• WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports that United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge is warning of a funding crisis for Roanoke nonprofits

• WFIR’s Clark Palmer spotlights the urgent need for volunteer advocates to support Virginia foster children through CASA

• WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno shares why actor C. Thomas Howell is visiting the Grandin Theatre this week to celebrate The Outsiders

• Virginia State Police seize over $1.3 million in drugs during a weeklong operation

• A Roanoke man is charged with possession of child pornography

• A beloved cat dies and several residents are displaced in a SW Roanoke apartment fire

• A Humvee crash in Dinwiddie sends two people to the hospital with life-threatening injuries

• Washington Park Pool officially opens in Roanoke City

• A Revolutionary War hero from Salem finally gets recognition at a new museum exhibit

• A stolen truck investigation spans Bedford to Roanoke County

• Mill Mountain Zoo launches a Sloth Naming Contest to welcome its newest resident

• WFIR’s Clark Palmer reports on new concerns from the family of a 10-year-old Roanoke County student who died by suicide

• WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day from Normandy

• WFIR’s Gene Marrano introduces Nokefest, a new music and arts festival for the Roanoke Valley

• WFIR’s Conner Arthur looks at new developments at Melrose Plaza in NW Roanoke

• A Virginia Tech professor explains the drop in summer air travel bookings

• VDH confirms a third case of measles in Virginia this year

• Pulaski police say a suspect tried to destroy drugs during an arrest — and exposed officers to fentanyl

• Botetourt celebrates new pickleball and tennis courts with ribbon cutting

• Parade participants needed in Blacksburg for July 4th

• Radford names Todd Meredith as its next city manager

• A person is recovering after a fire in SE Roanoke

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• Search underway for man and his 5-year-old daughter in Campbell County

• Youngkin touts $100 billion in investments, unveils new executive order

• Disturbing arrest in Henry County: man found with teen girl

• Abortion comment backlash: Lt. Gov. Sears under fire from Democrats

• Spanberger vs. Sears: tension over right-to-work stance

• Senator calls Trump’s budget bill “ugly” as Senate debate begins

• Motorcyclist injured in Botetourt crash; charges pending

• Pulaski’s Calfee Park kicks off River Turtles season in its 90th year

• Roanoke’s Rainbow Run returns June 14 to benefit Diversity Center

• New pickleball/tennis courts unveiled in Botetourt — ribbon cutting set

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• Gunfire reported near Valley View Blvd — no injuries, investigation ongoing

• Friends mourn 2 teenage girls killed in DUI crash; justice demanded

• Giles Co. man charged with attempted murder after domestic incident

• Roanoke drug bust yields over 1,800g of fentanyl, meth, and $16K cash

• City renews "Focused Driving, Safe Arriving" campaign against distractions

• Carilion to end school nurse contract with Roanoke City Public Schools

• Musk out of DOGE dept — local Congress members weigh in on the fallout

• Covington paper mill named top U.S. climate polluter by watchdog group

• Rolling Stone contest: Roanoke artist needs votes to advance

• VA Tech to test anti-drone tech with $5M Army grant

• UVA Alzheimer’s research sees breakthrough using molecule STING

• Dr. Janet Womack named next Botetourt County Schools Superintendent

• T-Mobile Fiber launches in Roanoke County June 5th — perks, no contracts

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• Police search for two endangered 16-year-olds: Alysia Trigg & Amiracle Lynn

• Roanoke’s mayor launches new task force to address 54% spike in homelessness

• Bedford County crash kills Maryland motorcyclist; second crash under investigation

• FEDUP marks 20 years of anti-violence advocacy in Roanoke

• Protesters demand town hall as Rep. Ben Cline visits local school

• Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears says state bracing for 32,000 federal job losses

• Adoption expert says Virginia LGBTQ+ couples should not be discouraged

• AARP warns of scam texts over unpaid tolls — do NOT click links

• Virginia DMV issues warning over fake fine collection texts

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• DUI manslaughter charge filed after two teens killed in NW Roanoke crash

• Trump’s “Big Beautiful Budget” bill heads to the Senate amid internal GOP tension

• “Operation Summer Shield” targets repeat and violent offenders in Roanoke

• Two major child pornography arrests in SWVA — one involving 100 counts

• Bell-to-Bell cell phone ban now mandated statewide in all Virginia public schools

