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Articles by Henri Gendreau
Happenings: The Roanoke Rambler Events Calendar 8/25 to 9/8.
The sun sets on downtown Roanoke We scoured 30 disparate community calendars (yes, 30) so you didnβt have to. From live music to theatre, weβve got you covered. We encourage folks to contact the venue directly to learn of any last-minute changes or cancellations. Have a Happening? Does your business want to sponsor a newsletter? Reach out to us at editor@roanokerambler.com with βHappeningβ in the subject line.
Happy Wednesday! Thank you so much for your subscription to the Roanoke Rambler. This week, we took a ride down Williamson Road and talked to steering committee members about their outlook; Virginia voted "Yes"; and Virginia got $15M in new funding but where will it GO? First, Roanoke City and a steering committee tasked with creating a recommendation on the number of lanes on Williamson Rd. debate best next steps.
Virginians Vote Yes - Officials and Citizens React while Candidates Emerge
With 95% reporting, Virginia narrowly votes to temporarily redistrict with 51% of the vote. According to the Associated Press, over 1.5M Virginians voted to redistrict yesterday. Some speculate that this will lead to further seats by the Democrats, giving them "a better chance" to win ten out of eleven districts in Virginia. The current Virginia House delegation is six to five. Democratic elected officials released statements to the Rambler following the Yes vote.
What does $15.3 Million in GO Virginia Funding to Grow Virginia’s Economy mean for Roanoke
Can State Grant Money Turn Training Into Real Wages? Last week, Governor Abigail Spanberger announced, more than $15.3 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grants to support a new portfolio of projects across the Commonwealth focused on workforce development, advanced manufacturing, unmanned systems, life sciences, and site development.
A Divided Road, Changing Lanes: A Steering Committee Drives Williamson Rd Debate
The data and experiences are mixed as the steering committee is asked to have an authentic consensus by August Earlier this year in January, a nine year old girl was struck by a drunk driver on Williamson Road in Roanoke, VA. Police say the girl was hit after "trying to use the cross walk" with her family on Williamson Road. The driver, Jarret Wood, was arrested for drunk driving.
Fears Rise Over Broad Scoping Pressures due to the War, It is Public Safety Week as Crime Numbers Show Improvement, and Misinformation Among The Yes-or-No Vote Leads to a Deep Dive with City and State Leaders
We’ve once again found stories this week, digging beyond the obvious to give you the full facts and history on news that matters to you. Echoes of Conflict Abroad Are Resonating Here At home, in Roanoke More than a price to pay As the war in Iraq continues shaping global headlines and military policy, we look at how its ripple effects touch Roanoke, through reservists returning to the region, veterans seeking support, and the shifting ways our community understands service and sacrifice.
The Real Stakes Behind Virginia’s Redistricting Yes-or-No Vote
Roanoke Has Seen Redistricting Change Power Before. Voters Now Decide If It Can Happen Again Roanoke Rambler Newsroom In Virginia, the most powerful political act isn’t always casting a vote. Sometimes, it’s drawing the line around it. A century of shifting district lines, from separate representation to a single seat, frames the stakes of Virginia’s April 21 vote.
Public Safety Week in Roanoke
In Roanoke, a quieter shift: Crime is falling, but not gone Data shows improvement, but challenges remain as policing evolves and communities weigh safety and surveillance By The Roanoke Rambler Staff ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — On a spring morning in Roanoke, Public Safety Week does not arrive with sirens. It comes more quietly, in a patrol car idling at an intersection, a neighborhood meeting in a church basement, the steady flicker of a camera mounted above a downtown street.
What the Iran War Means for Roanoke and Southwest Virginia
How the Iran War Quietly Hits Roanoke: Gas, Budgets, and Lives Lost Far Away Talks between U.S. and Iranian officials reportedly broke down over the weekend in Islamabad. ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — War in Iran may feel distant, unfolding in headlines and faraway places. But its effects are already being felt here in Roanoke and across Southwest Virginia, quietly, steadily, and in ways that hit close to home.
Letter to Our Subscribers
As the weather warms up, find something to do in our weekly listings.
Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You’ll Ever Need. Week of 4/15 to 4/22
Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You’ll Ever Need. Week of 4/15 to 4/22. We scoured 30 disparate community calendars (yes, 30) so you didn’t have to. From live music to theatre, lectures to drag shows, we’ve got you covered. We encourage folks to contact the venue directly to learn of any last minute changes or cancellations. Have a Happening? Does your business want to sponsor a newsletter? Reach out to us at news@roanokerambler.com with “Happening” in the subject line.
Water Authority Releases Google Data Center Records Ahead of Scheduled Contempt Hearing
The Western Virginia Water Authority fought to not release records showing it agreed to supply at least 2 million gallons of water daily to a site, above, where Google wants to build data centers in Botetourt County.
