JOE COBB

Roanoke City Council member and Chair of Gun Violence Prevention Commission Joe Cobb is encouraging people to reach out for help following this weekend's deadly shooting.

Leaders weigh in on the impact the funds may have on the community

The Star City continues to search for solutions after two early morning shootings in downtown Roanoke and still no arrests.

To help, Roanoke City leaders are adopting an approach used in Chicago. Commission Chairman Joe Cobb said it’s called “Operation Pinpoint.”

Here are your local primary results for our area.

The 6th District for the US House is holding a primary to determine the Republican nominee.

The Wasena Bridge is nearly a century old and this year it’s set to be replaced.

Roanoke's Gun Violence Prevention Commission purchased 8,000 gun locks to give out to city school families.

Peacemakers, a Roanoke-based organization, addressed their concerns over Gun Violence Prevention Commission grants awarded earlier this month.

Since the start of this month, Roanoke has seen four different shootings, one of which was deadly.

The City of Roanoke says it’s serious about investing in the historic Gainsboro neighborhood.

One of the organizations awarded grant money plans to host violence prevention training workshops.

Roanoke City Council got an update on efforts to reduce gun violence in the city during their afternoon session Monday.

After a pandemic hiatus, LGBTQ+ pride celebrations return to Roanoke this weekend.

Roanoke City Councilman Joe Cobb has announced that he will be seeking another term on the city council in November 2022.

During Monday’s Roanoke City Council meeting, members spent hours analyzing the results of a recent survey done on violence and gangs.

A request to rezone property along Brandon Avenue to build 54 apartments and 15 townhomes was rejected by Roanoke City Council Monday night with a 4-3 vote.

The City of Roanoke has hired its first youth and gang violence prevention coordinator.

The Roanoke City Gun Violence Prevention Commission said they’re making headway in their work to address violence in the city.

Leaders in the city of Roanoke addressed the rising gun violence being seen in the Star City on Tuesday evening.

The City of Roanoke received more than half a million dollars in grants to address gun violence.

The city of Roanoke is asking for your help on what to do with $64.5 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan.

Since a shooting in a crowded downtown Roanoke just over two weeks ago, city leaders are working to address the rise in gun violence.

Gun violence in the Star City has doubled compared to this time last year.

Two dozen Roanokers learned how they can help stop the killings in the city by becoming trauma-informed on Thursday.

After a weekend of gun violence in the Star City, local leaders are calling on the community to come forward with information which could help lead to an arrest.

As the nation works to address a spike in mass shootings, the City of Roanoke is laying the ground work on how communities can address gun violence in their cities.

On Tuesday night, Roanoke’s gun violence prevention commission met for the first time to discuss a path forward. The group was born out of the task force to reduce gun violence that started in 2019.

ROANOKE, Va. – The Roanoke City Council voted to establish a permanent gun violence prevention commission on Monday which will put plans into action to reduce gun and gang violence in the Star City. Over the past two years, the gun violence task force has looked at the root causes of gun violence in the community and discussed what they can do about it. They’re going to focus on community education and advocacy, social and emotional learning in young children, and hire a youth and young adult gang violence prevention coordinator. “There aren’t quick fixes to long-term root causes. The commission also wants to create a website where people can look for information, resources and find out how to volunteer.

ROANOKE, Va. – 2020 was a more violent year than normal for Roanoke in terms of gun violence. The Roanoke Gun Violence Task Force analyzed the data during their monthly meeting Friday. “There needs to be immediate intervention for the age group that is beyond 18,” said task force member Jim O’Hare. The task force believes gang violence is responsible for a sizable portion of the crimes. “If they had another path, 99% of them wouldn’t do what they have done,” said task force member Elliott Major.

ROANOKE, Va. – For the first time in the Star City, minorities will hold the majority on Roanoke City Council with four African Americans, one Latina and two white members. Democrat Robert Jeffrey Jr. and independent Stephanie Moon Reynolds will join incumbent democrats Mayor Sherman Lea and Councilwoman Trish White-Boyd. “It speaks well to the equity and empowerment that we’re trying to project in our city," said Lea. Council members Michelle Davis and Anita Price did not run for re-election in 2020. Lea said council is going to hold a public hearing on the bus station and council members are going in with open minds.

ROANOKE, VA. – On Monday, Roanoke City Council took the next steps to fill the open spot left by Djuna Osborne’s resignation. They whittled it down to their short list of replacements for Osborne’s seat in just three days. They brought them in for interviews with the city council on Monday afternoon. Out of 21 applicants, Joseph Clements, Beth Doughty, Alvin Nash, Luke Priddy and Vivian Sanchez-Jones were selected to compete for her council seat. “Djuna came in second place to Vice-Mayor Cobb in that election, Roanoke spoke very loudly that year that they wanted a Progressive in that seat, Luke is that person," Barbara Andes said.

