Good morning, Roanoke.

Roanoke’s Labor Day Parade is planned for Saturday, celebrating the only holiday that honors the working person & inviting residents to join the community festivity.

Feeding Southwest Virginia is expecting growing demand at local food pantries as upcoming Medicaid and SNAP cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill begin after midterm elections.

President & CEO Pam Irvine noted increases in assistance-seekers across 26 counties and 9 cities.

Wawa opened its new Salem store on West Main Street this morning, offering free t-shirts, coffee, and a hoagie-building contest between police and fire departments.

The company plans to open 30 more Western Virginia stores in the next five years & donate to Feeding Southwest Virginia.

Virginia consumer sentiment dropped sharply in August, with the index falling to 59.6 and current conditions reaching 53.7 (its lowest since a 2022 inflation spike) in a report from Roanoke College’s School of Business, though outlook for the year remains more optimistic.

A forecast from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center projects a 0.5% GDP growth in Virginia in 2026, yet it estimates about 18,050 job losses amid a shrinking labor force.

Local employers in Southwest Virginia report persistent hiring challenges.

Travelers heading out for Labor Day face record high gas prices, with Virginia’s regular at about $3.96 per gallon and premium near $4.84, up +2 cents from Thursday.

AAA data shows the current levels come amid global oil uncertainty.

Roanoke City Public Schools cut 148 positions, including 64 teachers plus central office roles, to help balance a $14 million fiscal deficit for FY27; some eliminated roles were later recalled to fill vacancies as enrollment shifted.

Four Virginia State Police troopers received the 2026 Award for Valor on Tuesday, Sept.

1 at Hotel Roanoke for heroic actions during Dec. 2025 incidents, which included Trooper John D. Winebrenner's pursuit and a barricade incident involving Troopers Pedro Salamanca, William Keesee, and Dylan Welsh.

The Foundation for the Advancement of Southern and Southwest Virginia—created by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission in May to help local groups apply for funding—named Deborah Gosney as executive director on Thursday, Sept.

3. Gosney led the Southside Planning District Commission for 38 years and now brings deep local experience to her new role.