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News · Star City Briefing

Star City Briefing for Oct. 23, 2026

From the desk · Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 · Times in America/New_York

• Weather. Alerts: NWS Blacksburg had no frost, freeze, or other alerts posted for the Roanoke area. The latest NWS outlook, issued at 4:46 a.m. Friday, does not mention frost; it expects no hazardous weather today, tonight, or from Saturday through Thursday. No frost or freeze alert had been posted for today or tonight as of about 7:25 a.m. Friday. No flood watches or warnings are in effect for the Roanoke area. NWS cancelled the flood watch for Floyd, Carroll, Patrick, and Grayson counties at 1:31 p.m. Oct. 11, well ahead of its 8 p.m. end. NWS says the flood and severe weather threat has eased. NWS also cancelled its flood warning for the New River at Allisonia, in Pulaski and Wythe counties, at 2:44 a.m. Oct. 12. That river stayed below the 8-foot flood stage and was below 2 feet around 6:30 a.m. Friday. By about 7:23 a.m. Friday, the early-morning Bedford County outage, about 705 customers at its peak, had cleared on the Appalachian Power map, and Bedford, Campbell, Roanoke County, Franklin, Floyd, Pulaski, Botetourt, Montgomery, the city of Roanoke, and Salem were all clear. The Roanoke airport measured about 4 inches of rain from 3:25 p.m. Oct. 10 until a break around 1:51 p.m. Oct. 11. The airport has stayed dry since its last light rain ended just before noon Saturday; around 5:54 p.m. Friday skies there were clear, near 64 degrees, with 10-mile visibility and a light east-northeast wind. Tonight looks mostly clear and cooler, near 38. Saturday turns sunny, with a high near 63, and Saturday night dips near 36. The Roanoke River at Roanoke is steady near 1 foot. That is below its 6-foot action stage and well below its 10-foot flood stage. No weather closings or delays found in the Roanoke Valley. (NWS Blacksburg alerts) (NWS outlook) (Appalachian Power)
• Schools. No weather closings or delays found in Roanoke, Roanoke County (including Vinton), or Salem. (Roanoke City Public Schools) (Roanoke County Public Schools) (Botetourt County Public Schools)
• Bedford outage. A power outage shut the Bedford County animal shelter for the rest of Saturday, Oct. 17; the Falling Creek waste center stayed open without its trash compactor and was set to close once its dumpster filled. (WSET)
• Moneta crash. Moneta firefighters say two drivers were hurt, neither seriously, when their vehicles met head-on Saturday on Moneta Road in Bedford County, near the Stony Fork Creek bridge. Nobody was trapped; one driver went to a hospital. (WSET) (WDBJ) (WSLS)
• Daleville fire. A Saturday fire at a bank in Daleville began in a breaker panel and stayed inside the electrical room, according to Troutville volunteer firefighters, though crews saw smoke around the roof when they arrived, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Salem voting. Salem counts 2,253 in-person early votes and 510 returned mail ballots, 34 behind last year's pace at this point; early voting adds the next two Sundays, a first for the city. (WDBJ)
• Rabies. Health officials say a cat collected Oct. 9 near 11th Street NW and Moorman Avenue NW in Roanoke tested positive for rabies; report any possible contact to RCAHD Environmental Health or city Animal Control. (VDH)
• Salem sentencing. A man convicted of manslaughter in the 2024 truck death of his girlfriend in Salem was sentenced Friday to five years to serve, WSET reports. (WSET)
• Tap Room. Saturday night was the end of the line for Wasena City Tap Room, which had set 10 p.m. Oct. 17 as its final closing time after about 14 years, WDBJ reported. (WDBJ)
• Wood Haven. WVRIFA confirmed Friday that Google is weighing Wood Haven Technology Park in Roanoke County for a possible data center, with due diligence expected through March 2027. The county administrator says it could be the largest industrial project in county history; some nearby neighbors oppose it. (WSLS) (WDBJ)
• Friday football. Patrick Henry won 49-28 at Cave Spring for its seventh straight win, and William Byrd beat William Fleming 27-10. Northside held off Franklin County 20-10 at homecoming, Radford shut out Glenvar 29-0, and Lord Botetourt won 14-7 at Staunton River, WSLS reports. (WSLS: Patrick Henry) (WSLS: William Byrd) (WSLS: Northside) (WSLS: Radford) (WSLS: Lord Botetourt)
• Rail Yard Dawgs. Roanoke opened its hockey season Friday night with a 2-1 loss to Fayetteville. Ryan Mahlmeister scored on a third-period power play, and the Dawgs outshot the Marksmen 40-26, WSLS reports. A night later in Fayetteville, the Dawgs were down 2-0 going into the third, tied it late, and won 3-2 in overtime on a breakaway goal by Manny Cabral, who was playing his first game for Roanoke, according to WDBJ. Next up is Athens in Roanoke on Saturday, Oct. 24. (WSLS) (WDBJ)
• Boxing night. The Melrose Athletic Club put on Return of the Mac IV, its boxing fundraiser for Roanoke kids, Saturday at the Berglund Center, WDBJ reports. The money backs the club’s youth sports programs, which grew out of Champs Gym, a Roanoke boxing program started in 1972. (WDBJ)
• Voter tables. Roanoke Indivisible set up at Eureka Park on Saturday with tables where people could check their registration and pick up early voting details, WSLS reports. Organizers urged residents to know what is on the ballot and to have a plan before Election Day. (WSLS)
• Hokies win. Homecoming went Virginia Tech's way: the Hokies beat Georgia Tech 34-24 in Blacksburg on Saturday to end a two-game losing streak, WSLS reports. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer threw three touchdown passes. Next up is a trip to Clemson. (WSLS)
• Memorial classic. Three courts at Performance SportPlex stayed busy Saturday with more than a dozen high school and middle school basketball games in memory of Jakolbi Taylor, a Patrick Henry student. Teams included Patrick Henry, William Fleming, Christiansburg, and E.C. Glass, and organizers say the money raised goes to scholarships for local student-athletes, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Grid money. On a Friday stop at an Appalachian Power substation in Lynchburg, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced up to $50 million in federal funds for transmission work in western Virginia. Most of it goes to rewiring about 14 miles of Lynchburg-area line, plus weather sensors on four lines; APCo says the grant cuts the share of cost that lands on customers. (Cardinal News)
• Vinton. Vinton is seeking proposals for a boutique hotel or mixed-use building on the downtown lot left empty by a 2022 fire, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Google permit. Twenty-one environmental groups want the Army Corps to post newer documents, reopen comment, and hold a Botetourt hearing before it rules on the permit for Google’s data center campus, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Courts. A former Roanoke County assistant principal's discrimination suit against the school division now faces a motion to dismiss. (The Roanoke Times)
• Pickleball. Noise complaints prompt Roanoke to require 'quiet pickleballs' at several city parks. (The Roanoke Times)
• GO Fest. GO Fest adds ninja warrior course, returns classic vendors this weekend. (The Roanoke Times)
• Bedford dispatch. Bedford County’s non-emergency dispatch number, 540-586-7827, had on-and-off trouble the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 10. The county lists 540-586-7665 as one backup number. 911 still works. (WSLS)
• Evans Spring forum. Six Roanoke City Council candidates talked about the future of Evans Spring, plus data centers and affordable housing, at a forum at Williams Memorial Baptist Church, WDBJ reports. Neighbors said the 2024 development plan missed what residents want. (WDBJ)
• Water rescue. Firefighters from Roanoke, Salem, and Roanoke County make up the regional swift water rescue team. WDBJ reports the crew trains all year and plans for hazards like downed trees and floating debris. (WDBJ)
• Courts. Former Roanoke resident to face firing squad in livestreamed execution. (The Roanoke Times)
• Smith Mountain Lake. SML Center purchases Westlake Cinema to create community center. (The Roanoke Times)
• Claudia Whitworth. Claudia Whitworth, who led the Roanoke Tribune for more than 50 years, died Thursday at 98, her family told WDBJ. Her father, Baptist minister Fleming Alexander, founded the paper in 1939, and she bought it from him in 1971. Funeral plans were not yet set Friday. (WDBJ)
