Evan Jones
Explore Park is slowly gradually back to life, and starting this weekend, covered wagon rides begin there for the summer. They are scheduled to run through the fall foliage season. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here for more Spiritriders covered wagon rides information at Explore Park.
The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra is seeking public support to return it to the black this year, launching its “Crescendo” campaign today. An anonymous donor has already provided a $100,000 contribution, and the RSO is seeking another $150,000 by this fall. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Click here for full Roanoke Symphony Orchestra “Crescendo” campaign information.
All mowing operations remain suspended along the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, the result of a fatal mowing accident two weeks ago near Asheville, North Carolina. It led the National Park Service to suspend grass cutting at all its parks across the country pending park-by-park safety reviews. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the story.
Roanoke’s annual Fiddlefest has cancelled this year’s festival just three weeks before it was set to begin. Fiddlefest started in 2003 and has become a summer staple on the Hollins University campus. But the festival’s home page now has a statement saying it is taking this year off, citing construction at the site and financial pressures. Fiddlefest says it is offering refunds, but here is what we heard when calling the number given to get one:
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In an e-mail to us, Festival Chairman Mike Conner says anyone seeking a refund can call his workplace at (540) 366-4616. Conner says Fiddlefest lost a lot of its traditional financial support in recent years, due in large part to reduced corporate ad budgets. Conner says they’ll regroup and Fiddlefest will “come back strong” next year.
Parts of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest remain closed, the result of last week’s heavy rains and localized floods. The forest service says some roads, trails, and recreation areas near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Botetourt and Rockbridge Counties are affected. WFIR’s Evan Jones has more.
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Click here to see the latest alerts from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.
Click here for U.S. Forest Service information on flash floods.
A parade for hospitalized veterans is set to step off tomorrow morning in Salem. Organizers say it’s an important way to thank veterans no longer able join in a parade on their own. The story from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
A local Postal Workers Union official say he has been told the Roanoke Mail Processing Center will survive a first round of national cuts, but its future beyond that remains unclear. The President of American Postal Workers Union Local 482 sasy he is still awaiting further information. WFIR’s Evan Jones has the latest.
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It was a pretty good winter for Advance Auto Parts, but the latest results are still below expectations. Advance reported its first quarter earnings today, and its stock price promptly dropped almost 17% in Thursday trading. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Click here for the latest Advance Auto parts stock price information from Yahoo! Finance
They’re making a racket, but not for much longer — and after that, not for another 17 years. This particular group, or brood, of cicadas lives in several counties along Virginia’s Blue Ridge. They’ve been underground for 17 years, living off tree roots. Now it’s time to emerge, mate, lay eggs, then die off. The noise comes from the males seeking to attract the females. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
Roanoke Valley police and prosecutors say synthetic drugs are becoming increasingly popular in the region, and these can be especially harmful. As WFIR’s Evan Jones reports, they want parents of teens to pay attention.
Such drugs are frequently sold as “not for human consumption” in efforts to circumvent existing law, but police say the laws are changing — and they are stepping up enforcement.
Click here for Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition’s information page.