Social Issues

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A collection of 65 posts

As Roanoke Neighbors and Police Gather, Gun Violence Takes Uneven Toll

Roanoke's National Night Out arrived after a weekend of shootings. While gun violence is trending downward citywide, Northwest remains the most impacted quadrant.

Sinclair Holian, Report for America Aug 12, 2025 • 7 min read

Federal Effects

Longtime Ballet Director's Decision To Leave U.S. Based in Part on Political Fear

Pedro Szalay, the longtime Southwest Virginia Ballet director, said the U.S. doesn't feel like the welcoming country he embraced.

Christina Nifong Aug 5, 2025 • 7 min read

Racial justice

Roanoke Equity Board Plans Public Outreach for Urban Renewal Apology

Three new members to the Equity and Empowerment Advisory Board reenergized the conversation after months of limbo.

Sinclair Holian, Report for America Jul 22, 2025 • 7 min read

City Hall

'We're Not Going to Tolerate It': Incidents at Pools, Short Staffing Lead To Conundrum

Vandalism and violence in the days after the joyful June 6 opening of the new Washington Park pool frustrate city leaders and may prompt added security at taxpayer cost. City Parks and Recreation workers walked and searched the water and floor of the new Washington Park pool for hours looking

Todd Jackson Jun 24, 2025 • 4 min read

Feature

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.

Todd Jackson Jun 10, 2025 • 11 min read

Homelessness

Roanoke Homeless Assistance Team To Move from Downtown to Williamson Road Building

The move is meant to bring HAT, as it’s known, under the same Civic Mall roof as other staff in the city’s Department of Human and Social Services.

Henri Gendreau May 13, 2025 • 4 min read

Arts

Roanoke-Area Holocaust Survivors Share Stories of Hiding, Hope in Documentary

“Triumph of Hope,” a documentary about three Roanoke-area survivors of the Holocaust, will screen at the Grandin Theatre on April 2.

Lindsey Hull Mar 25, 2025 • 9 min read

Policing

Roanoke Police Officer Out of Job After Animal Cruelty Charge

A Roanoke police officer is out of a job after admitting in court he neglected his dog.

Jeff Sturgeon Mar 18, 2025 • 2 min read

Racial justice

Once Site of Roanoke's Dump, Washington Park Haunted By Legacy of Environmental Racism

As Roanoke plans major upgrades to Washington Park, tensions linger over the city's history of urban planning in majority Black neighborhoods.

G. Samantha Rosenthal Mar 11, 2025 • 8 min read

Housing

Proposed South Roanoke Apartment Complex Made Feasible By Zoning Reforms

Plans for the apartment building involve demolishing four century-old residences in the Crystal Spring commercial area.

Henri Gendreau Mar 4, 2025 • 4 min read

Policing

Roanoke Gun Violence Rates Fall to Pre-Pandemic Levels, One Year into Police Chief's Tenure

“I found a department that was hungry for leadership,” Police Chief Scott Booth said about arriving in Roanoke a year ago.

Henri Gendreau Nov 26, 2024 • 6 min read

Transportation

Roanoke Transit Plan Calls For Extending Bus Service into County, Expanding 'Microtransit'

What public transit looks like in Roanoke over the next decade is the focus of the strategic plan.

Henri Gendreau Oct 15, 2024 • 5 min read

Homelessness

As Roanoke Homeless Count Increases, City Seeks Teamwork with Downtown Businesses

Police patrols and plans around transportation are part of the city's response to complaints over rising homelessness.

Henri Gendreau Oct 8, 2024 • 5 min read

Neighborhoods

Roanoke's Claytor Family Sells Historic Gainsboro Health Clinic Property

The sale closed shortly after family members and community leaders gathered for a state historical marker unveiling.

Henri Gendreau Sep 10, 2024 • 4 min read

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.

Henri Gendreau Aug 20, 2024 • 5 min read

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.

Henri Gendreau Jul 30, 2024 • 5 min read

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.

Henri Gendreau Jul 16, 2024 • 6 min read

Neighborhoods

Claytor Clinic Gains State Historical Marker, But Future of Gainsboro Property Unclear

Gainsboro's historic Claytor Clinic has gained statewide recognition, but breakdowns over city negotiations leave the property's fate uncertain.

Henri Gendreau Jul 9, 2024 • 3 min read