• Fall color. Drought could push this year’s leaf change later and leave colors duller than usual, a WFXR meteorologist says. Rain in the October forecast may still help. Late October into early November should remain the best time to see color around the Roanoke Valley, though the window could be shorter. (WFXR)
• Wood Haven secrecy. The regional authority selling Wood Haven land for a data center told Cardinal News it dropped its secrecy agreement because communities across Virginia want more openness on these deals. It still won’t name the buyer’s parent company. A local transparency group says that is not enough. (Cardinal News)
• Botetourt homes. Google will put about $1.8 million toward repairs and energy upgrades for some 80 Botetourt County homes near its planned Greenfield data center, Cardinal News reports. Total Action for Progress runs the local program. (Cardinal News)
• Found. Franklin County deputies say Alden Wilcox, 81, has been found safe, WDBJ reports. He had been reported missing from the Standiford Road area. (WDBJ)
• Habitat. Community groups delivered six new beds to a Roanoke Habitat for Humanity home, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Prescriptions. A Roanoke man who orders blood thinner from Canada says new U.S. customs rules starting Oct. 22 could disrupt those lower-cost shipments, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Drought. Storms keep missing the Roanoke Valley, so the state drought emergency holds. Carvins Cove and Spring Hollow are both near the level for mandatory limits. (Virginia Mercury)
• Verdict. A jury found a man guilty of second-degree murder in the 2024 shooting outside a Roanoke motel. (The Roanoke Times)
• School ratings. Roanoke city schools post gains in the state’s latest school performance ratings. (The Roanoke Times)
• Radford. Seven months after the state found Radford in fiscal distress, city leaders say they still have no timeline for state help. (Cardinal News)
• Wood Haven. The Roanoke Times published a timeline of how the Wood Haven data center project in Roanoke County came about. (The Roanoke Times)
• Hemp suit. Seven hemp product sellers dropped their federal lawsuit in Roanoke over the new state law that bars most of their goods. (The Roanoke Times)
• Field of Honor. Hundreds of flags honoring veterans and other local heroes go up at Salem’s American Legion Field from Oct. 31 into mid-November. (WFXR)
• Open studios. Botetourt County artists open their workspaces for a free, self-guided driving tour on Oct. 17 and 18. (WDBJ)
• Taubman exhibit. “American Made,” a free show of 86 works from a private American art collection, opens at the Taubman Museum on Oct. 15 and runs into January. (WSLS)
• Crime stats. Roanoke police say overall crime is down 14% from this time last year, and violent crime is down 10%. The city has had 10 homicide deaths so far in 2026, compared with 12 in all of 2025. (WDBJ)
• Franklin County schools. Several Franklin County schools went on lockdown Wednesday over a threatening call. The sheriff’s office called it unsubstantiated and lifted every lockdown by about 1 p.m. Everyone was safe. (WDBJ)
• Food drive. The Craftsmen’s Fall Classic collected more than 18,000 pounds of food for Feeding Southwest Virginia, about 20,000 meals. (WFXR)
• Salem race. J.D. Taylor, who is running for Salem City Council next month, told WFIR he hopes to set an example and make the city better. (WFIR)
• Growth. Salem gained about 522 residents from 2020 to 2025, more than Roanoke and Roanoke County put together, based on state population estimates reviewed by Cardinal News. The city of Roanoke grew by only 75 people. Across the valley, deaths now outpace births, so any growth comes from people moving in. (Cardinal News)
• School ratings. Virginia released new school performance ratings Wednesday. Cardinal News reports the state region that takes in the Roanoke and New River valleys, along with far Southwest Virginia, had more schools in the top tier than any other region. The few schools in the lowest tier are mostly in the Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Danville city divisions. (Cardinal News)
• South Peak. South Peak apartment gets Roanoke County planners approval recommendation for 285 units. (The Roanoke Times)
• AI hub. 5 things to know about the proposed AI Center of Excellence. (The Roanoke Times)
• Pipeline. Officials weigh in on Mountain Valley Pipeline's proposed Boost project. (The Roanoke Times)
• Alert canceled. Roanoke police canceled Tuesday’s CODI Alert and say the missing 4-year-old boy has been located, WDBJ reports. Virginia State Police had put out the alert Tuesday afternoon at the request of Roanoke police. He had last been seen late Monday night at his home in Southeast Roanoke. Police have not shared other details. (WDBJ)
• Wood Haven. The regional industrial authority that owns the Wood Haven Technology Park land says it is no longer bound by its nondisclosure agreement with Clearview Dynamics LLC, the company lined up to buy the site, WDBJ reports. The authority cited ethical reasons. It can now legally share information, but it says it will not name Clearview’s parent company. More details are expected in the coming months. (WDBJ)
• Smith Mountain Lake. Funding OK’d for sedimentation study at Smith Mountain Lake. (The Roanoke Times)
• Route 311. Catawba Valley Drive is open again at Oakey Dolin Road. Roanoke County said all lanes reopened by 11 a.m. Tuesday, after a wreck involving several vehicles closed the area that morning. Minor injuries were reported. (Roanoke County) (WDBJ) (WSLS) (WFXR)
• CDL training. Virginia Western Community College now offers faster commercial driver’s license courses through Ancora Training, WFXR reports. Class A day classes take about four weeks and start Oct. 19 or Nov. 9. Weekend Class B classes start Oct. 31. Virginia residents may qualify for funding. (WFXR)
• Council. Roanoke City Councilman Peter Volosin told WDBJ that an online “idiot” remark seen by Rebekah Murphy, a Roanoke City Council of PTAs officer, was aimed at the HiRoanoke social media account, not at her. Murphy says she has no part in that account. She filed a complaint with council and the mayor, and says Volosin then blocked her. Volosin apologized to her if she is not involved, but said he stands by his view of the account. (WDBJ)
• School solar. Roanoke City Public Schools is putting solar panels on 29 schools, which the superintendent says is more than any other Virginia division, WDBJ reports. The division paid nothing up front and buys the power at a fixed low rate. Leaders expect savings of $42 million to $45 million. Plans also call for big batteries at high schools that serve as emergency shelters, so they can keep running for days in a power outage. (WDBJ)
• Children’s therapy gift. Panda Express will give $500,000 over eight years to pediatric physical therapy at Carilion Children’s-Tanglewood, WFIR reports. It pays for new equipment, including a lift that helps young patients stand. (WFIR)
• Remini’s. The Italian restaurant at 4210 Brambleton Ave. is dropping lunch for now over higher food and utility bills, WSLS reports. Dinner continues, with doors opening at 3 p.m. daily. (WSLS)
• Food bank. Feeding Southwest Virginia summer initiative helped 6,500 children. (The Roanoke Times)
• Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway is open again through Roanoke, from Route 24 to Route 220 (mileposts 112.4 to 121.4), according to the National Park Service road status page. The Roanoke Mountain loop is still closed. WSLS reports the park service wrapped up a multiyear repaving job on that stretch. (National Park Service) (WSLS)
• RoVa Labs. City Council accepted a $1 million federal small business grant to buy lab equipment for RoVa Labs, the biotech startup space on South Jefferson Street, the city says. It has nine tenants since opening in May. (City of Roanoke)
• Paving. Overnight milling and paving comes to downtown starting Sunday, Oct. 11, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and runs through mid-November if weather allows, the city says. Streets on the list include parts of Salem, Campbell, Kirk, and Church avenues and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd streets. No-parking signs go up ahead of time, and cars left in work zones will be towed. (City of Roanoke)
• Court. The Roanoke County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office is closed Monday, Oct. 12, for Columbus Day, the county says. Normal hours return the next business day. (Roanoke County)
• Flag football. Roanoke College’s first women’s flag football coach, Elizabeth Faust, started work Monday, WFIR reports. The team is aiming to begin play in 2028 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Faust has coached at the youth level and has worked with youth flag leagues since 2012. (WFIR)
