• Former Cave Spring High School AD Randall Meck pleads guilty to distributing child porn while living in Singapore; sentencing to follow.

• Roanoke mother criticizes City Council over arrest footage of her son, who was allegedly put in a chokehold despite a hearing disability.

• Roanoke City Council approves 3% pay raise for city employees.

• Redevelopment plans for the old Sunlight Bakery Building get a green light.

• A 22-year-old woman dies in a fatal crash; DUI and manslaughter charges filed against a 21-year-old man.

• Book on President Biden's final months and cancer diagnosis sparks national controversy.

• Rep. Jennifer McClellan warns proposed GOP budget could result in loss of Medicaid coverage.

• Traffic alert: Franklin Road lane closure in Roanoke for Appalachian Power utility work this week.

• VDOT seeks public input on studies for Prices Fork Road and Melrose/Orange Avenue improvements.

• New Yale survey reveals overwhelming support for climate action in Virginia, but a widespread "false social reality" holds back progress.

• VWCC expands JMU biotech partnership, offering clear transfer pathways for life sciences careers.

• Radford University earns Carnegie recognition for supporting lower-income students with strong economic outcomes.

• Bradshaw Road in Montgomery County closes for four days for bridge work over Bradshaw Creek, with detours in place.

• A rifle-wielding suspect robs a 7-11 store in Lynchburg; police are searching for the individual.

• GOP LT. Gov. nominee John Reid blasts Democrats after Arlington County limits local police cooperation with ICE.

• 52 golf carts are destroyed in a fire at Copper Cove Golf Club in Franklin County; no injuries reported.

• President Trump’s budget proposal could hurt senior services in the Roanoke Valley, warns the Local Office on Aging.

• Two teens are killed in a Botetourt County crash on I-81; charges are pending.

• Beale's Brewery in Bedford announces it will close its taproom but continue distribution.

• Melrose Plaza in Roanoke will soon be transformed with murals, community art, and more tenant upgrades.

• Virginia State Police seize 68 pounds of narcotics and 32 guns during a statewide operation.

• A Ridgeway woman is arrested for meth possession; more drug charges are expected.

• Preliminary 2024 data shows a 43% drop in Virginia drug overdose deaths; Roanoke’s non-fatal overdoses are also down.

• Elevation Church donates $10,000 to The Least of These Ministries to support local transitional housing and aid.

• Broadway in Roanoke announces 2025-26 season with Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol and more.

• Appalachian Power moves forward on plans for a Small Modular Reactor and other renewable projects in Virginia.

• Area nonprofits brace for looming budget cuts as the Council of Community Services welcomes new leadership.

On this Friday, May 16th edition of WFIR News Express:
A downtown Roanoke restaurant owner calls out city leaders over a controversial meals tax increase. Political experts weigh in on local fallout — and the economic impact. Plus:

• Book No Further may close without a buyer by June 1
• New courthouse project underway in Fincastle
• Alpha-Gal therapy shows promise for food allergy sufferers
• Downtown Roanoke’s 800-foot summer waterslide returns June 28
• Virginia’s animal shelter, business development, and highway travel updates

📻 Reminder: Wake up with The Roanoke Valley’s Morning News — live weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. on WFIR 960 AM & 107.3 FM in Roanoke, and 94.5 FM in Botetourt. Live radio is free, reliable, and never buffers.

🎧 Available wherever you get your podcasts.

• A 12-year-old child swept away by floodwaters in Crozet has been found deceased, according to Albemarle County officials.

• Roanoke formally begins construction on the In-River Play Park and a first-of-its-kind Wasena Skatepark.

• Former Roanoke City Council candidate Jamaal Jackson pleads not guilty to election fraud related to forged petition signatures.

• Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears expresses moral opposition to a reproductive rights bill, reigniting political tensions.

• John Clair is appointed the new police chief of Blacksburg, following the retirement of Chief Todd Brewster.

• Virginia International Raceway opens its 2025 season with Hyperfest, drawing Roanoke-area motorsports fans.

• Roanoke County hosts Kids to Parks Day this Saturday at Explore Park, including ziplining and a movie night.

• Roanoke Diversity Center invites the community to the 2025 Gayla fundraiser this Sunday at Fishburn Mansion.

• Governor Youngkin orders all flags in Virginia to be lowered for Peace Officers' Memorial Day.

• A free grief workshop by Good Samaritan Hospice uses art to help those coping with loss.

• Bedford County begins culvert replacement work on Atkins Hollow Road with delays expected into July.

• Lynchburg VA Clinic is officially renamed after WWII hero Desmond T. Doss.

