Your top Virginia and Roanoke Valley headlines for Monday, November 3, 2025:
🌊 40 Years Since the Flood of ’85: Roanoke reflects on one of the city’s worst natural disasters — and the flood-control projects that reshaped the valley and made today’s biomedical district possible.
🍽 SNAP Delays Continue: With the federal shutdown dragging into week five, food aid remains uncertain despite a Virginia Tech expert’s warning that state emergency funds may soon run out.
💸 ACA Subsidy Showdown: Senator Mark Warner hears from Virginians who could lose health coverage as Affordable Care Act discounts expire — one of the key reasons Congress remains at a stalemate.
🗳 Redistricting Fight Deepens: A constitutional amendment for mid-decade map changes clears the State Senate; local GOP lawmakers call it “unholy.”
👩⚕️ Local Election Spotlight: Donna Littlepage challenges Joe McNamara in a competitive House of Delegates race — saying it’s not about party, but “making Virginia win.”
🔥 Gas Leak Scare: Three people treated for headaches after firefighters find a 100% explosive-level gas reading in Forest early Saturday.
🦸 Remembering Terry Baucom: Roanoke’s comic book community honors the beloved owner of B&D Comics, remembered for her humor, kindness, and love of storytelling.
🌍 Climate & Health: Virginia ranks 18th nationwide for climate preparedness in healthcare — lower emissions but moderate heat risks.
⚓ Historic Find: A Botetourt County woman helps return former Governor Linwood Holton’s WWII Navy footlocker to his family — a rediscovered “miracle,” says Senator Tim Kaine.
🎧 WFIR News Express brings you the Roanoke Valley’s biggest stories and statewide developments — all in under 10 minutes, updated every weekday morning.