• Gas. Roanoke’s average gas price fell about 11 cents in a week to $4.13 a gallon as of Monday, based on GasBuddy’s check of 155 local stations, WDBJ reports. That is still about 25 cents higher than a month ago; the cheapest Roanoke station posted $3.84 on Sunday. (WDBJ)
• Parks. Roanoke police say they have stepped up their presence at Countryside Park after several reports of lewd behavior there in September, and they released a photo of a person they believe is connected. Report suspicious behavior to 911; tips to 540-344-8500. (WSLS)
• Tanglewood. Tanglewood Crossing’s first building, near Route 419 and Starkey Road in southwest Roanoke County, is slated to open in March 2027 with Biscuit Belly, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Bub-bakoo’s Burritos, a wax studio, and Mattress Warehouse, WFIR reports; later phases call for almost 100 residential units. (WFIR)
• Botetourt. Botetourt County Fire and EMS says Assistant Fire Chief Alan Wright of the Eagle Rock Volunteer Fire Department has died. WDBJ reports he was critically injured during a June 2016 swift-water rescue; the department released a statement on his passing. (WDBJ)
• Courts. State trooper guilty in Roanoke County child abuse case. (The Roanoke Times)
• Vinton. Vinton police are checking a suspicious-package call at Omnisource in the 200 block of Wayland Street midday Thursday, Roanoke County said. Precautionary closures include Baldwin Avenue at Light Street and at Wayland Street, 10th Street at Daleton Avenue and at Hill Avenue, and 9th Street at Dale Avenue. The Roanoke Valley SPCA is also closed during the investigation, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ) (WFXR)
• Hotel. The Hotel Roanoke Conference Center’s city–Virginia Tech commission said Wednesday the $14 million sale to the university foundation is finalized, with the full amount going to Roanoke; about $4 million to $5 million in other assets and obligations still need work, and the panel is expected to seek court approval later to dissolve. (Cardinal News) (The Roanoke Times)
• Rabies. Health officials say a skunk collected Sept. 24 near Camp North Road and North Mill Road in Salem tested positive for rabies. Possible human or animal contact: RCAHD Environmental Health 540-204-9764 or Salem Animal Control. (VDH)
• Outage. Radford officials said a possible data incident Tuesday night knocked out city internet, with office email and most phone lines unavailable; 911 and non-emergency lines remained open, and transit and the sheriff’s office were not affected, WSLS reports. (WSLS) (WFXR)
• Detention. The Roanoke Sheriff’s Office says Virginia State Police are investigating an inmate’s death at the Roanoke City Adult Detention Center after the person was found unresponsive during a scheduled medical round Monday and pronounced dead at the scene. Identity and cause of death have not been released. (WSLS)
• Shooting. Fatal shooting outside southwest Roanoke church linked to road rage. (The Roanoke Times)
• Fire. Roanoke County Fire Department says it answered a call about 6:46 p.m. Monday in the 5300 block of Doe Run Road for a house fire. Cave Spring units reported smoke and upgraded the call to a working fire. Crews knocked the fire down within about 10 minutes, and no injuries were reported. A family of six was displaced. The fire marshal ruled the fire accidental and said it started on the back porch involving a riding lawnmower; damage is estimated at about $300,000. (WSLS)
• Crime. Roanoke police say Donald Lee Visel, 39, barricaded himself Monday afternoon in the 1900 block of Wayne Street NE after a domestic-disorder call about 3:23 p.m., then was taken into custody. Police say he was charged with simple assault against a family member and is held without bond at the Roanoke City Adult Detention Center. Noble Avenue at Williamson Road and Wayne Street between Thurston and Noble were closed during the response. (WDBJ) (WSLS) (WFXR)
• Crime. Roanoke County police say they answered a call about 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the 4300 block of Garst Mill Road in the Cave Spring area and found one person with a gunshot wound after a robbery; three people are being sought. The victim is stable. Police say the suspects had left before officers arrived and have not released descriptions or other details of the robbery; they say they believe there is no danger to the public. Tips: 540-562-3265. (WDBJ)
• Wreck. Roanoke County police say a tractor-trailer and a train collided Saturday morning near Garman Road and Garman Circle. In a late-afternoon update, WSLS reports Diuguids Lane and Barley Drive have reopened; WDBJ says county police report all roads reopened. WSLS says traffic control on Garman Road was turned over to Norfolk Southern while repairs continue. (WDBJ) (WSLS) (WFXR)
• Wreck. WFXR reported both I-81 northbound lanes near the Ironto rest area (about mile marker 125) reopened about 12:30 p.m. Thursday after a crash had closed them; backups were still clearing. (WFXR)
• Wood Haven. WDBJ reports the Wood Haven purchase agreement lists a buyer–seller nondisclosure agreement dated March 26, 2024 — nearly two years before Clearview Dynamics was formed in January 2026. WVRIFA executive director John Hull said the authority first signed with an “affiliated corporate entity” and has not named that firm; board chair Gary Larrowe told WDBJ he had not yet read the document and did not know why the dates do not line up. (WDBJ)
• Go Cross. About 5,000 people are expected this weekend for Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross cyclocross races at Fallon Park, WSLS reports; organizer Kait Pedigo said riders are coming from about 30 states plus several countries, with racing Saturday from 7:30 a.m. through Sunday afternoon. (WSLS)
• LewisGale. HCA Virginia says it will put about $20 million toward a new freestanding emergency room in Hollins for LewisGale Medical Center, expected to open in 2028 as the system’s third freestanding ER after Cave Spring and Blue Hills, WDBJ reports. The same package includes plans for a second ACE air-ambulance helicopter base in Danville this fall with Air Methods. (WDBJ)
• Wood Haven. The regional industrial authority said Clearview Dynamics is evaluating Wood Haven Technology Park as a possible data-center site through about March 2027, with Spring Hollow as the water source and the company covering project power costs, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• AI. A Southwest Virginia coalition branded AI Ready Roanoke — cities, counties, business, and higher education — is seeking consultants to study market demand and whether a regional AI center of excellence is feasible, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Salem Fire-EMS. Salem officials say two Fire-EMS employees tied to an alleged off-duty I-81 racial-slur encounter captured on dash camera are no longer employed by the city, WSLS reports; the department had placed them on leave and says an internal investigation continues. (WSLS)
• Council. Monday’s City Council meeting drew public comment on the Wood Haven Technology Park land agreement and ended with approval of a Professional Standards Committee after Mayor Cobb said Vice Mayor McGuire and Councilman Nash breached the Code of Conduct and Ethics over Wood Haven remarks; McGuire cast the lone no vote, WSLS and WDBJ report. (WSLS) (WDBJ)
• Hunger. A new Virginia Hunger Study finds 42% of Virginia households were food insecure sometime between May 2025 and May 2026; Feeding Southwest Virginia’s service area hit 55% (70% for households with children there), WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Grant. City Council accepted and appropriated $2,951,158 in Safer Communities funding from Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services; Roanoke is one of nine cities selected for the community-violence work, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Salem. City Council swore in Dr. Joseph Foley on Monday to the seat left open after John Saunders died Aug. 22; officials previously said 13 applicants were considered and the appointment vote was unanimous. Foley, a Salem chiropractor since 1990, will serve until a November 2027 special election and has said he does not plan to run for the seat, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Labor. The Roanoke Firefighters Association (IAFF Local 1132) says it will present a collective-bargaining proposal to City Council — its first formal briefing for council and the public — after working with city government since July 2025 on a bargaining option for city employees, WSLS reports. The union says the proposal is meant to set a structured way to talk through workforce issues, not only pay, and is asking residents to attend the meeting. (WSLS)
