Bob Leweke
News Director / Morning Edition HostBob Leweke is WMRA's News Director and Morning Edition host.
Before coming to public radio in 2003, Bob had worked for The Roanoke Times as a circulation manager and writer. He later became a member of the communication faculty at Pikeville College in Kentucky, and at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where he taught public speaking, mass media law, communication theory and other courses. Bob holds degrees in communication and political science from Virginia Tech, and a doctorate in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2015 and 2016, the readers of the Daily News-Record voted him “Best Radio Personality.”
In his hours away from WMRA, Bob enjoys music, cycling, reading and movie-watching, and spending time with his family doing all of the above.
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Charlottesville will soon have more safety cameras in an effort to reduce gun violence and vehicle thefts… Governor Youngkin signs a bill sponsored by Harrisonburg Senator Obenshain that will increase penalties for those who manufacture pressed pills containing fentanyl… As time runs out for the governor to sign, veto or amend bills, Jeff Schapiro joins us to discuss the week in politics and state government…. -
Charlottesville City Council reverses course and approves a Gaza cease-fire resolution… Governor Youngkin signs another 100 bills, including a measure to protect Virginians from unlawful discrimination… Most Virginia state parks, including Natural Bridge, will hold watch parties for next Monday’s solar eclipse….
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A federal judge orders Nexus to pay more than $366 million in restitution and fines… With new abortion restrictions taking place in Florida, Virginia providers are bracing for an influx of people seeking abortions… For the first time, Virginia will mark Black Maternal Health Week….
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Bryce Reeves, a state senator representing the Orange County region, won’t disclose details about a nearly two-thousand dollar trip paid for by a skill games company… Forestry officials say last week’s wildfires are all contained, as a bear cub injured by wildfire recovers at the Wildlife Center in Waynesboro… New research shows that heat waves are a growing problem in the Chesapeake Bay….
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Buford Middle School in Charlottesville is the site of Virginia’s fifth lab school, focusing on STEM education… The Virginia Breeze bus line says it plans to set up its first east-west route from the Valley to eastern Virginia… The governor’s sports arena deal may be dead, but he and Democrats still must come to an agreement on the state budget….
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JMU receives the largest cash gift in its history… As expected, Governor Youngkin vetoes bills with two big Democratic priorities, on marijuana and the minimum wage… Jeff Schapiro discusses the other political news of the week, including the collapse of the governor’s cherished arena deal in Alexandria….
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Now that the wildfires are under control, Shenandoah National Park lifts its burn ban, and reopens trails… Virginia is now the worst state in the country for on-time delivery of first-class mail… In a final blow to the governor’s dream of a massive sports complex in Alexandria, the city says it will no longer consider the proposal….
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U.S. Senator Warner visits the Shenandoah Valley to talk about infrastructure funding… The governor vetoes another 30 bills, including a ban on assault-style weapons promoted by Senator Creigh Deeds… We attend a demonstration of farm practices that build soil health and improve water quality for the Valley and the Chesapeake Bay watershed….
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Local wildfires are now mostly contained, and residents in Louisa County and elsewhere assess the damage… Commentators Jonah Goldberg and Mara Liasson talk about this year’s presidential race at Bridgewater College… A collaboration between a Rockingham County court and JMU is awarded for its innovative use of technology….
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Saturday’s rain helped, but firefighters continue working to contain several blazes in the Valley, as Governor Youngkin orders an emergency response in Page County… Almost a month after Harrisonburg’s city council became the first in Virginia to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, Charlottesville’s council rejects a similar resolution... Agencies in the Shenandoah Valley employ new approaches to address a regional housing crisis....
