Local Business and Economic Development | News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR

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Wednesday is Give Roanoke Day.  A day when area non-profits of all sizes reach out to potential donors.  WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.

Council of Community Services has been organizing Give Roanoke for five years.  It’s a chance for non-profits to get their message out to a wider audience. Amanda Holcomb, Council of Community Services Director of Community Engagement, says the day benefits organizations of all sizes.

“We have a range of nonprofits like us who have been around for a long time, who have staff,” said Holcomb. “We have all volunteer nonprofits, some nonprofits that are really just community based and don’t have a lot of development. So this is a day to amplify them and just raise awareness for their causes.”

Another way it benefits smaller groups is the Roanoke Gives website handles the payment platform, a service that can be cumbersome for small nonprofits.  Go to Give Roanoke.org to learn more and donate.  Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.

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Give Roanoke 2026 is tomorrow, early giving started earlier this month.  As WFIR Denise Allen Membreno tells us there are ways to make smaller donations have a bigger impact.

Nonprofits of all sizes are participating in Give Roanoke Day.  More than 90 organizations are participating in hopes of raising money to carry out their missions.  Amanda Holcomb, Council of Community Services Director of Community Engagement, says there are ways to make donations of any size have a larger impact.

“And throughout the day we have different prizes like early bird that runs from 12am to 6am lunch money which raises money from 12 to 1pm,” continued Holcomb. “We have night out that’s nine to 11:59pm and then we have like a far far away challenge and a go getter prize for those that are fundraising for those nonprofit organizations.”

Information on the participating nonprofits and how to make your donation have a bigger impact can be found at GiveRoanoke.org.  Give Roanoke is all day Wednesday.  Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.

The Virginia branch of a national dental insurance company recently presented $222,600 to a handful of “safety net” clinics in the Roanoke Valley, all with the goal of providing residents access to a healthy smile. That story from WFIR’s Conner Arthur:

The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation is distributing $825,000 in grants to 13 safety-net clinics to address a deepening oral health crisis across the commonwealth. This investment arrives as Virginia ranks second to last in the United States for dental hygienist workforce adequacy, meeting only 66% of patient demand for preventative care.

Virginia currently faces a shortage of 1,000 dental hygienists, a gap that has pushed waiting lists for preventative services to as long as 18 months in some areas. Approximately two-thirds of the 133 localities in the state are officially designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas.

“Virginia is facing one of the country’s worst shortages of oral health professionals,” Frank Lucia, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Virginia, said. He noted that the scarcity of providers is forcing the most vulnerable residents to wait over a year for basic care.

The state’s safety-net infrastructure is under mounting pressure. Free clinics have seen a 47% increase in patient volume over the last two years. This surge is attributed to Medicaid eligibility redeterminations following the pandemic and shifts in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace that could leave 310,000 Virginians without coverage.

In the Roanoke Valley, the foundation awarded $222,600 to local organizations, including the Bradley Free Clinic, New Horizons Healthcare, and the Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP). These funds primarily support the salaries of dentists and hygienists to help clinics manage backlogs of patients who often require significant restorative work after years without care.

The foundation is moving beyond short-term subsidies by advocating for a $3 million state-allocated matching fund. This proposal aims to expand dental hygiene programs within the Virginia Community College System to create a sustainable workforce pipeline.

Polly Raible, executive director of the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, emphasized that oral health is a critical component of overall wellness. “Your mouth really plays into your overall health,” Raible said, noting that untreated dental issues often exacerbate chronic medical conditions. The foundation plans to open its next grant application cycle on June 8.

A local humane clinic, which has completed more than 100,000 low-cost spay and neuter surgeries since its doors opened in 2010, is inviting the community to show their support.

Mountain View Humane has announced their upcoming ‘Whiskers, Wags, & Wine’ event, aimed at raising the funds needed to make the services they offer possible. In addition to a wine tasting and light refreshments, the event will feature a silent auction offering items ranging from original artwork, to a Ballyhack Golf Club “Stay and Play Certificate.”

Mountain View Humane’s Executive Director of Mission Delivery, Laurie Gibbons, says all proceeds from the event will go towards expanding upon the already-extensive services they offer in the region, “We continue to be a resource for spay/neuter. Last year we provided almost 2500 wellness exams; you can bring your animal here for any kind of vaccine, and last year we administered over 8000 rabies vaccines.”