• Notice. Park Dental says unauthorized remote access reached a workstation and office email intermittently from June 10 to July 22 (found July 22); the practice is issuing a HIPAA media notice because more than 500 Virginia residents may be affected, WSLS reports. Possible data includes contact details, chart numbers, appointments, imaging, diagnoses, and insurance or billing records; Park Dental says the notice does not mean any one patient’s information was misused. (WSLS)
• Council. Mayor Joe Cobb says the Vice Mayor and a council member breached the city’s Code of Conduct and Ethics in social media posts and behavior toward colleagues, the city manager, and WVRIFA members; the matter goes to conflict resolution, WFIR reports. (WFIR)
• Music. The Rajasthani Caravan, a folk ensemble from India, holds a Wednesday–Thursday residency at Jefferson Center with a free dance workshop Wednesday and a ticketed Shaftman Hall show Thursday, WFIR reports. (WFIR)
• Roads. Thursday’s 9–11 a.m. I-81 widening blast window has ended; Exit 146 northbound and 150A/150B southbound ramps were listed closed during the blasts. (Roanoke County)
• Concert. Salem’s Star-B-Q on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Farmers Market books Trey Pendley with opener Jake Bradley; doors 5 p.m., music 6:15, tickets $10 ahead / $12 day-of, kids 10 and under free. (City of Salem)
• Data centers. Cardinal News fact-checks Beth Macy’s claim that Rep. Ben Cline cast three old General Assembly votes shielding data centers from sales tax in the VA-6 race that reaches Roanoke. (Cardinal News)
• Community. Roanoke Area Ministries opened a new Elm Avenue day center with meals, showers, laundry, and partner services after decades on Campbell Avenue, WVTF reports. (WVTF)
• Politics. FEC figures compiled by WVTF show Democratic challenger Beth Macy ahead of Republican Rep. Ben Cline in money raised for Virginia’s 6th District, the I-81 corridor seat that reaches Roanoke; the campaigns’ donor mixes differ sharply. (WVTF)
• Energy. Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi is due in Roanoke Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:30–8 p.m., on a statewide stop tied to the proposed $67 billion Dominion Energy–NextEra Energy merger still before the State Corporation Commission; Gov. Spanberger has intervened in that review, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Race. Ultra triathlete completes her toughest race in her own neighborhood. (The Roanoke Times)
• Bake-off. House of Bread ran its first Bake-Off on Saturday, with local bakers competing to raise money for the nonprofit’s job-skills track for women facing employment barriers — kitchen training, workplace coaching, and volunteer mentors, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Foliage. USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice ranked Roanoke No. 3 among U.S. fall-color destinations for 2026, behind Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Ohio’s Hocking Hills, WFXR reports. Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge pegs Southwest Virginia peak color about Oct. 24–Nov. 7, with higher elevations turning earlier. (WFXR) (USA Today 10Best)
• Festival. The 35th Henry Street Heritage Festival wrapped Saturday at Elmwood Park (about 1–10 p.m.), presented by the Harrison Museum of African American Culture with partners Not Your Average Everything and The Humble Hustle Company. The day mixed music, crafts, food, and the old Henry Street corridor’s Black cultural history. (Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge) (City of Roanoke)
• Screening. Carilion Clinic ran its first public Peripheral Artery Disease screening Saturday at Crystal Spring Medical Office Building, with free imaging and longer-than-expected lines, WDBJ reports. Staff cited smoking and diabetes among risk factors and said more clinics are planned. (WDBJ)
• Rack. Back on the Rack’s fall/winter consignment sale wrapped Sunday at the Salem Civic Center, with remaining goods at 75% off through 1 p.m.; consignors could send leftovers to CHIP of Roanoke Valley, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Captain. Salem Police Capt. Sean Slusser graduated this week from the FBI National Academy’s 299th session in Quantico — one of 265 officers in a class spanning 44 states, D.C., and international partners — and is the department’s 12th academy graduate, the city said. He has more than 23 years in law enforcement, including 19 with Salem. (City of Salem)
• Pumpkins. Sinkland Farms in Christiansburg opened its 35th annual pumpkin festival this weekend, running seven weekends through Nov. 1 alongside its wine festival, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Reactions. Responses to Gov. Spanberger’s data-center Executive Order 22 range from support to calls for a full pause, Cardinal News reports. House Democrats called it a step forward; Senate Finance chair Louise Lucas said it leaves the industry sales-tax exemption untouched; House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore called the package internally contradictory on power; the Data Center Coalition and Virginia Chamber urged caution; several environmental groups want a moratorium. Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance said the order does not stop projects already moving, including Google at Greenfield and the Wood Haven land deal. (Cardinal News) (WDBJ)
• Wood Haven. WDBJ ties Spanberger’s transparency push to Roanoke County’s Wood Haven Technology Park land sale, where an NDA still keeps neighbors from learning what is planned. The governor’s package would also push community-benefit agreements before big projects win local approval; the Data Center Coalition said it shares the goals but warned against abrupt changes. (WDBJ)
• Band. Virginia Tech’s Marching Virginians are reviewing heat-safety practices after a University of Iowa marching-band member died following a heat collapse before halftime two weeks ago, WDBJ reports. Director Polly Middleton cited heavy non-breathable uniforms, sun exposure in the stands, and plans for more water, shade escorts, and practice breaks. (WDBJ)
• Walk. The 2026 Walk to Defeat ALS stepped off Saturday at 11 a.m. at Green Hill Park in Salem (2500 Green Hill Park Road), WFXR reports; WFXR’s Hazelmarie Anderson emceed. (WFXR)
• Cards. Fans lined up Friday at BLADE Gaming in Roanoke for the Pokémon 30th-anniversary card set; the shop told WDBJ it was the longest line it has had, with a restock expected in a couple of weeks. (WDBJ)
• Coach. Auburn High and Auburn Hills Golf Club in Riner are mourning varsity golf coach and club pro Jeff Gandee, 51, who died Sept. 6, WSLS reports. He coached the Eagles about 20 years and led three state titles; Christiansburg’s golf team is wearing ribbons on hats for the rest of the season in his honor. (WSLS)
• Data centers. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 22 on Friday to begin her Data Center Accountability Framework and create a state AI Task Force, WDBJ reports. The order bars executive-branch agencies under the governor from using nondisclosure agreements on data-center projects, orders a local planning toolkit, and advances noise rules and diesel-backup reviews. She also wants the 2027 General Assembly to end by-right approval for centers over 25 megawatts and tighten power and water standards. (WDBJ) (EO 22 PDF)
• Virginia Tech. The presidential search committee will interview candidates within the next 15 days, chair Nancy Dye said Friday in a short virtual meeting, Cardinal News reports. When and where those sessions happen, and who will be interviewed, were not released. State law lets boards close presidential interviews if they are announced publicly and held within 15 days. President Tim Sands plans to leave once a successor is named; a six-member subcommittee is leading early interviews, with the fuller committee weighing finalists later. (Cardinal News)
• NRV roads. VDOT says an $8.3 million rebuild at Prices Fork Road (Route 685) and Peppers Ferry Road (Route 114) in Montgomery County starts Monday, Sept. 28, weather permitting, WDBJ reports. Plans include new right-turn lanes, a wider Peppers Ferry eastbound shoulder, drainage work, pedestrian upgrades, and a new signal. The crossroads stays open, with daytime and overnight lane closures possible; crews aim to finish by late 2027. (WDBJ)
