Evan Jones

If you have been waiting for used car prices to come down before considering a purchase, the trend is your friend — at least for now. Average Roanoke-area prices are down from a year ago, reversing the pandemic-era pattern. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:

From iSeeCars:

For used cars in Roanoke, the iSeeCars analysis found:

  • Used car prices changed by -4.0% between Oct. 2022 and Oct. 2023.

  • The average used car price is $29,656, compared to $30,881 last October.

 

Used Car Price Comparison by Segment (YoY) – iSeeCars Study

Segment

YoY Price Comparison

Average Price October 2023

Average Price October 2022

All Used Cars, Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA

-4.0%

$29,656

$30,881

All Used Cars, National Average

-5.1%

$30,972

$32,627

EVs

-33.7%

$34,994

$52,821

Hybrids

-9.6%

$31,511

$34,850

The study also identified which used cars had the biggest 12-month price drops in Roanoke:

Top 5 Used Cars With the Biggest Price Drops in Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA – iSeeCars Study

Rank

Model

YoY Price Comparison

Average Price October 2023

Average Price October 2022

1

Hyundai Tucson

-21.1%

$20,311

$25,743

2

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

-19.8%

$19,337

$24,098

3

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

-15.9%

$30,458

$36,216

4

Jeep Grand Cherokee

-15.0%

$31,496

$37,041

5

Dodge Durango

-13.6%

$31,986

$37,017

It may sound counter-intuitive at first, but the Roanoke Rescue Mission says demand for its services has noticeably risen since the COVID pandemic eased. And with Christmas approaching, it hopes a fund-raising challenge grant will help it best help those it serves. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:

Rescue Mission CEO Lee Clark spoke like this week on the Roanoke Valley’s Morning News. Here is the full conversation:

CLICK HERE for the Roanoke Rescue Mission website

Roanoke County is teaming up with Roanoke and Salem cities in efforts to bring more big-name retailers to the valley — familiar names to many, like Trader Joe’s. The three municipalities are jointly funding a study in efforts attract more restaurant and retail names, and the first step is selecting a consultant to gather the facts and figures big-name retailers need in making decisions — then guiding efforts to make it happen. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:

Photo: National D-Day Memorial

The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford is lighting up this weekend, one tea light at a time, to remember each of thousands of Americans who gave their lives in the Normandy landing. It’s called “Flames of Memory”, running tonight, tomorrow and Sunday from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. In addition, World War II reenactors and living history displays will be there tonight and tomorrow. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:

 

A new statewide poll finds that President Biden has lost considerable support among Virginia voters in the last six months, especially among a key group that often determines who wins elections. The same Roanoke College Poll shows that one of the most important election issues three years ago now ranks as a total non-issue in the state. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:

CLICK HERE for full poll results and methodology.

MGN

If you are traveling by road over this holiday weekend, you are likely to encounter plenty of company. AAA figures more than 1.4 million Virginians are traveling on highways between Wednesday and this coming Sunday, and that is up close to 1.5% over last year’s Thanksgiving holiday. But there is one factor in play that is serving to keep the highway numbers down at least a little. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more:

 

This is the day after Thanksgiving, the day retailers call “Black Friday” because it marks the traditional start to the busiest — and most profitable — portion of their year. The personal finance website Wallet Hub says J.C. Penney tops their list this year with discounts that average about 59%, followed closely by Macy’s at 58% and Belk at about 55%. Also in the top five: Kohl’s and Target. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:

Click here for the full WalletHub survey.

This coming Friday is usually the busiest day of the year — not just for retailers, but also for plumbers, the result of what happens in many homes on Thanksgiving day. Plumbers refer to this as “Brown Friday”, because so many people report backed-up sewage lines at home. The main culprit: hot fats, oil and grease poured down drains which then congeal somewhere in the pipes below, and the result isn’t pretty, as WFIR’s Evan Jones reports.

The Roanoke River Greenway now runs continuously through much of Roanoke and Salem — so the next steps are beginning to fall into place. Roanoke County is overseeing one expansion to the west and another to the east as part of the eventual goal of a continuous greenway between Explore Park and Montgomery County. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones: