WVTF-FM (Roanoke, VA)

WVTF is the National Public Radio affiliate that provides coverage for a large part of southwestern Virginia. Located in Roanoke, Virginia, the station is operated by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) via its fundraising organization, the Virginia Tech Foundation. WVTF broadcasts a variety of news and talk shows sourced from NPR, BBC World Service, Public Radio International, and various other media outlets.

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Which organization snubbed Trump this week? Find out in the quiz

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Holly J. Morris
Virginia will consider regulation to protect turtles from getting caught in crab pots

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Katherine Hafner

When diamondback terrapins spy bait sitting in a crab pot, they often push their way inside to feast, only to get stuck. Terrapins, a small and vulnerable species, use lungs to breathe and can drown while trapped in cages underwater. Conservation groups are asking Virginia regulators to require a solution: adding small gadgets to crab traps that keep terrapins out while still allowing crabs to enter.
Juneteenth event honors 226 people who were enslaved at Smithfield plantation

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Roxy Todd

June 19th marks Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Historic Smithfield in Blacksburg honored Juneteenth by reading aloud the names of those who were enslaved at the plantation. Representatives from local branches of the NAACP, and other community members, read aloud the names of 226 people known to have been enslaved at Smithfield, many of whom do not have a recorded last name.
Virginia legislators make sweeping changes to annual standardized tests

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Bridget Manley

Virginia lawmakers made significant changes to the state’s testing system this spring aimed at reforming the Standards of Learning tests across the commonwealth. One aspect of the legislation has raised concerns among parents and educators: the requirement that the SOL tests will count as 10% of students’ final grades. WMRA’s Bridget Manley reports.
VT students work with Pulaski’s Calfee Center to celebrate people who stood up against injustice

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Roxy Todd

Jacob Robinson grew up in Galax, and his grandmother traveled by bus to attend the Wytheville Training School, one of a handful of Black schools across Southwest Virginia“There was a huge emphasis on the institution of education for Black community members here,” Robinson said. Schools like the Wytheville Training School and the Calfee Training School in Pulaski were built in the 1800s and stayed open until schools integrated.
Jones wins Atty. General nomination, Hashmi claims Lt. Gov. nod in Democratic primary

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Michael Pope |David Seidel

The Democratic field now appears to be set for the November election. Jay Jones won the Democratic nomination for Attorney General, besting Shannon Taylor. And in the crowded, 6-way race for the Lieutenant Governor nomination, Ghazala Hashmi claimed victory in a very close race. The race between Hashmi and Levar Stoney was within the margin for a recount late Tuesday night, though Stoney's campaign would have to pay for the effort if he requests it.
Food banks in Southwest Virginia say demand may escalate if Congress reduces SNAP funding

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Roxy Todd

As the Senate works through the budget reconciliation bill, it’s unclear at this time how much funding may be cut from food programs, like the supplemental nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. A draft of the legislation would make states pay a higher portion of SNAP assistance, and adds work requirements for recipients. Food banks are already seeing an increase in the number of people in need of food assistance, and fewer resources.
A blue wave looks like it's coming, but how big will it be?

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Michael Pope

Democrats are hopeful that they'll be able to capitalize on sentiment against President Trump in the statewide election this year. The last time Donald Trump was in the White House, Democrats had two wave elections and took control of the House of Delegates for the first time in a generation. Now, they may be poised to once again take advantage of the backlash. David Ramadan at George Mason University's Schar School says 2025 will be a blue wave. "The question is how big of a wave," he says.
Cardinal Conversation: A new (wireless) path for rural internet access

1 week ago | wvtf.org | Fred Echols

The Broadband Equity and Access Program was created in 2021 to promote the build out of fiber broadband internet to underserved areas. The Department of Commerce had approved Virginia's 1.4-billion dollar plan under the program and the state starting taking bids from internet providers in December. Tad Dickens is covering this story for Cardinal News and he spoke with Fred Echols. Cardinal News is a non-profit, online, independent news organization covering Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Volunteers keep watch over SML's water quality for nearly four decades

2 weeks ago | wvtf.org | Jeff Bossert

For nearly 40 years, volunteers and environmental experts have made sure Smith Mountain Lake is ready for a season of fishing, swimming, and other recreational use. And while finding help over that time is rarely a problem, concerns about Harmful Algae Blooms are bringing new focus to their work. Ferrum College laboratory supervisor Carol Love has been monitoring Smith Mountain Lake since the late 1990’s.