• Route 122. West Piedmont Planning District Commission, with Bedford and Franklin counties, is launching a Route 122 corridor study backed by a $1.66 million federal RAISE grant, the commission said Friday. The roughly 24-mile stretch from Wirtz Road in Franklin County to Joppa Mill Road in Bedford County is the main road serving Smith Mountain Lake and links the Roanoke and Lynchburg metro edges. Work is set to start this fall and run through late October 2028, covering safety and capacity plus options such as a multi-use trail, park-and-ride, and Amtrak shuttle links. (WPPDC) (WDBJ)
• Police. Roanoke police say a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound arrived at a city hospital by private vehicle about 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. Officers have not located a crime scene and are asking the public for information at (540) 344-8500. (WDBJ)
• Traffic. VDOT says a new signal and realigned off-ramp at northbound I-581 exit 2N (Peters Creek Road) turn on overnight Thursday–Friday, Sept. 24–25, WDBJ reports. The rebuild drops the old merge and is meant to ease access toward ValleyPointe Parkway; leftover grading and old-ramp demolition continue after the light goes live, with the old ramp due down by year-end if weather holds. (WDBJ)
• Comedy. Star City Comedy returned after a six-year pause, WDBJ reports. Saturday’s 7 p.m. show at The Watering Hole Bar and Grill featured Jason Allen and Jesse Jones; tickets were $15. (WDBJ)
• Wreck. Virginia State Police say a juvenile passenger died after a Thursday afternoon crash on I-81 southbound near mile marker 64 in Wythe County; three adults in the Jeep were seriously hurt with non-life-threatening injuries, WSLS reports. Troopers say a Jeep Compass slowing in left-lane traffic was rear-ended at high speed by a GMC Envoy; the Envoy driver, Kathleen Gajewski, 69, of Plainfield, N.J., was charged with reckless driving. VSP was also working a northbound crash in the same stretch. (WSLS)
• Voting. Early in-person voting for Virginia’s Nov. 3 general election is underway after opening Friday. Roanoke County says Hollins Precinct #206 casts ballots at North Roanoke Baptist Church, 6402 Peters Creek Road — about 0.3 miles from Hollins Library — while the library is under construction; voters use the fellowship hall or gym. (Roanoke County)
• Pets. A Salem owner told City Council a dog found dead along I-81 near Glenvar may have been her missing pet, and the microchip was not scanned before disposal, Cardinal News reports. Del. Joe McNamara and Sen. Bill Stanley say they are looking at policy or legislation; VDOT says crews are not required to carry scanners and disputes the identification. (Cardinal News)
• Bridge. The Wasena Bridge replacement is about 95% done — deck finished, new water line under the span already in service — with sidewalks, curbs, and the roundabout still wrapping up, WFXR reports. City project staff hope to reopen it by Thanksgiving. (WFXR)
• Supply. Western Virginia Water Authority reviewed long-term valley demand forecasts Thursday and is studying Spring Hollow, Carvins Cove tunnel, pipe, and leak-detection upgrades before any new-source decision, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Forum. Five Roanoke City Council candidates answered business questions Thursday for the Roanoke Regional Chamber and Kiwanis Club, WSLS reports. Airport expansion, the local economy, and workforce development were on the table; two of three Democratic candidates did not attend. (WSLS)
• NDAs. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, joined by several City Council candidates, are urging localities to stop hiding big development talks behind nondisclosure agreements, WDBJ reports. The push lands as Roanoke County’s Wood Haven sale to Clearview Dynamics stays opaque and Botetourt’s Google campus talks also ran under wraps for months. (WDBJ)
• Hotel. Downtown’s Promissory Hotel — 27 rooms in the old First National Exchange Bank at 201 S. Jefferson, with The Exchange music hall and Spanish restaurant Suerte — cut a ribbon Thursday morning with Mayor Joe Cobb on hand for tours, WFIR reports. Partners include John McBroom (Across the Way), Lucas Thornton, and J.P. Powell; the complex has been open to the public since a New Year’s Grace Potter show. (WFIR)
• Food bank. LewisGale Regional Health System presented a $25,000 HCA Healthcare Foundation grant to Feeding Southwest Virginia on Thursday at the Salem distribution center; 35 LewisGale staff volunteered boxing food for seniors, WSLS reports. The money is aimed at medically tailored boxes with fresh food for people facing food insecurity and chronic health risks. (WSLS)
• Schools. Margaret Beeks Elementary in Blacksburg cut chronic absenteeism roughly in half over two years — from 12.6% to 6.9% — with “Bear Force One,” a school van that picks up students when families lack a ride, WDBJ reports. Principal Megan Hawley says reading scores rose from 76% to 84% in the same window; the van came from the county fleet at no new cost, with two cleared staff on every trip. (WDBJ)
• Party. Fork in the Alley (2123 Crystal Spring Ave SW) hosts a Jammy Buffet Block Party Sunday, Sept. 20, 4–7 p.m., expanding the patio into the street for Jimmy Buffett covers, food, and drinks; $5 cover, lawn chairs welcome, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Eats. WDBJ’s Hometown Eats stops at North Star Restaurant on Lee Highway in Buchanan — about a half-mile from I-81 — where owners Ashley and Brian Clark turn out country breakfasts and hand-pattied hamburger steak six days a week. (WDBJ)
• Wreck. A tractor-trailer crash on I-81 northbound near mile marker 64.3 in Wythe County closed the north right shoulder Thursday with about 5.5 miles of backup, VDOT told WSLS. (WSLS)
• Tourism. Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge says 2025 visitor spending in the region hit a record about $972.5 million, up 5.3% from 2024, WSLS reports. That spending generated about $47.1 million in local tax revenue for Roanoke City, Salem, and Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke counties — roughly $367 in average household tax relief, the group says. Visit VBR also credits a spring marketing push and the July USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships, which it pegs at about $3.3 million in impact with more than 1,400 riders; nationals return in July 2027. (WSLS)
• Rates. The U.S. House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act 417–3, a bill meant to keep data-center growth from pushing up household power bills, WDBJ reports. Southwest Virginia co-sponsors include Reps. Ben Cline, Morgan Griffith, and John McGuire; Cline discussed the vote on WDBJ7 Mornin’. (WDBJ)
• Campus. Roanoke College says a Sept. 16 virtual signing sealed a partnership with Korea’s Independence Hall of Korea for exhibitions, academic projects, and cultural exchange tied to the campus Kim Kyusik Center for Korean Studies — honoring the Class of 1903 graduate and independence-movement leader. College leaders call the center one of only two Korean research centers in Virginia. (Roanoke College)
• Hay. Gov. Spanberger declared a statewide drought/hay emergency after a shortfall Cardinal News puts near 500,000 tons; Executive Order 21 eases over-width hay transport on Virginia highways and opens emergency farmer supports, the outlet reports. (Cardinal News)
• Wood Haven. WSLS reports Clearview Dynamics LLC — the buyer named in Friday’s Wood Haven Technology Park land agreement near I-81/I-581 — formed in Delaware on Jan. 13, 2026, and registered in Virginia on May 27, 2026; its Wilmington filing address is tied to CSC registered-agent services, which does not prove end use or ultimate owners. Park ownership stakes under the deal structure are about 44% City of Roanoke, 44% Roanoke County, and 12% Salem. Authority officials still call the pact early due diligence, not a closed sale, and say they cannot confirm prospective use; Councilman Phazhon Nash has pressed for more transparency since Friday. A Roanoke County spokesperson told WDBJ the county signed an NDA that prevents disclosing the intended use, while calling it an “appropriate use” of the park. Western Virginia Water Authority’s Laura Schirmer told WDBJ she is not aware of Wood Haven developer talks and has no NDA there. (WSLS) (WDBJ)
• Workforce. A George Mason University report says Southwest Virginia, the Blue Ridge, and the North Carolina border corridor need about 4,200 new registered nurses plus thousands more physical therapists, radiology techs, and other clinicians. Cynthia Lawrence founded the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers in 2018; it now includes more than 50 K-12, higher-ed, and healthcare partners. The group pushes early awareness in elementary school and wants eighth-graders to know which math and science courses feed healthcare and biotech pathways. Lawrence spoke at a Claude Moore Scholars and Regional Healthcare Careers Workforce meeting in Richmond. (WVTF)