Bio (SEO-Optimized Teaser Format):Floodwaters trap two women in Bedford — hear how first responders got them out safely. A Franklin County teacher accused of misconduct will soon face a grand jury. Roanoke City School Board braces for painful budget cuts after changes in city funding. Botetourt County Schools investigate a cyberattack disrupting services. Roanoke’s Homeless Assistance Team moves to improve access to care. Humanities groups sue over federal cuts to NEH grants in Virginia. The NTSB releases its findings on last year's fatal Augusta County plane crash. Trump stirs controversy by considering Qatar’s Air Force One replacement offer — Senator Warner says it might be illegal. A beloved Botetourt farm helping veterans with PTSD prepares to close. QualiChem expands operations in Salem, bringing new jobs and investment. Roanoke County's economic development chief wins national recognition for attracting major business growth. Crews respond to a fire in a Southeast Roanoke abandoned building. A historic Pulaski County civil rights case gets renewed recognition via the 23/54 Project. And Blacksburg’s Warm Hearth Village is named one of SWVA’s top retirement communities.

Monday, May 13, 2025 — A controversial meals tax hike in Roanoke sparks frustration from local restaurant owners. Plus, Route 311 in Roanoke County sees a multi-vehicle crash that sends two to the hospital. And a new bipartisan bill could reshape SNAP benefits and job training across Virginia. All that and more on today’s WFIR News Express — your trusted source for breaking local news across Roanoke, Salem, Vinton, and the New River Valley.

Also in this episode:

• Governor Youngkin speaks at Liberty’s largest-ever graduation

• GOP’s Lt. Governor race shakes up again after Tumblr scandal

• KALEO and Napoleon Dynamite Live heading to Berglund Center

• Campbell County launches branding project to unify public image

• Pickleball with Police: Roanoke County PD connects with community

• Drug dealers now face harsher penalties under new overdose law

📲 Stay informed with WFIR News Express — the Roanoke Valley’s daily audio digest. Find us on Spotify, Anchor, Alexa, and Apple Podcasts.

Monday, May 12, 2025 — A man is under arrest after a deadly shooting in southeast Roanoke. Plus, big changes in northwest Roanoke as Melrose Plaza welcomes a new community bank—and Metallica gets a taste of local flavor, thanks to a farm in Blacksburg. WFIR’s News Express has these top local stories and more, including a Sub Station revival, Griffith’s Gulf of Mexico theory, and a salute to National Police Week.

Stories Covered:

• Arrest made in fatal Dollar General shooting on Jamison Ave SE

• Metallica dines on locally-sourced food from Glade Road Growing in Blacksburg

• Bank of Botetourt opens first Roanoke City branch in Melrose Plaza

• AEP construction bringing closures to key Roanoke intersection

• Lynchburg purse snatcher caught

• Medicaid cut concerns for Virginia military families

• Griffith’s take on Gulf of Mexico name change

• National Police Week tributes from SWVA leaders

• Sub Station restaurant returning to Blacksburg

👉 Stream WFIR News Express anywhere you get your podcasts: Alexa, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Anchor.

In today’s WFIR News Express (5/9/25): Roanoke Police are investigating a deadly overnight shooting on Jamison Avenue SE, and five suspects have now been arrested following last weekend’s downtown shooting that injured three people. A Bedford man is facing serious child sex crime charges, and Carilion Clinic has received state approval to establish a kidney transplant program—the first of its kind in Southwest Virginia.

We also cover U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s renewed push for a housing bill to help rehabilitate blighted homes, the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, and new developments in Pulaski’s conflict-of-interest case. Plus: Roanoke’s meals tax hike heads to a vote Monday, the Street Performer Expo brings international talent downtown, and pancakes, seniors, and a new bank branch round out this packed Thursday.

In today’s WFIR News Express (5/8/25): Lynchburg Police identify a former EC Glass athlete as the victim of a Tuesday night homicide. Roanoke’s air quality earns mixed grades in a new American Lung Association report. New data shows most Roanoke-area job switchers stay in-state. Demolition begins on Botetourt County’s aging courthouse as part of a $35 million replacement. Roanoke celebrates art and culture with the Daisy Parade and the upcoming Local Colors Festival. A Hidden Valley teacher earns Virginia’s top education honor, and a Glenvar senior wins the region’s top academic-athletic scholarship. Plus: a new soap shop coming to downtown Roanoke, Food Truck Thursday in southwest Roanoke County, and more.

Real news, real fast — every weekday. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Today on WFIR News Express:

• YMCA child porn charges expand

• Crystal Spring tenants face eviction

• Roanoke schools battle for budget

• Callaway woman found shot

• Bus driver faces 25 assault charges

• Griffith blasts trucking mandates

• EPA rollback on tire emissions

• Logan’s Roadhouse closes abruptly

• 22 miles of BRP to be repaved

• Valley Metro audit begins

• Parkway Brewing expands downtown

🎧 Catch all the local headlines in under 10 minutes — listen now.