In 1990, Earl Swift backpacked the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia. Early on his trek, he spent time with a friendly couple who were murdered weeks later at a mountaintop campsite. Earl’s new book, Up On Cove Mountain, chronicles that hike and his return to the trail thirty years later to make sense of the violence.

On today's WMRA's Adoptable Animals of the Week, we highlight cats available at Cat's Cradle in Harrisonburg.

Virginia legalized sports betting, and casino gambling for some cities, in 2020. Since then, demand for help with gambling addiction has ballooned. A statewide initiative launched treatment services in 2022 to help people struggling with problem gambling. WMRA’s Ayse Pirge reports.

Newtown is a small cluster of homes a couple miles from Crozet in western Albemarle County. At one point, Newtown had a school, a community center, a church, and a general store. It was also home to Greenwood Chemical Company, where a 1985 explosion killed four workers and stunned the community. The land became a Superfund site, and soon Albemarle County will try to auction it off to the highest bidder. WMRA’s Christine Kueter continues the story.

Virginia Fresh Match, which allows people to double their SNAP benefits on fresh produce in partner locations, has lost its federal funding this year. But the organization still retains its funding from the state. WMRA’s Ayse Pirge has more.

In 1985, an explosion at a Newtown chemical plant killed four men in their 30s. Now, Albemarle County is searching for anyone with a claim on the 33-acre property, now a Superfund site, to pay back taxes by October 30, before the parcel is auctioned off. WMRA’s Christine Kueter reports in the first of a two-part story.

Two Virginia electric utilities have received failing grades in a new Sierra Club report examining their plans to transition away from fossil fuels. WMRA's Anjoleigh Schindler has more.

Nine Valley chefs went head-to-head Monday night in Staunton, cooking with local ingredients and a little pressure, all to raise money for a community gardening project working to make fresh, affordable produce more accessible in Staunton. WMRA’s Bridget Manley reports.

Remote Area Medical, or RAM, is back in the Valley this weekend to provide free dental, vision, and medical care to people who may otherwise go without these services. WMRA’s Olivia DeWan reports.

The Inthrive Film Festival showcases films made by and featuring people who have survived incarceration so they can tell their stories about life behind bars on their terms. Now in its third year, the festival started in Richmond and branched out to other parts of the country, with screenings this week in the Shenandoah Valley. David Smith started Inthrive following his own incarceration. WMRA’s Calvin Pynn asked him how that experience led him to create the film festival.