Hometown Stories WDBJ7

When U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine turned 60, he decided to mark the milestone and his 25 years in public life with a Virginia Nature Triathlon: hiking the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, biking the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive in the Commonwealth, and paddling the length of the James River.
In this episode of Hometown Stories, we sit down with Kaine to discuss the experience and the new book ‘Walk Ride Paddle: A Life Outdoors,’ which he describes as a love letter to Virginia.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.