2025 direct visitor spending in Virginia’s Blue Ridge is heading towards a billion dollars annually – the 2025 numbers reached 972.5 million dollars, which generated 47 million in local tax revenue. That also represents a 5.3 percent increase over the 2024 direct visitor spending.  Sports tourism was a big part of the mix, and VBR’s spring marketing campaign targeting potential visitors in Richmond, Washington and the tidewater region generated more than 17 million dollars in visitor spending. Kathryn Lucas is director of public relations for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge:

(VBR News Release) Visitor spending generated $47.1 million in local tax revenue, saving the average Virginia’s Blue Ridge household $366 on their local tax bill. ROANOKE, Va., Sept. 17, 2026 – In 2025, $972.5 million was directly spent by visitors in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, another record and a 5.3% increase over 2024. Direct visitor spending in Virginia’s Blue Ridge also supported a record 7,542 jobs in 2025. Visitor spending provides local tax revenue that enhances residents’ quality of life. Direct spending by visitors helps to reduce the annual local taxes paid by residents. In 2025, direct visitor spending generated $47.1 million in local tax revenue for the Cities of Roanoke and Salem and the Counties of Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke. This resulted in an average tax savings of $366.85 per household in Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

Efforts by Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge in 2026, including a strategic spring marketing campaign and hosting the USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships, are paying off in big ways. Visit VBR’s targeted spring marketing campaign (late February – April 2026) in Washington, D.C., Richmond, VA, and for the first time, Virginia Beach/Norfolk, VA markets generated over 88 million impressions and 3.5 million digital engagements. Between March and June 2026, nearly 26,000 visits were observed as a direct result of the campaign, generating over $17 million in visitor spending.

Its been open to the public since the New Year’s Grace Potter Concert at The Exchange music hall, but with the Spanish-themed Suerte restaurant now up and running, along with the 27-room boutique hotel – The Promissory on South Jefferson, inside what was a bank at one time – finally cut a ribbon this morning.  The original First National Exchange bank building with its high marble columns outside dates back over a century. Partners in the project include John McBroom from Across the Way Productions, downtown developer Lucas Thornton and Roanoke restaurant owner J.P. Powell. Mayor Joe Cobb was there at the ribbon cutting and building tours this morning

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Roanoke College officials say a recently created scholarship is all about ensuring the community has access to a quality education. More from WFIR’s Clark Palmer:

Full Release from Roanoke College below:

The Rotary Club of Roanoke-Downtown has partnered with the Rescue Mission of Roanoke to dedicate a “Peace Pole,” outside the women and children’s center, inscribed in four languages with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth, ” in English, Spanish, French and Arabic. The dedication is part of an International Peace Pole movement, reflecting the hope for peace among people and communities worldwide.  Lisa Thompson is director of development and communications for the southeast Roanoke homeless shelter:

For about a decade the House of Bread non-profit has been helping under-resourced women build job skills and regain their footing by training in a hands-on commercial kitchen. This Saturday in keeping with theme, House of Bread will hold a first-time fundraiser – a “bake off,” featuring some well known local figures. A baking competition, a soup and bread dinner featuring House of Bread’s own baked goods and a celebrity desert auction featuring bakers like Mayor Joe Cobb, city council woman Vivian Sanchez-Jones and delegate Sam Rasoul. The Bake-off is this Saturday from 6 to 8pm at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church. Lisa Goad is the program coordinator for house of bread, which works out of a shared kitchen space in Roanoke’s West End neighborhood. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:

The Carilion Taubman Cancer Center opening in 2028 will have an entire floor dedicated to children fighting cancer – and when funding is secured for less-invasive proton therapy, that will be the preferred approach for treating young patients. September also is National Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.  The medical director for hemotology and oncology at Carilion Clinic is Dr. William Fintel. He recalls speaking with Kelly Woolwine of LifeRing Foundation, which is raising millions for the Carilion Taubman Cancer Center and services like proton therapy, who told Fintel how kids with cancer are treated is reflective on the entire health system.  WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports.

