Eastern Mennonite University made history this summer when Shannon Dycus, who holds a doctor of ministry degree, became its first Black woman president. Dycus has been part of the university since 2019, and now she's looking ahead to the challenges facing EMU and higher education more broadly. WMRA’s Bridget Manley reports.

Gregory Smithers, professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University, chronicles Cherokee history through their reverence to rivers.

Though Thanksgiving’s still a few weeks off, this week marks the start of the "Kelly Turkey" harvest. WMRA’s Christine Kueter checked out the flock in Crozet and filed this report.

WMRA's Randi B. Hagi visited three polling places in the northern Shenandoah Valley to see how local residents voted on Election Day and why.

Archaeologists are mapping a historic cemetery in Harrisonburg with ground penetrating radar: a non-invasive way for researchers to see underneath the earth's surface, revealing structures – and people – at risk of being lost to time. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

Across Virginia, dozens of localities are asking voters to approve an additional 1% sales tax to finance public school construction and renovations. The proposals come as communities confront aging school buildings, costly infrastructure improvements and difficult decisions about how to pay for them. WMRA's Anjoleigh Schindler reports.

The man previously convicted of the homicide of Towan Cappell in Harrisonburg was convicted of assault and battery this week against a fellow inmate turned informant. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi attended the trial and filed this report.

On October 20, Bridgewater College hosted PEN America for a discussion about the importance of free speech, as part of the college’s efforts to support civic pluralism on campus. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports.

Employees at the Molson Coors brewery in Elkton voted to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union at the end of September. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.

In the wake of a string of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations in Albemarle County Public Schools, community members are struggling to understand what went wrong. But are the state’s mandatory reporting guidelines clear? WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports.

Harrisonburg’s beloved DIY venue Crayola House had its final show in 2024. Since then, a group has worked to document the show house’s more-than three-decade history in the film “No More Punk Time.” It debuts this weekend at the Virginia Film Festival. WMRA’s Calvin Pynn spoke with producer Pat Jarrett about the film and filed this report.

Walk through an old Shenandoah Valley orchard and you’ll see apples with names, stories, and flavors passed down through family heirloom varieties.