Virginia Tech's President Steps Down, Rail Yard Dawgs Sweep Playoffs, and Down by Downtown Returns

Full Transcript

Intro

Alex: Welcome to The Roanoke Weekly. I’m Alex.

Morgan: And I’m Morgan.

Alex: It’s Monday, April 13th, 2026 — here’s your week in the Star City. Every Monday, we cover the biggest local news and then run down what’s happening around town this week. Just a reminder — this show is locally curated and AI-narrated. We pull from great local sources like the Roanoke Times, WDBJ, WSLS, and Cardinal News, and we encourage you to support them.

Morgan: This week — Virginia Tech’s president is stepping down after 12 years, the Rail Yard Dawgs are on a playoff tear, and Down by Downtown is back.

Alex: Let’s get into it.

The Lead: Virginia Tech President Tim Sands Stepping Down

Alex: Virginia Tech President Tim Sands announced Thursday that he plans to step down in the coming months. Sands has led the university for 12 years, making him one of the longest-serving presidents in Tech’s history.

His tenure reshaped the university. Since 2014, undergraduate enrollment grew by roughly 7,000 students. Applications tripled. Fifteen major construction projects went up, totaling 1.9 million square feet. The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine became the university’s ninth college in 2018, deepening the relationship between Tech and Roanoke’s medical community. And the Innovation Campus in Alexandria opened last year, now educating more than 500 graduate students.

Cardinal News noted his legacy extends well beyond Blacksburg. Sands is credited with helping land Amazon’s HQ2 project for Virginia and strengthening the university’s ties to Roanoke’s biomedical sector.

In his announcement, Sands said he wants to step aside “while Virginia Tech has momentum on so many fronts, so that the next president can take the baton in full stride.” He plans to stay in Blacksburg.

But the timing has raised questions. The Roanoke Times reported Friday that several Democratic leaders, including Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Creigh Deeds, believe Sands may have been pressured to leave by the university’s board of visitors — before Governor Spanberger gets the chance to reshape that board. Of the 13 governor-appointed members, 12 were put in place by former Governor Youngkin. Spanberger will have the opportunity to make five new appointments starting in July.

Kaine told reporters he’d spoken with people connected to Sands but wasn’t at liberty to say who. Deeds said he’s heard plans for an accelerated presidential search and called it “further evidence that they’re operating in bad faith.”

For context, the last time Tech searched for a president, in 2014, the process took six months and involved 238 candidates.

All four of our sources covered this story. It’s clearly the biggest regional news of the week, and we’ll be watching how the search process unfolds.

The Rundown: News & Notes

Alex: Alright, let’s run through the rest of what happened this week.

Alex: The Rail Yard Dawgs are moving on. Roanoke swept Birmingham in two games to open the President’s Cup Playoffs, outscoring the Bulls 13-1 in the series. Game 2 Saturday night at the Berglund Center was a 6-0 shutout in front of over 4,000 fans. Gustav Muller scored four goals across the two games, and Dominiks Marcinkevics and Noah Finstrom both scored shorthanded in the second period to blow it open. The semifinal matchups haven’t been announced yet, but the Dawgs are rolling.

Alex: If you’ve ever wanted to see the 611 under steam, mark your calendar. The Virginia Museum of Transportation announced this week that the Norfolk and Western Class J No. 611 will run a limited series of summer excursions in June and July, departing from Staunton and Louisa. It’s a partnership with the Virginia Scenic Railway and the Steam Railroading Institute. Tickets go on sale this Tuesday, April 15th.

Alex: Salem’s Valley 8 movie theater closed its doors for good last Thursday after 50 years. AMC, which owned the theater, released a statement shortly before the final showing. The last movie screened was “You, Me and Tuscany.” AMC told patrons to visit AMC Classic Roanoke 10 instead. WSLS spoke with community members who called it a longtime Salem staple.

Alex: Some good economic development news out of Roanoke County. The board of supervisors unanimously approved up to $3 million in performance-based incentives for Elbit Systems of America, which makes night vision equipment for the U.S. military. The company announced a $30 million expansion of its facility on Plantation Road. That’s expected to create 288 new jobs with an average salary around $68,000. Supervisor Phil North put it plainly: “For those naysayers in the Roanoke Valley that say we don’t have economic development, I hope they’re listening.”

Alex: Heads up if you use the Star Trail. The parking lot at the base of Mill Mountain is closing starting mid-April for a round of improvements — new sidewalk connecting the Garden City Greenway to the Star Trail, better drainage, new paving, and upgraded lighting. Riverland Road will be closed to through traffic between Ninth Street and Garden City Boulevard during construction, which is expected to run through the fall.

Alex: And on the tax front, it’s a mixed bag across the valley. Roanoke County voted to hold its real estate tax rate at a dollar and three cents per hundred — the same as last year. But that’s the first time in three years the county hasn’t lowered the rate, and with reassessments, most homeowners will see an effective increase. County Administrator Richard Caywood called the current budget path “unsustainable.” Meanwhile, over in Franklin County, supervisors are considering a 7-cent hike to their real estate tax rate, which would be the first significant increase since 2018. A public hearing is set for Tuesday.

The Week Ahead: Events

Alex: That’s the news. Let’s talk about what’s happening this week.

Morgan: Good week for it. Let’s run through it.

Morgan: Tuesday, the West End Farmers Market is cutting the ribbon on their brand new pavilion. It’s opening day for the season, and the new permanent structure is a big upgrade. If you’ve been going to the market for years, this is worth checking out. They’ll be open starting at 2:30.

Alex: A permanent pavilion is a nice milestone for that market.

Morgan: Thursday night, the Jefferson Center has the Takacs Quartet with violist Jordan Bak. If you’re not familiar, the Takacs Quartet has been performing together since 1975 — formed in Budapest, now one of the most respected chamber ensembles in the world. It’s a special night if you’re into classical music.

Morgan: Friday, Down by Downtown kicks off. The music festival runs through Sunday and coincides with the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon weekend. Multiple venues across downtown Roanoke, tons of live music. It’s one of the best weekends of the year in the city.

Alex: Marathon weekend plus a music festival. Downtown is going to be packed.

Morgan: Saturday you’ve got two great options depending on what you’re into. The Roanoke Earth Day Celebration is happening in Grandin Village from 10 to 3. And if you’ve got kids, the 25th Annual Blue Ridge Kite Festival is at Green Hill Park in Salem, also 10 to 3. Twenty-five years of kite flying — that’s a real tradition.

Alex: If you only do one thing this week?

Morgan: Down by Downtown. Get out, hear some music, enjoy the energy downtown. And actually, if you want to get hyped for it, Cardinal News published a really nice piece this week about how Roanoke is quietly becoming Virginia’s music city. Worth a read.

The Closer

Alex: Morgan mentioned that Cardinal News piece, and it really is worth your time. It’s by Campbell Bloomfield, and it traces how Roanoke’s music scene grew from basement shows at 3rd Street Coffee House back in 1987 to what it is now — 11 major live music venues across the valley. No branding campaign, no city initiative. Just one room at a time, one crowd at a time.

We’ll drop a link in the show notes. If you’re heading to Down by Downtown this weekend, give it a read first. It’ll make you appreciate what this city has put together.

Close

Alex: That’s your Roanoke Weekly. Virginia Tech is searching for a new president, the Dawgs are headed to the semis, the 611 is firing up this summer, and Downtown Roanoke is about to have one of its best weekends of the year.

Morgan: If any of that was useful, share this with someone in the valley.

Alex: See you next Monday.