A solemn ceremony this morning at Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport in remembrance of the September 11th, 2001 hijackings and terrorist attacks that took down the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York and hit the Pentagon, killing almost 3000 people. ROA executive director and CEO Mike Stewart recalled the first responders and others on that fateful day 25 years ago. Stewart was working at busy Chicago-O’Hare Airport on 9/11 2001, which like every other airport in the country was shut down for several days. This morning’s ceremony at Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport included a Wreath of Remembrance ceremony and “God Bless America” sung by all in attendance.

“Together we remember,” – a ceremony on Friday at Salem Fire Station number one, honoring the almost 3000 lives lost in the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. An emotional Salem Fire-EMS chief Stephen Simon told local first responders, elected officials and other guests we must never forget what happened 25 years ago. The ceremony included a posting of the colors, bagpipers playing Amazing Grace, the laying of wreaths at the bottom of a steel beam that came from a World Trade Center Tower, and a symbolic bell ringing.

Around here we have Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge – and a few years ago southside Virginia in Danville and Pittsylvania County adopted a similar tag line, as a way to re-brand the region. It paid off big time in 2025 when it comes to tourism and the tax revenue generated. Visit SoSi – that’s Southside Virginia – received the largest boost when looking at 2025 numbers when compared to 2024 no doubt by the opening of the Caesars Virginia casino, hotel and resort. In fact tourism director Lisa Meriwether noted it went up about 51 percent over 2024, when Caesars Virginia opened the doors to its permanent casino in December that year. WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:

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More than 85-percent of the homes in the City of Roanoke were built before 1978.  That means they probably have lead paint.  The city has received funding to help homeowners with lead remediation.  WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.

The City of Roanoke has received $6.25 million to remove lead paint hazards.  Over the next three years they will work on as many as 150 homes.  The work is done through Lead Safe Roanoke.  The city has operated the program for more than 20 years, completing lead remediation in 559 Roanoke homes. Program Director Katie Kennedy says when they are called to a home, it’s rare NOT to find lead contamination.

“We’ll actually come out and do a full lead inspection and risk assessment,” said Kennedy. “And so we’ll test every single painted surface in your house to determine whether there’s lead paint there and whether or not that paint is a hazard. Lead paint when it’s deteriorating, so if it’s chipping or peeling, it often looks like alligator scales.”

The goal is to make homes safe for families. Lead exposure can seriously harm children and cause lifelong health effects. To qualify for the program you must live in Roanoke City. The home has to have been built before 1978 and is not located in a floodplain. There are income eligibility requirements. And a child age 5 or younger must live in or regularly visit the home. Find a link to the application at WFIRNews.com.  Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.

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Roanoke City has received $6.5 Million to continue its lead remediation program.  WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more on who is eligible for the program.

Lead Safe Roanoke has competed lead remediation in 559 homes in the city during its 20-year history.  But with more than 85% of the city’s homes being built before 1978 there is a lot more work to do. Lead exposure can seriously harm children and cause lifelong health effects. That is why one of the eligibility requirements is a child age 5 or younger must live in or regularly visit the home.

“The only way you can actually know if somebody has lead poisoning is to have a blood test. And it’s really important at your child’s well visit at age one and two. If you live in a pre-78 house or your child spends time with their grandparents or other family members in an older home, that you make sure that your pediatrician during their well child visit is testing their blood for lead.”

That is Katie Kennedy Program director of Lead Safe Roanoke.  She says to qualify for the program you must live in Roanoke City. The home must have been built before 1978 and is not located in a floodplain. There are also income eligibility requirements. Find a link to the application at WFIRNews.com.  Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.

Online application for Lead Safe Roanoke

Organizers of a long time festival in Salem say it embraces and highlight local vendors. More from WFIR’s Clark Palmer: