โItโs a blessing to be a blessingโ: Former basketball star building up youth in the Star City
No matter how much we may wish otherwise, we will never have complete control over how life unfolds. While we can be intentional with bettering ourselves, life will always continue to flow in the way that it chooses to, throwing challenges or even blessings our way that we hadnโt anticipated.
New Patrick Henry fieldhouse becoming a reality
Roanoke, Va. โ The countdown is underway to the completion of the new fieldhouse at Patrick Henry High School. You can see it every day when you show up for work, itโs really exciting and you could see itโs going up. And itโs very massive out there but I will be excited to get in it hopefully by next season, " Patrick Henry head football coach Alan Fiddler says. AdโItโs been discussed since Iโve been here, so it took a lot of work and lot of really good people to get the project done,โ Fiddler added. School leaders expect the fieldhouse to be complete by July 1st.
Patrick Henry wrestler Rico Harrington commits to George Mason
ROANOKE, Va. โ โI guess Iโll just be a Patriot again.โPatrick Henry senior wrestler Rico Harrington committed to hit the mats in Fairfax for George Mason University. While this PH Patriot didnโt get to see competition his senior season (the school didnโt participate in wrestling this school year), heโs excited to reach a lifelong goal when he suits up as a George Mason Patriot. โIโve been dreaming of being able to wrestle in college since I was six when I first started wrestling,โ said Harrington. AdRico Harrington captured two state championships in his 3 years of competition with Patrick Henry (WSLS)Harrington says he was considering a variety of school before deciding on George Mason. During his 3 years of competition, Harrington compiled a record of 118-9.
High schools prepare for the start of fall, yes, fall sports season
ROANOKE, Va โ The kickoff for the high school football season is right around the corner. Having fall sports happen during the winter is something Roanoke City Schools Athletic Director FL Slough could never have imagined, but he said his players and coaches are making the most of it. โIt is critically important that everyone continues to follow the community mitigation strategies, the last thing we want to happen is to see a reversal in this downward trend,โ Morrow said. AdThis season, the players will be wearing face shields inside their helmets to lower the risk of spread COVID-19. โSo weโve had to implement a lot of mitigation strategies that wear masks, social distancing, washing hands and monitoring what weโre doing,โ Slough said.
โEverything won this year needs asteriskโ: Roanoke mayor under fire for Facebook post diminishing girls basketball playoff win
ROANOKE, Va. โ Mayor Sherman Lea said he meant it as a joke, but heโs now receiving criticism for a recent Facebook comment. After the Patrick Henry girls basketball team won the Region 5D championship Monday night, their excitement soon turned to frustration. Mayor Lea.โOn Tuesday, Lea told 10 News that he considers Hedrick a good friend and thought he was private messaging him. He also said that he and the mayor have had a private conversation since the post. The Patrick Henry girls said theyโre going to be using this as fuel for their next game, the state semifinal, against Potomac Falls on Wednesday.
7-on-7 event honors late Kawuan Ray
ROANOKE, Va. โ Athletes including brothers and friends of Kawuan Ray came together to play flag football on Martin Luther King Jr. Day-- one of many sports that the former Roanoke Catholic and Patrick Henry star excelled at. Mondayโs game was about more than just the love of sport, but rather the love of each other. "Kawuan Ray Day" (WSLS)That prompted Mondayโs flag football event, a way to give back to the community while also providing support through the grieving process. โI just know how great of a young man he was just by the effect he had on other young people in the community, his teammates, younger brothers and just his friends. So, itโs like weโre all going to carry the weight together, grieve together instead of doing it alone,โ said Thomas.
Patrick Henry High School teachers, parents pack winter care packages for homeless students
Patrick Henry High School parents and teachers create packages for homeless students. From cozy blankets to water bottles, Roanokeโs homeless students are not forgotten this winter. A handful of PTSA members at the school packed gloves, socks and toothbrushes into each bag Wednesday morning. In just a few short weeks, Grayโs GoFundMe page raised $2,150, which she said was a heartwarming surprise. Though Grayโs GoFundMe page is closed, the school is hosting a breakfast fundraiser Saturday to continue raising money to support homeless students.
