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.
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Senator Tim Kaine talks about his effort to address the hospital staffing crisis… 5th District Republican Bob Good wants to “defund NPR”… Leaders of the General Assembly’s finance committees meet with Governor Youngkin in hopes of a budget compromise…. -
UVa calls in state police to forcibly remove anti-war protesters from Grounds… Can Virginia increase education funding by $1 billion without raising taxes?... As weather-related power outages across Virginia increase, we explore some of the changes needed to protect the power grid….
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The governor signs a bill making it easier for college athletes to get paid for the use of their name, image and likeness… If you’ve got an invasive, but beautiful, pear tree in your yard, the Department of Forestry would like a word… Jeff Schapiro has a review of this week in state politics, including the General Assembly’s veto session….
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The General Assembly, with the governor’s approval, votes to start from scratch on the budget, with a May deadline… Despite the spirit of compromise, lawmakers were unable to overturn a veto on school construction legislation… One bill that passed into law will require all hospitals with emergency rooms to have a doctor on-site at all times….
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On the 17th anniversary of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, Virginia’s Senators introduce new gun control legislation in Congress… The NAACP in Virginia sues Governor Youngkin over his response to public records requests about his DEI policy… The General Assembly reconvenes today, taking action on the governor's budget amendments and vetoes….
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The nonprofit foundation that operates James Madison's Montpelier estate casts doubt on initial reports that a fire did no damage to artifacts… The General Assembly reconvenes this week to consider the governor’s amendments and vetoes… Pollinator enthusiasts gather at a city park in Winchester to plant wildflowers….
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More than three years after the event, federal authorities arrest a Waynesboro man for alleged violent participation in the January 6th insurrection… Albemarle County joins other school systems in allowing teachers to bargain collectively… We take a look at the areas of agreement, and divergence, between the governor and legislators over the budget….
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Residents, teachers and students in Shenandoah County debate changing local schools back to their previous Confederate names… State police issue homicide charges against two former Warren County deputies in the 2022 case of a driver who died after a traffic stop… It’s a record number of vetoes, and amendments, from the governor, and Jeff Schapiro joins us to discuss whether he will he get his way with the General Assembly….
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A police standoff on Afton Mountain leaves one man injured and traffic on Interstate 64 backed up for hours… Virginia's Secretary of Education visits JMU for a discussion with outgoing university president Jonathan Alger… UVa’s School of Nursing hosts a conference on the impact of climate change on public health….
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Some Shenandoah County residents want Confederate names restored to two schools there, and it’s likely they’ll get their wish… We review some of the legislation that Governor Youngkin vetoed and amended, including funding for education… Why is Virginia one of the few states that allows the governor to amend bills?....
