Roanoke shooting in Eureka Park, Salem Navy veteran jailed in Russia draws congressman response, and Iran war funding debate — WFIR News Express 3/20/26

It's Friday, March 20th. I'm Connor Arthur. Here's our top local story. Roanoke Police responded to a shooting in the Eureka Park area. Officers found a man with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound in the 1400 block of Orange Avenue Northwest last night, around 8.33 p.m. He was transported to a local hospital. Evidence of the shooting was located in the 1,300 block of 14th Street, northwest. The Pentagon is now asking the White House for additional $200 billion to prosecute the war in Iran. Virginia's Democratic senior U.S. Senator, also the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wants to hear more details before he signs on. That story from WFIR's Bernie Moreno. Senator Mark Warner and other lawmakers who may soon be asked to approve that additional funding face a tough decision. I want my warfighters. Don't have a choice in this if they're ordered into combat by the president on this war of choice. We've got to make sure that they are adequately equipped. But if the president's going to start a war of choice, he should have come to Congress and come to the American people and made the case. He did not. So I'm very reluctant to provide additional funding for this war of choice until the president lays out what we're trying to accomplish and when we're going to be done with it. Now with Iran blockading the Strait of Hormuz, and both Israel and Iran attacking oil refineries, Warner says at least for some period of time, there may be some sticker shock at the pump. I think Americans are going to be soon seeing $4 a gallon gasoline, and even once this war stops, we're going to see it for a long time to come. When you destroy the energy infrastructure, it'll take months, if not years, to rebuild. This is what happens when you don't have a clear plan. This is what happens when Donald Trump said, oh, my gosh, he didn't think the Iranians would close the strait. Hormuz or he didn't think the Iranians would strike the other countries in the Gulf region. Warner says threatening to shut down the Strait of Hormuz off the Iranian coast through which 20% of the world's oil transits was always Iran's ace in the hole. Bernie Moreno, WFIR News. A 58-year-old Navy veteran originally from Salem is imprisoned in Russia after being intercepted in the Black Sea during a sailing trip to New Zealand. Chuck Zimmerman was arrested on arm smuggling charges after voluntarily declaring a pistol and rifle on board his boat. He's been sentenced to five years. Congressman Ben Klein and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are urging the State Department. to label his case a wrongful detention. This is just an egregious act by a rogue state. Russia doesn't respect laws, doesn't respect individual rights, and so for them to take an American citizen essentially as a political prisoner who came from Salem, where I represent, we need to stand up for the people of Salem, the people of America. Zimmerman's family has launched an online petition to President Trump seeking his release. Global Reach is advocating on his behalf. Yesterday was the House Oversight Committee's opportunity to question Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel, and others from the Department of Homeland Security about worldwide threats.

While Democratic lawmakers again tried to get DHS director Tulsi Gabbard to offer her opinion on whether Iran was close to having a nuclear weapon, she would not say, 6th District Republican Congressman Ben Klein took a conciliatory approach. It's not lost on me that as we sit here, we have one side of the dais talking a big game on threats, and yet they're unwilling to even fund our Department of Homeland Security. I want to thank President Trump's leadership in each of your efforts. Americans are safer today with two less despots to deal with. Nevertheless, there remains work to be done while Venezuela and Iran... manner in decline, aggression from adversarial nations like China and Russia and near constant threats of terrorism and cyber warfare continue to persist. The House Oversight Committee conducted yesterday's hearing one day after the Senate also questioned Tulsi Gabbard and the other witnesses present at a session earlier this week. An area congressman was at the center of a hearing that focuses on how to improve the cost of health care in patient access. More from WFIR's Clark Palmer. The House Subcommittee on Health held a hearing recently to discuss how best to make health care more affordable and give patients better access to medical services they may need. Committee Chair, Salem, Congressman Morgan Griffith says with the market consolidating due to the impact of the Affordable Care Act, patients have few options among potential medical providers. Transparency in the health care. provider system remains insufficient. Prices can vary widely for the same service depending on where care is delivered, and billing statements may include facility fees, multiple providers, negotiated rates, etc., that are difficult for patients and Congress to understand. Riffis says transparency when it comes to how drug pricing programs work and handout benefits is limited and has led to big problems. In many cases, the result of this system is that Americans are left at navigating complex. and often expensive medical bills, whether from a hospital or a routine appointment, bills that they did not anticipate, cannot easily afford, and sometimes only learn about weeks or months after receiving care. Griffith says Congress must work to rein in big insurance companies and reduce to control their networks have over pharmacies. Clark Palmer, D.P. Fire News. Staying with Congressman Griffith, he announced a $2.5 million ARPA award to Virginia Tech. for developing a novel power electronics converter. The funding, part of a $35 million campaign, supports the DC Grids program aimed at tripling U.S. transmission capacity. Virginia Tech's project is one of 12 selected to develop high voltage direct current, or HVDC technologies that transform conventional alternate current infrastructure. Roanoke Police conducted their monthly chiefs walk in Northwest Roanoke's Zone 4 yesterday, focusing on Melrose Park. The initiative aims to build community trusts through face-to-face contact. While overall violent crime is down, the city has seen seven homicides in 26, on pace to exceed 2023's record of 31 homicides. Lieutenant Joel Patrick said personal relationships help officers solve crimes and improve safety. Roanoke's Entertainment District Focus Group reviewed community recommendations Thursday for the Berglant Center, which cost the city over $2 million annually. Proposals included diversifying entertainment offerings, adding parking, and exploring regional partnerships with Vinton, Salem, and Montgomery County. Debate continues over whether to prioritize the building itself or a regional approach. Casino plans are paused but could fund a $300 million renovation

