RoCo Register is a monthly publication of Roanoke County's Office of Public Information and is designed to deliver news about Roanoke County straight to your desktop. Complete information can be found on the County's Web site or, if you'd prefer, sign up as a fan on Facebook or to follow us on Twitter. Of course there's always the phone, 772.2010, or e-mail. We're happy to hear from you! |
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Capital Projects Update
ROANOKE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE
North County Fire & Rescue Station to be Dedicated
The need for a new fire and rescue facility came about when the Hollins Fire Station - which takes nearly one-third of all Roanoke County calls - had to frequently turn over calls to neighboring stations outside the call district. This increased the emergency call response time over the six-minute response standard set in 2001, imperiling those needing help and leaving the assisting station vulnerable. Along with the Hollins Fire Station, the new North County Fire & Rescue Station, which is scheduled to be dedicated at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, will help to resolve these issues. Located at the intersection of Hershberger and Plantation roads, this new facility will have three bays for fire and rescue vehicles and living space for continual 24-hour operation. All units stationed at the facility will be Advanced Life Support capable. It will serve the district along the Peters Creek Road corridor to Williamson Road and out to Hollins and along Plantation Road - an area that includes numerous nursing homes, five public schools, a university, and thousands of homes and businesses. With the Hollins Station staying open, both stations will also respond to traffic accidents along Interstates 81 and 581 and serve as back up to the Roanoke Regional Airport and for Roanoke City's Station #3 on Williamson Road. For more information about the new North County Fire & Rescue Station, visit Roanoke County's Public Information Office Web site.
Fire Training Tower Dedicated Sept 11
 The County of Roanoke, City of Roanoke, City of Salem, and Town of Vinton dedicated their new Roanoke Valley Regional Fire Training Tower on September 11. The newly constructed state-of-the-art structure will allow firefighters from across the Roanoke Valley and beyond to train for a range of fire scenarios including residential, commercial, high rise, confined space, and rappelling. ROANOKE COUNTY PARKS, RECREATION & TOURISM
Green Ridge Recreation Center and Splash Valley - Roanoke County's new 95,000 plus square-foot recreation center and water park located in North County and within a 15-minute drive of much of the Roanoke Valley - is scheduled to open January 1, 2010. Although membership is not required to enjoy this unique facility with amenities and programming for all ages, a variety of memberships are available now and there's no initiation fee to join! Visit Roanoke County's Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Web site for more information.
OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS
A ribbon-cutting ceremony bringing Roanoke County's state-of-the-art Fleet Service Center into operation will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 29. The facility - which will be Roanoke County's first LEED-certified building - will be equipped to service all County and Western Virginia Water Authority vehicles, from the longest ladder truck used by Fire & Rescue to the compact hybrids used by Real Estate Assessment.
Ground will be broken for the new South County Library at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 27. Roanoke County's newest library will be located across from Penn Forest Elementary School in Southwest County. Entrance to the library will be through a roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Meadowlark Road and Merriman Road. Construction of the roundabout is tentatively scheduled for completion on or before September 2010 and will be scheduled to minimize traffic disruptions on Meadowlark and Merriman roads. The new library is scheduled to open on or before June 2011.
For more information about your Roanoke County Public Library, visit the Short Takes section below! |
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Short Takes 
Police Officer Receives Officer of the Month Award from the Regional Chamber
Police Officer II K.W. Brougham received the Officer of the Month award from the Roanoke Regional Chamber for his exemplary handling of a tense domestic situation involving a suicidal husband and his ex-wife in late May. POII Brougham used his experience, patience, and communication skills to end the situation without injury to any party involved.
Asphalt Plant Special Use Permit Community Meeting
A community meeting date has been set for citizens to learn more about Foxhall Properties' request to construct and operate an asphalt plant on Peaceful Drive near the Western Virginia Regional Jail. The meeting will be held on Monday, October 12 at Glenvar Middle School in the auditorium beginning at 7:00 p.m. A public hearing before the Planning Commission is scheduled for Monday, November 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room at the Roanoke County Administration Center. In addition, the petition is scheduled for a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Meeting Room at the Roanoke County Administration Center.
Foxhall Properties' special use permit application can be viewed on the Community Development Web page. It is also available for public review in the Department of Community Development on the second floor of the Roanoke County Administration Center, 5204 Bernard Drive, Roanoke, VA. How Roanoke County Public Library "Stacks Up"
If you have a Roanoke County Public Library card, you have lots of company! Last year, 68,247 County residents used their cards to check out a record-setting 1.2 million items. In the process, they visited the six branches in the system over 890,000 times. Another 34,000 people attended programs and events ranging from story times and parties for preschoolers to computer classes and author visits for adults. Citizens had questions for the library, too - over 165,000 of them, in fact - about history, health, real estate, job searching, resume writing, cars, investing, genealogy, and on and on. Whatever the topic, the library was there to help.
By any measure, RCPL was one of the busiest and most productive library systems in the state and, so far, it's on track to be even more so this year. |
County Supports Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th Anniversary Efforts 
Roanoke County is pleased to support the efforts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which will celebrate its 75th Anniversary in 2010. The Parkway has a $2.3 billion impact on communities along its 469-mile corridor and contributes importantly to the quality of life in the Roanoke Valley region. The Parkway's Anniversary was announced last October in Roanoke and will be kicked off at special events in Cherokee and Asheville this November.
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Until next month,
Teresa Hamilton Hall, Director
Office of Public Information
540.772.2010 |
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Popular Pages
A selection of the most-requested Roanoke County Web pages:
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Upcoming Events
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Roanoke Co Administration Center
· Oct 13, 3:00 p.m.
· Oct 27, 3:00 p.m.
North County Fire & Rescue Station Dedication
150 Hershberger Road
· Oct 22, 10:00 a.m.
South County Library Groundbreaking Ceremony
Across from Penn Forest Elementary School
· Oct 27, 10:00 a.m.
Fleet Service Center Ribbon-cutting Ceremony
5235 Hollins Road
· Oct 29, 10:00 a.m.
State of the County Address
Green Ridge Recreation Center
· Nov 17, 7:30 a.m. |
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Snap Poll!
Fall is a favorite season for many. Is it yours, too? Take our snap poll about your favorite fall activity and we'll post the results in our next newsletter.
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2010 Census
The census is coming in 2010. The purpose of the census is to count everyone living in the United States every 10 years, as mandated by the U.S. Constitution. You will receive a census form that will take about 10 minutes to complete. Federal law protects the personal information you share during the census.
Census data are used to distribute congressional seats, make decisions about what community services to provide, and to distribute $400 billion in federal funds to local, state, and tribal governments each year.
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RoCo Communicates
Roanoke County communicates with its citizens in a number of ways. Here are our most popular current options to keep you "in the know":
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Use of Social Media
Roanoke County recently received two awards - one state and one national - for its use of social media to increase efficiency and improve services and communications with its citizens. There are a number of social media options available to citizens. We hope you'll follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Our online video services are made possible through an agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and YouTube.
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