News

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.”

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

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.

  • 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

Women history month Vectors & Illustrations for Free Download | Freepik

Women history month | Freepik

March is Women’s History Month…At Virginia Tech women are changing the landscape of the field of engineering. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno introduces us to one of the changemakers.

Virginia Tech’s top ranked Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering boosts 12 women faculty and researchers who are inspiring and paving the way for the next generation. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno introduces us to Department head Dr. Eileen Van Aken.

Roanoke creatives a national arts organization wants to hear from you. The results of a survey through roanokearts.org could bring affordable housing and workplaces for creatives to the area. The only caveat is the survey closes tonight at midnight. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.

Click here for more information and to access the survey