WMRA News

Since it opened in 1936, Shenandoah National Park has welcomed an average of well over a million and a half visitors each year. Many of them may not know of the park’s painful past. One avid hiker who researched and wrote about that past calls her book a “broken-hearted love song to the park,” as WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

Former Harrisonburg Mayor and Councilmember Kai Degner sat down with Bob Leweke to talk about his campaign to unseat 6th District Republican Bob Goodlatte in this year's election.

On Saturday, Natural Bridge became the 37th Virginia State Park.  The ceremony followed a journey involving a tourist attraction under disrepair, troubled finances, and a place deep in Virginia's history.  WMRA's Jessie Knadler was at the ceremony and has this report.

During this American election year, NPR has been exploring how people in other countries view the United States.  WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini gets the reaction of French immigrants to the U.S., in particular how they feel about a distinctly different approach the two countries take to work life and vacation time.

It has been known for some time that immune cells and their signals can induce changes in our central nervous systems -- or CNS. But the link between the immune system and social behavior was unknown – until recently, thanks to new research out of Charlottesville. WMRA's Marguerite Gallorini reports.

It’s only their third week of class, but University of Virginia students yesterday got an environmental wake up call. WMRA’s Jordy Yager was on hand.

A new three-part exhibit in Charlottesville brings attention to what it’s calling the “Landscapes of Slavery and Segregation.” As WMRA’s Sefe Emokpae explains, it’s all part of the 50th anniversary celebration for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A Rockbridge County judge signed an order late in August that officially begins the selection process of up to 11 county residents to serve on a special grand jury that will investigate Rockbridge County’s social services department. The department has been rocked by scandal in recent months after an internal review accused the agency of disregarding, even shredding, reports of child abuse and neglect that may have resulted in the death of at least one child. As the case gets underway, victims are coming forward with disturbing details about the agency. WMRA's Jessie Knadler has one such story.

Recent news reports about bears may give the impression that encounters between humans and bears are increasing in number. Whatever the case may be, humans bear a responsibility in that mix, as WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and as nights are getting longer, one Harrisonburg family is raising spirits with a symbol of hope: sunflowers. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz reports.

If you build it, they will come. That’s the bet Shenandoah National Park is making with a new, fuel-efficient, addition to its ranks.  WMRA’s Jordy Yager takes a look at the Park’s more climate friendly future.

A report this summer revealed deep problems at the Rockbridge Department of Social Services – problems so deep they may have contributed to the death of at least one child, and allegations of mismanagement and improper document shredding go back years.  WMRA’s Jessie Knadler reports.

When most of us think of an artist in residence, we think of painters, potters, or maybe even poets. But what about an artist whose medium is sound? Well, that perked the ears of WMRA’s Jordy Yager, who has this report.

Most of us learn about the global refugee crisis through news coverage rather than personal experience.  WMRA has been telling the stories of many refugees who have settled in Virginia. But what is the refugee experience in quieter parts of the world, far from the global media's attention? WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini takes us to her rural hometown in the east of France, called Saint-Loup.

Participants at the Black Male Town Hall Tuesday night, August 16, signed up to focus on key areas aimed at promoting change in Charlottesville’s African-American community. WMRA’s Jordy Yager reports.

Earning an MBA may give you the credentials you need to run a business, but does it really prepare you for the uncertainty you’ll face in that role?  Professors at UVa’s Darden School of Business thought they could do more to help students prepare for a life of executive decision making.  WMRA's Emily Richardson-Lorente has the story.

According to the FBI, from 2000 until 2013 in the United States, 486 people were killed in 160 active shooter situations, defined as when a shooting is in progress and “law enforcement personnel and citizens have the potential to affect the outcome of the event based upon their responses.” Last week in Harrisonburg, various local law enforcement and emergency agencies practiced responding to such a situation. WMRA’s Christopher Clymer Kurtz attended, and filed this report. A note of caution: While the scenario you are about to hear is staged, it also can be frightening.

If you’ve driven through the UVa campus recently, you may have noticed a mural going up on the side of the Graduate Hotel. It’s a collaboration with the Charlottesville Mural Project, a Philadelphia artist and a prize-winning poet.  WMRA’s Emily Richardson-Lorente has the story.

Chihamba's 27th African-American cultural arts festival just ended in Charlottesville last week. If you missed it, that's okay: WMRA’s Marguerite Gallorini was there and has this report on the annual gathering that mixes social activism with good fun.