• VBR Restaurant Week kicks off to spotlight regional dining

• Jerry Seinfeld to perform in Roanoke this September

• Bedford gas station vehicle fire; Bullitt Ave SE house fire investigated

• Virginia tops national rankings for job opportunity metrics

• Washington Park Pool ribbon cutting scheduled this week

Fast, local news for Roanoke and Southwest Virginia.
On today’s WFIR News Express:

• A Roanoke man pleads guilty to killing two people with an illegal machine gun at a Melrose Avenue party

• City officials respond after an audit reveals Roanoke overspent by $5 million — a violation of state law

• A former Pulaski County school employee faces charges for misconduct involving a student

• A serious motorcycle crash in NW Roanoke

• Rocky Mount’s mayor under scrutiny after a dismissed lawsuit and allegations of unethical conduct

• Roanoke College reports a drop in Virginia’s consumer sentiment as tariff uncertainty looms

• New TMEIC scholarship aims to boost engineering opportunities at Roanoke College

• Virginia Tech alum Nic Enright makes MLB debut after battling cancer

• Remembering Brian Wishneff, a driving force behind Roanoke’s downtown transformation

Listen now or catch us live every weekday morning from 6–9 a.m. on WFIR: 960 AM, 107.3 FM in Roanoke, and 94.5 FM in Botetourt.

Top local news, fast and on-demand.
In today’s WFIR News Express:

• A store clerk shot during a robbery in Vinton — two suspects arrested

• Roanoke overspent $5 million — and broke state law doing it

• Lynchburg Council kills a plan to double hotel taxes

• Congressman Ben Cline defends Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”

• The Senate passes a new “No Tax on Tips” act

• Roanoke Lebanese Festival returns this weekend

• Broadband expansion hits a legal roadblock

• Early voting begins across Virginia

Brought to you by WFIR: 960 AM, 107.3 FM, and 94.5 FM — always live, always local.

• A Roanoke neighbor describes rushing to perform CPR on a shooting victim in NW over the weekend; a suspect has been arrested.

• Virginia State Police search for a suspect after a fatal Bedford County hit-and-run involving a cyclist.

• New Roanoke College poll finds Virginians deeply concerned about the national debt — but divided on how to fix it.

• Former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins receives a pardon from Donald Trump after bribery conviction.

• No injuries reported after a fire at Donnie D’s Bagels; owner plans a comeback with community support.

• Former CIA and Secret Service employee Anthony Sabio announces congressional challenge to Rep. Don Beyer.

• “A Thread Through Roanoke,” a portrait exhibition by Whitney C. Brock, opens June 1 at Art on First.

• Christiansburg man critically injured after reportedly shooting himself during a domestic incident.

• Radford University named Top Adventure College by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine.

• Roanoke County Police investigate after a car crashes into a building on Brambleton Ave.

• Funeral services planned for Tommy Fuqua, Roanoke County’s first Fire and Rescue Chief.

• Roanoke artists invited to design signal boxes as part of a new distracted driving safety campaign.

• Virginia University of Lynchburg earns top national ranking for its online Doctor of Healthcare Administration program.

• New Roanoke College poll shows Abigail Spanberger with a wide 17-point lead over Winsome Earle-Sears — but another poll shows a much tighter race.

• Over 1 million Virginians expected to hit the road for Memorial Day weekend; AAA offers travel tips.

• Mill Mountain Zoo mourns the loss of Snow Leopard Bali to aggressive cancer.

• Publix to begin construction on 50,000+ sq ft store in Roanoke County, expected to employ around 130 people.

• Roanoke’s Williamson Road project aims to improve pedestrian safety after 23 crashes since 2020.

• A Wythe County deputy injured in a crash on I-77; tractor trailer driver charged with reckless driving.

• Five teens escape mental health facility in Staunton; all recaptured and charged.

• President of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys thanks Roanoke EMS for saving his life after cardiac arrest.

• Congressman Gerry Connolly dies at age 75 after battle with cancer; tributes pour in from Kaine, Warner.

• AFL-CIO report ranks Virginia among safest states for workers, but unions warn proposed rollbacks may reverse progress.

• Governor Youngkin announces $16.9M for workforce housing across Virginia, including in the New River Valley.

• Comcast to bring high-speed internet to over 4,500 homes and businesses in the Town of Bedford.

• “Run for the Wall” veterans ride stops at the National D-Day Memorial today.

• Virginia’s employment numbers edge up while unemployment slightly increases.