Google Aims To Build 3 Data Centers, Totaling Nearly 1 Million Square Feet in Botetourt, Records Show
Google wants to build three data centers at its property in Botetourt County's Greenfield industrial park, as seen above in November 2025, state records show. PHOTO BY DAVID HUNGATE FOR THE ROANOKE RAMBLER Google intends to build three data center buildings totaling nearly 1 million square feet for its planned Botetourt County campus, state records show.
Water Authority Seeks Emergency Appeal Pause As Clock Ticks on Releasing Google Data Center Information
The Roanoke Rambler's attorney, David Lacy (left), addresses Judge Leisa Ciaffone as Western Virginia Water Authority executive director Michael McEvoy (center) and the water authority’s attorney, Jeremy Carroll, listen during a Friday, January 9th hearing.
Google Strives To Keep Data Center Water Use Secret After Judge Orders Records Released
Google is fighting me in court. This requires a bit of backstory. For months, local governments refused to disclose how much water a potential Google data center in Botetourt County might use. The Western Virginia Water Authority redacted those estimates in contracts released to The Roanoke Rambler. The agency cited a section of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act that allows government agencies to withhold “proprietary information” under certain circumstances.
Water Authority Prepares Key Vote on Potential Data Center, After Botetourt Spent Months Wooing 'Project Raspberry'
Public bodies are preparing Wednesday to front-load as much as $300 million to secure a potential Google data center in Botetourt County — with the expectation the tech giant will reimburse them. A draft agreement to fund a new water supply to Botetourt’s industrial park is “essential to the successful development of the Project,” which Roanoke leaders say could eventually require as much as 8 million gallons of water daily, initially drawn from Carvins Cove.
Potential Botetourt Data Center Could Be Google's Thirstiest in Virginia, Prompting Water Wars
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Roanoke City Manager Acknowledges Using AI in Writing Inaugural Speech
City Hall FREE to read When you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter Welcome! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your email address Sorry, something went wrong - please try again later or contact us by email
The $64-Million Question: How Will Roanoke End Up Spending Its Pandemic Relief Money?
Roanoke steered the biggest chunks of its pandemic relief money to food, fun and affordable housing. A Northwest Roanoke grocery store, refurbished Eureka Park Recreation Center and in-river kayak park are among the high-dollar projects made possible by a $64.5-million windfall under the American Rescue Plan Act. Roanoke has until the end of 2026 to spend all its ARPA money. But the city had to tell the feds before January 2025 where that money would go.
Roanoke Board Denied Volosin's Request To Host an Airbnb. Here's an Inside Look.
There’s a four-poster bed, De’Longhi coffee maker and ensuite bathroom — but nobody to stay at Councilman Peter Volosin’s house. Most people find it pretty easy to get a city license to run an Airbnb out of their home. But not for Volosin and his husband, Malcolm Quigley. FREE to read When you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter Welcome! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your email address Sorry, something went wrong - please try again later or contact us by email
Despite Spending Errors, Roanoke Ended '24 Budget Year with Extra Cash
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Roanoke Spent $5 Million More in '24 Than Council Authorized, Violating State Law, Audit Says
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Roanoke Homeless Assistance Team To Move from Downtown to Williamson Road Building
Roanoke’s Homeless Assistance Team is moving out of its downtown offices beside the Amtrak platform to a social services building on Williamson Road. The move is meant to bring HAT, as it’s known, under the same Civic Mall roof as other staff in the city’s Department of Human and Social Services, Carol Corbin, a city spokeswoman, said in an email.
Roanoke City Manager Accuses Schools of Possibly Breaking Law As Superintendent Blasts 'Veiled Threats', Letters Show
Investigation FREE to read When you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter Welcome! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your email address Sorry, something went wrong - please try again later or contact us by email
Riverdale Fire Destroys Prime Business Building Developer Says Is 'Not Possible' To Rebuild
A three-alarm fire that gutted a Roanoke business in the nascent Riverdale development destroyed what developer Ed Walker called “probably the best” building on the site. Noke Van Co., which builds and rents camper vans, said the fire, which broke out early Saturday, left its 20 employees without jobs. Friends of the business owners have started a fundraiser with a $100,000 goal, which as of late Tuesday had taken in more than $31,000.
Afraid of Losing Federal Money, Roanoke Removes Diversity, Equity from City Webpages
This story is part of an occasional series, Federal Effects, about how changes in federal policy are impacting our local community. Afraid it could lose millions in federal housing dollars, Roanoke has begun quietly removing diversity, equity and inclusion language from city government webpages. An official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development contacted the city on Feb.