‘Whiskers, Wags, & Wine’ will be held next Thursday, April 23rd from 6:00-8:00 PM at Vintage Cellar on Blacksburg’s S Main Street. Tickets are $40/per person, and seating is limited. Click the link below to get your ticket or learn more about Mountain View Humane’s services.

Click here to visit Mountain View Humane’s Site

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Roanoke City’s Director of Economic Development calls the five year journey from visioning to securing the funds and then remodeling what is now the RoVa Labs building a “labor of love.” Marc Nelson is Director of Economic Development for the City of Roanoke, which has announced a memorandum of understanding with Carilion Clinic on establishing a biotech incubator in a building Carilion still owns, and will manage for at least ten years. Its the latest addition to the biotech ecosystem in downtown Roanoke. They will cut the ribbon on May 6.

The city, Carilion, Virginia Tech, Virginia Western Community College and the Roanoke Blacksburg Innovation Alliance – which runs the RAMP high tech business accelerator just up the block on South Jefferson – are all partners in RoVa Labs, which will lease space to researchers who need a wet or dry lab space for a short period of time to tweak their idea or invention.  The biotech collaboration says Roanoke City, “reinforces the bridges that connect higher education, health services – and industry.” WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:

An economic development organization in the Roanoke Valley recently shared their 2025 report, saying the calendar year exceeded expectations as WFIR’s Conner Arthur reports:

Roanoke Regional Partnership President John Hull presented its 2025 annual report to the Roanoke City Council on Monday. The organization focuses on recruiting businesses and connecting them to resources for relocation or expansion. During 2025, the region attracted $176 million in capital investment and created 715 new jobs.

These results contributed to the “Thrive 2027” strategic plan, which has now generated $565 million in capital investment. This figure represents 161% of the original goal. The plan also yielded 3,175 new jobs, surpassing the target of 3,000. Hull noted that business inquiries reached a record high of 555 last year, signaling sustained interest from investors.

A major milestone involved Google purchasing land in Botetourt County for a potential data center campus. Leaders described the move as a transformative opportunity that introduces a new high-tech economic sector to the region. Manufacturing also remains a core strength. The Roanoke region ranked in the top quartile nationally for manufacturing growth among small and mid-size metros.

Outdoor culture continues to serve as a primary economic driver. Events like the Blue Ridge Marathon and the GO Outside Festival generated $5.1 million in economic impact. These activities attracted 56,000 attendees from 41 states and four countries.

Talent attraction efforts are successfully bringing new residents to the area. The region welcomed 1,949 net new residents in 2025. This growth rate is double the level recorded in 2020. The Get2KnowNoke talent portal now features 466 profiles and lists 2,500 open positions from 350 regional employers.

A year-and-a-half after the Market at Melrose – the anchor for Melrose Plaza in northwest Roanoke – opened as the first full service grocery store in that part of the city in decades, it is not close to turning a profit yet. Live in studio this morning President and CEO Richmond Vincent with Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, which operates the market, says this was expected. Vincent also says he is encouraged by response to the Excel Center adult high school now on the Melrose Plaza campus, and a recent agreement with Virginia Western Community College that will help the Excel Center put together certification programs for students, making them job-ready. Hear the complete conversation from this morning below or watch it on Facebook.

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The United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge is cutting the ribbon on its new home next Wednesday and at the same time starting its “Opening Doors Campaign.”  WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.

The United Way actually moved into its new space on Electric Road in Roanoke County in January.  The April 14th Ribbon Cutting and Open House is also the start of the Opening Doors Campaign which Kianna Price Marshall, Vice President of Advancement says strives to unlock a better future for those they serve.

“This new space, our headquarters, is designed to strengthen collaboration, expand our impact across the region,” added Marshall. “So through the Opening Doors campaign, basically we’re allowing or hoping and asking for donors to have the opportunity to celebrate this milestone while helping ensure our new home continues to build a hub for collaboration, innovation, and service.”

Marshall says through this campaign the United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge is working to expand access to critical services and invest directly into the people and programs that make lasting change.  The open house is next Wednesday at 11 am.  Find more information at WFIRNews.com.  Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.

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The United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge is celebrating its new home which it says makes the organization more accessible.  It’s “Opening Doors Campaign,” seeks to open doors and brighter futures through partnerships.  WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno reports.

