Christiansburg mobile home fire kills child, Spanberger tapped for national response, and Roanoke entertainment district debate continues — WFIR News Express 2/20/26
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29 segmentsIt's Friday, February 20th. I'm Connor Arthur. Here's our top local story. A child died and three others were injured when a mobile home fire engulfed a residence in the 1600 block of Pepper's Ferry Road in Christiansburg. Relatives told WDBJ7 that three of the four victims early Wednesday morning, including the deceased, are children. Two children were transported to Wake Forest Medical Center for burn treatment, while a fourth was treated for minor injuries and released. Fire crews from Christiansburg and Blacksburg responded shortly after midnight to find the home fully engulfed. A neighbor reported seeing strong flames and smoke from their window. The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation. With General Assembly session heading down the home stretch, the Speaker of the House of Delegates believes his party has shown restraint. That story from WFIR's Clark Palmer. This year's General Assembly session has reached the period known as crossover. This is when the House of Delegates they only consider bills passed by the Senate and the Senate can only consider bills passed by the House. During a press conference in Richmond this week, Speaker of the House of Delegants, Don Scott, said his party has delivered on their promise to make life affordable for Virginians, touting bills dealing with housing and child care. Virginia House of Delegates passed 849 bills. 84% of those bills were bipartisan. But contrary to this whole hyper-partisan rancor, 84% of the bills that we passed in the House of Delegates were bipartisan. So... And 225 of those bills, House Democrats sponsored and passed. 225 of those bills were based on our affordable Virginia agenda. Bill's that lower energy bills. Scott says he expects to have discussions with the Senate colleagues. about many bills. We know that there are some bills that are, there are some different approaches around, around, say, you know, the gambling commission presents. They have a different bill. We have a different version and we're going to come to conference on that. I'm sure those bills will be, what's the word? They'll be conform to each other and then we'll go into conference. Democratic lawmakers said they are representing Virginia's of all backgrounds this session and are delivering what they believe are real results. Residents will see every time they check their bank account balance. Claude Palmer, WFIR News. Newly elected Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will deliver the official Democratic response to President Trump's State of the Union address next Tuesday night, elevating the first term governor and former Congresswoman to the prominent national platform. The president of Virginia Tech mentioned a medical facility in our area could be getting an upgrade during his state of the school address. During his state of the university address yesterday, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said priorities for 2026 include focusing on the future of research, learning, and discovery. Sands mentioned that he wants to use our region to help improve the Commonwealth's health care system. If you've ever had trouble getting an appointment with a doctor, you may be experiencing a growing physician shortage in Virginia.
Projections suggest the Commonwealth could have a 4,000 doctor deficit by 2030. We are advancing plans to expand the Virginia Tech Carillion School of Medicine in Roanoke, including conversations with the Virginia General Assembly about a new building that would double medical enrollment, medical school enrollment, to 400 students. Sands went on to say Virginia Tech's external research expeditures have increased 56% over the past four years. In an op-ed published by Cardinal News, the Freeland Biomedical Research Institute's executive director, Michael Friedlander, set the state's $26.5 million investment in establishing the Virginia Tech Patient Research Center will transform health care access for Southwest Virginia residents, particularly those in rural areas who currently must travel outside Virginia for advanced clinical trials. The center will conduct clinical research in cancer, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, addiction, and metabolic health, partnering with Carillion Clinic. February is American Heart Month, and heart advocates say a little-known heart condition may be more common than many people realize, as WFIR's Ian Price reports. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, causes the heart muscle to thicken, making it harder to pump blood. Symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, or erasing heartbeat. But many people dismiss those signs as something less serious. Lisa Salberg, founder of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association, says most people living with HCM don't know they have it. They might think they have athletically induced asthma. They might have been told they just have an innocent heart murmur. They might just think they're short of breath because they're getting older or that palpitation. was a little too much caffeine. Solberg estimates the genetic condition affects somewhere between 1 and 200 and 1 in 500 people nationwide. Health experts say that could mean thousands of people across the Roanoke Valley and Southwest Virginia may be living with it undiagnosed. Advocates encourage people to review their family history for heart-related issues and speak with a doctor about screening if symptoms arise. E.M. Price, WFIR News. manager and play-by-play voice Mitch Stewart has been relieved of his duties. According to the organization, Stewart violated the team's code of conduct after being charged with a first offense DWI on Tuesday. He announced his departure on Facebook saying, quote, this is truly heartbreaking to acknowledge, but I accept full responsibility and I sincerely apologize to anyone. whom I've disappointed. Stewart is scheduled to appear in court on March 4th to appoint an attorney with an adjudicatory hearing set for May 4th. Franklin County approved 103 homes near Smith Mountain Lake in the second phase of Westlake development, marking significant growth for an area that hasn't seen major housing construction in decades. A Boone development will build infrastructure before selling lots to Ryan Homes. The walkable community includes one and two-bedroom homes, townhomes, and condos within 30 minutes of Roanoke. Construction begins early fall, addressing affordable housing shortages hindering business recruitment.
