Bob Leweke
News Director / Morning Edition HostBob Leweke is WMRA's News Director and Morning Edition host.
Before coming to public radio in 2003, Bob had worked for The Roanoke Times as a circulation manager and writer. He later became a member of the communication faculty at Pikeville College in Kentucky, and at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where he taught public speaking, mass media law, communication theory and other courses. Bob holds degrees in communication and political science from Virginia Tech, and a doctorate in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2015 and 2016, the readers of the Daily News-Record voted him “Best Radio Personality.”
In his hours away from WMRA, Bob enjoys music, cycling, reading and movie-watching, and spending time with his family doing all of the above.
-
Some schools remain closed, as firefighters battle blazes sparked by high winds and downed power lines Wednesday… The governor is exercising his veto pen, including the rejection of a bill that police chiefs say would have increased both the ranks and quality of officers in Virginia… Jeff Schapiro shares his perspective on the governor’s vetoes and negotiations over the budget…. -
Some public schools and roads are closed, and some customers are still without power after Wednesday’s high winds damaged power lines and spread wildfires… The second annual CulpeperCon, a celebration of graphic novels, fandom, and pop culture, is this weekend… A Grammy-winning composer, a Pulitzer prize-winning poet and one of the nation’s top singers of opera condense the last 50 years of American history in a performance at UVa….
-
High winds, dry conditions, and warm temperatures make the situation ripe for wildfires, so our region is under a Red Flag Warning… For the first time, the judge for the Western District of Virginia will be an Asian-American woman… We have the latest on bills that have, and haven’t, survived the General Assembly session, including a failed bill that would have lent support to private cops killed on the job…
-
JMU’s President Alger is leaving to take the top post at American University in D.C…. Members of the EMU community call on the school to publicly support a ceasefire in Gaza… The governor vetoes a bill that would have increased composting….
-
After many years of wrangling over a new courthouse in Augusta County, officials hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new site… We explore the role of the 65-year-old annual Maple Festival in Highland, Virginia’s least populous county… Governor Youngkin vetoes some bills, signs others, and we have an update….
-
Researchers at UVa Health say they’ve discovered a blood test to predict who may be at risk of longer-term lung effects from severe COVID infections... Governor Youngkin signs a number of new bills into law, but rejects others, including a mandate to rejoin the ERIC election data partnership... Jeff Schapiro reviews the week in Virginia politics....
-
The troubled Nexus company faces yet another federal court hearing... We profile the Blue Ridge Free Clinic, nearly four years after its doors first opened... Governor Youngkin signs a bill protecting same-sex marriage, and religious rights activists are not happy....
-
FBI data show that anti-LGBTQ+ incidents have risen fastest in states, including Virginia, that have passed laws or policies restricting LGBTQ student rights and education... Virginia teens take their case for the right to a livable environment to the state’s court of appeals... Governor Youngkin signs a bill ending college legacy admissions, but vetoes a railroad safety bill....
-
Advocates in Waynesboro call on Governor Youngkin to sign bills to improve affordable housing in Virginia... But the governor vetoes bills to improve gun safety and protect the state’s voting system... A program at Wintergreen promotes the natural and cultural heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including the native plants that populate the forest....
-
Many voters at Senator Tim Kaine’s campaign stop in Harrisonburg implore him to support a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip… Virginia has lost thousands of small farms in recent years… Virginia’s General Assembly session adjourns after lawmakers approve a budget, which now goes to the governor for approval or amendment….