ROANOKE, Va. – On Thursday, Roanoke leaders addressed the city’s recent uptick in gun violence. “Just like you, I am frustrated and angry about this crisis of gun violence that is happening in our community," expressed Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea. Vice Mayor Joe Cobb, chair of the city’s Gun Violence Task Force, detailed how his team is working collaboratively with the police department on intervention and prevention. “We wanted to definitely hit the streets hard and serve these warrants and get these violent offenders in custody," stated U.S. Thanks to this initiative, deputies from other agencies, such as the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office, Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office stepped in to help.

ROANOKE, Va. – Two Roanoke politicians will play an active role in the Biden-Harris campaign’s effort to reach LGBTQ+ voters in Virginia. The Biden for President Virginia campaign announced on Monday that Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb and Roanoke City Council candidate Peter Volosin are among the co-chairs selected for the LGBTQ+ Virginians for Biden-Harris leadership council. The goal of the council is to “highlight Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' plan to advance LGBTQ+ equality, starting by working to pass the Equality Act.”Council members will work to “mobilize and engage” the LGBTQ+ community in Virginia. The campaign said this will include things like hosting weekly meetings, tapping into existing networks and organizing voters for early voting. Here is the full list of those who will serve as co-chairs:

ROANOKE, Va. While most of 2020 has been spent under some form of stay at home order in Virginia, gun violence is on the rise in Roanoke. Eleven more people have been injured from gunfire so far this year compared to this same time in 2019, according to data from the Roanoke Police Department. Gun violence has become too common in the Star City within the last few weeks, city officials say. The increase of incidents as of late, I think, are so dramatic, in part, because there have been so many consecutively, but also because for a long period of time there was no activity, said Roanoke City Councilman Joe Cobb. [READ MORE: Its just terrible: Four shootings hurt three people, damage Roanoke business]While the number of those killed by gunfire to date is comparable with 2019, the number of people hurt by gunfire has nearly doubled.

ROANOKE, Va. – Friday morning, Roanoke City’s Task Force to Reduce Gun Violence met to help curb shootings in the Star City. The city’s task force, renamed the Ad Hoc Study Committee on the Reduction of Gun Violence, discussed gang violence and re-incarceration, education and safer neighborhoods. Roanoke City Police Chief Sam Roman updated the group on crime statistics in the city. Solutions included forming a comprehensive plan for folks to re-enter society after serving jail time, educating youth, and sharing stories about how gun violence has impacted people in the community. The committee discussed meeting bi-weekly, instead of just once a month.

ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb is reacting to the recent gun violence that took place in the city over the weekend. Cobb said it was alarming to hear about the four separate shootings that injured three different people, including a juvenile male. This week, the city’s Task Force to Reduce Gun Violence is going to meet virtually for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started. “We’re a little behind, but we are now poised to be able to make up some ground and move forward,” said Cobb. The task force is meeting virtually via Zoom at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 17.

ROANOKE, Va. As race relations continue to make headlines in America, more people, particularly white people, are starting to open their minds and try to see things from other viewpoints. Decca Knight is the founder of Standing for Equity in the Roanoke Valley, which is asking people to use their privilege for good. SERV wants to bridge that gap, meeting people in a more casual, lower-intensity setting with group book readings and online webinars. The group is working with Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb. Knight said she wants to meet people at a place that theyre comfortable with, and highlight the fact that these things arent black and white.

ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City leaders said they support Gov. Ralph Northam’s move to make Juneteenth a state holiday and would like to make it an official holiday in the Star City, too. Vice Mayor Joe Cobb told 10 News in an email: “I support the Governor’s decision wholeheartedly. Those holidays can change from year to year with council’s approval because sometimes there are overtime costs that need to be considered. Unless there are any impacts upon the courts or State-funded positions, I am unaware of any local steps that are required, based on the decision the Governor made yesterday.”

ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Council approved next year’s budget, despite requests from the pubic to delay the vote, hold a public hearing and defund the police department. City leaders ultimately said that delaying the vote isn’t an option because it would delay all public services, not just police. The FY21 budget is nearly $1.4 million short compared to last year’s budget due to economic losses from COVID-19. Education is still the biggest piece of the budget: $82,788,981 million will go to Roanoke City Public Schools and maintain funding levels for Early Childhood Learning programs through Libraries. Ideas included holding town halls, sending out a trust survey, starting new public safety departments that are run by unarmed citizens, or finding ways to be more transparent.

ROANOKE, Va. Roanoke is looking for volunteers to keep the Star City strong and recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. City leaders started the Star City Strong Recovery Fund Task Force to distribute at least $1 million in emergency funding. In total, there will be about 40 members serving on the task force, including Mayor Sherman Lea, Vice Mayor Joe Cobb, City Manager Bob Cowell. Where can we make the most difference in our community, really, to support that recovery in light of the fact that, you know, were only going to make a small dent in whats necessary as we move forward? said Roanoke City Manager Bob Cowell. Applications to join the task force are due by 5 p.m. on June 11.

