While newspapers across the country continue to shrink, WMRA has actually increased our local reporting staff.
We've delivered over 300 local and regional stories this year alone. From investigating local government decisions to covering community events, our reporters are asking the tough questions that matter to Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.
This local journalism doesn't happen by accident – it's powered by listeners like you.
Support the newsroom that serves your community.
We've delivered over 300 local and regional stories this year alone. From investigating local government decisions to covering community events, our reporters are asking the tough questions that matter to Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.
This local journalism doesn't happen by accident – it's powered by listeners like you.
Support the newsroom that serves your community.
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Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty ImagesThe future of Trump's D.C. arch was already fraught. Then he rebranded it as a military complex. Experts say that only raises more legal and logistical questions. -
Wired's Andy Greenberg explains how a cybercrime operation in Southeast Asia trapped computer engineers into defrauding victims of billions of dollars. Plus, he discusses the scam involving Fresh Air.
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Felix MikusScientists have found a species they've named the fire amoeba, which is capable of reproducing at 145°F and continuing to move up to temperatures of 147°F — a record for complex eukaryotic life. -
Eric Gay/APOn Sunday, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and injured a Venezuelan man, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who was delivering a DoorDash order. Perez's lawyer says that he was transferred from a hospital to a detention center even though he still has a bullet in his back.
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Visitors to Shenandoah National Park can now use automated entry stations… As part of our Virginia Elections Collaborative, WMRA investigates fundraising for candidates in the 5th and 6th Districts, and at the ballot question on reproductive rights… We also look at Republican claims of noncitizen voting in Virginia….
Given the extraordinary nature of the 2026 election cycle, Virginia's five public media news stations — WMRA, VPM, WAMU, WHRO and WVTF — are partnering to ensure voters across the state get the full breadth of the federal midterms, state and local elections.
From early voting through Election Day and the results, the Virginia Elections Collaborative will provide you with coverage on the candidates and issues so you can make informed decisions at the ballot box.
From early voting through Election Day and the results, the Virginia Elections Collaborative will provide you with coverage on the candidates and issues so you can make informed decisions at the ballot box.
WMRA Local News Features
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As Radio IQ previously reported, in the 5th Congressional District, Democratic challenger Tom Perriello has almost three times as much cash on hand as incumbent Republican John McGuire. But what do those numbers mean for this November’s election? WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports. -
In Virginia's reliably red 6th District, encompassing the Interstate 81 corridor from Frederick County to Roanoke, Democratic challenger Beth Macy has raised nearly $1.7 million as of currently available data – ahead of Republican incumbent Ben Cline's $1.4 million – and with a very different donor portfolio. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports. -
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi brought her Energy Costs Listening Tour to Charlottesville Monday night, where residents pressed state lawmakers over the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and Florida-based NextEra Energy. WMRA’s Anjoleigh Schindler reports. -
Given the extraordinary nature of the 2026 election cycle, Virginia's five public media news stations are partnering to ensure voters across the state get the full breadth of the federal midterms, state and local elections. This coverage includes questionnaires for the congressional races across the state. -
Given the extraordinary nature of the 2026 election cycle, Virginia's five public media news stations are partnering to ensure voters across the state get the full breadth of the federal midterms, state and local elections. This coverage includes questionnaires for the congressional races across the state. -
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.
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A great everyday cap for WMRA listeners — whether you're headed to the farmers market, a summer festival, a hike in the Valley, or just out and about representing the station you love.
A great everyday cap for WMRA listeners — whether you're headed to the farmers market, a summer festival, a hike in the Valley, or just out and about representing the station you love.
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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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