• Wine. Virginia Wine Detour runs Oct. 9–11 at Colony House Motor Lodge, 3560 Franklin Road SW, with Lightwell Survey Wines, bloom Restaurant & Wine Bar, and the Monticello Wine Trail. Full weekend or single-night tickets; Friday is poolside cookout, tastings, and music, Saturday afternoon a wine-and-four-course lawn dinner. Winemakers on the bill: Kirsty Harmon (Blenheim), Emily Hodson (Veritas / Flying Fox), Sebastian Zutant (Lightwell Survey), and Damien Blanchon (Afton Mountain). (WDBJ)
• Shelter. The Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office ran its quarterly Life Essentials pop-up for people without housing Wednesday, with personal-care supplies, a meal, and partner agencies on hand, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Veterans. Roanoke’s Total Action for Progress is among 17 Virginia groups sharing about $28.2 million in new VA grants for veteran homelessness work; TAP says the award keeps its Supportive Services for Veteran Families funding level steady since 2013, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Senate. Sen. Tim Kaine said Wednesday that Virginia’s nearly 400 operating data centers and more than 200 planned projects — many in Southwest Virginia — need clearer disclosure from local governments and operators on power and water impacts; he supports national siting standards, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Campus. Radford University plans an Oct. 23 ribbon-cutting for a new $1.2 million, 10,000-square-foot e-sports facility with 80 PCs; the Highlanders were Big South runners-up in 2026. (WDBJ)
• EMS. Christiansburg EMS is the first Virginia agency to use a crash-rated pediatric restraint on ambulances, WSLS reports, with routine transports into Roanoke-area hospitals. (WSLS)
• Wreck. A multi-vehicle crash on I-581 South near mile marker 0 / the Elm Avenue exit in Roanoke City delayed traffic Wednesday afternoon, VDOT told WSLS; Roanoke City Public Schools said Bus 522, carrying elementary students to after-school programs, was hit as collateral damage with no injuries reported on the bus, and WFXR later reported lanes reopened. (WSLS)
• Law. Virginia’s new data-center siting statute (Va. Code § 15.2-2209.5), effective July 1, requires large projects to study noise and utility impacts and disclose substations before local votes but sets no noise, water, or setback caps; Del. Sam Rasoul of Roanoke is among the patrons, The Roanoke Rambler reports. (The Roanoke Rambler)
• Tourism. Roanoke County visitor spending reached about $141.7 million in 2025, up 7.1%, supporting 1,365 jobs and about $7.7 million in local tax revenue, per Virginia Tourism Corporation data reported by WSLS; officials credit Explore Park, sports tourism, and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. (WSLS)
• Zoo. Mill Mountain Zoo marked International Red Panda Day on Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with resident red panda Frank and education activities; the species is listed as endangered, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Cold case. An unexpected confession from prison solves Roanoke cold-case murder. (The Roanoke Times)
• Taubman. Taubman Cancer Center reaches construction milestone. (The Roanoke Times)
• Grid. Appalachian Power’s Sept. 4 SCC filing pegs about $264 million in transmission and substation upgrades to serve Google’s Botetourt Center at Greenfield campus, with peak demand near 300 megawatts; the utility says added load revenue should cover the work so other customers are not expected to pay more, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Towers. Five former 610 AM WSLC radio towers came down Tuesday on a 39-acre Salem site headed for new development; the station went silent last October after decades on the air, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Research. NIDA awarded Carilion Clinic’s chief of psychiatry, Dr. Albert Arias, more than $600,000 to study psilocybin with psychotherapy for cocaine addiction; a larger phase could reach about $3.5 million if early results hold, WFIR reports. (WFIR)
• Trucks. Roanoke County’s Food Truck Week wraps Thursday at the Bernard Drive administration building, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., after Tuesday’s Walrond Park and Wednesday’s Green Hill Park stops; county parks lists the rotating trucks. (Roanoke County Parks)
• Roads. VDOT and Branch Civil will host a “Pardon Our Dust” meeting Thursday, Oct. 1, 5–7 p.m. at Bonsack Elementary (5437 Crumpacker Drive) on Route 460 (Challenger Avenue) and Route 220 Alternate work in Roanoke County; short presentations at 5:15 and 6:15 p.m. (VDOT)
• Proton. Carilion Clinic is raising funds for proton-beam radiation at the Carilion Taubman Cancer Center in Roanoke — $38.8 million of a $50 million goal so far — with the center eyed for late 2027 and patients in 2028, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Supt. Franklin County superintendent Dr. Kevin Siers says the 2026–27 school year will be his last; he plans to retire and move back to West Virginia with his wife to help his father, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Drugs. Carilion Clinic joined nonprofit Civica as a founding member to tap its generic-drug supply chain when shortages hit, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Medicare. Local Office on Aging will offer free Medicare Open Enrollment counseling Oct. 15–Dec. 7, Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–3 p.m., at Valley View Mall’s upper level outside the former Sears space, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Aid. Roanoke College’s new Southwest Virginia Scholars Award will automatically give admitted first-year students from 24 counties and eight cities — Botetourt through the far Southwest — $5,000 a year starting fall 2027, with no income test or separate application; stacked with other aid it can mean free tuition for the highest-need students, the college says. (Roanoke College)
• Data. Russell County’s industrial authority and Oasis Digital Properties are advancing plans for three or four data centers on a reclaimed Moss No. 3 coal-mine site near Cleveland; officials cite an NDA and have shared few details, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Bread. Julie Casey’s Bread Run Roanoke — the valley’s “Bread Lady” — keeps a rotating weekly bakery menu and a growing social following, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Cars. The Roaring Lions Annual Car Show ran Saturday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at North Roanoke Baptist Church; free for spectators, $25 to enter a vehicle, proceeds to Lions service projects, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Police. Shooting by Roanoke police officer ruled justified as self-defense. (The Roanoke Times)
• Football. Roanoke Catholic (2-0) is looking at a second straight forfeit win after another opponent backed out, WDBJ reports; coach Brett Jones said last week’s foe cited injuries and this week’s cited the Celtics’ talent. (WDBJ)
• Permits. Roanoke says it has cleared a five- to six-week backlog of zoning, historic, and building permit reviews and is back within one- to two-week targets after a spring DPBD overhaul, WSLS reports. Assistant City Manager Lavar Youmans briefed council on the progress. (WSLS)
• Gift. Shawsville animal advocates Karen Waldron and Shawn Ricci are giving $15 million to Virginia Tech’s Animal Cancer Care and Research Center on the VTC campus in Roanoke — the center’s largest gift — split evenly between clinical care and translational research, Virginia Tech News reports. (Virginia Tech News)
• Health. Melrose Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church hosts a free Melrose Community Health Fair Sunday, Sept. 20, 1:30–5:30 p.m., with screenings, seminars, and kids activities, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• I-81. VDOT opened a third travel lane on I-81 northbound and southbound between exits 137 and 141 in Roanoke County and Salem, giving three lanes each way through Exit 143 (I-581); landscaping, signs, and slope work continue with occasional lane closures, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Music. Salem High grad PJ George is on drums, keys, and more with Old Crow Medicine Show; the Grammy-winning band headlined Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion on Sunday, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Wreck. A Sunday afternoon crash on U.S. 220 northbound near Old Rocky Mount Road in Roanoke City briefly closed the left shoulder and both lanes with about a half-mile backup; VDOT later said the crash had cleared, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Groceries. National grocery chains are few inside city limits. An urban farm hopes to fill the void. (The Roanoke Times)
