Jefferson Center returns with full season of live shows

Jefferson Center returns with full season of live shows

Note: Jefferson Center Executive Director Cyrus Pace is live in studio with us tomorrow morning at 8:45 to talk about the upcoming season. Listen to it on WFIR; watch it on our Facebook. (News Release) Jefferson Center, the region’s premier arts and education center, is pleased to announce its 2021-2022 Performance Season. The historic venue emerges…Continue Reading

Virginia halts admissions at short-staffed mental hospitals

Virginia halts admissions at short-staffed mental hospitals

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia temporarily closed admissions at five mental hospitals Friday amid a staffing crisis. The move will allow the hospitals to reduce the number of patients through attrition, not discharges, until there are enough employees to care for patients safely, an official said. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that five of the state’s…Continue Reading

Charlottesville set to remove Lee statue that sparked rally

Charlottesville set to remove Lee statue that sparked rally

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that became a rallying point for white supremacists and helped inspire their infamous 2017 rally in Charlottesville will be hoisted off its pedestal this weekend and sent to storage, officials announced Friday. The Lee statue and another Confederate tribute nearby are both scheduled…Continue Reading

Bedford man charged with possessing and seeking child porn

Bedford man charged with possessing and seeking child porn

NEWS RELEASE: The following subject was arrested on July 8, 2021, in connection with an ongoing Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children investigation: Carl Lee Thompson, 53 years of age, of Bedford, VA, was arrested by investigators assigned to the Southern Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. Participating task force agencies included the Bedford County…Continue Reading

99+% of Va COVID cases involve not-fully-vaccinated people

99+% of Va COVID cases involve not-fully-vaccinated people

The Virginia Department of Health is now reporting COVID-19 numbers through an additional metric — vaccination status.  The VDH says the numbers so far show that more than 99 % of all cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the state involve Virginians who were not fully vaccinated. NEWS RELEASE: (RICHMOND, VA) — The Virginia Department of Health…Continue Reading

Rescue Mission launches donation matching grant challenge in July

Rescue Mission launches donation matching grant challenge in July

One perhaps “positive” aspect emerging from the pandemic at the Rescue Mission of Roanoke says CEO Lee Clark – the more thorough medical intakes they were doing when someone new to the shelter arrives will remain in place. Clark was also live in studio this morning to talk about a new donation matching grant challenge…Continue Reading

Councilman Robert Jeffrey Jr. turns himself in

Councilman Robert Jeffrey Jr. turns himself in

Roanoke City Councilman Robert Jeffrey Jr. turned himself in today at the Roanoke City jail after being indicted on felony embezzlement charges. He’s likely to be released on his own recognizance on a promise to appear in court at a later date. Jeffrey has been accused of embezzlement by the Northwest Neighborhood Environmental Organization civic…Continue Reading

Mill Mountain Star auctioned off … sort of

Mill Mountain Star auctioned off … sort of

The Kiwanis Club of Roanoke had a brainstorm for its annual Pancake and Auction Day fundraiser in May – it would auction off the Mill Mountain Star. Actually, just the sponsorship rights for a year, with proceeds going to support Kiwanis community programs. Lionberger Construction had the winning bid and this morning a plaque noting…Continue Reading

It happens again; tractor trailer gets stuck, blocks Jae Valley Road

It happens again; tractor trailer gets stuck, blocks Jae Valley Road

Roanoke County Police report a tractor trailer became stuck Friday morning on a hilly and twisting section of Jae Valley Road near the Franklin County line,  blocking the roadway in both directions. The roadway has seen many such incidents despite large signs in both directions warning through truck traffic is prohibited. Jae Valley Road is…Continue Reading

Update: Jae Valley is now open

Update: Jae Valley is now open

Roanoke County Police report a tractor trailer became stuck Friday morning on a hilly and twisting section of Jae Valley Road near the Franklin County line,  blocking the roadway in both directions. The roadway has seen many such incidents despite large signs in both directions warning through truck traffic is prohibited. Jae Valley Road is…Continue Reading