Feature - The Roanoke Rambler

The Mountains That Made Me

How Roanoke Shaped Author Jennifer Brody’s Stories—and Her Summer Reading List Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff, Tina Charisma Lead Published: 8:05 AM EST June 24, 2026 Edited: 8:05 AM EST June 24, 2026 As summer settles across the Roanoke Valley, many readers are building their

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Hailed as Visionary, Roanoke Libraries Director Sheila Umberger Retires after 43 Years

Sheila Umberger, who began working for the city in 1982, leaves behind a transformative legacy.

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A Tale of Two Cottages: In White and Black Roanoke, Efforts To Save History Take Distinct Paths

Determination to save the Washington Park cottage was spurred by historic renovation of another dilapidated house in Fishburn Park.

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New Roanoke Makerspace Crafts Community of Hobbyists, from Sewing to Woodworking

MAKE Roanoke, a new nonprofit, will provide tools and machinery for builders and tinkerers to create their own projects.

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'He Genuinely Cares': Joe Cobb, Proudly Spiritual and Gay, Sees Progress in Roanoke Mayor Bid

Openly gay and deeply spiritual, Cobb has focused on tackling two of Roanoke’s thorniest issues: gun violence and public transit.

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An Independent Streak Since Childhood, Stephanie Moon Reynolds Seeks Mayoral History

Moon Reynolds, a longtime city clerk who is finishing her first term on Council, is trying to notch a historic doubleheader.

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'I'm Still the Same David Bowers': Former Roanoke Mayor Tries New Approach in Comeback Bid

Even in Bowers's lengthy political career, though, this year marks a first: 2024 is the first time Bowers has run as a Republican.

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Turning Food Waste into Soil, Roanoke Compost Company Aims To Fill a Curbside Void

Star City Compost takes food waste from Roanoke residents and businesses and converts it into clean compost that will soon be available for sale.

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When Jimmy Carter Came To Roanoke

The Carter family recently revealed that the former president, now 98 years old, is receiving hospice care at his home in Georgia.

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Meet The Man Behind The Uplifting Roanoke Museum You've Probably Never Heard Of

Andrew Reams runs what he calls the International Elevator Museum, perhaps Roanoke’s most unusual tourist destination.

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Meet the Roanoke Artist Duo Getting Flush Off Paintings of Local Toilets

While murals remain the Nolan-Shafers’ number one art priority, the couple has found surprise best-sellers in their number two.

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For Roanoke's Forgotten Dead, City Makes Final Arrangements

When a person dies in Roanoke and officials can’t find the person’s family, it becomes the city's responsibility to arrange for a cremation.