The Opening Doors Campaign is an invitation to donors to be a part of the United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge’s next 100 years.  The campaign seeks to expand access to critical services, strengthen partnerships across the region and invest directly into the people and programs that make lasting change.  Kianna Price Marshall, Vice President of Advancement …

“We’re creating a place where partnerships grow stronger, community solutions take shape, and neighbors find the support they need to thrive.”

Marshall says everyone is invited to celebrate the new home at 3800 Electric Road and the “Opening Doors Campaign,” at the open house on April 14th at 11 am. Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.

United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge

With the growth of data center projects in Virginia, conversations about potential negative impacts have expanded. One Virginia Tech professor looked at the outcomes these centers would have on technological hardware. WFIR’s Conner Arthur has that story:

Technology users are paying a steep price for the national surge in data centers as essential hardware costs triple. While Botetourt County residents have debated the environmental impact of the local Google project for weeks, the financial toll is appearing on store shelves.

Dr. Kirk Cameron, director of the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing, said the price of RAM has doubled or tripled since the start of 2026. Random access memory, or RAM, acts as a computer’s high-speed, short-term memory. It allows the central processing unit to access information instantly for active tasks.

The spike stems from the massive hardware requirements of artificial intelligence. Companies behind chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude are competing for a finite supply of chips to ensure fast response times. This demand has effectively squeezed the global market.

In 2025, 32 gigabytes of RAM averaged between $80 and $100. By April 2026, those prices jumped to a range of $150 to $400. Cameron noted that data centers consume between 10 and 30 megawatts of power. This is roughly the same amount used by a city like Roanoke.

This hardware shortage affects more than just PC builders. Prices for smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles like the PlayStation have risen by as much as $150. Because RAM can account for half the total cost of a device, these products become more expensive proportionally.

Cameron, who works at the university’s Alexandria campus, said the reaction to these projects is similar across the state. Residents in Northern Virginia and Botetourt County share concerns about windowless buildings that consume local resources. He argued for a collaborative approach to bridge the gap between technological power and consumer impact.

Average consumers now compete with companies that have deep financial resources. These firms pay premiums for memory chips to scale their AI capacities. “If RAM prices are doubling or tripling, then that laptop or that PC is going to go up relatively more expensive,” Cameron said.

The City of Roanoke, United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, and other local partners are encouraging residents to take charge of their financial well being with a host of free financial empowerment events, beginning this weekend. A coalition of financial, community, and government organizations – all together called the Bank On Roanoke Valley partnership – are working together to help people boost their financial literacy all next week, as part of the annual Roanoke Valley Saves Week.

Brandon Meginley, a Financial Stability Specialist for the City of Roanoke and coordinator for Bank On Roanoke Valley, highlights the significance of financial wellness, “Having a clear picture of your own personal finances, can get you at least some of the way towards to beginning to save. You can feel at least empowered with the information to start taking steps in the right direction.”

The week-long initiative will kick off this Saturday at noon with a free community cookout and resource fair to be held at Roanoke’s EnVision Center, followed by a series of three free workshops on financial wellness topics ranging from budgeting to building credit.

Click here to sign up for one of the Roanoke Valley Saves Week workshops

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Roanoke County Public Schools and Carilion Clinic have announced the next step in their long-standing partnership to promote regional workforce development. Carilion Clinic will be investing $1.25 million over the next five years into the Campaign for Excellence, a capital campaign aimed at supporting local graduates pursuing careers in high-demand industries.

The first $80 million of these funds has been spent on the construction of a 123,000 square foot state-of-the-art instructional space dubbed the Roanoke County Career and Technology Center – RCCTC for short. Construction began in September of 2024, and officials say the center is set to open in early 2027.

Jason Suhr, Director of Career and Technical Education for Roanoke County Public Schools, says the new center will replace the Burton Center for Arts and Technology, “The career and technical education programming at Burton Center is all moving to the new center. In addition, we’ll be adding a minimum of three, if not five or six more programs for our students.”

Suhr says that CTE centers, like the Burton Center, and the upcoming RCCTC, are crucial for showing students – especially those who don’t already know what they want to do – what their options are, “[We’re] Making sure that our students know that these  opportunities exist, and getting them as efficiently to their future career as possible. And when I say as efficiently as possible, you know, we’re talking money and time.”

He adds that Roanoke County students will not be the only ones benefiting from this new center. Eventually, he says the RCCTC will add evening courses for adult workforce development training.

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