Evan Jones
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.
-
The Roanoke metro area has 340 EV chargers, or 1 charger for every 2,948 residents
-
Virginia state has 4,550 chargers, or 1 charger for every 1,916 residents
-
This compares to a national average of 1 charger for every 1,848 residents.
EV Charger Stats: 2023 – iSeeCars Study |
||
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:
-
The Roanoke metro area ranks #118 out of 210 metro areas for EV friendliness
-
Its EV friendliness improved by 25.9% in 2023, which ranks #67 out of 210 metro areas
-
Virginia ranks #16 out of all 50 U.S. states for EV friendliness
-
Virginia state’s EV-friendliness improved by 21.1% in 2023, which ranks #25 in the U.S.
EV Charger Improvement: 2022 to 2023 – iSeeCars Study |
||||||
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:
2023 Best-Selling Used Cars in Roanoke – iSeeCars Study |
||
---|---|---|
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:
2023 Best-Selling Used Cars in Virginia – iSeeCars Study |
||
---|---|---|
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% |
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:
One of Roanoke’s most listened-to radio DJ’s will continue a Christmas morning tradition that has now reached its 35th year. Dick Daniels co-hosts one of the region’s perennially top-rated radio programs on Q99. The station could easily use automation these days to run Christmas morning programming, but that wasn’t the case in 1989, his first year at the station and newest announcer at the time. Now, 35 years later, he is still on the air live just hours after Santa arrives, joining many listeners as they share holiday stories and traditions and Christmas music favorites. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, Daniels says he never expected to be doing this for even a few years, let alone 35, but it is now among the most meaningful radio days each year.
Dick Daniels’ 35th annual live Christmas program airs Monday morning December 25 from 6:00 to 10:00 am on Q99.
The collective creativity of many LewisGale Medical Center employees has led to a $20,000 donation to Feeding Southwest Virginia. LewisGale’s parent company, HCA Healthcare, conducted a national sculpture contest among its many facilities to support local food drives — and LewisGale’s entry came in second, leading to the HCA contribution. Feeding Southwest Virginia President Pamela Irvine says the grant is especially appropriate coming from a health system:
The LewisGale workers used about 800 vegetable cans and 150 boxes of stuffing to create their eight-foot-tall, 10-foot-wide display that looks like a big Etch-a-Sketch. It weighs more than 800 pounds.
NEWS RELEASE: LewisGale Medical Center will award Feeding Southwest Virginia a $20,000 grant to fight food insecurity. Hospital colleagues earned the gift by winning second place in a national food drive sculpture contest hosted by hospital parent company, HCA Healthcare.
For the “Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food & Nutrition Drive” contest, LewisGale Medical Center constructed a 10-foot wide by eight-foot tall “Etch A Sketch” out of about 800 canned vegetables and nearly 150 boxes of stuffing. The structure weighs more than 800 pounds.
Participating employees and hospital leaders will meet with Feeding Southwest Virginia at its facility for a check presentation and to unload the food donations from the structure and other collection boxes.
“Our colleagues continually show up for our patients, their families, and our communities,” said Amy Woods, chief nursing officer. “We are elated to make a significant donation to such a worthy organization that helps our friends, family, and neighbors.”
The association representing Virginia’s hospitals has unveiled a new website designed to help you know what health care consumer laws are on the books — and best understand pricing before any scheduled hospital procedures. The Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association started with a statewide poll, one that found that most Virginians are unaware of state and federal health care rights laws, some protecting patients from things like surprise medical bills, others promoting transparency in health care cost information. Then it conducted focus group session in three cities, one of them in Roanoke, where most people expressed similar unfamiliarity. That has led to the “Control Your Care” campaign, the main goals being to explain those state and federal laws in plain English and provide helpful health care cost information. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:
CLICK HERE for the Control Your Care website
Holiday travel in Virginia is expect to approach some of the highest levels ever seen, and it doesn’t matter much what kind of transportation is involved. For the millions of Virginians who will travel by road, you will be paying some of the lowest gasoline prices in more than two years. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
AAA expects holiday air travel will set records, so plan accordingly — and cruises are way ahead of any previous numbers.
Here is the full AAA news release:
NEARLY 3.2 MILLION VIRGINIANS EXPECTED TO TRAVEL OVER YEAR-END HOLIDAY PERIOD
- More than 115 million people are predicted to travel 50 miles or more from home this year for the holidays. That’s an increase of two percent from last year and the second highest year-end travel forecast since AAA began tracking in 2000.
- Nearly 104 million Americans are forecast to drive to their holiday destinations.
- 7.5 million Americans are predicted to fly this year, meaning airports will be the busiest they’ve ever been over the Christmas and New Year’s travel period.
- AAA estimates travel by bus, rail, and cruise ship will rise to more than 4 million this holiday season, a 10% increase from last year and 4% higher than 2019.
-
Abrasive material (sand, salt, cat litter) or traction mats
-
Snow shovel
-
Flashlight with extra batteries
-
Window washer solvent
-
Ice scraper with brush
-
Jumper cables
-
Extra warm clothing (gloves, hats, scarves), and blankets
-
Warning devices (flares or triangles)
-
Drinking water and non-perishable snacks for both human and pet passengers
-
First-aid kit
-
Basic toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench)
-
Mobile phone, charger and power bank
Roanoke Delegate Sam Rasoul will soon play a key role in state education matters when he becomes chair of the House Education Committee. Rasoul says there are many areas where Governor Youngkin and General Assembly Democrats can find agreement despite their many differences. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more: