We're getting a big boost today from an anonymous couple in Harrisonburg, matching the next $5,000 in donations!
They want to encourage you to support the soundtrack to your weekend with WMRA's own Acoustic Café with Tina Owens - a mainstay in the Valley and Central Virginia since the 1990s.
From hard-hitting reporting, to funny takes on the week's news, to the music that relaxes or inspires a little boogie...weekends on WMRA only happen with your support, which will be doubled when you give today!
They want to encourage you to support the soundtrack to your weekend with WMRA's own Acoustic Café with Tina Owens - a mainstay in the Valley and Central Virginia since the 1990s.
From hard-hitting reporting, to funny takes on the week's news, to the music that relaxes or inspires a little boogie...weekends on WMRA only happen with your support, which will be doubled when you give today!
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Charles McQuillan/Getty Images EuropeThree reporters were blocked from the White House grounds Saturday morning, a day after President Trump said CNN, Politico, and MS NOW would be banned for reporting "FICTION and LIES." -
BOB CHILD/AP/APWith her 1974 book, "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek," Annie Dillard became the youngest woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. We take a moment to remember her and her work. -
Five years after the return of Taliban rule, NPR visited Kabul to see how Afghans are dealing with their new government's strict social restrictions.
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Claire Harbage/NPRNew research on ancient human remains suggests the habitual usage of betel nuts, a plant seed with mind-affecting properties that is popular in parts of Asia despite the health risks it presents.
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Early voting in Virginia begins today, and in partnership with the public radio news network around the Commonwealth, WMRA introduces our fall election coverage… Jeff Schapiro surveys the fall election landscape, and this week in Virginia politics … The lieutenant governor brings her listening tour about energy costs to Charlottesville….
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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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. -
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.
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.
Make a donation of at least $10 per month, or a one time gift of $120 or more, and you can show your public radio pride wherever you go!
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.
WMRA Featured Events
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