🌱 Williamson Road Action Plan + Bed Bath And Beyond To Close

Hello there, Roanokers! It's time for the Roanoke PATCH newsletter with the 411 on what's going on around the Star City, including updates on...

• Parkway reopens after rock slide
• Area non-profit helps with home repairs
• More apartments in Daleville

Let's motor!

But first, today's weather:

Rain; some ice early; cooler.

High: 41 Low: 36.

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Here are the top stories in Roanoke today:

1. Roanoke City has announced the development of an action plan for the Williamson Road corridor between Hershberger Road and Orange Avenue. The roughly three mile stretch was the site of 8 traffic crashes involving pedestrian fatalities between 2016 and 2020 and has been designated a historically underprivileged area by the U.S. Department of Transportation. But the city hopes to put an end to the danger using $120,000 of city money mixed with a $480,000 grant awarded by the new infrastructure law. City officials say the timeline for the creation of the plan will be about 18 months and will include community engagement meetings. (WDBJ)
2. In a sign of its ongoing financial struggles, Bed Bath and Beyond has announced the closing of the Roanoke store on Towne Square Boulevard NW. The company published an updated list of store closings earlier this week that can be viewed here and includes 149 stores that are set to close in the coming weeks. The move comes on top of the closing of another 250 stores over the last year including the Lynchburg store, which was shuttered in October 2022. A specific date was not given for the closing, but signs were posted on the Lynchburg building ahead of its closing and it's a safe bet the Roanoke store will follow the same procedure. (WSET)
3. A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Mile Markers 91 and 105 in Roanoke County has reopened after being closed while crews cleaned up a rock slide that had covered the road. The rock slide occurred Dec. 9 and attempts to repair it were interrupted by cold and inclement weather, closing the 14 mile section until this past week when it finally reopened. Crews said cleaning up the slide was only part of the job and that the slope above it needed to be stabilized in order to prevent future recurrences. (CBS19 News)
4. Renovation Alliance is a Roanoke based non-profit that helps low-income families in need of critical home repairs. Boones Mill resident Shirley Stacey says the organization gave her hope when she didn't think she had any. While already dealing with cancer and chemotherapy treatments, Stacey was hit with another burden when a pipe in her home burst during a deep freeze in December. She was forced to go without running water for nearly a month until staff at the hospital put her in touch with Garrett Robinson, project specialist for Renovation Alliance. "We do anything that falls under the umbrella of critical home repair, so it could be anything from a burst water pipe to repairing or replacing an entire roof. There’s so much need. There’s so [many] folks who need a little bit of help to get back on their feet,” said Robinson. You can learn more about the organization including how to apply and volunteer opportunities at their website. (WFXR)
5. Another new apartment complex in Daleville has been submitted for review to the Botetourt County Planning Commision at their upcoming Monday night meeting. The plans submitted and posted to the county's website reveal three four story buildings to be constructed around an interior parking lot on the corner of College Drive and Roanoke Road. The site is the former location of an old mansion that was at one time being restored to house a restaurant, but has sat vacant and damaged for years. The proposed development is being called Whisper Hill and will feature a clubhouse, a pool, and 300 apartments. The submitted plan can be seen here and the Botetourt County Planning Commision meeting information is here. (Botetourt Bee)

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Today in Roanoke:

• Valentines Day Market at Bread Craft Bakery (8 a.m.)
• Big Lick Comic Con at Berglund Special Events Center (11 a.m.)
• “Treasure Island” at Attic Productions (2:30 p.m.)
• Open Mic Coffey Jams at 5 Points Music Sanctuary (5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke Police Department: "Roanoke Police Academy Class 85 and Roanoke County Police Class 66 visited Preston Park Elementary School today to meet with some of the youngest members of the community that they’ll be serving when they complete their training!" (Roanoke Police Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Sheriff's Office: "We would like to wish Major Kimberly Miniclier a wonderful retirement. Thank you for your dedication to the department during the past 26 years. You will be missed!" (Roanoke Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "What better way to end the week than with this cutie?? Audi had fun traveling around and visiting a lot of different people today (even though we wouldn't let her drive!) 🐶 She made stops including Station 1, Station 11, and Station 5!" (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Kitten season is just around the corner but we've got several adult cats who are ready to be adopted now. What's great about adult cats? Their personality has developed, so you know what kind of personality you'll get with an adult cat!" (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)
• Virginia Museum of Transportation: "Mark your calendars for a year full of excitement and adventure at the museum in 2023! ✏️🗓 We have a fantastic lineup of events planned for holidays and special occasions that are guaranteed to be a blast for everyone." (Virginia Museum of Transportation via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along! See you all tomorrow for another 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com