• Clothes. Roanoke County deputies ran a Threads of Hope giveaway Saturday at North Roanoke Baptist Church, handing out lost-and-found clothes collected from county schools after the school year, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Hokies. Virginia Tech beat Old Dominion 44-21 on Saturday in Blacksburg; Ethan Grunkemeyer threw for 327 yards and two scores and ran for another as the Hokies moved to 2-0, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Salem. Olde Salem Days drew crowds Saturday with 303 vendors downtown after a brief morning rain; Rotary of Salem says proceeds go back to local charities including Christmas for Kids, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Sentence. Motorcyclist gets 13 years for I-81 road rage shooting in Roanoke County. (The Roanoke Times)
• Wood Haven. Cardinal News identifies Clearview Dynamics as the company tied to Friday’s Wood Haven Technology Park land agreement near I-81/I-581 in Roanoke County. Authority officials say the deal is still in due diligence, not a finished sale, and the intended use is unconfirmed; Roanoke Vice Mayor Terry McGuire and Councilman Phazhon Nash have said they oppose a data-center project there. (Cardinal News)
• Climb. About 40 Blacksburg volunteer firefighters joined Virginia Tech cadets and athletes Friday morning climbing Lane Stadium steps for 45 minutes — standing in for the World Trade Center's 110 stories — on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Franklin. County supervisors appointed Bonnie Law on Friday to the interim Boone District seat left by Mike Meredith's resignation; she is set to be sworn in Sept. 15 and serve until a November 2027 special election, WDBJ reports. (WDBJ)
• Kickoffs. Saturday storms move Liberty and JMU to noon, VMI to 12:30 p.m.; Roanoke College stays 2 p.m. in Salem, Tech–ODU noon. (WSLS)
• Wreck. Traffic on I-81 southbound near mile marker 132 in Montgomery County had cleared by late Friday evening after an afternoon tractor-trailer crash, WFXR reports; earlier WSLS had cited about a one-mile backup with a detour at Exit 132. (WFXR)
• Towing. VDOT says its Towing and Recovery Incentive Program has cut average I-81 commercial-crash clearance by about 40 minutes over five years — crews average 34 minutes to arrive and 77 minutes to reopen lanes, Cardinal News reports. Nineteen providers cover the corridor; I-81 ops run about $1.78 million a year. (Cardinal News)
• Kennel. Roanoke’s Commonwealth’s Attorney dropped five misdemeanor charges against City Dogs Boarding and Playcare manager Kevin Ketcham after the Norfolk Avenue SW kennel fixed July heat and care violations — new AC, electrical upgrades, fewer dogs on site, and required licenses — WDBJ reports. Wardens had found indoor temps in the mid-80s to 90s with more than 70 dogs; no animals were seriously injured, the office said. (WDBJ)
• Grants. Roanoke County schools are among eight divisions that each got the largest $250,000 state security equipment awards for Mount Pleasant Elementary, Northside Middle, and Oak Grove Elementary, Cardinal News reports; Roanoke City got more than $132,000 for seven schools. (Cardinal News)
• Foundry. The former Walker Foundry site in Norwich is becoming the Foundry at Norwich Town Center — a restaurant next summer and more than 100 townhomes in three to four years, about a $50 million project, WSLS reports. A TAP-managed grant can put $50,000 toward down payments for as many as 50 buyers. (WSLS)
• HVAC. Munters Data Center Technology cut the ribbon Thursday on an HVAC manufacturing expansion in Botetourt County near the proposed Google data center campus, WDBJ reports — cooling gear meant to cut water use. (WDBJ)
• Campus. Preston Park Elementary is in its first year in a new Roanoke City building after years of hallway and stairwell classrooms, WDBJ reports — every room has its own bathroom, long halls for sight lines, and an outdoor learning courtyard. (WDBJ)
• Data. Christiansburg Town Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to require a conditional use permit for any data center; they had been allowed by right in general industrial zones, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Porch. Porch Roanoke now links 20 valley neighborhoods to 10 pantries and is closing in on 50,000 pounds donated, WSLS reports — leave the wish-list bag on the porch; a volunteer does the rest. (WSLS)
• EMS. Botetourt County Fire/EMS launched a pre-hospital whole blood program so trained crews can transfuse in the field; assistant chief Jon Rodgers cited about 20-minute average runs to Roanoke or Salem trauma centers, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Crime. A Roanoke City grand jury on Sept. 8 indicted Jamal Edward Crump on eight felonies, including two counts of first-degree murder, in the Feb. 8 double homicide in the 2000 block of Carroll Avenue NW outside ReFreshing Church; he remains at the city jail, WSLS reports. (WSLS)
• Fire. Roanoke Fire-EMS says two adults died in an overnight two-alarm fire reported at 2:44 a.m. Monday in the 1400 block of Greenbrier Avenue SE; Station 6 found the two-story home fully involved, and cause and origin are under investigation. (WFXR)
• Land. City Council approved an $8 million purchase of 236 acres of former Ole Monterey Golf Course land along Tinker Creek Lane NE for possible housing, schools, parks, or industrial expansion, WFXR reports. (WFXR)
• Planning. Consultants told council Tuesday that Roanoke planning faces a “culture of no,” with vacancy rates that hit 36% and more than 400 permits in the pipeline; staff say waits are already down to 1–2 weeks, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Lead. A $6.25 million HUD grant will expand Lead Safe Roanoke to as many as 150 more homes over three years; the city is taking rolling applications for pre-1978 homes with a child under 5. (City of Roanoke)
• Schools. Roanoke City Public Schools finalized 148 eliminated positions to help close a $14 million FY2027 gap, Cardinal News reports — 64 teaching jobs across all 24 schools, with 13 of 66 filled cuts recalled into other vacancies by Aug. 20. (Cardinal News)
• Breach. The city now says the May 6 incident started with a phishing email that looked legitimate; it locked the compromised account after one day and mailed Aug. 24 notices after an insurer’s review, Cardinal News reports. How many people were affected is still undisclosed. (Cardinal News)
• Tax. At a joint City Council–school board meeting Tuesday, officials kept talking about a 1% local-option sales tax for school construction; Mayor Cobb cited roughly $26–28 million a year if voters approve, Cardinal News reports. (Cardinal News)
• Debates. Rep. Morgan Griffith confirmed to WDBJ a letter declining Joy Powers’ three VA-9 debate invites, saying he would rather campaign town to town than trade lines on a stage. (WDBJ)
• Shooting. Roanoke police say a person was shot Monday in the 1300 block of Orange Avenue NW. The victim was taken to Roanoke Memorial and is stable. On Tuesday they arrested Richard Eary, 30, on a malicious-wounding charge; he is held at the Roanoke City Adult Detention Center. (WSLS)
• Bent. Roanoke County Fire and Rescue answered a house fire about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 10400 block of Fortune Ridge Road on Bent Mountain. WSLS says three people were taken to Roanoke Memorial with non-life-threatening injuries, one later flown to VCU; six people plus a dog and a cat are displaced, and another cat is missing. (WSLS)
• Cove. Cardinal News puts Carvins Cove about 18.6 feet below full pond — voluntary conservation, still above the 1999 and 2002 drought tracks. Spring Hollow is taking more of the load; Google is contracted for 2 million gallons a day and now projects about 1.2 million with air cooling. (Cardinal News)
• Debate. Powers issues VA-9 debate challenge, Griffith noncommittal. (WDBJ)
• Hospice. Roanoke-based Good Samaritan Hospice is buying the Bedford Hospice House Centra closed in April. WDBJ says a CMS freeze on new Medicare hospice enrollments, in effect since May 13 and set to lift in November, is blocking a reopen date. (WDBJ)
• I-81. Roanoke County’s Sept. 21 update sets I-81 widening blasts for Tuesday, Sept. 22, and Thursday, Sept. 24, 9–11 a.m. Exit 146 northbound and 150A/150B southbound ramps close in those windows through Oct. 22. (Roanoke County)