at no taxpayer cost. A new Roanoke built events platform is trying to make it easier to find what's happening around the valley without bouncing between websites and social media pages. Supnoke, spelled S-U-P-N-O-K-E, was created by Roanoke founders, Craig Dennis and Marissa Lawrence, as a free event hub for the Roanoke Valley. Dennis says the app avoids the usual Apple and Google Store process by using what's known as a P-W-A. or a progressive web app, a newer format that installs directly from a website. He says it's the same kind of setup, a site like GoDaddy would steer you towards nowadays. They're all using these now too, and it helps you just simply avoid, and ours is from scratch. Ours doesn't use any of those CMS systems, but it simply allows you to avoid having to put your app on a web store. And it's called a progressive web app, downloads and installs directly from your website. It's trending. It's definitely what people are doing now. Dennis says the idea grew out of frustration trying to track down events scattered across venue pages, Facebook, ticketing sites, and word of mouth. Find a link with this story on our website or app. The Hope and Home Task Force created last year to address the homeless issue in Roanoke met for the sixth of its nine scheduled meetings on Tuesday. The task force members feature a range of stakeholders, including rescue mission of Roanoke's CEO, Lee Clark, who tells WDBJ7 about one goal. Helping the person who maybe is starting to struggle, but help them get connected to resources faster, so maybe they don't lose the housing that they're in. The task force is scheduled to meet monthly through June. then provide a list of recommendations to the city of Roanoke, which, according to a recent study, needs 4,000 affordable housing units to close the gap. Covenant Coffee Truck is currently in its first week of operation in a gravel lot at the corner of Franklin Road in Wiley Drive in front of the Franklin Road Bridge in Roanoke. Co-owner Jeff Baxter says he and his wife had the idea for the business while working at the Muse Coffee Company in Lynchburg after coming to the area from Tampa. Baxter says he appreciates Roanoke's emphasis on supporting mom and pop businesses. You can go to McDonald's or Dunkin and, you know, get a much, much less expensive cup of coffee. However, you know, we try to keep our prices fair, but everyone really wants to support local. And I think that everyone's just doing their part trying to keep their prices fair and just create something special here in the city. The coffee truck sets up on Franklin Road Monday through Friday at 6.30 a.m. and outside Bison Head Cigar Lounge in downtown Roanoke on Saturdays at 8 a.m. Spring is officially here, and with that comes a new era at Salem Memorial Ballpark with the Salem Ridge Yaks. And the team is inviting residents to spend the day with them tomorrow for their 2026 inaugural fan fest, which Blair Hoke, Assistant General Manager of the team, says will have plenty of family-friendly events. Concessions will be available with a lot of fun activities for the family like bounce houses, feed pitch, the petting zoo, face painting, balloon animals. We'll also have our newly stocked team store, now branded the yak shack, which will offer all of our new team gear for fans to check out. Alongside the Ridge Yack season, getting ready to start against Elmarva on April 2nd.

Hoke reflected on former players who represented Salem and the World Baseball Classic. It was a really special moment to see Roman Anthony really just kill it, the World Baseball Classic coming through Salem. It gives us such a great sense of pride and reminds us of all the talent that comes through the farm system and specifically through Salem. Roman Anthony and Marcello both came through here at the same time. They're really great buddies still and it's just so cool to see them continue to do well. Saturday's fan fest is free and will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. parking will be adjusted. Guests may park on the right side of the Salem Civic Center lot or in the Ridge Jack's front office lot. You can visit our website for more details. The Liberty's Men's basketball team will play at Nevada in the second round of the NIT tomorrow in Reno at 9 p.m. The flames defeated George Mason in the first round of the NIT earlier this week. Virginia placed 14-C Wright State in the NCAA tournament today with tip-off at 150. In women's basketball, Virginia Tech is in the big dance taking on the Oregon Ducks at 1.30 p.m. today. That's the latest. Check back on Monday for our next update. Connor Arthur, WFIR News.