It's pothole season in the Roanoke Valley. After months of winter weather, roads are showing where as water seeps into pavement, freezes, expands, and weakens the surface. VDUC crews are inspecting problem areas and making temporary patches, but they need the public's help. VDOT spokesperson Jenna Zipton tells WDBJ7 reporting potholes is critical for scheduling repairs. We need people to report potholes. Then our crews will get the information and go out and inspect the roads. And so they'll look at the severity of the pothole where it's located, traffic impacts, and how many cars use that road every day, and then they're scheduled the repairs. Drivers who suffer vehicle damage from potholes on state roads can file claims with VDOT either online or by calling the customer service center. VDOT handles property damage claims up to $5,000, reviewed case by case. For damage on Roanoke City streets, drivers can file claims through the city's website or by calling customer service at 540-853-20000. That's also the number to report potholes within city limits. The first ever Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge fall campaign in late 2025 attached large numbers of visitors. Images captured and conveyed on social media channels had a lot to do with it, as WFIR's Bernie Moreno reports. Hotel revenue for the same holiday period was up almost 7% in 2025 versus 2024. The number of rooms sold was up almost 5%. Yesterday, Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge brought together its regional partners to celebrate and to remind them that regional cooperation and joint funding of VBR really makes a difference. Aldridge is Vice President of Marketing for Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge. One of the fun things that we get to do as a tourism marketing organization is showcase the unique things that make this area special to visit. And we are really fortunate to have a lot of really photogenic places that speak really well in terms of images and things that we can share. The $200,000 modest budget for the fall campaign focused on arts and culture, not the typical focus on outdoor amenities. It was accomplished by showcasing the area digitally on various social media channels. And it covers a lot of different interests that people might want to use to plan their trip. So if they're interested in hiking and being outdoors, we've got all kinds of amazing imagery that showcases the trails and the scenic views and the beauty. But then we also have some great images that capture the arts and culture scene or the food scene. the history and the different things that you can see at our museums. Images really help tell those stories in a powerful way. The fall campaign numbers were the icing on the cake for VBR and its regional partners outpacing both state and national trends when it comes to hotel demand and revenue in 2025. Bernie Moreno, WFIR News. Five people were arrested Wednesday after with county deputies executed a search warrant in Max Meadow's 600 block of Grouse Ridge Road. Deputy seized methamphetamine, firearms, and cash. The ongoing investigation may yield additional charges targeting illegal narcotics distribution in Wyth County.
Roanoke's Entertainment District Focus Group held its second meeting Tuesday as the city explores alternatives to generate revenue around the Burgland Center, which loses $2 million annually. While Mayor Joe Cobb doesn't anticipate casino progress in 26, four council members still support it. Councilman Faison Nash is one of them. He is leading the ongoing focus group to gather resident input on restaurants, parking, conference centers, and hotels for the area. Mostly known for his namesake engraved into the architecture of Lane Stadium, West Worsham recently passed away at the age of 93. The Powhatan native served in the Korean War before discovering and learning about Virginia Tech. Lester Carlin, a former Hokies football equipment manager from 1978 to 2014, looked back on Worsham's life, sharing the story of when the Virginia grandfather of fire-protecting sprinklers won a golf bag during a Virginia Tech Bull game. We bought it back in the quibbid truck, and I boxed it up and looked up the address and all, and it said, Washington Sprinkler Company 95 years. So I sort of figured out how old the company was, and I sent the bag to him at a place of business, and wrote something similar like, well, Wes, here's your bag for golf. You really look pretty good for 125-year-old. Carlin said Worsham always supported Virginia Tech, whether they were at home or on the road. He also reflected on the opportunity to maintain Worsham Field. When I'm helping Emerson Pulliam, he's the main guy who does the football fields, takes care of them. And when we're painting and everything, you know, I'm always out there and look around and right there on the side to be Worsham Field. He'd get a little pride in it because, I mean, West was a great guy. Carlin described Worsham, who always appeared in his hokey bird embroidered khakis in Virginia Tech Blazer as a well-respected gentleman. That's the latest. Check back on Monday for our next update. Connor Arthur, WFIR News.