Halloween show. The main street theme used in the Halloween production has been redone for Christmas featuring thousands of lights and decorations. Melissa Webster, Director of Operations at Blue Ridge Nightmares, said, "You know as many people as I have talked to over the year have said ‘that is great but I don’t do scary.’ We really wanted to be able to open this up so that anyone who heard the words nightmares and stopped listening could come in and enjoy the history that we have collected." The event will be held today from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. and more information can be found here. (WSLS)
3. The final night of the season for Dickens of a Christmas wrapped up Friday night with a pet costume contest hosted by the Roanoke Valley SPCA. The event includes four categories: best holiday theme, crowd favorite, most creative, and funniest costume. Erin Dams, the program coordinator of the Roanoke Valley SPCA, said, "We’re excited to do anything that promotes that human-animal bond. Our pets are a huge part of our lives and should be part of our holidays too." The SPCA is also taking part in a Mega Adoption event being hosted by Angels of Assisi in an effort to make room in their shelter. (WDBJ)
4. The Roanoke Hidden Histories group has announced that they raised more than $180,000 for the placement of a statue dedicated to Henrietta Lacks that will be placed in Lacks Plaza directly across from the city’s Municipal Building. An event is planned for Monday, Dec. 19 at 11:15 a.m. in the plaza to unveil the statue's design in the form of a life-size drawing by Roanoke artist Bryce Cobbs. The drawing will then be used as a reference for Blacksburg-based sculptor Larry Bechtel who will create the bronze statue that will eventually stand in the plaza. Members of LAcks' family, including her eldest son and grandson, are expected to be on hand for the unveiling ceremony. (WSLS)
5. The Grandin Area will be lit for the 2022 Grandin Lights Extravaganza, a walk-through event being hosted by RunAbout Sports on Monday Dec. 19 beginning at 6 p.m. The event is being described as a stroll along the holiday lights in and around Grandin Village businesses and homes and starts on the grounds of Heights Community Church at 2014 Memorial Ave. A 7-11 Hot Chocolate station will be featured as well as discounts and deals at the nearby businesses and restaurants. (WDBJ)

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Today in Roanoke:

1. Public Ice Skating at the Berglund Center Coliseum (Noon)
2. Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Youth Strings at the Taubman Museum of Art (2 p.m.)
3. Murder Mystery Tacky Sweater Party at Well Hung Vineyard (6 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges: "The rumor is true!! 2023 is looking to be BIGGER than 2022!! Thank you, Virginian Review, for helping us get the word out!" (Dr Pepper Park at the Bridges via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "We've been able to add some ornaments to our adoption tree thanks to you! Gianina, Franklin, Bruiser, and Rose all went home yesterday! We're hoping more pets go home today so that we can add them to the tree!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Downtown Roanoke, Inc.: "We would like to extend a huge thank you to Bob Childress and Marshall Miller of the Chick-fil-A Roanoke City Franchise for donating food for our William Fleming Street Actors at The Roanoke Times Dickens of a Christmas!" (Downtown Roanoke, Inc. via Instagram)
• Botetourt County: "Thank you Tyler Painter for inviting us to participate in the Reality Store at Read Mountain MS. Reality Store is designed to give youth a glimpse of their future and an introduction to the basic skills of financial planning and goal setting!" (Botetourt County via Facebook)
• The Rescue Mission of Roanoke: "🚨We have a BIG thank you to give to Navigate Affordable Housing Partners for awarding us $100,000!! This funding will support new staff positions here at the Mission and ensure that we are prepared to serve our guests with proper staff!" (The Rescue Mission of Roanoke via Facebook)

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There you have it, friends! You're officially in the loop for this Sunday. I'll see you right back here bright and early tomorrow morning. Until then rock on and be excellent to each other!

— 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