• Holiday. Roanoke County offices, library branches, Circuit Court, and CORTRAN are closed Monday, Sept. 7. Trash skips that day and runs one day late the rest of the week. Green Ridge closes at 1 p.m.; Splash Valley and the Explore Park visitor center stay on holiday hours, and the McAfee Knob shuttle still runs. (Roanoke County)
• Wreck. Victim of fatal wreck identified as Blacksburg town employee. (The Roanoke Times)
• Suit. Grayson Cotes, 25, sued the city and Vice Mayor Terry McGuire in federal court for $12.2 million after council refused to let him deliver an invocation as a member of the Satanic Temple. WVTF says city officials did not comment. (WVTF)
• Shelter. WSLS says Rusty, an 8-year-old pit bull mix, has been at the Salem Animal Shelter since February and is listed as a hospice foster after a cancerous mass. The shelter says he may have one to two years left. (WSLS)
• QB. Ethan Grunkemeyer, a Penn State transfer who followed James Franklin to Blacksburg, will start at quarterback Saturday against VMI. Franklin said Monday he is preparing for the triple option. (WDBJ)
• Pantry. St. Francis House has watched USDA food drop from more than 8,000 pounds a month to below 3,000. Knights of Columbus and the Hibernians are collecting toward 1,500 pounds; the pantry wants peanut butter, canned meat, and canned fruit at 820 Campbell Ave. SW. (WSLS)
• Dignity. The Least of These wants corporate sponsors and volunteer waitstaff for Dining With Dignity on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. at Elmwood Park. WFIR says the outdoor meal is for unsheltered residents only, not a public ticketed dinner. (WFIR)
• Mural. Roanoke College posted a 60-foot Blue Ridge mural on the north side of Ayres Hall at College Avenue and Clay Street. Local artist Nicole Gray finished it Aug. 17, her first solo mural, from a concept by college designer James France. (Roanoke College)
• Grandin. The 1932 Grandin Theatre is adding subterranean performer space at the rear of the building: bathrooms, showers, laundry, and technician rooms, all ADA. WVTF says showtimes stay up; the foundation wants it done before year's end. (WVTF)
• Scam. The City Sheriff's Office says callers posing as deputies are hitting relatives of people just arrested and demanding bond money by Venmo, Cash App, or gift cards. At least one person has lost money. Deputies will not call to collect. (WDBJ)
• Campus. Virginia's biennial budget funds a new VTC medical school building in Roanoke, $13 million over two years for enrollment and in-state tuition help, $14 million for a Patient Research Center, and $250,000 to study a regional biomedical high school. (Virginia Business)
• Ballot. City of Roanoke's Nov. 3 election calendar is out. Early in-person voting starts Sept. 18 weekdays 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with weekend sessions in late October; Oct. 31 is the last early day. Absentee-mail and registration updates cut off Oct. 23; Valley Metro is fare-free on Election Day. (WSLS)
• Lights. Salem beat E.C. Glass 35-17 after a kickoff touchdown. WSLS says Jordan McCadden scored twice after halftime and Jayden Wood intercepted a tipped pass to close it. (WSLS)
• Rivalry. William Byrd rallied past Cave Spring 20-14 on Friday at Bogle Stadium. WSLS says Gray Matthews broke a 96-yard run after the Terriers were pinned inside their own 5. (WSLS)
• Bugs. Insect Fest ran free at Explore Park Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit VBR listed stations, a trail hunt, and story time at the visitor center courtyard. (Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge)
• Franklin. Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney Bethany Harrison found no crime or FOIA violations by Board Chair Lorie Smith, Vice Chair Nick Mitchell, or Administrator Steven Sandy after an anonymous July complaint. (WDBJ)
• Solar. A circuit judge approved Franklin County's 35-acre Constitution Solar project in Henry after supervisors voted it down 5-1 in December. (WSLS)
• Lobby. Anna Guardipee of Salem, paralyzed in a 2019 construction-zone crash involving a semi, is pressing Capitol Hill with the Truck Safety Coalition for mandatory automatic emergency braking and speed limiters. Her friend Jennifer Burton died in the crash; WDBJ reports the driver got 10 months. (WDBJ)
• Drones. Virginia Tech opened a Counter-UAS test center at Kentland Farm in Blacksburg. WSLS reports Warner, Griffith, and President Sands were at Friday's ribbon cutting; the Army is a partner. (WSLS)
• Skate. City parks will pull the temporary skate ramps at Morningside after an inspection found rot and lifting. They came from old Wasena in 2024. (City of Roanoke)
• Lake. Smith Mountain Lake turns 60 with a 21+ sock hop Sept. 5, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the SML YMCA in Moneta. Tickets in advance. (Smith Mountain Lake Association)
• Google. Botetourt County issued a land-disturbance permit so Google can start phased grading on a 312-acre Greenfield site. WDBJ reports wetlands stay intact, blasting is expected under state fire marshal rules, and construction noise is off-limits 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (WDBJ)
• VetFest. WDBJ says Salem VA's first VetFest served more than 250 veterans Saturday, including more than 50 new enrollments. (WDBJ)
• Shows. The Exchange is packing fall: Poe speakeasy Sept. 10–12, Lettuce Oct. 1, Maggie Rose Oct. 8, Futurebirds Nov. 20. WFIR says they are already booking 2027. (WFIR)
• Hokies. Virginia Tech opened the James Franklin era with a 73-3 win over VMI on Saturday. WSLS says Hawkins ran for three scores and Overton added two; Grunkemeyer threw for 224 yards and two TDs. (WSLS)
• Forum. Roanoke City Council candidates took questions on Flock cameras, the city budget, and school funding at a Greater Deyerle forum Thursday night. (The Roanoke Times)
• Arrest. Police charged Timothy Ralph Boyd, 58, with robbery after an incident Thursday in the 1700 block of Hershberger Road. WSLS reports LPR work led officers to a vehicle address where he was taken into custody; he is held at the Roanoke City Jail. (WSLS)
• Screens. Parents pressed the state board on classroom devices. Cardinal News says Roanoke County superintendent Jamie Soltis is auditing the laptop program and cutting screen time in K–2. (Cardinal News)
• Clinic. VIA Centers opened a Pediatric ABA clinic at 312 Whitwell Drive, next to its Roanoke Day School. Cardinal News said families were already enrolled. (WFXR)
• Crime. Mayor Cobb said downtown crime is down 50% this year. WDBJ reports the city is at nine homicides year-to-date, matching all of 2025. (WDBJ)
• Housing. The Least of These is renovating a Roanoke house it bought in October for affordable rent as people leave its motel program, WSLS reports. Renovation Alliance is helping; no finish date yet. (WSLS)
• Warehouse. The 378,720-square-foot Rowe Furniture warehouse in Elliston sold for $32 million on Aug. 21, WSLS reports. A Virginia family office bought it; Thalhimer arranged the deal. (WSLS)
• Salem. Salem Lions Wheels of Hope plans 125 bikes and safety gear for elementary students starting in 2026-27, WFXR reports. School staff pick the kids; stadium concession money is backing it. (WFXR)
• Schools. RCPS is restating stadium rules ahead of Friday football: clear bags, no outside food or drinks, no re-entry, kids with an adult — and cheer for your team without fouling the other side. (WDBJ)
• Crash. County police identified John Scritchfield, 69, as the pedestrian killed Aug. 20 near Colonial Avenue and Thompsons Lane. The driver stayed; the investigation continues. (Roanoke County)
• Weekend. Crash the Cove ran Sunday morning at Carvins Cove. Bear Theatre's last Cat on a Hot Tin Roof show was Sunday afternoon. Taco Fest proceeds at Elmwood went to Huddle Up Moms. (WDBJ)
• Giles. Giles County will stop using Flock Safety now and end the contract Oct. 16, a year early. WSLS reports one of the two cameras was stolen and thrown off a bridge. (WSLS)

Weather. No NWS alerts are posted for the Roanoke area, and the latest outlook does not mention frost. NWS cancelled the Allisonia flood warning at 2:44 a.m. Oct. 12. Power outages at 7:23 a.m.: none in the area; the Bedford County outage of about 705 customers had cleared, and the city of Roanoke, Roanoke County, Campbell, Floyd, Franklin, Pulaski, Botetourt, Montgomery, and Salem were clear too. Roanoke River steady near 1 foot, well below flood stage. About 4 inches of rain fell at the Roanoke airport Oct. 10 and 11. Showers ended Saturday morning; the airport was clear and near 64 around 5:54 p.m., with a light wind; tonight dips near 38, Saturday is sunny near 63, and Saturday night falls near 36. No weather closings or delays. NWS Blacksburg alerts