Roanoke River Greenway under Memorial Bridge revitalized with artwork
ROANOKE, Va. โ The area under one of Roanokeโs Memorial Bridge is now a space for children to use their imagination. Artists from Patrick Henry High School spent the summer painting the bridgeโs columns along the Roanoke River Greenway. The formerly bare concrete now features pastel-colored murals of Roanoke architecture. Additionally, volunteers unearthed and restored a stone-walled sandbox that had been derelict for decades. "There was a playground and a baseball field over there...just to hear the history, theyโre very happy to see it.โThe Memorial Bridge artwork, officially entitled the Arches project, was sponsored by the Roanoke Arts Commission.
Planning Commission approves new fieldhouse at Patrick Henry High School
ROANOKE, Va. A Roanoke City High School is one step closer to building a state-of-the-art fieldhouse. The Roanoke Planning Commission approved the proposal for Roanoke City Public Schools to move forward with constructing a two-story sports facility at Patrick Henry High School. One man who spoke in favor of the building said improved athletics equals improved academics and that adds up to an improved community. Is that kind of community pride something that improves community through athletics, I think that, said Dan Foutz with Patrick Henry Athletic Boosters. Now the proposal goes to Roanoke City Council for final approval.
Whats News Today: graduation, COVID testing
The school system will hold an online graduation today for Patrick Henry High School at 10 a.m. and William Fleming High School at 2 p.m. The New River Health District will have a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in Montgomery County today. The testing site will be open from noon to 2 p.m. at Blacksburg High School. The Danville Community Colleges Evaluation Subcommittee will meet today in executive session. The Wytheville Community College Board will meet today.
Parents celebrate Roanoke City Schools graduates during drive-thru cap and gown pickup
Seniors from Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School picked up their graduation garb during a drive-thru ceremony on Thursday. William Fleming Principal Archie Freeman said this was the first time many seniors have returned to school grounds since remote learning took effect. "We have to instill that motivation in them.โAt Patrick Henry, parents lined the entrance to the school to cheer on the graduates. Lori Fitchett, whose daughter is a senior at Patrick Henry, said the class of 2020 deserves to hear how proud their parents are of them. Theyโre coming through PH maybe for the last time.โRoanoke City Schools has planned virtual graduations for Patrick Henry and William Fleming students on June 4.
Dodgeball tournament to benefit homeless students raises more than $13,000
A dodgeball tournament at Patrick Henry High School raised more than $13,000 for homeless students within Roanoke City Schools. The event was organized by the STAR (Students Take Action in Roanoke) Council, a group of high school students within Roanoke City Schools that aims to help homeless students in the district. "This means a lot," said STAR Council member London Paige, a student at William Fleming High School. Specifically, it helps our students and peers, people we probably see every day and would not know that they are homeless." Roanoke City Schools estimates there are approximately 300 homeless students within the district.
Patriots, Knights sign athletes to next level
Roanoke, Va. โ At Patrick Henry High School and Cave Spring High School no less than 22 more athletes are heading to the next level. Eleven student-athletes are moving on from each school. The two schools held signing day events to honor the athletes. Here's a complete list of Wednesday athletes from PH:Matt Muller to Washington and Lee (wrestling)Theo Thaxton to King College (wrestling)Tombola Sindihebura to Campbellsville University (wrestling)Elle Prillaman to Washington and Lee (girls soccer)Jonte Murray to Shenandoah University (football)Isley Hopson to UVA Wise (football)Vince Wheeler to Rhodes College in Memphis (golf)Taylor Eichelberger to Norfolk State (volleyball)Corbin Turner to Roanoke College (track)Rob Mohr to Sewanee University in Tennessee (track)Olivia Offermann to Elon University (soccer)Here is the list of athletes and their choices from Cave Spring: