Mother of 10-year-old girl who died by suicide turns grief into a warning
A new study from researchers at Virginia Tech shows nighttime screen use and easy access to over-the-counter medicines are linked to teen suicide attempts.
RCPS, Zum highlight bus drivers and safety features for National School Bus Safety Week
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Last Year, Roanoke City Public Schools (RCPS) partnered with Zum, a mass transit company committed to improving school bus safety. Since then, Zum has fully staffed its team of bus drivers, with approximately 140 serving RCPS. Together, they have achieved a 98 percent on-time arrival rate. “Zum...
Roanoke Minnick School hosts career day for special needs students
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - The Roanoke Minnick School, which serves students with emotional and intellectual disabilities, partnered with local law enforcement agencies to host a career day Thursday. Students had the opportunity to meet with various law enforcement agencies and other organizations to learn about the...
Three Balloons: Providing meaningful jobs for adults with intellectual disabilities
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Director Steve Stinson says the goal at Three Balloons is simple, provide genuine, fulfilling employment to adults with intellectual disabilities. “Eighty percent of people with intellectual disabilities don’t work. They finish school, and by thirty, if they’re still sitting on the couch, it’s...
State of Emergency could help SNAP funding issues
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - As the federal government shutdown continues, federally funded programs are running out of money,. That means some important programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will run out of money. SNAP helps provide thousands in the Commonwealth with the food they need....
Country Musician Sam Barber to Perform at Salem Civic Center in February 2026
Country musician Sam Barber will perform at the Salem Civic Center on Thursday, February 5, 2026. This will be Barber’s first appearance at the Virginia venue. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 31, 2025, at 10 a.m. Prices start at $33.50. A presale runs from October 29 to October 30 with the code DETOUR2026.
Roanoke PD in search of man in Roanoke puppy theft
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - The Roanoke Police Department is in search of a man in connection to the theft of a 3-month-old bluenose Pitbull puppy named Carla. Around 8:30 p.m. October 22, 2025, officers responded to an Exxon gas station near the 3300 block of Garden City Blvd. SE for the report of a stolen puppy.
Look out for Mr. Smith
October 24, 1890 — About three months ago a man giving his name as Charles F. Smith, and claiming to hail from Roanoke, made his appearance in the Stony Man neighborhood, this county, where he married a daughter of Samuel Sours, and “settled down” to his trade, that of shoemaker. He soon got in debt to everybody who...
Affordable Halloween costumes and decor at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Looking for the perfect Halloween costume but don’t want to break the bank? Or maybe you need some inspiration? We have the answer for you! The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts Halloween spending will hit record levels in 2025. The average household plans to spend over $100 on the...
Where the Appalachian brook trout vanish, something human goes missing, too
On a startlingly beautiful day high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Thomas Champeau waded into Yellowstone Prong hoping to catch the elusive Southern Appalachian brook trout. A pull-off along Blue Ridge Parkway had led him to a short path lined with mountain laurel. He and a smattering of afternoon anglers followed it...
