Evan Jones
As Roanoke marks the Mill Mountain Star’s 75th anniversary November 23rd, there is a rare opportunity to hear just how much it meant to the city when the landmark was erected and first lit up. It was a song written, recorded and played on Roanoke radio to celebrate the occasion. WFIR’s Evan Jones goes deep into the vault with the story.
You can hear about 3 minutes of the song here:
Many thanks to former WFIR announcer John Schreiner for the archive material.
The Roanoke area’s two Republican Congressmen are heading back to Washington in January, and they will be joined by a new GOP colleague from the region who ousted his own party’s incumbent last June. Morgan Griffith will begin his 8th term representing the 9th District after getting close to three quarters of the vote over Democratic challenger Karen Baker. In the 6th District, Ben Cline will begin his fourth term two months from now. He downed Democrat Ken Mitchell by a roughly 63 to 35 margin. 5th District newcomer John McGuire ousted Republican incumbent Bob Good in a Republican primary and had no trouble downing Democrat Gloria Tinsley Witt by about 13 percentage points. WFIR’s Evan jones has more:
More homes are showing up for sale this year in the Roanoke Valley — but the average cost of buying one is also rising. Just over 2,500 realtor-listed residential units changed hands in the region between January and June, an increase of about 12% over same period last year. As for home prices: three years ago, the average sale in the region went for about $295,000, and so far this year, that number is almost $345,000. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
USDA photo
The list of harmful invasive species keeps growing, and one of the newest arrivals poses particular threats to area fruit growers — especially to vineyards. The spotted lanternfly made its way to the U.S. from southeast Asia, and since it is good at hitching rides on almost any form of ground transportation, its spread has been constant. That’s especially problematic this time of year, when the bugs sample — and damage — fruit crops. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Click here for more spotted lanternfly information from Virginia Tech.
This is a big day for WFIR — and for Roanoke radio history. It was 100 years ago today that we started broadcasting, just the second station in Virginia to do so. It has been quite the century-long journey for us and our listeners, and we asked WFIR’s Evan Jones to take us from the beginning to the present.
You can find an extended look at WFIR history by clicking here. It is the first of five web pages detailing 100 years of Roanoke broadcast history.
Photo: iSeecars.com
A new study finds that the number of public electric vehicle chargers in the Roanoke region grew more than 25% last year, placing it close to the middle of the U.S. in being EV-friendly. iSeecars.com looked at the number of chargers in US metro areas and the population of each such region. Then it was easy — do a little math to determine the number of residents for each charger, and of 210 metro areas, Roanoke-Lynchburg came in 118th. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
From iSeecars.com:
The latest iSeeCars study identifies which U.S. cities and states are the most and least EV friendly, and which ones have improved the most over the past year. The study analyzes how many chargers are available per resident to determine the cities and states with the best and worst electric vehicle charging access.
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The Roanoke metro area has 340 EV chargers, or 1 charger for every 2,948 residents
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Virginia state has 4,550 chargers, or 1 charger for every 1,916 residents
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This compares to a national average of 1 charger for every 1,848 residents.
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EV Charger Stats: 2023 – iSeeCars Study |
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Location |
Total Chargers |
Residents Per Charger |
|
Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA |
340 |
2,948 |
|
Virginia |
4,550 |
1,916 |
|
National Avg |
181,270 |
1,848 |
Based on residents per charger:
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The Roanoke metro area ranks #118 out of 210 metro areas for EV friendliness
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Its EV friendliness improved by 25.9% in 2023, which ranks #67 out of 210 metro areas
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Virginia ranks #16 out of all 50 U.S. states for EV friendliness
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Virginia state’s EV-friendliness improved by 21.1% in 2023, which ranks #25 in the U.S.
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EV Charger Improvement: 2022 to 2023 – iSeeCars Study |
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|
Location |
% Improvement Total Chargers |
Total Chargers 2023 |
Total Chargers 2022 |
% Improvement Residents Per Charger |
Residents Per Charger 2023 |
Residents Per Charger 2022 |
|
Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA |
34.9% |
340 |
252 |
25.9% |
2,948 |
3,978 |
|
Virginia |
25 |
4,550 |
3,574 |
21.1% |
1,916 |
2,428 |
|
National Avg |
23.9% |
181,270 |
146,337 |
18.9% |
1,848 |
2,277 |
Click here for the full national report
Virginia lawmakers begin a new General Assembly session Wednesday, and there is a new dynamic at work. Democrats now control both houses, and more than a third of the delegates and state senators are serving for the first time. What seems clear is that with the Democratic-controlled legislature facing off with a Republican governor, Democrats will pass some bills they know Glenn Youngkin will surely veto. But WFIR Political Analyst Bob Denton says on the other hand, Republicans will introduce many bills they know have no chance of passage in the State Senate or House of Delegates. Denton says that it all adds up to a session likely to be partisan and chaotic, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports:
Pickup trucks still lead the way in Roanoke-region used vehicle sales, but there are some noticeable shifts in consumer preferences. The numbers come from iSeecars.com, which tracks millions of new and used car sales each year. And for the year that just ended, it finds the Ford F-150 pickup remains at the top, followed, as usual, but the Chevy Silverado 1500. Executive Analyst Karl Brauer says what’s more notable is the Ram 1500 falling from its usual third spot, losing it to the Chevrolet Equinox, a compact crossover SUV. iSeecars says among used vehicles, Nissan Altima rounds out the top five locally, and statewide, the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic hold top-three positions. As for all-electric vehicles, Brauer says EV’s face increasing consumer resistance. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
CLICK HERE for the full national study
From iSeecars.com:
These are the top 5 most popular used cars in Roanoke:
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2023 Best-Selling Used Cars in Roanoke – iSeeCars Study |
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|---|---|---|
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Rank |
Vehicle |
% of Total 1- to 5-Year-Old Used Car Sales |
|
1 |
Ford F-150 |
3.1% |
|
2 |
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 |
2.8% |
|
3 |
Chevrolet Equinox |
2.4% |
|
4 |
Ram 1500 |
2.4% |
|
5 |
Nissan Altima |
2.0% |
And these are the top 5 most popular used cars in Virginia:
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2023 Best-Selling Used Cars in Virginia – iSeeCars Study |
||
|---|---|---|
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Rank |
Vehicle |
% of Total 1- to 5-Year-Old Used Car Sales |
|
1 |
Ford F-150 |
2.6% |
|
2 |
Toyota Camry |
2.1% |
|
3 |
Honda Civic |
1.9% |
|
4 |
Chevrolet Equinox |
1.9% |
|
5 |
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 |
1.9% |
Photo: Wayne’s Imported Facebook
If you want your car serviced, many places offer you options of doing so on weekends, but one such business in Roanoke has decided that “less is more”. Wayne’s Imported Automotive has been around since 1974, and it has always been a Monday-through-Friday business. But shop foreman Darrel Booth says back in September, they figured they’d try something else — Monday through Thursday, 10 hours a day. It’s something that many auto service competitors are unlikely to follow because weekend availability is often a selling point. But Booth says Wayne’s and its customers have had no trouble adapting to a four-day week, and the workers love it — and when it comes to attracting and retaining new hires, he expects the promise of three-day weekends will offer a big advantage. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
Now that an affiliate of Publix supermarkets has purchased land in southwest Virginia, the next question is whether site work will begin in the new year. The grocery chain isn’t saying anything publicly yet, but as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, whenever Publix arrives, it could help boost local efforts to attract other national retailers:
Here is the property’s preliminary site plan:
