Hometown Stories Episode 79: Reclaiming History in Roanoke's Old Lick Cemetery
Hometown Stories
Since 2019, volunteers have gathered once a month to reclaim an African American cemetery in the city of Roanoke. The Friends of Old Lick Cemetery have cleared away the brush that has overtaken the property and revealed dozens of headstones. In this episode of Hometown Stories, we hear how they ae also shining a light on an important chapter of Roanoke's hidden history.
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Hometown Stories Episode 78 - Fries: The Town Frozen in Time
Hometown Stories
Along a stretch of the New River in southwest Virginia, you’ll find a town nearly unchanged by time. For nearly a century, the people of Fries, Virginia worshiped, played and grew up under the watchful eye and guiding hand of its textile mill. It was an Appalachian mill town centered on community, cotton and country music. But that changed when the mill closed in the 1980s, and Fries became a shell of its former self. Today, Fries is using its past to guide its future - hoping to weave a new chapter into its unique story.
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Hometown Stories Episode 77 - From Foundry to Fandom: How a steam locomotive became an icon
Hometown Stories
The Norfolk and Western Class J No. 611 locomotive has retained celebrity status in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia and has amassed fans in the rail enthusiast community worldwide. The Queen of Steam recently rode the rails once again, harkening back to its early days in the passenger rail business. Now as the last remaining of its kind, fans flock to see the Spirit of Roanoke run. In this episode of Hometown Stories, we explore the 611’s past, how she gained celebrity status and look ahead to its future.
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Hometown Stories Episode 76 - The Money Plant: Histories and mysteries rooted in Appalachia’s ginseng trade
Hometown Stories
Since the era of Daniel Boone, sengers have been trying their luck at turning roots into riches. The wild American ginseng created outlaws and bylaws, fact and fiction, in trying to define a people almost as elusive as the plant itself. Fueled by a robust Asian market, the ginseng trade has persevered, though today with conservation top of mind. In this episode of Hometown Stories, a look at the histories and mysteries rooted in Appalachia’s ginseng trade as Virginia’s season gets underway.
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Hometown Stories 75 - Acorn Aspirations: Forestry project needs your nuts
Hometown Stories
Did you know you can help plant trees in Virginia just by exploring your backyard? Virginia's Department of Forestry wants your acorns! In this episode of Hometown Stories, we speak with nursery manager, Joshua McLaughlin, about how you can get involved.
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Hometown Stories 74 - An Arctic adventure for space telescope researchers
Hometown Stories
Five members of the Green Bank Observatory team in Green Bank, West Virginia have spent the last two weeks dodging polar bears, climbing glaciers and dismantling a giant telescope in one of the world’s northernmost human settlements. They’re bringing the spare parts, floppy discs and all, back to Green Bank. In this episode of Hometown Stories, we get a look into their epic adventure.
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Hometown Stories Episode 73 - Climate and Cabernet: How climate change is affecting Virginia’s wine industry
Hometown Stories
The journey from the grapevine to the bottle is a journey filled with challenges for wine makers worldwide. Thanks to climate change, those challenges are mounting. In this episode of Hometown Stories, a look at how climate change is forcing Virginia’s billion dollar industry to adapt.
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Hometown Stories Episode 72 - On the move for mobility: Disability advocates highlight gaps in accessibility in rural Virginia
Hometown Stories
Garrett Brumfield has a dream, a dog and a high-tech mobility scooter. Cerebral palsy hasn’t stopped him from living his life, it’s just made him adapt and overcome. That’s the encouraging message he delivers as a disability advocate. But it’s not all positive messages and good vibes. Brumfield and others are on a mission to highlight accessibility gaps in rural Virginia. In this episode of Hometown Stories, we’ll measure those gaps and learn how we might begin to bridge them.
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Hometown Stories Episode 71 - Public Health Leaders stress importance of physical, mental health as children head back to school.
Hometown Stories
School is about to begin for Virginia public school students. In addition to having backpacks, uniforms and new shoes ready to go, public health leaders also want children to be prepared physically. That means getting their annual physical and required vaccinations - as well as checking up on their mental health. We spoke with Dr. Karen Shelton, Virginia State Health Commissioner, about what parents need to know ahead of the school year. This conversation originally appeared on the WDBJ7+ Digital News Desk.
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Hometown Stories Episode 70 - Managing Migraines: A look at triggers and tools
Hometown Stories
A migraine is the cranial nerves around the face being activated- nerves which can be hypersensitive to the senses. Episodic migraines can occur once a week or once a month. Chronic migraine sufferers typically experience more than 14 headache days a month. Migraines are also hormonally triggered, which is why they often affect women. But what can be done to treat and even prevent them? We invited Jamie Brackenrich, Family Nurse Practitioner with LewisGale Regional Health System, to join us for a discussion.
info_outlineJust how well is your face mask stopping your spittle? Face masks are still one of the most widely recommended and controversial ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In this episode of Hometown Stories, we're asking researchers at Virginia Tech to test their effectiveness in the lab, letting their own bacteria do the talking.