Early voter data suggests Black voters are turning out more than in the 2022 midterms and the 2025 governor’s race.

Roanokers are voting for three seats on the seven-member governing council of the largest metro area in western Virginia. The ballot for Roanoke city council includes three Democrats, one Republican, and three independents.

With less than a week to go before the end of voting, the airwaves are flooded with political ads. Most of the money in battleground districts comes from independent expenditures.

Most facilities operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE are located in rural areas, away from the public eye, so it’s easy to forget that thousands of people are still being held for weeks, months or even years. In Farmville, one woman is keeping an eye on the situation – doing what she can to help prisoners and their families.

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s going stop the governor, the legislature, the secretary’s office, from making sure we get something done this time,” Sen. Lamont Bagby said.

At the top of the ticket in Virginia this year is the race for the United States Senate, where Virginia's senior senator is seeking a fourth term in office.

Voters have been casting ballots for more than five weeks, and the turnout is breaking Virginia records.

A small group of protestors gathered in Giles County Monday to oppose a potential data center across the state line in Monroe County.

“Everybody is realizing this is a Trojan horse and maybe not the gift horse we thought it was,” Delegate Vivian Watts said. “We have leverage we never had before.”

October is Pedestrian Safety Month, and drivers and walkers alike can help keep vulnerable road users safe.