Higher Meals Tax, Flat School Funding Feature in Roanoke Budget Proposal
Raising the meals tax and keeping school funding at last year’s levels are among the recommended highlights of Roanoke’s proposed $400-million-plus budget. “This is a very tight budget year,” City Manager Valmarie Turner told City Council members Monday. “Very tough choices will need to be made.” Turner began flashing warning signs last month that the city needed to tighten its belt and should adjust its school funding formula, which earmarks 40 percent of budgeted dollars to the district.
Refugee Resettlement Agency Lays Off Roanoke Staff After Federal Funding Cuts
Refugees living in Roanoke are facing an increasingly unstable future in the wake of federal funding cuts and executive orders. Commonwealth Catholic Charities, a nonprofit authorized by the government to help resettle refugees, has laid off 26 employees in Virginia, including eight in Roanoke. “It’s heartbreaking,” said Samjana Dahal, resettlement program supervisor in Roanoke.
Letter From the Founder: Todd Jackson To Join The Rambler As Our First Managing Editor
Dear Reader: It is with great elation that I announce Todd Jackson will become our inaugural managing editor. Jackson, who serves as metro editor and New River Valley bureau chief for The Roanoke Times, brings more than 30 years of experience to the role. His first day will be March 31. “I am excited to join The Roanoke Rambler,” Todd says. “The Rambler is proving since its founding that it is committed to, and can produce, important journalism that cannot be found elsewhere.
A proposal for a 36-unit apartment complex in South Roanoke owes its viability to recent zoning reforms, developers say. Plans for the apartment building involve demolishing four century-old residences in the 2200 block of Richelieu Avenue, across from the Crystal Spring commercial area. A stone’s throw from Carilion’s campus, the development may be the largest residential project proposed since Roanoke zoning reforms made building multifamily housing easier.
Roanoke School District May Cut Positions If City Funding Remains Level, Officials Say
Roanoke’s school district says it may need to cut as many as 50 mostly vacant positions if city funding remains at last year’s level. Jobs held by 13 elementary school Spanish teachers could be eliminated if Roanoke adjusts its funding formula with the school district, according to a presentation Monday from Superintendent Verletta White to Roanoke City Council. “These are just some of the practical realities we must face if we do not receive the funding necessary to meet our needs,” White said.
Roanoke May Need To Slash Millions in City Spending As Budget Woes Emerge
Roanoke may need to slash millions in city spending as new leaders warn of a tighter-than-normal budget. “This is a very difficult budget year, as our expenditures are outpacing our revenues,” City Manager Valmarie Turner told City Council members last week. City leaders this month asked the school district to consider foregoing an increase in the funding they receive from the city, which would again require adjusting a longstanding policy directing 40 percent of local dollars to the schools.
Roanoke Sues Residents Who Cut Down City-Owned Trees
When Lisa and Doug Hubert moved into their Grandin Village home six years ago, one of the first things they noticed was the trees. Two large American basswoods that framed the house had buckled the sidewalks. Over the years, the trees would drop dead limbs and a sticky sap onto the driveway. Now, Roanoke City is taking the Huberts to court for cutting down the city-owned trees in the curb strip outside their house.
Powers Sworn In on Roanoke City Council After Council Reverses Earlier Deadlock
Evelyn Powers was sworn into office Tuesday to fill a two-year Roanoke City Council seat, a week after Council initially deadlocked on making the appointment. “I’m ready to get to work,” Powers, a longtime city treasurer, said following her first Council meeting Tuesday. “Now, as is our custom, we always invite our newest City Council member to sing the national anthem,” Mayor Joe Cobb joked after Powers was sworn in by Circuit Court Judge David Carson. “That’d be a really sad thing,” Powers said.
As Roanoke City Council Deadlocks Over Filling Vacancy, Judge Says 'It's a Shame'
Roanoke’s political and legal establishment is reeling after a deadlocked City Council said it couldn’t agree on who should become its seventh member. Stone-faced Council members on Monday voted to ask that Roanoke City Circuit Court judges appoint someone to fill the remaining two years of Mayor Joe Cobb’s Council seat.
Roanoke's Valley Metro Bus System Still Struggles with Financial Issues, Audit Finds
Roanoke’s bus system has once again run afoul of rules around tracking and spending public dollars, an audit found. While Valley Metro has made improvements, problems persist one year after an external audit unearthed issues that could imperil funding and services if not addressed.
After Being Served, Roanoke Restaurants Settle Tax Bills
Recent crackdowns on Roanoke restaurateurs have resulted in an influx of owed taxes to the city, plea deals and dropped criminal charges. Since October, city officials have recovered about $150,000 in delinquent meals taxes, with another $63,000 anticipated through payment plans, according to City Treasurer Tasha Burkett. Those figures cut across 22 different businesses.
Roanoke To Defend Against 2 Lawsuits Alleging Toxic Workplace Under Ex-Leaders
Roanoke is defending itself against two civil lawsuits alleging that top former and current officials created a hostile working environment. The whistleblower suits stem from events last spring, when finance staff accused Brent Robertson, then an assistant city manager, of berating an employee so severely that she quit. Former city manager Bob Cowell is also a defendant in the lawsuit filed last month by a former city budget analyst, Yen Thuy Ha, which The Roanoke Rambler is reporting here first.
Battle lines are being drawn over who will fill the remaining two years of Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb’s vacant City Council seat. Former councilwoman Trish White-Boyd, former city treasurer Evelyn Powers and Rabbi Kathy Cohen are the three finalists Council members will interview publicly Monday. Eleven people applied for the post, which became vacant after Cobb was elected mayor.
Roanoke Aims To Seize, Sell Downtown Parking Garage Plagued By Tax, Code Issues
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'Council Isn't Immune': Property Values Are Rising. Here's How Much Elected Leaders' Homes Went Up.
Roanoke property owners are seeing an average 8 percent increase in their real estate tax bills this year, a historically high but downward-trending assessment since the pandemic. “The last three years have been really tough,” Kelvin C. Bratton, the city’s director of real estate valuation, told City Council members Tuesday.
Roanoke Valley Greenway Coordinator Resigns, Saying He Felt Stymied by Governments
The head of the Roanoke Valley Greenway Commission submitted his resignation last week, saying he felt stymied in the work by local government officials. Frank Maguire, Greenway coordinator, wrote in a letter Thursday that he will be leaving the position at the end of February but did not say why.
Letter From the Editor: We're Hiring a Managing Editor To Advance Our Journalism
Dear Reader: I’m excited to announce that The Rambler is hiring a Managing Editor to advance our journalism and support our growth as a hyper-local and investigative digital media outlet. This journalist will be a critical member of our team, overseeing and reporting journalism that informs the community, exposes wrongdoing, uncovers societal ills and holds the powerful accountable. You can find the full job description at this link.
Affordable Housing Complex Proposed For Rescue Mission Land in Southeast Roanoke
For nearly two decades, the Rescue Mission of Roanoke has owned a swath of long-vacant land at the gateway to the city’s Southeast quadrant. Now, an affordable housing developer proposes building a 155-unit apartment complex on the properties between Bullitt and Jamison avenues. FREE to read When you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter Welcome! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your email address Sorry, something went wrong - please try again later or contact us by email
Roanoke Botched Funding for After-School Contractor, Lost Out on Grant Money, Audit Finds
Roanoke botched payments to its after-school programming contractor, resulting in lost grant money, threats of litigation and termination of the contract, according to a city audit and records. FREE to read When you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter Welcome! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your email address Sorry, something went wrong - please try again later or contact us by email
Letter From the Editor: We're Hiring a Segregation Reporter Thanks to Report For America
Dear Reader: I am thrilled to share that Report For America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms across the country, has selected The Rambler to host a reporter beginning in July 2025. The reporter will focus on covering residential segregation — a beat that we proposed and which we have championed to grant makers since our founding in 2021. We believe this is a critical topic of coverage and are grateful to RFA for helping us make this idea a reality.
For City Manager, Roanoke Hires Northern Virginia Official with Background in Housing
City Hall After Valmarie Turner moved to Northern Virginia in 2017, a conference in Roanoke inspired her to take annual trips to the city. “It was absolutely the charm, it was absolutely the people,” she said of her attraction to Roanoke. Turner, Fairfax’s deputy city manager, will become Roanoke’s next city manager in mid-January, following a unanimous verdict from City Council on Monday.
New Life Proposed for Walker Foundry Land in Apartments, Restaurant, Pickleball Courts
Where once Walker Machine and Foundry made metal castings, a proposed apartment complex, restaurant and pickleball courts could forge a new community on the company’s land in Roanoke’s Norwich neighborhood. FREE to read When you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter Welcome! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your email address Sorry, something went wrong - please try again later or contact us by email
Roanoke's Black History Museum Plans To Leave Downtown for Melrose Plaza
Roanoke’s Black history museum plans to leave its downtown home at Center in the Square for the burgeoning Melrose Plaza in Northwest. The Harrison Museum of African American Culture intends to move as early as next year, according to E.B. Smith, a consultant for the museum, to the community hub created by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys from its former campus.
Show Pony, Restaurant of Refined Comfort Food, Plans To Open in Former Local Roots Site
What are Ramblings? Ramblings are a collection of short items that have caught our attention for one reason or another.
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