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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State Democrats want to expand a pilot program to bring restorative justice to more of Virginia’s schools… Other bills would raise the minimum wage, restrict so-called “assault firearms,” and cut property tax exemptions for Confederate organizations… We talk with the head of a local theater company that has taken over operation of Harrisonburg’s Court Square Theater…. -
Many schools are still affected by snow and icy roads. -
Undocumented students in Virginia may not lose access to in-state college tuition after all, now that the new Democratic attorney general has taken office… Meanwhile, Democrats in the General Assembly want to give renters more time to pay rent that’s overdue… We talk with a Harrisonburg housing official about the rescue of Court Square Theater from closure…
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International student enrollment in grad programs in Virginia is significantly down, one result of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown… The Hanover property that ICE was eyeing is now off the market… The General Assembly advances bills to remove Confederate monuments from the Capitol, to fund April’s referendum on redistricting, and to allow driverless taxies in Virginia….
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Local shelters provide a place for residents to warm up as record-low temperatures persist… Harrisonburg’s animal shelter announces a new in-house veterinary center… Governor Spanberger blocks a move by her predecessor to convert a closed prison in Augusta County into an ICE facility….
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The accumulation of ice and snow has destroyed farm structures in Rockingham County, and officials have declared a local state of emergency... A new nonprofit provides support for refugee women who have settled in Charlottesville… In the General Assembly, bills advance that would crack down on gun violence, limit national guard actions in Virginia, and address a “benefits cliff” for child care subsidies….
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Charges are dismissed against three protesters arrested last year in Shenandoah County… Legislation aimed at reshaping VMI’s governance advances in the House of Delegates… A Tazewell County judge strikes down Democratic efforts to draw new congressional districts this year….
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Virginia health officials urge awareness of the health effects of this week’s bitterly cold weather… Fewer Virginians are signing up for health insurance under the state’s marketplace… We update General Assembly activity, including bills on immigration, assault weapons, and collective bargaining….
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Charlottesville protesters rally in solidarity with residents of Minneapolis against ICE… Forecasters warn of extreme cold Monday night, one day after snow and ice blankets the region… As child poverty rates increase in Virginia, proposals to provide free breakfast in public schools make their way through the General Assembly….
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The governor declares a state of emergency in advance of a big winter storm… A nonprofit veterinary hospital in Harrisonburg stops providing spay and neuter services for the local animal shelter… At the end of the first full week of this year’s General Assembly, Jeff Schapiro lends his perspective on Virginia politics….
