Gene Marrano
Kitley. VT photo
For two weeks Virginia Tech women’s basketball fans have been wondering – would All-American center Liz Kitley be recovered from an apparent knee injury in time for the NCAA post-season tournament. This morning a day ahead of the Hokies opening round game versus Marshall – head coach Kenny Brooks delivered some bad news. Brooks revealed that Kitley tore her ACL. Its “all hands on deck,” says Brooks for tomorrow’s game against Marshall, which WFIR will air at 3:30.
The world has has changed since the height of the pandemic – and so has the Experience Conference in Roanoke, which is being “reimagined” by the Regional Partnership. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
From the WFIR News room this is your Culture Calendar – With a look at some of the local events coming up this weekend and in the near future. Sponsored by the Roanoke Cultural Endowment.
It took almost four hours last night at a public meeting, but when it was over Roanoke City Council voted 5 to 2 to amend its zoning regulations. The new “Urban Center district” is meant to allow for the creation of more multi-family and affordable housing within the city.
Most of the speakers during the public hearing before the vote expressed concerns about the rezoning proposal; advocates said it was an approach other cities across the country are adopting in order to address the affordable housing crunch. Councilman Peter Volosin (pictured left) before he voted “yes.”
With polls for both campaigns showing voters are NOT very enthusiastic about either presidential candidate, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will have to work on image building and branding over the next few months. So says a Virginia Tech communications professor, as WFIR’s Gene Marrano reports:
ROANOKE, VA – Downtown Roanoke, Inc. (DRI) proudly announces the highly anticipated return of the Budweiser Summer Concert Series at Elmwood Park, kicking off with multi-Platinum country rocker Brantley Gilbert headlining the stage on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
General Admission Tickets to see Brantley Gilbert are $39 plus taxes and fees. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m. A presale is available for Gold & Silver and Bronze Fan Club Members from March 20-21.
Tickets are available through Etix, full details and ticketing link can be found at DowntownSummerSeries.com.
The Budweiser Summer Series is sponsored by Budweiser, Freedom First Credit Union, 94.9 Star Country, and WDBJ7. For more information, please visit DowntownSummerSeries.com.
About Brantley Gilbert
With a grassroots following millions strong, multi-Platinum country rocker Brantley Gilbert has mined a rich vein of conflict between the party and the pew on all his albums, with his music being adopted as the soundtrack to both Saturday night and Sunday morning by audiences around the world
The weather looks decent – plenty of sun – for this Saturday’s big St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Izzy Post is with Downtown Roanoke Incorporated; she said live in-studio this morning that local merchants like the St. Patrick’s Day parade as well, since it draws thousands of people from the region to downtown Roanoke. Hear the complete conversation with Izzy Post about the St. Patrick’s Day festivities on the link below; watch it on Facebook.
David Bowers. Clark Palmer photos
A former Roanoke City Mayor has officially launched a new campaign for his old job. WFIR’s Clark Palmer has that story.
Previous: Former 4-term Roanoke Mayor David Bowers made it official today – he’ll run as a Republican for Mayor again this November, assuming the party gives him the nod. Bowers says he hears from Roanokers that the city is “a mess,” and said today at his downtown law office that reducing gun violence should start with taking more of them off the streets – before searching for root causes. Bowers was a longtime Democrat and said switching parties only came after much thought and agonizing.
A twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 crashed near Ingalls Field Airport in Hot Springs, Virginia, around 3 p.m. local time on Sunday, March 10. Five people were on board. The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.
An organization many have never heard of that focuses on water systems in rural communities and for low-income families is celebrating its 55th anniversary with live testimonials from those SERCAP has helped. The story from WFIR’s Gene Marrano: