WFIR News Express

On this Thursday, March 5, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , the Virginia Supreme Court orders early voting to proceed Friday in Tazewell County, reversing a circuit court ruling with less than 48 hours to go before polls open. The high court says it will review redistricting lawsuits after the April 21 referendum, but voting continues statewide. In Washington, Senator Tim Kaine vows to keep opp...

Roanoke’s financial challenges continue to shape decisions at City Hall. In this week’s On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler on WFIR News Express, reporter Jeff Sturgeon joins Ian Price in studio to discuss why Roanoke leaders may keep the meals tax increase in place beyond its planned 2027 sunset as the city works to manage debt tied to major projects and close budget gaps. We also talk about...

On this Wednesday, March 4, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , Roanoke Police investigate a shooting outside Shaker’s near Valley View Mall after a parking lot disagreement, leaving one person with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. We also look at Roanoke’s six homicide victims so far in 2026 — matching the first-quarter pace of the city’s deadliest year — even as overall violent crime t...

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

On this Friday, February 27, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express, a 90-year-old woman is dead following a crash at the intersection of Richmond Highway and Scotts Farm Road in Campbell County. Authorities say the driver of a Honda Ridgeline crossed into the median, overturned multiple times, and came to rest on the opposite side of the highway. Phyillis Proffit was pronounced dead at the scene. At t...

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

Here is the latest reaction to President Trump's State of the Union address and the Roanoke City School Board's budget discussions.

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

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

On this Friday, February 20, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express, a child is dead and three others are injured after a mobile home fire in the 1600 block of Peppers Ferry Road in Christiansburg. Two children were airlifted to Wake Forest Medical Center for burn treatment as investigators work to determine the cause of the blaze. At the Capitol, the General Assembly session heads toward crossover as...

Historic properties across the Roanoke Valley are facing demolition — and preservation advocates are raising concerns. On this week’s On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler , reporter Jeff Sturgeon joins WFIR live in studio to discuss the demolition of an early 1800s farmhouse at North Cross School, a possible teardown at Roanoke College, and the uncertain future of the Washington Park caretaker’...

On this Tuesday, February 17, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , Virginia’s first wind farm begins taking shape in Botetourt County after a decade of delays. The Rocky Forge Wind project will place 13 turbines on North Mountain, with opponents raising concerns about tourism impacts and wildlife, while developers point to safety and local tax revenue — and Google is set to purchase the power. In R...

On this Monday, February 16, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , the Virginia Supreme Court allows an April 21 redistricting referendum to move forward, with early voting starting March 6 , while noting opponents can raise future legal arguments. In Richmond, lawmakers push competing proposals that could shape Virginia’s gaming future — including a bill to regulate and tax skill game machines and...

On this Friday, February 13, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express, 9th District Democratic congressional candidate Adam Murphy is speaking out after a reported racist incident targeting Virginia Tech Sociology Professor Biko Agozino in Christiansburg. Murphy says a group of eight white men parked outside Agozino’s home, yelled racial slurs, threw ice bricks into the driveway and blared music in what...

Major changes for a longtime Roanoke employer, renewed tension over school funding, and a long-awaited transit upgrade. On this week’s On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler , reporter Jeff Sturgeon joins WFIR live in studio to break down Orvis selling its 334,000-square-foot warehouse at the Roanoke Centre for Industry and Technology to a Coca-Cola affiliate for nearly $30 million. Orvis says it...

On this Tuesday, February 10, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , the Rescue Mission of Roanoke is leading RIDE — the Roanoke Interagency Daily Express , a homeless transportation shuttle that debuted in December and now moves about 82 people a day between the Rescue Mission and the RAM House Day Shelter using RADAR bus transit. The program has funding through June, but organizers estimate it will...

This WFIR News Express update was recorded and dated Monday, February 9, 2026, and is being posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. In this edition, the Virginia Supreme Court is set to weigh in on the legality of Democrats’ proposed congressional map and whether an April referendum can move forward, as former Attorney General Jason Miyares raises concerns about representation and the state’s voter-...

On this Friday, February 6, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express, Virginia Democrats release a proposed 10-1 congressional map that would reshape districts across the Commonwealth ahead of the midterm elections, with Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley shifting into a newly drawn 6th District. We hear reaction from legislative leaders as the State Supreme Court weighs whether the map will go...

On this Thursday, February 5, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , prosecutors say a Roanoke bridal shop was used as a hub for a human trafficking and drug operation with more than 50 victims identified, as five people face racketeering charges spanning multiple counties. We also cover Governor Abigail Spanberger’s decision to end Virginia’s statewide 287(g) agreement, cutting off state law enforce...

Big new details are emerging about Google’s planned data center campus in Botetourt County — and Roanoke’s casino push just got a lot murkier. On today’s On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler , reporter Jeff Sturgeon joins WFIR by phone (still snowed in by Winter Storm Fern ) to break down newly obtained documents showing Google’s campus is envisioned as three data center buildings totaling near...

On this Tuesday, February 3, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , we follow up on the planned shutdown of Salem’s longtime Yokohama tire plant, with new help for workers facing layoffs — including free resume and skills services and a job fair this Thursday at the Salem Civic Center. We also look at how medical cannabis suppliers are positioning for Virginia’s future retail marketplace, including e...

On this Monday, February 2, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , we start with Groundhog Day — and Roanoke’s own long-running tradition, from the historic Roanoke Groundhog Club to Mill Mountain Zoo’s former “Tweeter” and today’s prairie dog prediction. We also cover a high-speed I-81 police chase that topped 100 miles per hour, ending with a Georgia woman arrested on felony eluding, DUI, and reckl...

On this Friday, January 30, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , our top local story centers on a dangerous house fire in Roanoke: Two Roanoke City firefighters are hospitalized after being injured while responding to a house fire in the 2700 block of Courtland Road NW, where crews rescued one person and treated multiple injuries on scene. Fire officials say a mayday was called from inside the stru...

On this Thursday, January 29, 2026 edition of WFIR News Express , a Virginia-based gun rights organization calls for an independent investigation into the shooting death of concealed handgun permit holder Alex Pretti by federal border agents in Minnesota, urging the release of body camera footage to clarify what happened. In Hanover County, local leaders push back against plans for a proposed ICE...

Questions about Roanoke’s future — downtown, online, and on the streets — take center stage this week. On today’s On The Record: With the Roanoke Rambler , reporter Jeff Sturgeon joins WFIR by phone as winter weather keeps him at home, walking through three of the Rambler’s most closely watched stories. First, we dig into the uncertain future of the Berglund Center , where a new city focus group i...