Ralph Northam plans to remove the Robert E. Lee statue from Monument Avenue in Richmond, a Confederate monument in Roanoke could also be removed. Monument in question is the obelisk across the street from Roanoke City Hall in Robert E. Lee Plaza. Prior to voting for the monument’s removal, a public hearing would have to be held, said Cobb. If the monument is removed, council members will have 30 days to decide what to do with it. Council members had not decided Thursday what may happen to the monument if it is removed.

Ralph Northam has given the same messaging to Virginians, but has not ordered a shelter-in-place law. Rasoul fears the United States is just weeks behind the devastation in Italy and on pace to see more deaths. The only prediction that shows Virginia not outpacing hospital capacity is a three-month shelter in place order. We have a very limited number of hospital beds, relative to the number of sick that we’re going to see," Rasoul said. Rasoul added the research he’s viewed predicts the American death count from the coronavirus will overtake 9/11, 2,977, by the end of next week.

ROANOKE, Va. - After a few simple instructions, a group of half a dozen eager Roanoke residents were cruising through Lee Plaza in downtown Roanoke on Lime electric scooters Friday morning. I liked it a lot," Roanoke resident Mary Beth Chillemi-Franklin said. The educational segment they did was great," Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb said. I'm a big kid at heart," a woman said as she prepared to ride a scooter. He said Roanoke, while smaller than a lot of the cities Lime operates in, is an ideal location.

ROANOKE, Va. - The Roanoke City Police Department will soon be hiring for a new job that community activists hope will cut down on violence in the city. It's something Roanoke's Task Force to Reduce Gun Violence identified as a key part of the plan, and it's something that's been in the making in the star city for more than a decade. Roanoke Vice-Mayor Joe Cobb said the city applied for the grant earlier in the year, before the task force was formed, and never heard back. The city assumed it was not selected, and when the topic came up in the task force, members decided to keep moving on with the idea despite not receiving the money. The new team will work hand in hand with FedUp providing rapid response.

ROANOKE, Va. - The Task Force to Reduce Gun Violence in Roanoke said it is making good progress on their mission to stop the killing. The task force started in response to a particularly violent stretch of weeks earlier this year. Many on the task force liked what they heard. The task force split up into four work groups, focusing on services, neighborhoods, community engagement, and strong families. Cobb said he expects the task force to continue after its presentation to council.

ROANOKE, Va. - Faith, city and cultural leaders continue to scramble to find a way to curb gun violence in the Roanoke Valley. On Monday night, the task force to reduce gun violence met to strategize and set priorities for what they want to see happen. Some will be quicker than others, like the deployment of a new rapid response team to work with the family, friends and neighbors of gun violence victims. On Tuesday night they focused on what they want to achieve, with the plan of working over the 10 weeks to develop an actionable plan to give to Roanoke City Council. Task Force to Reduce Gun Violence Meeting Dates: All Meetings will be held at the Community Solutions Center, 2328 Melrose Avenue, N.W., unless otherwise noted.

ROANOKE, Va. - Some hot-button topics came up at Monday's meeting with the Roanoke city school board and city council members, including adding gender-neutral bathrooms. School leaders responded by saying that when students have issues or concerns theyre handled individually, and counselors and teachers receive ongoing training. Deputy Superintendent Dr. Dan Lyons said theyre looking at changing current single faculty bathrooms into restrooms open to students of all genders. I think people, when they think of gender-neutral restrooms, theyre thinking of, Oh, my god. School leaders may have to put some money toward the changes.

Monday's city council meeting was standing room only as they discussed the city's new parks and recreation master plan, which going into the meeting left skaters out. But Monday night council agreed on a way to move forward, asking city staff to add the skatepark to the master plan on the condition that outside funds are secured to pay for it. The Roanoke Skatepark Initiative had felt good about getting a replacement until the new master plan came out and skateboarding wasn't on the priority list. Members of city council were impressed with the showing of support and the amount of fundraising the non-profit group has collected on its own. City Council will pick this discussion back up at its meeting in the first week of August.

ROANOKE, Va. - The Roanoke Gun Violence Task Force hopes the stories of people shattered by gun violence will encourage the community to be peaceful. Their Roanoke Remembers event Sunday at William Fleming High School will feature stories, songs, and on-site counseling for people still trying to handle trauma. McNeil says his church secretary, whose son died in a shooting, will be among the people opening up about the pain of gun violence. Roanoke Vice-Mayor Joe Cobb hopes Roanoke Remembers will give residents a chance to be honest and open about the realities of violence in the city. Roanoke Remembers starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday, but doors open at 4 p.m. 10 News will have a crew at the event.