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Community starts here — with the stories we share, the questions we ask, and the conversations we have with our neighbors.
Every day, WMRA connects people across the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia with local reporting, thoughtful conversation, and the wider world.
And that connection exists because you choose to support it. Please make your contribution today.
Community starts here — with the stories we share, the questions we ask, and the conversations we have with our neighbors.
Every day, WMRA connects people across the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia with local reporting, thoughtful conversation, and the wider world.
And that connection exists because you choose to support it. Please make your contribution today.
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Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty ImagesIn two board resolutions made public Monday, the arts institution says it is in a dire financial and physical state — and that only President Trump can "rescue" it. -
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images EuropeTheatre producer Francesca Moody has a remarkable record of spotting shows that go on to have wide success. At the Edinburgh Fringe festival, she told NPR about what she looks for in a performance. -
Karl Mondon/AFP via Getty ImagesSome key leaders at artificial intelligence companies call for a slowdown in AI development. And, Iran-Gulf diplomacy hits a setback as talks in Oman are delayed. -
Candace Dane Chambers for NPREvanston, Ill., became the first U.S. city to compensate Black people for historical discrimination. The Justice Department is trying to kill its program before other cities follow suit.
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Shenandoah County’s school board takes the next step to budget for court costs as it appeals a ruling against Confederate school names… Activities at Westwood Elementary in Waynesboro resume this week, and classes will restart on Thursday, two weeks after a gunman shot his way into the school… We pay a visit to a mobile food pantry in Scottsville….
WMRA Local News Features
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Aerospace and defense manufacturer Northrop Grumman is still waiting for the state to green-light an operating permit that would allow it to emit nearly 25 tons of pollutants from its Waynesboro facility each year. Opposition from Valley residents, however, continues to mushroom. WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports. -
A new play debuts this weekend at Court Square Theater in Harrisonburg that combines elements of improv comedy. -
A list of endangered historic places in Virginia earlier this year includes several structures in the WMRA Listening Area. WMRA’s Calvin Pynn reports. -
On Monday, the city of Buena Vista welcomed residents and visitors to their 55th annual Labor Day festival. The day featured a parade through downtown followed by political speeches as a kickoff to the campaign season. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports. -
As the old proverb goes, "it takes a village to raise a child." One mom in McGaheysville is building hers from the ground up. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Government corruption, economic hardship, immigration, and support for Beth Macy were top of mind at the Harrisonburg & Rockingham County Democratic Committees' Labor Day banquet. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
After years of writing and reporting as a journalist at WMRA, Martha Woodroof’s life quickly changed after a cancer diagnosis. Realizing her time was limited, Woodroof turned to writing nonfiction she called “splats.” A new book called Life’s a Wander collects these short essays. -
A group building out a community-owned grocery store in Winchester organized its second annual picnic on Sunday, welcoming guests of all ages for food and activities. As WMRA previously reported, the Winchester Co-op Market is currently in the planning stages, after its co-founders began meeting in January 2024. WMRA’s Ayse Pirge reports. -
A shooting at an elementary school in Waynesboro ended with one staff member injured and the suspect dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Page County in June, local and federal law enforcement have touted the arrest of one individual they say has ties to organized crime. But last year, the man was acquitted on the charges they cite as his criminal record. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Three Central Virginia counties have committed a combined three-quarters of a million dollars to fighting a proposed high-voltage transmission line. They're joined by a growing coalition of localities across multiple states opposing a large-scale energy grid overhaul. WMRA's Anjoleigh Schindler reports. -
The American Red Cross declared a national blood supply crisis in late July, only the second time in the organization’s history. The first was in January 2022. WMRA’s Ayse Pirge spoke with local blood banks about how our region has been impacted, and filed this report.
With federal funding gone, WMRA's independence depends even more directly on listener support. Give today and help raise our Fall Funding Goal of $150,000.
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Watch WMRA’s September 2026 Books & Brews, featuring Erica Cavanagh and Jack Greer, editors of "Life's a Wander: Martha Woodroof in Her Own Words", a posthumous collection of Woodroof's essays. We also featured Martha Woodroof's daughter, Liz Gipson.
When WMRA reports on topics primarily about our Spanish-speaking community, you can read Spanish translations of those stories here.
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