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No Cape Required

These local heroes don’t need the ability to fly faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Their selfless passion for helping people, bettering the community or rescuing animals surpasses any so-called superpower.

Dubious Achievement Awards 2011

A City Market striptease, PETA porn, monkey in the bra… It was a good year to put behind us, 2011. Here’s a peak at some of the highlights from our annual Dubious Achievement awards.

Dubious Achievement Awards 2010

The year 2010 is behind us now and, at least in some contexts, it couldn’t be soon enough. Here is the first of three installments of this year’s Dubious Achievement Awards!

25 Great Local Shops

As a teen, our shopping writer sent passionate letters to Gap, Inc. demanding a store in Roanoke. These days she wonders about her former obsession, and spends most of her shopping dollars in the valley’s many local shops. Here are 25.

Brian Battiger, Trails Guy

You could try to turn Brian Batteiger into a hero, but he'll have nothing to do with it.

Tourism, The Natural Way

Roanoke Valley’s new CVB Exec Landon Howard recently took his family out to discover the Blue Ridge Mountains. He’s determined to get millions of others to do the same.

Roanoke is a Great Place To…

A non-family-raising 30-something faces the hard questions: Is “great place to raise a family” actually true? And how about “great place to not raise a family”?

Dubious Achievement Awards 2009

A collection of Never Shoulda Happened moments from 2009.

Great Swimmin’ Holes

Having a picnic beside a mountain stream, cooling off in refreshing waters and soaking up rays on a sun-warmed rock is one of the best ways to spend a summer day. Especially if you’ve earned your dip-and-dry with a good walk to get to the

McAfee Knob in the Cold

Stand in the Valley View Mall parking lot, look to the northwest, and it will be next to impossible to not be able to pick out McAfee Knob. It’s that piece of land that looks like a wave breaking on the crest of Catawba Mountain...

Current Issue

Carol Willoughby, shown with her service dog Midas, co-founded St. Francis Service Dogs, an organization that helps place professionally trained dogs with disabled children and adults.

No Cape Required

These local heroes don’t need the ability to fly faster than a speeding bullet or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Their selfless passion for helping people, bettering the community or rescuing animals surpasses any so-called superpower.
Maybe PETA was in on this caper? About $11,000 worth of cattle bound for the slaughterhouse was rustled out of a Bedford County stockyard in March, loaded up in a 20-foot cattle carrier around dawn and driven away to who-knows-where.

Dubious Achievement Awards 2011

A City Market striptease, PETA porn, monkey in the bra… It was a good year to put behind us, 2011. Here’s a peak at some of the highlights from our annual Dubious Achievement awards.
Dubious Achievement Awards 2010

Dubious Achievement Awards 2010

The year 2010 is behind us now and, at least in some contexts, it couldn’t be soon enough. Here is the first of three installments of this year’s Dubious Achievement Awards!
Black Dog Salvage’s varied inventory is an example of health in the resale sector.

25 Great Local Shops

As a teen, our shopping writer sent passionate letters to Gap, Inc. demanding a store in Roanoke. These days she wonders about her former obsession, and spends most of her shopping dollars in the valley’s many local shops. Here are 25.
Pathways for Greenways President Brian Batteiger.

Brian Battiger, Trails Guy

You could try to turn Brian Batteiger into a hero, but he'll have nothing to do with it.
The Howard family: From left: Garrett, Ben, Dad Landon, Mom Lynne and Jaclyn.

Tourism, The Natural Way

Roanoke Valley’s new CVB Exec Landon Howard recently took his family out to discover the Blue Ridge Mountains. He’s determined to get millions of others to do the same.
Lauren and Whit Ellerman walk near their home on Jefferson Street with Gracie (white coat) and Atticus. Lauren Ellerman’s sentiment: “Family or no family, we are all welcome.”

Roanoke is a Great Place To…

A non-family-raising 30-something faces the hard questions: Is “great place to raise a family” actually true? And how about “great place to not raise a family”?
Closed Rest Stop

Dubious Achievement Awards 2009

A collection of Never Shoulda Happened moments from 2009.
Great Swimming Holes

Great Swimmin’ Holes

Having a picnic beside a mountain stream, cooling off in refreshing waters and soaking up rays on a sun-warmed rock is one of the best ways to spend a summer day. Especially if you’ve earned your dip-and-dry with a good walk to get to the water.
McAfee Knob in the Cold

McAfee Knob in the Cold

Stand in the Valley View Mall parking lot, look to the northwest, and it will be next to impossible to not be able to pick out McAfee Knob. It’s that piece of land that looks like a wave breaking on the crest of Catawba Mountain...
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Ask the Experts: Homes

Local homes experts tackle your questions on finances, building and remodeling and more.

September 1, 2025
Recreating a Dreamy Blue Kitchen
Features

Recreating a Dreamy Blue Kitchen

Inspired by a beloved former home, this Old Southwest renovation layers sky-blue cabinetry, warm metallic accents, and tailored updates into

April 23, 2026