City Hall

Changes at Roanoke City Hall Show Interim Manager Isn't Just Keeping Seat Warm

A recent reassignment of duties at the top shows Roanoke’s interim city manager, Lydia Patton, is not content to carry on the status quo.

Economy

Roanoke Regional Tourism Agency Faces Repeated Council Scrutiny Over Value, Leadership

City leaders say a new strategic plan for Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge should address what they see as a bloated board of directors.

Education

'A Brilliant Idea': Vision To Turn Jefferson Center into Magnet High School Met with Praise from Roanoke Council Members

Support from the purse-string-controlling Council would be key if the district is to alleviate overcrowding at high schools.

Education

Roanoke Superintendent Floats Third High School, Possibly in Renovated Jefferson Center

Roanoke’s two public high schools have at least 20 percent more students than they can handle currently, according to a recent report.

Housing

Affordable Apartment Tower No Longer Planned for Downtown Roanoke Site

The city agreed last year to sell its former Homeless Assistance Team office for a proposed 80-unit affordable housing project.

Letter

Thank You for Supporting Our Mission To Keep Local News Alive

We had more than 100 readers become supporting members, achieving 40 percent of our revenue target.

Neighborhoods

Parking for Higher Ed Center Hits Gainsboro Nerve Amid Plan To Revive Neighborhood

The center's proposal to take over a city-owned parking lot has prompted pushback from some Gainsboro residents amid a plan to revitalize the neighborhood.

Letter

The Rambler Needs You Now More Than Ever

Can you imagine if we didn’t exist? But that’s a real possibility now.

Homelessness

As Roanoke Homeless Day Shelter Moves, Old Southwest Neighborhood Riven by Debate

RAM House has encountered fierce resistance from some residents over its plans to move elsewhere in the Old Southwest neighborhood.

Housing

In Reversal, Roanoke Planning Board Advises Council Not To Approve Revised Zoning Policy

City Council is still expected to decide on Sept. 16 whether to reapprove the zoning package.

City Hall

Roanoke Proposes Disbanding Youth Athletics Board Created Three Years Ago

It wasn’t immediately clear why City Council was considering disbanding the athletics board, or how that would fix a problem it’s seeking to solve.

Food

Show Pony, Restaurant of Refined Comfort Food, Plans To Open in Former Local Roots Site

Show Pony aims to be a bar-forward neighborhood joint, with refined yet accessible comfort food in a classy setting.

Food Access

In Roanoke's West End, Local Grocery Store Leaps into Action

LEAP now operates a brick-and-mortar store at its Patterson Avenue headquarters where it hosts weekly farmers markets.

Housing

Roanoke's Revised Zoning Reforms Still Face Pushback — from Plaintiffs and City Council Candidates

City Council is expected in September to again consider recently approved reforms that end exclusively single-family zoning.

Politics

Disparate Roanoke City Council Candidates Find Unity in Bashing Evans Spring Plan

None of the candidates has been elected to City Council before, and many found common ground in attacking the status quo.

Business

Former Local Roots Employees Await Payment After Roanoke Restaurant Closed Abruptly

The Grandin Village restaurant is awaiting a federal tax credit in order to make employees whole, according to a former owner.

Racial justice

At Roanoke's Historically Black Old Lick Cemetery, New Caretakers Confront Old Sins

In recent years, a group of churchgoers has been tending to the cemetery, a "gaping wound" of Roanoke's urban renewal history.

Business

Local Roots, Pioneer in Roanoke's Farm-to-Table Restaurant Scene, Closes

The restaurant, which first opened in 2007, made no public announcement about the sudden closure.