WFIR News Express

Here is the latest news from around the Roanoke Valley and Commonwealth of Virginia.

For more than twenty years, the Roanoke community has come together each year to share a meal with a mission.

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Thursday, October 22, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover the ribbon-cutting of Roanoke County's new $80 million career and technical center, the continued Russian detention of Salem native Chuck Zimmerman, and hun...

Early voting is underway for the November 3 election - and beginning this Saturday, Roanoke City residents can vote at the City office of voter registration on weekends through the end of the month. 7 candidates are vying for 3 seats on Roanoke City Council; they all spoke at a recent forum held by the Raleigh Court Neighborhood Association. WFIR's Gene Marrano offers this "snapshot"...

Its the second and last weekend at the Bear Theatre in downtown Roanoke at Community High School this Friday through Sunday for a locally written whodunit by playwright Stacey Upton, Death by Design. This Friday at the Salem Civic Center its the first Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Pops concert of the 26-27 season - Sinatra and the American Songbook. Roanoke Ballet Theatre's Dracula has become a p...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Wednesday, October 21, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover billing delays affecting Virginia's data center tax revenues, Radford University overhauling Greek life oversight, and Carilion Clinic expanding in Dalevil...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Tuesday, October 20, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover Tom Perriello's 2-to-1 fundraising advantage in the 5th District, veteran radio host David Page announcing his retirement from Q99, and a grassroots rally ca...

The Star City School of Ballet has operated in Roanoke since the 90s. Now, the boutique studio is offering additional styles, scholarships, and performance opportunities to local youth.

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Friday, October 16, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover the Bedford County School Board voting to close Stewartsville Elementary, a Roanoke Police employee placed on leave after being charged in a massage parlor invest...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Thursday, October 15, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover Richard Linton being appointed Virginia Tech's 17th president, arraignments and human trafficking probes following county massage parlor raids, and resident...

With early decision deadlines just around the corner, WalletHub has listed the Virginia colleges that offer the best return on investment in 2027.

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Wednesday, October 14, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover Virginia Tech's expected presidential announcement, a state audit warning on government AI risks, and Virginia's two largest craft brewers joining forc...

Its the second and last weekend thus Thursday through Sunday at Showtimers for The Revolutionists, a four-woman play - and one very large puppet - set in 1793 Paris during the reign of terror. Its also the last weekend Thursday through Sunday for The Picture of Dorian Gray at Attic Productions in Fincastle, Oscar Wilde's story about the bargain a man makes to stay young and never age - while h...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Tuesday, October 13, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover federal and county raids on illicit massage parlors, the closing of local favorite Burger in the Square, and the largest proposed mixed-use development in Salem&...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Monday, October 12, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover trucking industry calls for a state fuel tax suspension, the confirmed site for a small modular nuclear reactor in Amherst County, firearm owners protesting Virgi...

Early voting is underway for the November 3rd election - and beginning this Saturday, Roanoke City residents can vote at the City office of voter registration on weekends through the end of the month. 7 candidates are vying for 3 seats on Roanoke City Council; they all spoke at a recent forum held by the Raleigh Court Neighborhood Association. WFIR's Gene Marrano offers this "snapshot&quo...

This November, Virginian voters will have the chance to weigh in on three major changes to the Commonwealth's constitution. 

Here is the latest news from around the Roanoke Valley and Commonwealth of Virginia.

Now in its 16th year the Go Outside Festival - GO Fest - is back in downtown Roanoke next Friday night through Sunday, a celebration of all things outdoors that includes hands-on experiences, a chance to try out new gear, take in the lumberjack show and check out some live music. That's just for starters says Kait Pedigo with Roanoke Outside, who was live in studio this morning:

ts the opening weekend this Thursday night through a Sunday matinee at Showtimers Community Theatre for THe Revolutionists, set in Paris during the reign of terror in 1793, as four women hatch plots to fight extremist insanity - one of those women was Marie Antionette, of let them eat cake fame. Its also the opening weekend for The Picture of Dorian Gray at Attic Productions in Fincastle, once aga...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Wednesday, October 7, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover a groundbreaking fentanyl overdose patch developed at Virginia Tech, an online apology from a Roanoke City Councilman to a local PTA leader, and growing calls f...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Tuesday, October 6, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover a major concert coming to downtown Roanoke, traffic disruptions along Route 460, new manufacturing operations opening in Franklin County, and regional public safe...

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Monday, October 5, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover accusations surrounding the sale of the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center, a $3 billion data center project breaking ground in Appomattox County, new retail tenants...

Researchers at Virginia Tech have found the first evidence of a so-called ‘super-bug’s’ latest mutation.

Miss the morning broadcast? Catch up on the top stories impacting the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia for Friday, October 2, 2026. In this episode of Roanoke Valley's Morning News, hosts Joey Self and Ian Price cover Montgomery County terminating its license plate camera program over privacy concerns, a $32 million highway overhaul planned for Bonsack, and key state energy and...