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Roanoke Gets $2.9 Million to Stop Violence Before It Starts
Policing

Roanoke Gets $2.9 Million to Stop Violence Before It Starts

The state grant pays for teen jobs, free gun locks and neighborhood outreach. It arrives after a year that began with a spike in homicides.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 30, 2026 • 4 min read
A Full House with Five Council Contenders
Government and Politics

A Full House with Five Council Contenders

Highlights from the Roanoke Rambler's Roanoke City Council Candidate community forum and dinner at Melrose Library.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 30, 2026 • 9 min read
Roanoke Buys Its Last Big Open Space. What Happens to Ole Monterey Now?
Neighborhoods

Roanoke Buys Its Last Big Open Space. What Happens to Ole Monterey Now?

The city paid $8 million for 236 acres off Tinker Creek Lane, one of the only large, open pieces of land left inside city limits. A school, housing, parks and jobs are all being considered. Council members say a data center is not.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 30, 2026 • 4 min read
Happenings: The Roanoke Rambler Events Calendar 9/30 to 10/06.
Happenings

Happenings: The Roanoke Rambler Events Calendar 9/30 to 10/06.

Find something to do in our comprehensive weekly calendar. We scoured 30 disparate community calendars (yes, 30) so you didn’t have to.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 30, 2026 • 7 min read
For Some Southwest Virginia Women, Maternity Care Is an Hour or More Away
Healthcare

For Some Southwest Virginia Women, Maternity Care Is an Hour or More Away

More than one-third of Virginia counties are maternity care deserts, leaving some families traveling an hour or longer for prenatal, specialty and delivery care.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 23, 2026 • 7 min read
More Than a Haircut: Community Barber Shop Leaves a Lasting Mark on Northwest Roanoke
Neighborhoods

More Than a Haircut: Community Barber Shop Leaves a Lasting Mark on Northwest Roanoke

From 11th Street to Cove Road, generations came for a haircut, and stayed for the conversation.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 23, 2026 • 6 min read
Democrats Find a Crack in the Tech Industry's NDA Armor
Government and Politics

Democrats Find a Crack in the Tech Industry's NDA Armor

Governor Spanberger’s transparency directive was months, if not years, in the making, but did it arrive soon enough to affect the data center planned for Wood Haven?

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 23, 2026 • 11 min read
Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/23 to 9/30.
Happenings

Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/23 to 9/30.

We scoured disparate community calendars, so you didn't have to. From live music to theatre, lectures to concerts, we've got you covered. We encourage folks to contact the venue directly to learn of any last-minute changes or cancellations.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 23, 2026 • 7 min read
A Roanoke Delegate Helped Write Virginia's New Data Center Law. Here's What It Does, and What It Doesn't
Government and Politics

A Roanoke Delegate Helped Write Virginia's New Data Center Law. Here's What It Does, and What It Doesn't

Section 15.2-2209.5 took effect July 1. It forces developers to study noise and utilities to disclose substations. It sets no limits on either.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 16, 2026 • 8 min read
Where the Data Centers Could Go
Environment

Where the Data Centers Could Go

The data center debate hits home a mile and a half into Roanoke County, tracking an infrastructure footprint partially owned and aggressively developed by the City.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 16, 2026 • 12 min read
The Reporter who Wrote about the Opioid Crisis is now Running Against the Congressman She Says Helped Cause It
Government and Politics

The Reporter who Wrote about the Opioid Crisis is now Running Against the Congressman She Says Helped Cause It

Beth Macy has outraised Ben Cline for three straight quarters in a district Republicans win by 26 points. Here is where the two actually stand, verified against their own words and his roll-call record.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 16, 2026 • 8 min read
Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/16 to 9/23.
Happenings

Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/16 to 9/23.

We scoured disparate community calendars, so you didn't have to. From live music to theatre, lectures to concerts, we've got you covered. We encourage folks to contact the venue directly to learn of any last-minute changes or cancellations. Special Roanoke Rambler Sponsored Upcoming Event: City

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 16, 2026 • 4 min read
Affordable Housing: Questioning the Meaning of Zero and the Importance of the Caper Report
Government and Politics

Affordable Housing: Questioning the Meaning of Zero and the Importance of the Caper Report

The PowerPoint presenting the annual report was left out in a sparsely attended City Council meeting, with no mention of the many zeros filling out this year’s scorecard for federal Affordable Housing initiatives.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 9, 2026 • 6 min read
Roanoke Just Got $6.25 Million to Rip the Lead Out of Its Oldest Houses. Here's What That Actually Means
Healthcare

Roanoke Just Got $6.25 Million to Rip the Lead Out of Its Oldest Houses. Here's What That Actually Means

The city already knows where the poison lives. The question was always whether it had the money to go get it.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 9, 2026 • 7 min read
Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/9 to 9/16.
Happenings

Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/9 to 9/16.

We scoured community calendar, so you didn’t have to. From live music to theatre, lectures to shows, we’ve got you covered.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 9, 2026 • 6 min read
Artemis 2026 celebrates its 50th anniversary since beginning in 1977 publishing over 3k poems
Literature

Artemis 2026 celebrates its 50th anniversary since beginning in 1977 publishing over 3k poems

The stars were shining brightly over the Star City Friday evening as poets, artists, community leaders, and lovers of the arts gathered at the Taubman Museum of Art to celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 50th anniversary of the Artemis Journal.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 9, 2026 • 3 min read
A Purple Box Next to the AED: How Roanoke's Neighbors Are Racing Fentanyl to a Draw
Addiction

A Purple Box Next to the AED: How Roanoke's Neighbors Are Racing Fentanyl to a Draw

In gas stations, libraries and high school hallways across the New River Valley, a video-guided naloxone kit is turning bystanders into first responders. What the ONEbox rollout means for Roanoke, where overdose deaths have been cut in half but still take a life almost every week.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 2, 2026 • 10 min read
From Lab to Patient: Can Roanoke Build a Medicine From Start to Finish?
Healthcare

From Lab to Patient: Can Roanoke Build a Medicine From Start to Finish?

Inside a new manufacturing facility in Roanoke, something ordinarily found in a refrigerator is being prepared for a far more ambitious purpose.

  • Roanoke Rambler
Roanoke Rambler Sep 2, 2026 • 7 min read
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