The Roanoke Rambler (Page 4)

New $85M Investment and 435 Jobs for Roanoke

RINGANA plans to establish its first U.S. headquarters, production and distribution facility in the City of Roanoke. The Austrian life sciences company will invest $85 million over five years. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 7:00 AM EST June 17, 2026 Edited: 7:00 AM EST June

Happenings

Happenings: The Roanoke Events Calendar

Social Issues

They Had Dreams: Eighty Faces, One Community

Eighty faces. One bridge. For a few hours in Roanoke, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge stopped being just a way to get from downtown to Gainsboro and became something closer to a public altar, a place where grief, memory and resolve met in the open air. Families

History

The Woman From Roanoke Whose Cells Are Helping Shape Medicine Again

Doctors stole her cells without telling her. Decades later, those same cells are helping fuel a new race to save patients with rare and deadly diseases. As U.S. regulators move to speed up cutting-edge gene therapies, the story of a young woman from Roanoke — and the cells taken

Development

Roanoke Revitalized: Inside the $100 Million Wave of Infrastructure Upgrades

Roanoke is in the middle of a $100 million bet on itself. From a rebuilt river corridor and revived skate culture to a resurrected neighborhood “front porch” and a grocery store ending a 40–year food desert, the city is stitching together projects that don’t just pour concrete, they

History

Ollie Howie Community Day in Roanoke, VA

Ollie Howie Community Day turns a hometown kid’s journey into a blueprint for what a city can do together. From pastors and parents to students and local legends, the day lifts up ordinary people doing extraordinary work, mentoring teens, funding scholarships, and feeding neighbors, the celebration shows how one

Happenings

Happenings: The Roanoke Events Calendar

Wednesday, June 10 * The Giving Moon & Empty Bottles (Big Lick Brewing Company, 409 Salem Ave. SW) An early evening outdoor session on the patio featuring the alternative and indie sounds of The Giving Moon, followed immediately by local rock outfit Empty Bottles. 5:30 p.m. • Free admission * Live

Education

New School Board Members for Roanoke City

City Council’s quiet move to appoint a retired healthcare finance chief and a real estate strategist to Roanoke’s School Board could reshape how more than a hundred million dollars in education gets spent, and revive the debate over who truly has a say in the future of the

Social Issues

A Missed Crosswalk. A Fast Car. A Death. This Is What Traffic Violence Looks Like in Roanoke.

Gary Wayne St. Clair, 63, crossed Campbell Avenue on a Thursday night in May. The driver stayed. The road stayed. Nine days later, only St. Clair was gone. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 7:30 AM EST June 3, 2026 Edited: 7:30 AM EST June 3, 2026

Happenings

Happenings: The Roanoke Events Calendar

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 The Big Run * Time: All day. * Where: City of Roanoke (Parks & Recreation–coordinated routes; see city special events calendar for details). Renewal Studios Launch Benefit & Birthday Soirée * Time: 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. * Where: The BiblioPub, Downtown Roanoke. Tom Hamilton at

Education

Roanoke County Quietly Approves $11M Hollins Library Overhaul, A Small Vote with Big Stakes for Thousands

For many in Hollins, the library isn’t just a building—it’s where homework gets done, job searches begin, and life steadies; now, a long-delayed renovation could redefine what that space makes possible. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 7:10 AM EST June 3, 2026 Edited:

Ramblings

The Roanoke Rambler: Inside the Roanoke Newsroom Redefining What Local Journalism Can Be

A powerhouse team blending global credentials and deep hometown roots to report Roanoke with more depth, rigor, and heart. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 2:05 AM EST May 27, 2026 Edited: 9:20 AM EST June 3, 2026 In an era when trust in media is fractured

Government and Politics

How Virginia’s Immigration Fight Is Playing Out in Roanoke’s Courts, Jails, and Living Rooms

Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 1:57 AM EST May 27, 2026 Edited: 1:57 AM EST May 27, 2026 The fights over immigration policy in Virginia usually start far from Roanoke, in Richmond hearing rooms or on cable news from Washington. Governors sign executive orders, members of

Happenings

Happenings: What’s On in the Roanoke Valley This Week

Happenings: Week of May 27 – June 2, 2026 - Roanoke Valley, VA We scoured a stack of community calendars so you didn’t have to. From live music to festivals, ballgames to bike rides, here’s what’s actually on tap in the Roanoke Valley this week. We encourage folks to

Social Issues

Childcare at Work: How Virginia’s New Law Could Quietly Boost the Roanoke Region’s Economy

When Governor Abigail Spanberger signs Virginia’s new employer-backed childcare law on May 27, it won’t look like a jobs announcement, but for parents and businesses across the Roanoke Valley, it could be the policy shift that finally changes who can work, how much they earn, and whether

Transportation

New cameras on I-81 will soon ticket speeders

History

As America Turns 250, Roanoke Valley Reflects on Its Revolutionary Roots

Frontier settlers in Southwest Virginia joined the call for independence months before the Declaration of Independence was signed. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 2:01 AM EST May 20, 2026 Edited: 2:02 AM EST May 20, 2026 ROANOKE, VA. — As Virginia and the nation prepare to mark

Homelessness

A Roanoke Ministry says it’s Helping the Unhoused. Business Owners say Downtown is Paying the Price

After Roanoke upheld zoning violations against The Least of These Ministry, supporters, business owners and unhoused residents offered sharply different visions for what downtown should become. Roanoke, VA Author: Roanoke Rambler Staff Published: 2:05 AM EST May 20, 2026 Edited: 2:07 AM EST May 20, 2026 Tears, frustration,