Roanoke City Council is considering a significant annual operational fee for specialty tobacco and vape shops, a move Councilman Phazon Nash says is aimed at promoting public health and business diversity in the Star City.

The annual Roanoke Pride March was held in Downtown Roanoke on Saturday.

Roanoke overspent its budget by more than $ million last fiscal year, and now a newly elected Council is working to restore accountability and prevent it from happening again.

Council members heard the proposal to address overcrowding during a joint meeting with the Roanoke City School Board. Leaders will spend the next few months studying the issue further.

Until next July, city council members will still be paid $23,000, and the mayor makes $25,000.

A vote on the controversial development in Roanoke took a turn during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

The debate over transgender student-athletes continues after the Roanoke College Women’s Swim Team publicly called on the NCAA, USA Swimming, and lawmakers to change policies and laws to prevent trans women from competing in women’s sports.

Members in the LGBTQ Plus community are speaking out, showing support for transgender athletes.

The new school's location is placed farther from the street to make it safer for staff, students and parents.

The legislation has support from both sides, marking a major shift in politics for what was once considered a divisive issue.

History is in the making in Roanoke City. A diverse community is now expected to be represented in Roanoke City Hall.

Joe Cobb, Vivian Sanchez-Jones and Peter Volosin are the three democratic candidates running for Roanoke City Council.

After overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the U.S. Supreme Court reconsider other cases, including Obergefell v. Hodges, which allows same-sex marriage.

Here are your local primary results for our area.

The 6th District for the US House is holding a primary to determine the Republican nominee.

The Roanoke Diversity Center and Run-About Sports are hosting weekly rainbow runs.

On Nov. 3, Roanoke will elect three new city councilmembers. The eight candidates are Robert Jeffrey Jr. (D), Peter Volosin (D), Trish White-Boyd (D), Maynard Keller (R), Peg McGuire (R), Cesar Alberto (L), Kiesha Preston (I) and Stephanie Moon (I). The only incumbent among the group is White-Boyd. Use the picker below:Find Race ResultsOnly care how other counties and cities in the area voted? You’ll find all those options in this picker:How cities, counties in our region votedGet the latest Virginia election news here

ROANOKE, Va. – Two Roanoke politicians will play an active role in the Biden-Harris campaign’s effort to reach LGBTQ+ voters in Virginia. The Biden for President Virginia campaign announced on Monday that Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb and Roanoke City Council candidate Peter Volosin are among the co-chairs selected for the LGBTQ+ Virginians for Biden-Harris leadership council. The goal of the council is to “highlight Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' plan to advance LGBTQ+ equality, starting by working to pass the Equality Act.”Council members will work to “mobilize and engage” the LGBTQ+ community in Virginia. The campaign said this will include things like hosting weekly meetings, tapping into existing networks and organizing voters for early voting. Here is the full list of those who will serve as co-chairs:

ROANOKE, Va. A landmark decision on Monday by the Supreme Court, which ruled that the nations most important civil rights law also bans discrimination against gay and transgender workers. It was a victory for the Roanoke Valleys LGBTQ community. The Supreme Court ruled the Civil Rights Act of 1964 applies to sexual orientation. In a surprise move, it was Gorsuch, President Trumps first Supreme Court appointee, who authored the ruling. Congress might not have anticipated this result when it passed the Civil Rights Act, Gorsuch said.

ROANOKE, Va. – After 25 years in office, Virginia Congressman Bob Goodlatte says he will not seek re-election for the Sixth District. As Goodlatte's term as House Judiciary Chair comes to an end, Roanoke native Peter Volosin announced that he will run for Goodlatte's seat. This will be Volosin's first run for office, and he began preparing for it this summer. "I would say thank you to Bob Goodlatte for his decades of service as our representative," Volosin said. I'm here to represent a new future for the Roanoke Valley and the Sixth District."